[BonitaBob]

Greetings all, sometimes reality sets in and those of us who live "out in the country" in this part of Arizona know we cohabit with critters that may be a little higher on the food chain than we are. It's not uncommon to see mountain lion sign this time of year and I get to see a glimpse of them every once in awhile, capable of vertical leaps 15ft+ and 30ft+ horizontal, they have my respect.

This lab/retriever mix met a very violent demise about 150 yards from my home, it could have been a drop because no one in the "neighborhood" recognized it. It had yellow teeth, meaning a soft diet, and it seemed to be clean as in not matted.

From the width of claw marks on the dogs right rear flank, the spacing of teeth puncture marks on its snout and broken neck, this was a fairly good sized lion.



The right front shoulder was torn from the dog's body and was not located;



The Mrs and I don't like seeing pet dogs meet this kind of demise, more so given that responsible ownership would have prevented this. Just because we don't see predators doesn't mean they are not there.

During warm weather I typically carry 1911/38 Super, when I see lion sign carry becomes a 686P with handloaded 140gr XTPs. Seeing four fresh wild hog poops and lion scat about 40 feet from the house this morning, it's two 1911s/10mm for carry, Government on the hip and railed Commander in a Carhartt pocket, redundancy is good.

 

[Ratzo]

They are sneaky, quiet, and strong. I've got great respect for them. Sad to see that pooch meet that demise. I do shake my head every time I see a "lost dog" poster here. More than likely it got carried away by a predator of some sort. Especially those little purse dogs (shudder). It's been awhile back but two wolves made an attempt at my neighbors dog. Broad daylight, less than 50 yds away from the house.

You might want to consider a lanyard for those firearms. 150 lbs of kitty starts throwing you around and you might need both hands to protect yourself.

 

[SidecarFlip]

They are meat eaters after all. Just so long as you aren't the 'meat', all is good. While I don't like to see any domesticated animal succumb to that demise, it's still the survival of the fittest out there and if the 'fittest' means a heater, so be it.

Amy has lost numerous cats to the song dogs here and my 22-250 with the ATN night vision scope has reduced that number quite a bit. The pelts aren't worth the trouble to remove as of late so I leave them lay and their relatives eat them for dinner. Yotes are just plain nasty critters.

 

[jeepnut]

I figure I am in their habitat and they are excellent hunters whether alone or in packs, that goes for all animals. So I look for signs, carry reliable and big enough guns but also learn the signs. Even when not hunting for food, I watched a family of Red Fox as the female and cub were eating and a large Raccoon started trying to move in and out of nowhere the male Red Fox in about 10 seconds had the **** down and dead. I have always thought in many cases animals are much smarter than we give them credit for.

 

[Huntsman]

I've always felt that we are in their habitat, not the other way around. Humans occupy a tiny percentage of the land mass on earth and virtually none of the sea, which covers most of the earth. We like to think of ourselves as the dominant species but in the grand scheme, we're vertually insignificant. I pretty much carry a 10mm all the time now, whether in town or out and about in the desert or mountains.

 

[bearcat6]

They are very quiet

 

[ifithitu]

Better the CAT than I.:37-637::bullets:

 

[Injunbro]

There's a lion that visits our pond @ night regularly, I see the tracks in the morning. There's also a large bobcat (40+lbs.) that hangs around, since the neighbor a 1/2 mile or so away started locking up his chickens @ earlier so (he lost 1 a night for a couple weeks) the rabbit population is way down... I'd rather have them cats around as all the rabbits, rats, mice & other vermin.

 

[mrerick]

I live on the edge of a wooded are about 25 miles from the Center of a large city.

My next door neighbor decided that having a pair of pet ducks was a good idea, and setup a little pond and caged area. They lasted 24 hours before magically disappearing. We have fox and coyote in the woods here.

Up in the mountains above Asheville, a friend's next door artistic neighbor was so enchanted with Japanese Koi fish (which run hundreds of dollars each) that she had a large pond and water feature constructed on the property and stocked it with over a dozen.

The Sushi bar installation was greatly enjoyed by the black bears that lived in the area within a couple of days.

And people wonder why some of us carry guns?

