Kittie pix

Got this today in an email ... thot y'all might like to see it ...

Trailcam, the location is about 70 miles frum where I live ... and, IIRC, that portion of the state is still open to cat huntin' ... it's basically Badlands and nearby ... 

All of life is six-to-five against, just enough to keep you interested. (Damon Runyan)

Gravity makes all the important decisions ... (John R. Powers)

NRA, REMF, PF, NAHC-L, NAFC-L, KC, NPPA

That is one productive momma kitty!  They sure are a beautiful critter, but I think the smaller bobcat is even prettier!!!

Mike Stephenson
aka Topgun----30-06

  Here kitty, kitty.....

Jeff

cool

That's a pretty good size momma. Young 'uns look pretty healthy considering there's three of them together still. Very cool picture.

Kraig Osborne
Hunter since birth, NAHCLM, USN

T'was on the news last week, a rancher near Watford City found four lions in his barn, where the critters had dragged the carcass of a deer ... adult and three young ... he shot 'em all ...

NOW, SINCE SUM OF Y'ALL WILL BE IN AN UPROAR ... lemme say this: There's enuf cats in Nodak that a lot of ranchers and other folks with pets or other livestock (and kids, of course) are quick to act on the threat to their livelihood and/or property/family ... 

This wuz reported (by him, I'm sure) to the G&F, which conducted an on-site investigation ... his actions were legal (under current Nodak laws and regulations), and no citation for any part of the event was issued ...

Merely lettin' y'all know that the group in the foto that started this thread is prolly the same ones shot by the rancher ... Watford City and Killdeer (where the fotos were taken, very likely sumwhere between the two towns, with LOTS of Badlands in between) are close enuf that this is likely the case ...

All of life is six-to-five against, just enough to keep you interested. (Damon Runyan)

Gravity makes all the important decisions ... (John R. Powers)

NRA, REMF, PF, NAHC-L, NAFC-L, KC, NPPA

That's too bad, but chit happens as the old saying goes!  I would imagine you're right if it was a female with three young ones since I don't think they have triplets that often.

Mike Stephenson
aka Topgun----30-06

great picture
Th guys at Wiliston was talking about the rancher who killed the Cats.
just north of the ND border in the turtle mountians here in Manitoba a trapper caught a cougar in a set for Coyote.

That doesn't suprise me, Mont' ... the Turtles and the Pembina Gorge are the "wildest" areas of Nodak, after the Badlands ... several years ago, a friend of mine saw a Mountain Lion when he wuz huntin' ducks about 10 miles north of Devils Lake ... and a brother-in-law tells me there's been sum of 'em heard (but not actually "seen") SW of Fargo, along the Sheyenne River ... so ... they're out there ... 

All of life is six-to-five against, just enough to keep you interested. (Damon Runyan)

Gravity makes all the important decisions ... (John R. Powers)

NRA, REMF, PF, NAHC-L, NAFC-L, KC, NPPA

Seems as though they are becoming more prevelant here in Missouri too as there have been 2 shot in the last few weeks. First one a farmer claimed was attacking a cow and he shot, ended up that someone else shot it and wasn't attacking anything. The last one a couple guys hunting yotes shot, came to their call and they claimed it got too close to them, thought it was going to attack. No charges filed in either case. Don't make sense to me to just shoot them to shoot them, there aren't many and there is no open season. I think there a lot of trigger happy people here, if they aren't killin your pets, livestock or attacking people leave them alone. Would like to see a sustainable population that could be controlled by a hunting season on them myself. Lord help the poor critter if someone should see a bear. Just my opinion.
Steve Albers

Can't agree with ya on that one Steve!  One male will cover a jillion square miles in their travels with numerous females inside that boundary and the areas east of the big river are just too highly populated with people to have them around IMHO!!!

Mike Stephenson
aka Topgun----30-06

Mike after thinking about it a bit more, guess I would have to probably agree with ya. I know they travel alot and it takes a lot to keep them fed and if they got established, there would be problems with them getting cattle, pets and probably eventually a human. I just have a problem with people shooting everything that moves and getting away scott free. I'm sure that some of the sightings I hear about actually are cats because of the amount of open area they would have to travel. But I also know that living for a lot of years in mountain lion country, they are very reclusive and as much time as I spent the woods in Calif. I've only seen one besides those that have made a nusiance of themselves around town and had to be shot. Thanks for making me rethink this a bit. Sometimes I react a little to quick to things, especially those that could have an adverse impact toward hunters and firearms owners.
Steve Albers

I don't like to see anything shot just for the sake of shooting it, that's for sure!  Cougars are a beautiful animal and I've had the privilege to see two while hunting out in Wyoming.  One was at least ten years ago while I was watching a herd of elk at a distance with my binoculars and they were becoming agitated for some reason when all of a sudden a cat came running out of the brush hell bent for leather at them.  He was too far to gain much ground and they quickly put some distance between him and he gave up the chase.  The other was just three years ago when there was fresh snow on the ground and my buddy and I had split up about 100 yards apart to go around a small canyon that fed into a big one with a lot of rim-rock.  I stayed up on the top south side and my buddy went down in the small canyon and out came a huge cat on the opposite hillside from me at about 75 yards.  He had no idea I was there and he just loped along broadside on that snowy hillside and went on into the big canyon.  We backtracked him a ways and he had been following a small herd of elk, but had evidently never caught up to them and must have been taking a siesta in the small canyon that had heavy brush in the bottom.  I'll never forget the sight of that gorgeous color and long tail.  It was really impressive and that's why I hope to get out with the guys in Montana to see one up close and personal with the dogs baying treed.  Maybe next year if that Drop Zone crew does their thing I'll be able to tag along for some good video and picture taking!

Mike Stephenson
aka Topgun----30-06