Fact or Fiction? The Government is Releasing Large Predators in Texas

Periodically, I receive an email that addresses a topic that I think is worthy of discussion on the blog. I received an email back on February 3rd that I feel falls into this category. It involves a story I have heard many times over the years. I have attached the email in question below.

So I stumbled across your webpage earlier this evening while obsessively googling mountain lions. I live in Pilot Point, TX, super small town in the far northeast corner of Denton County. The town is along the northeast side of Lake Ray Roberts. I've lived in this town my whole life, and have heard many stories of Mountain lions, but one story has seriously intrigued me and I need your help. It was brought up to me again tonight, which led me to google and then to you.

It's a very known fact around here that we have mountain lions (this is what we refer to them as), but if you ask any wildlife and parks people or game wardens they say that we don't and it isn't true. So, the story goes back in the early to mid 90’s this guy in southern Oklahoma was catching wild hogs, feeding them and releasing them into northern Texas. No clue why. That part isn't included in the tale. As a result, the population of wild hogs grew to insane numbers and they put a bounty on them. Something like 15-20 dollars for a pair of ears. After they realized this wasn't working, it is said, that "they", I've also heard "a guy" released 6 mountain lions (3 males and 3 females) in far north central Texas to "try to control the hogs". But of course, the wildlife and parks people and "those government people" didn't want the public to be aware of this, as not to frighten them. And that's why they deny any accounts of mountain lions.

I don't want to throw out this possibility, because I’ve heard of this tale for years now and from multiple people, and I also don't understand why mountain lions existing here is so denied, when it is so known that they are here among the public. But yes it sounds insane and I cannot find any valid information on this.

Please tell me if you think the old town folk around here are just crazy.

Thank you,
Kodi.

Kodi relays a rumor that has become something of an urban legend here in Texas. The whispers that the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, the Federal Government or some other entity has released large predators in the state have been around for a while now. The story varies slightly each time I hear it (this is the first time I have heard an Okie blamed for our feral hog problems in Texas, lol). Sometimes it is wolves that were allegedly released, other times cougars. I have even heard some claim that jaguars were the predators released. The reasons for the alleged release of these predators are usually thought to be an attempt to control the feral hog population or a simple reintroduction of native species that once called the Lone Star State home. The reason for the secrecy most often given is that the public would likely not handle the idea of potentially dangerous predators being released in their woods and river bottoms very well.

The strangest twist on this rumor I have heard comes from a gentleman I know in Montgomery County, Texas who swears that a friend of a friend received a visit from two “government employees” after he had lost several cows to an unknown predator. According to my acquaintance, these government men paid the rancher roughly twice the market value for his lost livestock in cash but told him to keep quiet about the incident so as “not to alarm others in the area.” I asked my acquaintance if he would relay a message to this rancher through his friend and ask if he would be willing to speak to me, even if it had to be off the record. Needless to say, I have never heard anything back.

As far as I can tell, there is no truth to the rumors that wildlife officials are releasing, or contracting anyone else to release, large predators in Texas. I think the myth has gained steam due to the explosion of the feral hog population in the state. Certainly, this hog problem is real and nothing the state has tried to do to curb the population growth has worked. On the surface, the idea of reestablishing native predators to help with the problem seems plausible, as the state/feds would be killing two birds with one stone. Native species, all but extirpated in the state, would once again be living free in Texas and would be helping to eliminate the hog problem. The problem is there is simply no evidence suggesting such a program does, or ever did, exist. All the stories seem to originate from a “friend of a friend” or some other second, third or fourth hand source. I have never been able to track down anyone who claimed they had directly interacted or spoken with any government personnel about the release of predators or reparations for lost livestock. In addition, the story has spread to other parts of the country. Following is a post I located on the Lake-Link Hunting Forum. The post sounds pretty familiar.

