Pastor Dave
Herd Master
SSS?
Kimber tangled with Cougar!! Underdogged.
- Thread starter dejavoodoo114
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- boz how many lgds lgd underdogged
Baymule
Herd Master
Shoot Shovel Shutup
Mike CHS
Herd Master
The state denied there were any in middle Tennessee until someone got some good video on a game camera in Humphreys County, Tenn west of Nashville. You can legally protect your livestock here.
The problem, as I see it with trying to obey the law(s) is that they are so contradictory. Yes, you CAN protect your livestock from actual predation... BUT... then they add exceptions by stating that it's illegal to kill/harm a cougar unless it's engaged in a life threatening act. Key word is the term "engaged" & who's life? human? livestock? pets? everything is worded so vaguely (many times on purpose IMHO) to open the window to prosecute as and when chosen.
As a govt agency, I don't trust DNR any more than the rest of our govt. Even though they deny the presence of the cats, there's a good chance that said cougar has been tracked/microchipped/collared/whatever, and when it stops moving, they can go right to it and the deed will be discovered. SSS was at one time a very viable solution, and still is today in some instances. Maybe not so much anymore in others... Different world we're in today.
As a govt agency, I don't trust DNR any more than the rest of our govt. Even though they deny the presence of the cats, there's a good chance that said cougar has been tracked/microchipped/collared/whatever, and when it stops moving, they can go right to it and the deed will be discovered. SSS was at one time a very viable solution, and still is today in some instances. Maybe not so much anymore in others... Different world we're in today.
AClark
Loving the herd life
Exactly that Late. The wording is so ambiguous, that it's difficult to tell whether or not you are legal in shooting some predators. We ran into this issue with a friend of mines chickens and a bobcat back home. It was really vague on whether or not we could shoot it. We did end up talking to Fish and Game and were given the go ahead to take it out.
Maybe the new acronym should be shoot, shut up, "somewhere else" for disposal site.
Maybe the new acronym should be shoot, shut up, "somewhere else" for disposal site.
CntryBoy777
Herd Master
Some of what was stated previously is why I have a tendency to feed the local buzzards. The majority around here that are arrested and charged have taken certainly animals to taxidermists to have them mounted.....such dumba** actions just leave me to shake my head.
TAH
Herd Master
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Hey, how are things going for you and Kimberly?
Just read thru all this and wow, just wow! Dang cougar!
BTW, love all the pics of her snuggled on the floor.
Just read thru all this and wow, just wow! Dang cougar!
BTW, love all the pics of her snuggled on the floor.
Goat Whisperer
Herd Master
I was just thinking about Kimber! How is she doing @dejavoodoo114 ?
klcardella
Ridin' The Range
Wow, that cat is really bold! Did you ever find your other dogs? What a terrible thing to go through!
The best advice I got when I started with sheep was not to underestimate the number of dogs you need depending on the predators in your area.
We also have bear, mountain lions, coyotes, bobcats, and recently wolves have shown up. My vet recently lost more than 10 lambs, and 3 adult ewes from a wolf, which she saw. She now brings all her sheep into the barn at night since she only has one dog.
Our neighbor up the road lost 15 sheep in a span of 2 weeks from a mountain lion this summer. He has 2 young Pyrs, but one is a female that had a new litter at the time, so essentially the male was on his own. He managed to save some by bringing them up near the house, but they found several hanging from trees, and some so badly injured they had to be put down. Luckily the dog was not hurt, and they are currently training some new dogs. This cat came around in the middle of the day, and also showed no fear.
We have 70 acres fenced with lots of hills, and some of the fence comes up to wooded areas. We keep sheep in several different pastures, and currently have 8 LGD's - all Maremmas and Akbash. This combination has worked well for us.
I keep a minimum of 3 dogs (no younger than 12-18 months) in areas farther from the house, or in pastures with no good line of sight and/or bordering woods. I can keep a single dog up near the barn, which is where I keep the pups in training, but otherwise there are 2-3 dogs in any pasture. I think the overall presence of that many dogs also helps, and we have been very fortunate as to not lose any sheep to predators in the nearly six years we have had them (knock on wood).
