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We are 'blessed' with a lion that patrols literally along the back side of our barn at our new house. There are tracks left consistently along the same path and it seems to be passing through every four days or so, just three feet from our corrals and horse barn. The game dept. will not do anything or allow us to do anything unless it kills our livestock or is a danger to us. Maybe i'm overreacting but to me a lion that close to my house is a danger in itself. I am terrified it will kill our livestock when we move them over there, not to mention attack one of us. This lion has already killed a calf at a neighboring house, but i'm not sure whether they reported it. Does anyone have any advice?

i kno a mountain lion was killed here in missouri by some coon hunters after it killed 2 calves...you could always s.s.s..shoot shovel and shut up,but the better approach would be to put a younger sicker calf in there that might die anyways and see if it kills it,if it does..befriend some houndsmen.

I guess I should put the game camera out and see what exactly we're dealing with.. not that I particularly want to see it! Just my luck my goats are due to start kidding and the electricity is out in the barn. I won't be going out there unarmed.

Its kinda tough to have them right next to your house like that, but I think they come alot closer to alot of homes than most people know. I have tracked them right into peoples yards or saw trackes where they circled a hunting camp at 50yds during the night. They are curious animals and most of the time people have moved into the lions backyard and not the other way around most of the time they leave you and the animals alone but its a little scary to know they could kill if they ever wanted to. I would just contact a houndsman and have him chase it off a couple of times and then it should keep its distance.

were at in new mexico are you located if your close enough i can come take a look for you.

Just last week I was following my dogs on a female lion that the dogs were having some trouble getting lined out. As I was cruising along the tracks, I was within 10 feet of several houses. Probably 10 or 15 different houses. I know that not one of the owners was aware it was there. There were no people tracks coming out to the lion tracks. It let me know why the dogs kept circling, the lion did around the houses. There were no issues with the lion hurting any dogs or livestock. Like was said earlier, they are mostly curious. I would be somewhat nervous as well, but I definately wouldn't panic. I understand wanting to protect your livestock and pets. I live in the agriculture world, so I too worry about depridation issues. On the other hand, like was said earlier, we are moving into their back yard not the other way around. It's not their fault we are there.

I would recommend running it with dogs a time or two to see if it would move to a different area. Might work, might not. I don't think I'd "bait" it with a sick or dieing lamb. That would be just a death sentence for both animals.

I think it's just something you will have to learn to live with when living in the lion's territory. I don't think that "going out armed" is gonna help either. If the lion decides to eat you, you probably won't even see it coming till it's wayyyyy too late, Sleep well .

Scott

Sable, there are a couple of us in the S.E. end of New Mexico that can look at it and possibly help depending where you are located.
PM if I can help or help you locate someone in your area.

I'd rather be armed than not! We're going to see if we can get permission from the ranch manager to do something about it, but do you think making our presence very much known will keep the lion away? We were thinking about putting a loud radio out by the barn, taking the dogs down there to pee on everything, maybe putting in a motion sensor light.

I'd stay armed even if you didn't have lion trouble. Its a habit that costs nothing and might just save your life when you don't expect it - just like a seat belt.

I think a little hound pressure might push it away even if it isn't killed. They'll remember that your place wasn't such happy hunting if they get bayed at a bit. So get to know your local houndsmen.

What part of NM are you in?

Living with lion's is not a good thing. Although it has not been a threat to you and your livestock the possibility of it harming you and them is very real. I really hate the premise that we are some sort of a foreign invader that just happened to move into their territory because we are as much a part of the ecosystem as they are. I think it would be safe to say that 80% of the western United States is uninhabited and provides plenty of habitat for lions to live as lions live. Every problem lion that has caused a human death or injury has had a history of being among people curious at first then they become bold in their actions. No wild animals that have lost their natural fear of humans is safe or trust worthy. Placing a trail camera is a good Idea and will help build a case against this lion and placing a less valuable animal in the area that you feel you might have a problem is a good insurance policy. After all if it does take that animal then what were it's real intentions?

sourdough

i was just curious if you guys would have changed your opinions if Wolf or Grizzly tracks had been seen on the back 40

We're in Colfax Co. I'm leary about trying to keep the lion scared away as that will just make it harder to get rid of if we need to, and I think it would be a matter of time before it grew accustomed to us and moved in closer again. I wouldn't exactly describe him/her as being 'in the back 40', it's patrolling literally around the edge of the horse corral not even 100 yards from our house. Obviously the tracks look a lot bigger in snow but it was enough to scare the hell out of me. There is a ravine/creek behind the barn and the lion walks the edge of it along the perimeter of the barn then crosses down into the creek bed. There isn't much in the way of cover other than the brush in the creek bed, we're on flat land. The biggest trees are up around the house, god forbid it should decide to hang out in one of those. Our neighbor did have a lion in the tree by his front door in the summer, presumably the same one?

I have 9 hounds so a local lion wouldn't be coming close to my house, however I wouldn't put up with a lion hanging around this close to my property no matter what the laws are. I would also suggest having someone run it several times with hounds to try to instill fear if that doesn't work I would kill it.

I would rather be tried by 12 then carried by 6

Yer kinda soundin like an escaped serial killer is living in the draw benind your house. Good odds that the cat will move on to a more suitable spot, if not, run it or kill it

I don't know how easy it is to get a tag in NM? Here in AZ you can buy them over the counter and end a lion "problem" easy. Its realy too much of a risk not to take it out or atleast try to send it packing with some hounds.

I do agree that lions come past houses alot and no one ever knows. But for that rare person or pet that is attacked it feels the same as if lion attacks were common

I remember an incident that made the paper in AZ last year. Guy saw this lion around weeks ahead of time but liked knowing that there was still lions living free ect. Then one night it killed around a dozen of his goats. This was a petting zoo type thing where they had kids coming to see farm critters. It was also during the "off" season we have now in AZ so they had to get a depreditation deal going and it killed several more times before it was taken. IF they are not run off populated areas they will get bolder and at the very least snack on smaller pets...