A friend of mine lives in Southern Marquette county and his wife recently saw a cougar while out on a walk...the cougar was in plain sight and was casually walking in the yard of rural neighbors.... upon reviewing this my friend discovered a few things....that a local farmer had recently reported seeing two cougars within 5 miles of this cougar....then a week ago he ran into a firefighter friend wh0 told him and even more interesting story....basically a person that he knew was going out near some property he has up near Westfield and came across several DNR vehicles in his field...when he approached they told him he had to leave the area immediately even though it was his property...two of the trucks had large cages in the back and one contained a cougar...he left the area went down the road and waited and when those trucks drove past there was no cougar....I know this story is third if not fourth hand so I do not know how much is true but I know the people who have seen the other cougars in the field and I believe them...how they got there who knows...wanderers or released.....but does the DNR have the right to release such animals without public input...I know they have released Wolves in Portage county to help control the deer herd...obviously if they are releasing cougars that could be their only reason....but this animal is totally different than a wolf...while it does not multiply as rapidly as wolves it will stalk a human in the field or a child in a yard....I just thing it should have some public input...what da ya think?

Like most urban legends, there is just enough real information wrapped up in the tale to make it at least somewhat believable. Mix in a healthy dose of distrust for the government, which is not uncommon in our country these days, and you have the makings of a great conspiracy theory, an almost gift wrapped and ready made urban legend.

In the end, I think an urban legend is all we have here.

Ellis County Camera Project: The Texas Zoo

This past weekend, I was able to get up to Ellis County and check on my game cameras. The property on which the cameras are placed is a very rich environment where all manner of wildlife is thriving. The property sits on the banks of Waxahachie Creek and is a combination of hardwood forest and pasture land. The property owners have had a couple of encounters with large cats, which is what led me to the property originally. I have had cameras on site on and off for the better part of two years now. I have captured all manner of wildlife in photos here. The property is almost like a zoo featuring animals native to Texas. I think this will be made clear with the photos featured in this post.

Before I get to the photos, however, I want to let it be known that I am holding one photo back for the time being. Do not get too excited as I do not have a photo of a wood ape or a black panther. The animal in question is, no doubt, a cat but the identity of this feline is something that is being debated. I had pretty much settled on the species of this animal when I received a phone call yesterday from a friend of mine who had visited a big cat rescue facility on business. I had shared the photo of this cat with him, along with others with backgrounds in wildlife biology, and he showed it to the staff of this facility. What they told him was surprising. I am hoping to get in touch with the staff of this facility personally to get their full opinion on what sort of cat might be roaming this section of Waxahachie Creek. Once I do, I will post the information and the photo.

In the meantime, enjoy the photos below.

Field Report: Ellis County, TX

Yesterday, I managed to make a long overdue trip up to my study site in Ellis County, Texas. I have had cameras on the property off and on for about two years now. The property owner originally contacted me after multiple family members had seen large cats on the property (one tawny-colored mountain lion and one large long-tailed black cat) and several of the horses on the property came up with injuries that resembled deep claw marks and puncture wounds on their haunches and necks. To date, I have captured one intriguing video of an animal I cannot identify but nothing else unusual. I have tons of photos of feral hogs, raccoons, opossums, coyotes and a few of bobcats. Interestingly, I have not one single shot of a white-tailed deer.

My arsenal of game cameras has become quite depleted over the last few years. Some have worn out and stopped working properly. Some have been destroyed in high water events. Still other cameras have been stolen. For the last few months I have had only one camera on the property, a Cuddeback Ambush model. I was several weeks past due on checking this camera and anxious to look at what it might have captured. Also, I recently had two older Reconyx cameras (an RC55 and an RC60) repaired and upgraded and was ready to get them back out into the field. All that being the case, I set out for Ellis County excited at the prospect of having better coverage of the property once the reconditioned Reconyx cameras were deployed.

Upon arrival, the first order of business was getting the two reconditioned cameras set out. I found two locations that I am very excited about. Both cameras will be overlooking spots where well-worn game trails intersect. The trails run very close to a major creek in a heavily wooded section of the property. There are ample food sources and several dens, belonging to several different species, were found while scouting the potential camera locations. I anticipate getting some nice photos of whatever roams around those woods. Once the two Reconyx cameras were placed, secured with camouflaged steel cables and padlocks and activated, we moved to the location of the Cuddeback Ambush camera in order to download what photos and/or video it might have captured over the last two months.