I was fortunate to find a very good adult rescue LGD when we first started in 2012, and added a pup at the same time, so by the end of our first year, we had two reliable guardians with only 2 pastures near the house, and less than 20 sheep. As the flock grew, and we added pastures, we got more dogs, and were able to add pups, since we had the older dogs to help train them. I prefer to train pups, since we also have barn cats and free-roaming chickens, and I have had good luck doing that.
My neighbors are all cattle people, and thought we were a little nuts having so many dogs, but after having newborn calves just disappear over the past several years, one of my neighbors now brings his cows to my place when they are ready to calve, and the dogs also watch over them (in return for hay in the winter, and help mending fences, multiple breed grazing, etc.) It's a win-win for both of us.
What we do might not work for everyone, but it has worked very well for us, and the dogs are worth their weight in gold. I will never keep less than 8 dogs, and we get them all fixed. I don't want a dog out of commission while raising a litter, and I don't want dogs attracting coyotes or wandering because they are intact. It's usually much less expensive to purchase a good pup than raise a litter.
As for the expense, even with good kibble (plus meat scraps and ground lamb), shots, heartworm meds, and flea/tick meds, all 8 dogs cost me less than the price of one lamb per month (not counting vet expenses for injuries). Plus, the peace of mind is worth it.
I hope Kimber continues to improve, and that your other dogs returned unharmed.
The best advice I got when I started with sheep was not to underestimate the number of dogs you need depending on the predators in your area.
We also have bear, mountain lions, coyotes, bobcats, and recently wolves have shown up. My vet recently lost more than 10 lambs, and 3 adult ewes from a wolf, which she saw. She now brings all her sheep into the barn at night since she only has one dog.
Our neighbor up the road lost 15 sheep in a span of 2 weeks from a mountain lion this summer. He has 2 young Pyrs, but one is a female that had a new litter at the time, so essentially the male was on his own. He managed to save some by bringing them up near the house, but they found several hanging from trees, and some so badly injured they had to be put down. Luckily the dog was not hurt, and they are currently training some new dogs. This cat came around in the middle of the day, and also showed no fear.
We have 70 acres fenced with lots of hills, and some of the fence comes up to wooded areas. We keep sheep in several different pastures, and currently have 8 LGD's - all Maremmas and Akbash. This combination has worked well for us.
I keep a minimum of 3 dogs (no younger than 12-18 months) in areas farther from the house, or in pastures with no good line of sight and/or bordering woods. I can keep a single dog up near the barn, which is where I keep the pups in training, but otherwise there are 2-3 dogs in any pasture. I think the overall presence of that many dogs also helps, and we have been very fortunate as to not lose any sheep to predators in the nearly six years we have had them (knock on wood).
I was fortunate to find a very good adult rescue LGD when we first started in 2012, and added a pup at the same time, so by the end of our first year, we had two reliable guardians with only 2 pastures near the house, and less than 20 sheep. As the flock grew, and we added pastures, we got more dogs, and were able to add pups, since we had the older dogs to help train them. I prefer to train pups, since we also have barn cats and free-roaming chickens, and I have had good luck doing that.
My neighbors are all cattle people, and thought we were a little nuts having so many dogs, but after having newborn calves just disappear over the past several years, one of my neighbors now brings his cows to my place when they are ready to calve, and the dogs also watch over them (in return for hay in the winter, and help mending fences, multiple breed grazing, etc.) It's a win-win for both of us.
What we do might not work for everyone, but it has worked very well for us, and the dogs are worth their weight in gold. I will never keep less than 8 dogs, and we get them all fixed. I don't want a dog out of commission while raising a litter, and I don't want dogs attracting coyotes or wandering because they are intact. It's usually much less expensive to purchase a good pup than raise a litter.
As for the expense, even with good kibble (plus meat scraps and ground lamb), shots, heartworm meds, and flea/tick meds, all 8 dogs cost me less than the price of one lamb per month (not counting vet expenses for injuries). Plus, the peace of mind is worth it.
I hope Kimber continues to improve, and that your other dogs returned unharmed.
Bruce
Herd Master
Just saw this and followed through to the end. No updates from @dejavoodoo114 for nearly a month. Sure hope things are just busy and the dogs are doing OK.
