My stepson was at our place in Abilene this weekend and while in stand Saturday afternoon had a encounter. He had some turkey coming in from the left and started hearing some commotion, birds flying up and down and running. Then 2 mountain lions came out. He could deffinantly tell 1 was a Tom , they were less then 50 yards from him . He was quit startled to say the least. Landowners had seen tracks a few years back ,but I figured they were exaggerating when they seen tracks. The place is only a few hundred acres.

My question is why would they be paired up?

Is it most likely it is a male and female?

I am sure these things have a pretty good range of travel.


Thanks
Ken

Where near Abilene?

Could be mating pair. Could be young siblings.

Did you look the tracks of these cats? Do you have trail cams out?

Did one look bigger than the other? Sounds like a mom with a youngin.

Lots of sightings lately in the Abilene/Sweetwater/San Angelo triangle. Last year we had a forum member on our lease get several pics or a really big one near Blackwell.

Kinda Northeast out by the prison . East of Lake Phantom Hill.

No sir, I haven't been out there. When he first told me I asked if they were bobcat, he said nope these things had tails. Lol . They were actually like 3 yards from him. He was kinda in shock at seeing them . That's why he didn't shoot , he was bow hunting.
We have cameras out and haven't caught them on camera. Thought about putting some sort of bait out there with a camera, don't know.

Don't know on size. I will have to ask him if the Tom was smaller size or?

That is what I'd bet on.

Bobcats have a longer tail than most people realize. Do you get a lot of pics of Bobcats at those hunting locations?

There are bobcats in the shinnery up by Hawley, seen a few also around Hamby and on towards Albany. If there are bobcats there could also be lions.

Been a few years, but we had them on our place East of Angelo. From what we could tell, it was a mom and two cubs. County trapper said they had moved up from the south and trapping lions was difficult because they rarely eat scavenged meat, so you would need a live trap with a goat or chicken to have a chance. They didn't stay around long, maybe two months and then moved on. Didn't see any before and haven't seen any since.

Had one cross the road about 3miles before salt creek few years back

Had one cross the place near Cisco last year,

pics or it didn't happen

I have seen several here and there in the USA in my lifetime. About every time you would have needed to have a camera ready. Usually you don't see them very long.

Man , I don't think I could just let a cat walk by that close and not shoot it !

3 yards away? I assume he was hanging in a tree or something, but cats can climb, I def think I would have been flinging something at them to make sure they bugged off...I also would have tried to shoot one. Would be a cool mount

Property size really doesn't have anything to do with whether or not a cat might show up. This guy just has a house and yard... http://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2014/10...homes-driveway/

Right!, I have read an adult male, can have a 500 sq mile range, so a "few hundred acres", is a litter box for a big kitty.

There's the famous lion in North Carolina. The fish and game people said it COULDN'T be there. The guy got a photo of it on the trail cam. The Fish and Game people said- NOT NATIVE, MUST HAVE ESCAPED FROM A ZOO. Can't win.
Seems to me, like the Jaguars in Arizona, for some reason a single cat on rare occasion will go to wandering.

Oops, It was supposed to say 30 yards away. Not 3 sorry

We have had two sighting southwest of Abilene in last year or so. 1st was on my trail cam about 13 months ago. 2nd was by next door neighbor about a month ago. They are out there...

cam shot....http://www.texashuntingforum.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/5294578/Re:_Mountain_Lion/Cougar#Post5294578

Quite a few are sighted around Possum Kingdom lake every year. Our bass club helps game wardens put on a fishing day for kids every year and warden from Archer county said they have several sightings there.

Last night a friend showed a game cam picture of a mountain lion chasing a hog in Matagorda County