I was disappointed in the number of events the camera was able to capture. The spot over which the camera watched, apparently, is not the busy animal thoroughfare I thought it was when I placed it. Even so, I got some nice shots of a couple of very large feral hogs and some coyotes. One of the hog shots is interesting as it shows this very large pig leaping into the air. I am not sure why it was doing so as there is no debris in that spot that could not be negotiated simply by stepping over. Maybe it was feeling its oats that night. In any case, it is a fun photo. A couple of the coyote shots interested me as the animal(s) photographed is travelling with its tail straight out behind it in a horizontal position . This is a characteristic of wolves, not coyotes, which usually travel with their tails down below the level of their backs. Do not misunderstand me, as I am not claiming the canid photographed is a red wolf. I do feel, however, that it could be a sign that the coyotes in this particular area have some red wolf lineage to them.

By far the most interesting item captured by the Cuddeback is a short video showing an animal of some kind in a tree. The animal is a rusty color and, though mostly obscured by foliage and branches, clearly negotiating a tree branch in the upper right hand portion of the video. There appears to be the flip of a tail, or some other appendage, toward the end of the video. The tail, if that is what it is, appears too thick and puffy to be that of a cat, in my opinion. The animal is close to the same color as the coyotes photographed. Could a coyote be up in this tree? Not impossible, I suppose, but not the likeliest of explanations either. I feel a red fox is a possibility. I know foxes have a limited ability to climb trees and they are native to the area. Admittedly, I have never captured a photo of a fox (red or gray) on the property and the animal in the video seems a bit large to be a fox (you’ll have to take my word on this as I am familiar with the tree in which this animal is moving). It is a bit of a head scratcher but enjoyable to ponder. Maybe the culprit will return now that the leaves have dropped and it would be easier to identify. The video is below. Again, keep your eyes on the upper right hand quadrant of the video.



Overall, it was a very good trip. The property owners and I have become good friends and it is always nice to visit with them. Time outdoors is always a good thing as well and does more to recharge me than just about anything else. The only negative I took away was the quality of some of the video shot by the Cuddeback Ambush camera. The video of the last few events captured was of very poor quality. So much so that it was hard to tell what you were looking at on the screen. I am hoping this is a result of the batteries having been very low (I was more than a month overdue in changing them) and not some flaw in this almost brand new camera. Time will tell, I suppose.

Ellis County Camera Maintenance Trip

I made a trip out to check on one of my game cameras yesterday. The camera is located on private property in Ellis County, Texas where some odd goings on have been reported. The property owners have spotted two large cats, one tawny-colored and one black, on their land and have had several of their horses suffer injuries that they suspect were caused by run ins with a predator of some kind. The family has also found scat that looks suspiciously like that of a black bear and heard some odd clicking, moaning and growling from wooded areas adjacent to their home. Possibly the strangest thing to have gone on at this location is the disappearance of peaches from trees on the property. In two of the last three years, last year being the exception as a terrible drought prevented the trees from blooming, the trees have been quite prodigious. In fact, the trees have produced at such a rate that the property owners could not keep up. Peaches littered the ground and the branches were heavy with them. Each of these good years, the property owners returned from work one day to find the peaches gone. Not only were the peaches on the ground gone but the trees were completely stripped of fruit as well. For all of these reasons, the spot is an area of interest to me.

I was anxious to check the camera, as it is a brand new Cuddeback Ambush IR model on its maiden voyage. I have owned several older Cuddeback models in the past and they have been workhorses for me, providing years of service. They would likely still be working for me except I deployed them in a dry creek bed in Central Texas a while back and they fell victim to a flash flood event. The creek bed was a virtual wildlife highway and I got hundreds of great photos from the spot but a rain event in August of last year, pretty unusual in these parts, took them out. I’ve been attempting to rebuild my camera arsenal ever since but progress has been slow. In any event, I was anxious to see how the new Cuddeback performed.

I was a bit disappointed in the lack of events recorded by the camera. I got only a handful of shots/video of feral hogs and a coyote. The quality of the images was fine, however, and left me encouraged for the future. I downloaded the images on my laptop, refreshed the batteries and redeployed the camera in the same spot thinking that six weeks was not a fair enough sample size to determine whether it was going to be productive. After redeploying the camera, the property owner and I stared making our way back toward the house so we could take a look at what kind of images we had. That is when things got interesting.