 

[Bob K]

I don't go hiking when there is ice, snow, or after it rains a lot (Too muddy!), out in the woods near my home. But, I make it a habit, to be armed with a .38 Spl when I go hiking, usually every day in better weather. It gives me comfort, should something develop, unexpectedly. You don't really know what's out there, particularly in the thick New England cover. There are Black Bears and Coyotes around, even though they avoid contact with humans. Be Prepared!!! I usually take a small knapsack, loaded with 'stuff'.....just in case. Bob

 

[71Chevrolet]

I think I told the story here long ago, but some years ago a buddy and myself hiked up a narrow canyon on my family’s land. Long story short, when we hiked back down there were mountain lion tracks over ours and fresh sign. It was getting dark too, that didn’t help the feeling any!

 

[Injunbro]

To show the strength of a lion: 30+ years ago on a cousins ranch I found a fresh kill site where a lion had pulled down a large bull. I tracked it for over a mile & up into the rocks where I could hear it growling... I've done some dumb things but wasn't going any further. My cousins husband put the hounds on it & during the ensuing scrap the lion showed it's self long enough for him to ventilate it. The cat weighed 175, the bull he dragged off 900... you do the math! A big cat thinks nothing of killing a deer that weighs as much or more as itself & jumping up into a tree w/ it.

 

[lawdog]

Bob, what round are using in your 10mms?

 

[Bob K]

They are all muscle, and stay lean and mean. It's no wonder that they are the top of the food chain! They aren't afraid of anything, but usually avoid contact with man. Bears are the same way, but look rather bulky. Bob

 

[BonitaBob]

Bob, what round are using in your 10mms?

Double Tap 155gr TAC-XB, Barnes all copper JHP, supposed to be barrier blind and it does expand penetrating thick bone.


10mm 155gr. Barnes TAC-XP Lead Free 50rds.

30% off for the next few days if, you are interested, PM me for the coupon code.

 

[lawdog]

I'm partial to these loads from Underwood Ammo:

https://www.underwoodammo.com/collections/handgun-ammo/products/10mm-auto-220-grain-hard-cast-flat-nose?variant=7865916555321

https://www.underwoodammo.com/collections/handgun-ammo/products/10mm-auto-140-grain-xtreme-penetrator?variant=7865928056889

https://www.underwoodammo.com/collections/handgun-ammo/products/10mm-auto-180-grain-bonded-jacketed-hollow-point?variant=7865916620857

 

[FlaRon]

The Florida Panthers (the cat not the hockey team) are rarely seen and are not a danger to humans as much as the mountain lions that have been eluded to in the post here. I always carry when out of. the house primarily for the threat of the two legged up right critters that infest all areas that I travel in. If however I was living in areas and out and about hiking, camping or fishing where mountain lions were prevalent I would continue to have a sidearm on my person but would supplement with something that would allow for heavier application of projectiles on thin skinned animals. For me that would take the form of something along the lines of this.

 

[Charlie686]

I don't go hiking when there is ice, snow, or after it rains a lot (Too muddy!), out in the woods near my home. But, I make it a habit, to be armed with a .38 Spl when I go hiking, usually every day in better weather. It gives me comfort, should something develop, unexpectedly. You don't really know what's out there, particularly in the thick New England cover. There are Black Bears and Coyotes around, even though they avoid contact with humans. Be Prepared!!! I usually take a small knapsack, loaded with 'stuff'.....just in case. Bob

I wouldn't shoot a bear with a 38 Spl. It would just make him really mad. 357 or bigger in my book. I personally carry a 44 Mag. loaded with 240 grain hard cast.

 

[71Chevrolet]

The Florida Panthers (the cat not the hockey team) are rarely seen and are not a danger to humans as much as the mountain lions that have been eluded to in the post here. I always carry when out of. the house primarily for the threat of the two legged up right critters that infest all areas that I travel in. If however I was living in areas and out and about hiking, camping or fishing where mountain lions were prevalent I would continue to have a sidearm on my person but would supplement with something that would allow for heavier application of projectiles on thin skinned animals. For me that would take the form of something along the lines of this.

View attachment 348405

View attachment 348403

I like your style!

 

[Bob K]

While I wouldn't shoot a bear with my .38....it is pretty loud, and the sound of a shot, or two, might scare him off!!! It is recommended that you shout at a bear.......but a shot would probably scare him off better! Bob