It would die.

as fast as I could get the scope on it..... then one more time before I walk up to it

I wouldn't shoot unless I needed to for some particular reason.

seen one several years ago, in covington tx. would have shot him if he had given me a shot. yes i would shoot one, given the opportunity

Nope.

id shoot, everyone can buy large bucks, but its a real deal to see a cougar let alone shoot one

You do in cali since they banned hunting them and population exploded

Don't shot. If they don't bother me, I don't bother them.
I've seen them on two occasions. They are beautiful and wonderful to watch. Predators and scavengers are part of the ecosystem and needed to keep things in balance.

do deer or hogs bother you any? what do you hunt?

I shoot feral pigs on sight. They are introduced and very detrimental to the ecosystem. I hunt deer, culls mostly, but usually manage a nice mature one too.

Yep, in a heart beat - IF I had a clean shot.
Lost 3 baby calves on my creek bottom in the last two years to one, one in the last month.
If it's taking baby calves with a cow standing over it, I don't think a fawn has a chance.

Yup I'd shoot. Too much livestock and younguns running around here to let em walk.

shoot, We have shoot several out in AZ... Cousin and a friend took one last year. Not bad to eat either, you would be crazy not to eat some of the meat. ( I am sure everyone will be like what you eat that) Let me explain, if you think about what they eat (not a typical house cat) like deer, javalina, feral hogs, big horn sheep etc... same thing we hunt... yeah shoot one in a heart beat again....

I'd bust a cap... Got as much use for them as coons, bear & yotes.

I'd shoot!!!

Nope , unless there was a reason to .

Jeezzz... Thanks for all the replies, guys. The reason I opened the question/thread is because the last time I was in the hill country north of leakey, I saw one just for a short moment. Not knowing the general publics feelings on killing one I didn't even think of shooting. I guess if I did kill one, it would be mounted and proudly displayed in my house. But, I would probally never kill a second one. Rock on!!!

SOS....shoot on sight. There is a reason Texas lists them as a varmint and there is no season or special tag or license required. This thread appears to be a city vs. country thing?

If I saw one on any of the rances I hunt and did not shoot it, I would be booted off and never invited back.

I respect your opinion completely.
But their range is awesome.
So "our area" covers easily tens of square miles.
And when the calfs are being dropped it is a concern to some farmers.
I still lean to the "let them be" opinion. More man armed with a sophisticated weaponry probably do more damage to a live stock during the hunting season than the cougars in a whole year.

I doubt that I'd shoot. I like the wild things. I like knowing they're out there. They make the wild places stay wild. We're losing too much of our wild places.

Hey, while you are thinking about it, GET OUT THE WAY!!!, Im shooting. I have wanted one all my life and if I ever get a chance to shoot one, I hope I get it done.

Actually in early Fall of '76, a good buddy and myself had one pop out in front of us on the place I grew up on. All we had was 12ga shotguns and bird shot, so we sat and watched it ant about 50 yards until it jumped the fence over into a growed over rice field. It was cool seeing one.

And unless I was to be some place where a monster buck is around the corner, Im popping a good bobcat too. I have missed a couple and I still wnat one of those too.

I have only seen 1 while hunting and I was so shocked to see it I never raised my gun. Those things are not supposed to be in East Texas! If given another chance I think I would shoot one and have it mounted.

I believe most "no shooters" replied like myself that they would not shoot unless there was a reason. Yeah I think they are really cool animals (but they can be a danger to livestock and people). However, if I was hunting on somebody's property and they had asked me to shoot all predators including cougars I would do just that given a decent shot.

Since I've got no interest in mounting or eating one, there would be no motivation for a kill.

No I would not shoot. I don't shoot bobcats. These guys are just too cool. I would hope i had my camera. I told the rancher that owns our lease that I would shoot all the yotes and pigs i see but not bobcats. He was ok with that.

might be the ONLY time you ever get that chance. don't pass it by!!!!!! been hunting all my life and never seen one. just tracks.
makes my sticker prick up just thinking about the opportunity to get or even see one.