We had walked approximately 150 yards back to the north of the camera location when I stopped to examine a game trail cutting back to the west. While I was looking for sign, I heard what sounded like a very large animal crashing through the brush back close to the location of the camera. I turned to look but saw nothing. The property owner had lingered behind me as I checked the trail and did report seeing something. She reported seeing something large and gray fly or drop out of a tree back in the spot from where we had just been moments before. She could not give many details as it happened quite fast but said the object was substantial. We immediately returned to the spot but could find nothing on the ground in the spot or surrounding area matching the description of what she says she saw. She was adamant that she saw something gray and big come from the tree or out of the tree line and land on the ground. She did not see any sort of movement after the event that would indicate an animal of some kind came out of the tree and then moved away. It should be noted at this time, however, that the grass is quite high in the spot and something low to the ground likely could escape detection quite easily by hugging the ground. I really do not know what else to say about the incident. It occurred exactly as recounted. As I said, I did not see the object but clearly heard something large. Other than that, I cannot really speak to what it might have been. After looking around for another 30-45 minutes, we made our way back to the house.

As I mentioned previously, I did not capture very many images on this set. While this was disappointing, I was pleased with the image quality of the photos and the video that was captured. Even though nothing unusual was photographed or captured on video, I have included the images here for your inspection.

I will continue to monitor the situation in Ellis County. I have two Reconyx cameras currently in the shop and hope to have them back by the time I refresh the Cuddeback in 4-6 weeks.

Feral Hog Population in Texas Exploding

Texas has a pig problem.

According to Mike Leggett, writing in the April 2014 issue of Texas Co-op Power magazine, the population of wild, or feral, hogs in the U.S. has been estimated at 4-5 million animals, with at least half of them in Texas. The problem has gone beyond jokes about the coming “aporkalypse” and something that affected only the most rural of farms and has become a serious financial issue that costs Texas $500 million in annual statewide economic losses, according to the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service. Billy Higginbotham, an AgriLife Extension biologist in Overton, Texas, was was quoted in Leggett’s article as saying, “I always say there are two kinds of landowners in Texas, those that have pigs and those that are going to have pigs. We have an estimate of 2.6 million wild pigs in Texas. That’s with a margin for error of half a million on either side.”

How bad is it?

The hog problem is pretty bad and getting worse. Wild hogs have been documented in 253 of 254 Texas counties. Only El Paso County has yet to confirm hogs, but few folks doubt they are there, too. The population, is growing at a ridiculous rate estimated at 21% a year. When one remembers the population of feral hogs in Texas is already at an estimated 2.5-2.6 million then you realize the issue the Lone Star State is facing. Unless the wild pig population is reduced by a staggering 70% per year, EVERY year, their numbers will continue to increase and the spaces needed to occupy them will increase as well.

“This is the most prolific large animal on the face of the earth. They’re not born pregnant, but it is close.”

- Billy Higginbotham, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service biologist

What are the specific problems caused by wild hogs?

As mentioned previously, hogs account for $500 million in economic losses for Texas every year. They are omnivorous and root in pastures, yards, fields, the greens and fairways of golf courses and just about anywhere else where there is a patch of vegetation. They eat grasses , roots, tubers, shoots, acorns, fruits, bulbs, mushrooms, grubs and just about anything else. Hogs will dig up huge tracts of land in order to find these delicacies, leaving holes up to a foot in depth behind. This results in torn up yards and pastures. These holes often cause damage to mowers, tractors, tillers and the like. If the hogs choose to root in a cultivated field, the cash crop there is totally destroyed. The losses can get into the tens of thousands for individual landowners. Golf course superintendents and grounds keepers are beginning to be among the most vocal when it comes to the feral hog problem in Texas. It is easy to see why when rebuilding just one green on an eighteen hole golf course can run as much as $50,000. Once rebuilt, there is no guarantee that the hogs won’t return to wreak havoc again.

The hogs are beginning to cause water quality issues here in Texas as well. If there is one urgent and pressing problem in Texas, it is the issue of water. We simply do not have enough of it for our growing population. Now the water we do have is being fouled by hogs. These pigs thrive near rivers, creeks and reservoirs. They are not very discriminating about where they deposit their feces. In addition to the introduction of hog fecal matter into Texas watersheds, the rooting done by these hogs near the waterways is causing all manner of erosion. Without vegetation to hold the soil in place, that soil, and all the fertilizers, bovine waste, etc. washes into the waterways. “It’s a pretty big problem here,” said Richard Parrish, a Hays County AgriLife Extension agent. “We have yards and pastures dug up by pigs, We’re also seeing rooting in creekside areas, and that’s creating water quality and environmental problems.” Wild hogs carry at least 15 known diseases, the worst of which are probably pseudo rabies and swine brucellosis. Both of these diseases can be transmitted to humans and cause flu-like symptoms that can linger for weeks.

