porsche65 wrote:Thanks for the advice. I don't think there are many bears where I live but I am sure there are in some of the places I travel to. I just hope I don't find any of them. When I first started seeing the cougar I would keep my rifle nearby just in case he came onto the farm. After first couple years I have gotten much more relaxed about him being around. He has never tried to come inside the fences. He usually shows up mid November so I am already out of woods by then.
You are welcome and I hope that it serves you well, if the situation arises! I also hope that I did not scare the Jimmy Dickens out of you! If you live and walk where Black Bears live and roam, one must be ready for a possible encounter. Probably 6 out of 10 people that hike and hunt in these same areas, may never ever see a Black Bear or have an encounter but I have had enough of both and luckily, can attest to this fact. In fact, I was hunting a large mountain in an area called Shaffers Run within the Monongahela National Forest in West Virginia and ran into three different Black Bear Cubs on three different logging roads (i.e. ran into one Cub on each road) on the same mountain within 3 hours. I was Bow hunting on the ground and needless to say, after running into the 3rd Cub, I got off of that mountain pretty quickly! Luckily for me, they never saw, heard or smelled me and I never encountered their mothers.
As far as the Cougar is concerned, I would recommend the following: Contact the TWRA and give the facts that you know about the Cougar (I am hoping you have pics and/or video to back your story) and ask them if they can do something about the Cougar when he shows up again. If he shows up and generally stays on the other side of the fence and in the tree-line, he is scoping out your' farm for an easy meal (i.e. an animal or possibly a human that ventures too close to where he is spying from). Hopefully, the TWRA will come out not long after he is sighted again, trap him and move him to a very remote location. If they cannot do so or are not willing to do so, then if it were me, I would take matters into my' own hands! Cougars are too unpredictable and dangerous to allow to freely stalk the edges of your' farm! He is not only a threat to you, your family members, your livestock (if you have any) and pets as well as your neighbors and their' livestock and pets.
If you ever need help with the Cougar problem and can't take care of it yourself or get help from the TWRA, you can call on me, if you wish to! I live only an hour or so away in Jefferson County. I have hunted since I was 6 years old, held Expert with the M-16 Rifle while in the U.S. Army, was an Armorer (Weapons Specialist) for a time while serving in an Armored Tank Unit and have taken practically every Weapons and Hunting Safety Course that is available. I am a Long Range Shooter that can and will take extremely long shots if needed and if it is safe to do so! I have never nor will I ever take a shot that will endanger any persons, livestock, pets, homes, cars or any other type of property. Please understand that I am not trying to boast about my capabilities as a shooter! It is just something that I have always been great at and I have the equipment to do the job.
My' telephone number is: (865) 221-9443
Frank
