This came up this weekend. I personally have no desire to kill a bobcat, mountain lion, armadillo, etc... when I am hunting just for the sake of shooting something. I have known some hunters that will shoot at animals like that if they come out while they are deer hunting. I guess I never got it. There was another family at the lease this weekend and the boy (in his late 20's) started talking about trying to shoot a bobcat that came out at his stand but he could never get a clear shot. The dad asked him why did he want to shoot it. His answer was just because. Not a good answer and a hunting ethics conversation proceeded between the two. The dad said he had watch 2 bobcats play in a clearing that morning while there were deer under the feeder. Where I will perform what I call an "extermination hunt" is for coyotes and hogs. The coyotes have killed our calves and the hogs...well that's obvious. What's your thoughts.....

Coyotes and hogs get shot on sight.....cats, fox, and other animals get a pass......

That's pretty much my policy as well.

Bobcats and feral cats are shot on our place, just like the coyotes.

Coyotes and pigs always get some lead.

In most cases I wont shoot a bobcat, but we are trying to get our quail population back up, and after seeing that video of the cat taking down a doe, I dont think I will feel too bad about pulling the trigger next time one crosses my path..

I dont think I would be able to pass on a Mountain Lion either.

Foxes (been a long time since i've seen one), armadillos, skunks, etc always get a pass.

Coyotes hit our livestock pretty hard-they never get a pass. We don't have any red foxes that I'm aware of but they're in the same boat. I don't think any other varmints bother our stock, so they all get a pass.

its the mentality of some people to "just shoot something"

Completely agree! Don't really care if I mess up my deer/turkey hunt. Coyotes and pigs die. I will add, so do skunks and raccoons, but maybe not at the expense of messing up hunting.

Fox and bobcats get to live unmolested. I regularly have both around and greatly enjoy watching fox pounce on the field mice and rats!

Out of thousands of trail cam pics on our place we have seen one bobcat and one fox. I wouldn't shoot either one. Coyotes and hogs better cut a wide path around me because they're gonna get shot at.

i wouldn't exactly say that. i'm sure are some that shoot anything that moves.
i do know that where i hunt (and have hunted) that if i see predators i won't
be seeing deer. they'll move on to some place where they feel safe.
when i see hogs or hog sign where i hunt, i know that the big cat(s) are
around and no deer will show. this has been the case for the last decade or so.
i don't shoot armadillos. in my area, armadillos don't eat fawns or calves
or pets or turkeys like predators do. if i can, if i see a predator i shoot it.
if i want to see predators frolic and cut up, i'll watch a nature program on yoofloob.

Coyotes and pigs shot onsite, everything else gets a pass for the most part.

I shoot all hogs, coyotes, dogs, and coons. I killed one bobcat, got it mounted, so have no need to kill another and have seen several at my place. I would like to kill a fox though to get a mount done.

Even coyotes may get a walk depending on circumstances.

Pigs never ever get a pass no matter what.

Getting to see a fox or a bobcat is a real treat.

Have only seen mountain lions twice, both times in Big Bend NP, and that was an incredible sight.

Also, I do not kill snakes, unless they are venomous and close to areas with lots of people especially children, such as a house.

I can’t stop watching your sig video long enough to answer.

We shoot bobcats equally as coyotes. They are the bobwhite quails number one land predator.
If we saw a mountain lion we would shoot it. First reason it would be a rare and beautiful trophy. Next the are big cats that can and do kill cattle with ease.
Never shoot grey foxes they are great mousers. Have a family that lives in woodpile by the house. The kits are a blast to watch in the spring.

If you have ever owned livestock, your opinions of that nice little kitty and a lot of animals would be different. They are called predators for a reason.

I was thinking the same thing. Ranchers aren't very fond of cats, yotes or hogs.

Hell i not only let them go, but try to point them towards those damn cows.

If it is legal and someone wants to shoot it then have at it. Personally I will let fox and bobcats walk unless I plan to mount it. I kill ever raccoon, coyote, and hog I see.

If I'm hunting deer, the only thing that I will shoot is a coyote. May change to include bobcat after seeing one take down a yearling.

I will shoot hogs after deer season, or when I'm done hunting deer for the day...

My wife and I, both coming from a ranching background, rarely let predators walk. Coyotes were shot on sight. Bobcats will decimate a quail population before you know it, especially a family of Bobcats. You should see what a Bobcat can do when it gets into a chicken coop. My grandmother lost 15 chickens that night. Foxes like chicken meat too. Coons rarely get a pass either. I wish there was a market for furs again.

You shouldn’t let any kind of predator walk. I’ll kill them just to watch them die.

I have shot one bobcat and one fox because I wanted a mount for each. I won’t ever shoot another.

I shoot coyotes and hogs all year. Since I own the place and shoot them all year, I sometimes won’t shoot one if I’m deer hunting and it’s prime time. Deer hunting takes priority for me. I do keep a little .17HMR in the stand and will kill them if it’s not prime time and/or the deer aren’t moving.

Shooting hogs makes me feel better, but it’s really just farting in the wind. I trap them in the winter/spring - that does actually make a difference. I figure shooting coyotes helps at least a little bit, but am probably kidding myself.

I would probably shoot a mountain lion on my place just because it’s legal. They should probably be protected east of I35 though since they are so few and far between.

Coyotes, hogs and lions all get shot though I have never seen a lion when hunting deer. I have called up a couple and seen another when filling feeders several years ago. I do hunt lions with my hounds and tree a few out west but only kill the big toms or females.
I rarely shoot a bobcat, even when I call them up unless I am instructed by the rancher to do so. I am not sure that I know a deer hunter who would pass on a lion when sitting in a stand...
Adios,
Gary