“The average litter for a wild sow is five to six pigs, and eight survive.”

- David Whitehouse, wildlife biologist

Is there more?

Yes. Feral hogs are extremely adaptable. The fact that they can thrive in virtually every county in a state as large and geographically diverse as Texas proves that. Dark river bottoms, arid deserts, piney woods, swamps and grasslands are all prime hog habitat. The presence of these pigs is anathema to the white-tailed deer population. The hogs are in direct competition with the deer for resources and are overwhelming their rivals with sheer numbers. This is costing landowners, who lease access to their property each year to deer hunters, money. It is estimated that Texas landowners take in nearly $1 billion annually in lease fees. Once a piece of land has been overrun by hogs, it isn’t nearly as valuable. It is true that some money can be recouped by leasing to hog hunters, but landowners can’t charge nearly as much for the privilege of hunting hogs as they can for trophy deer.

How big do they get? Are they dangerous?

Most of the feral hogs in Texas don’t get much heavier than 175 lbs. A truly big boar might get up to 300 lbs. or so. Certainly, there are outliers that are bigger than that and reports of “hogzillas” often travel like wildfire across the internet. Most of the time, the size of these monsters is at least somewhat exaggerated but huge pigs do show their snouts from time to time. Wild hogs can be dangerous but that doesn’t really make them much different than any other wild animal. Typically, there isn’t too much to worry about as these hogs have become mostly nocturnal across the state. Problems can occur when you approach a hog from downwind. The sense of small of a feral hog is truly astounding but their eyesight is poor and their hearing is nothing exceptional. If the hogs cannot smell you, it is possible to blunder extremely close to one. These situations can get ugly in a hurry as these hogs pack some very sharp tusks or “cutters.” Certainly, this sort of scenario is the exception and the main issues with these invasive non-native animals are financial in nature.

What can be done?

Nobody really seems too sure. The Texas Legislature passed the “Pork Chopper” bill into law in 2011. This law made it legal for landowners to allow hunters, riding in permitted helicopters, to shoot hogs from the air. It is estimated that in the first two years of aerial gunning netted 24,000 hogs. The state is also training landowners in the use of various trapping methods and allows for a limited number of hogs to be sold to federally approved, and permitted, pork processors. Commercial pig processors took in 640,000 Texas feral hogs between 2004 and 2009. Trapping is difficult, however, and these pigs are smart. Tactics must be changed often or the hogs learn to avoid the traps. In addition, I would recommend that any licensed hunter shoot any and all hogs on site regardless of whether they set out to do so or not. There is no season on feral hogs in Texas and no special permit or stamp is required to hunt them. This must be done if there is to be any hope of controlling the wild hog population in the Lone Star State.


Source: Leggett, Mike. "Here A Pig, There A Pig." Texas Co-op Power 1 Apr. 2014: 13-17. Print.

Waxahachie Field Report: An Interesting Day

I made a long overdue trip up to my study site near Waxahachie, TX yesterday. Just to remind everyone, and alert new readers to what I’m up to there, this is the area where several horses and a mule have suffered injuries from what the property owners feel is a big cat of some kind. Both property owners claim sightings of cougars and a large black cat of some kind over the last couple of years. One of them claims to have actually been semi-charged by a large cougar-sized cat that was very dark in color one night while feeding the horses. I say “semi-charged” because the cat did stop short and retreat back into the brush.

Currently, I have two game cameras on the property and have spent a little time still-hunting and hoping for an opportunity to see for myself just what might be stalking the property. Up to this point I have had no luck finding anything concrete that might prove the presence of a big cat of some kind on the property. While my trip yesterday failed to produce a photo or a sighting, it did provide some tantalizing tidbits that may point to the, at least occasional, presence of a large predator on the property.

I started the day by refreshing the two cameras, which are located adjacent to a small pond near the rear of the property. One camera was placed overlooking a game trail which wound from a heavily wooded area bordering Waxahachie Creek and yielded a lot of photos. Upon checking the card, I was a bit dismayed to see that the camera was taking nice night shots but the day shots were poor in quality. The edges of all daytime photos are very fuzzy and blurred. The area that remained in focus seemed to get smaller with each passing day. I found it odd since all of the night shots were perfectly focused. This obviously meant it was not just a dirty lens. A bit confused, I downloaded the images, changed the batteries, and left the camera to continue its work. I moved to the second camera that overlooks an area the property owners have taken to calling scat rock. This is a rocky area on the east side of the pond where loads of predator scat has been found. The scat contains bones and hair and is white in color. When I tell you there is a lot of it at this location I am not engaging in hyperbole. The area is covered. It is clearly a latrine area for some predatory animal. I was very excited to see lots of new scat directly in front of the camera location. My excitement was short-lived, however, when I found that the camera had malfunctioned and failed to take even one photo. This is the second time this particular camera has malfunctioned and I am fed up with it. I went ahead and fiddled with it a bit, changed the batteries, and redeployed it. I changed the settings so that it is now programmed to take still shots instead of videos in the hopes that would work. I had little to lose, as I had no new camera with which to replace this one. I will have a replacement ready for deployment next time.

I spent the rest of the afternoon walking the more remote portions of the property. I found an area situated on a long, tree-covered berm that separates two portions of the property and sat down, rifle in hand, in the hopes that the problem cat might wander out in front of me. Within 15 minutes, I began to hear a large animal of some kind moving about in a heavy thicket about 50 yards in front of me. The volume of the noise led me to believe this was a substantial animal. It moved about a good bit, even thrashing about quite violently at one point, but I was never able to obtain a visual. After more than an hour of this, I decided to move and loop around in the hopes of getting a look at the hidden animal. I retreated to the opposite side of the berm and quietly hiked approximately 200 yards to the north. I then climbed back over the berm and made my way back toward my original location as stealthily as possible. The hope was that the mystery animal would have seen me leave but not sensed me returning (the wind was in my favor so it should not have winded me). I had crept to within 25 yards of my original location when I found something I’ve never come across before.

I spied what appeared to be a thick leg bone (probably from a hog) wedged into the “y” of a tree. The bone was about five and a half-feet off the ground. At the base of the tree was another bone. This particular tree had recently been snapped off only a few feet above the spot where the leg bone was wedged. The limb that shot off from the snapped trunk had also been broken just beyond the bone’s location. In my many years of hiking about in the woods, mountains and swamps, I’ve never found a bone in a tree. Ever. I photographed the scene and then examined the bone but found no obvious signs of gnawing. I decided to replace it. I didn’t really know what else to do. It was beginning to get dark by this time so I started making my way back toward my truck.

I was still about a quarter of a mile away from my truck when I heard another (same?) animal moving about in the tree line to my left. As before, this was obviously a heavy animal of some kind. It was crashing about the brush and creating quite a ruckus. I wasn’t too worried about it being a cat. No cat carries on like that. I was guessing it was a big hog as the property is covered up with them. I couldn’t believe I couldn’t see whatever it was that was making so much noise. It couldn’t have been more than 20 yards from me. It was right THERE but I saw nothing. I continued walking and it paralleled me. When I stopped it would stop, though it continued to be loud. It was only when I got to within 100 yards of the truck that whatever it was moved off. I could hear it as it retreated.

I was a bit puzzled by this mystery animal’s behavior but, honestly, was more intrigued by the bone I had found wedged in a tree. I shared the pictures with several friends, all of whom have years of outdoor experience. As you might imagine, I received all manner of possible explanations. As far as animals that might have carried the bone up into the tree, raccoons, bobcats, porcupines and vultures were mentioned. One friend even mentioned the possibility that the bone might have become lodged in the tree during a high water event. A human culprit was also suggested. Everyone had different ideas. The one possible explanation that every single one of them mentioned was a big cat.

Mountain lions are not known to cache kills in trees. Generally, they cover kills with dirt, grass and leaf litter. This is generally pretty effective and since there are no other large carnivores in the area (that we know of) that might steal a kill it makes little since for cougars to expend the energy necessary to haul prey into a tree. It is a common misconception that all big cats do this. Leopards are really the only known big cat to cache kills in trees but only because of the presence of lions and hyenas. Mountain lions don’t have the same worries here in North America. Jaguars certainly are strong enough to cache prey in trees but have only been observed doing so on a few occasions. It is my understanding that the jaguars seen doing this only did so in order to avoid losing the kill to rising flood waters.

I suppose I should stand down a bit here. Clearly, this bone does not represent an entire carcass cached in a tree. It was one bone (though the additional bone at the base of the tree suggests it, too, might have been in the tree at one point). I cannot assume that there was an entire carcass in this tree at some point. I can only go with what I found. Since only one bone, even though it was quite substantial, was located, maybe a smaller animal did grab a piece of a carcass and enjoy a snack in the tree. As intriguing as this find might be to me, it does not prove a big cat is on the property.

The bone is another piece in an ever-expanding puzzle. Something has attacked the resident horses and mule on more than one occasion, these animals exhibit fearful behavior several times per month (I’ve seen it myself), a predator of some kind is leaving a LOT of scat on the property, and now something has deposited a leg bone in a tree. Add the anecdotal evidence of the big cat sightings reported by the landowners and the puzzle begins to take shape.

The puzzle remains incomplete, however. It is as if all the edge pieces are in place, forming a frame, but the middle pieces that reveal all the answers remain missing. I can only hope that with continued effort, I can find those middle pieces and solve this riddle once and for all.

More soon.

Waxahachie Camera Project: July Update

Over the 4th of July weekend I managed to get up to Waxahachie to check on my game cameras. To refresh everyone, the property owners have had some problems with a predator of some kind. There are two horses and a mule on the property and two of the three have suffered injuries, some rather severe, on their faces and necks at one time or another. So far, no animals have been lost but the owners, as you might imagine, are quite anxious to find out just what is responsible for the injuries to their animals.

The property has a history of big cat sightings. The property owners claim to have seen both a regular-colored mountain lion and a large black cat on the property. The cats have been spotted in close proximity to the house which leads the owners to speculate that one or more of these cats is the likely culprit.

The property owner shared a story with me just a week or so ago that adds credence to the idea that big cats frequent the property. The following is the property owner’s recounting of a conversation with a neighbor in her own words:

“Last night as I arrived at the gate, the mares in the pasture across the street ran to meet me and neighed in some excitement. I know the heat is taking a toll and that they have only a pond to drink from. So, I came on home to put up groceries and had dinner, waiting for it to cool a tad... then I DROVE up, so I would be safer than walking.

Though the mares still have pond water, it is looking gross and the grass is short and drying up. I brought them each a flake of hay. I know they get water from the landowners now vacated house, so I went to get the hose from them. First I had to battle an ant's nest that was built in the hollow metal tool...(luckily I knew this and brought bug spray). Unfortunately I discovered the water meter was locked. Just then, the landowner arrived, a lady I have spoken to only a couple of times in 2 years.

I explained my presence and added........... ‘I don't know if you are aware of this or not, but we have a big cat problem out here, and I thought I ought to warn you.’ To this, she replied, (Please read this with your best Texas drawl, as that is how it was said) ‘Now, which one? The mountain lion or the jaguar? The mountain lion is scared of people. When I saw him, I popped of a shot and he took off. We hear the mountain lion sometimes, but we've only seen him once.’ (Mind you, I am standing quietly, and shocked... just listening and wanting as much info as she will share.) Then she says... ‘The jaguar doesn't come up here. He just stays in that tree line by the pond.’ I say, ‘Yes, that tree line is 50 yards from my door and that pond is also.’ She said, ‘Yes it is... better carry a weapon all the time. That is what **** did anytime she went outside." (**** was the former owner of this house).

She went on to tell me that the black cats have always been here. She said she personally has not seen one, but then named all of her family members that have seen it...always in that treeline/pond area). They can see it from their house (about a 1/4 mile away), so you know it is big. She said, ‘You probably don't need to worry about it during the day... they hunt at night.’ I said, ‘Didn't anyone see it during the day?’ She replied, ‘Daddy use to tell me he would see it laying in the shade at that old silver barn.’ Ummm, that is the horse shelter......... No wonder we have a problem. And I am surprised no one thought to warn us.”

While I’ve seen little in the way of evidence to support the theory of a large cat on the property, I do believe the property owner is telling the truth. Three members of the family claim to have seen a big cat of one kind or another and their stories match up well. I have seen the mule “alert” to the possible presence of a predator (this was detailed in an earlier post) and I have seen what I feel strongly is the scat of a fairly large cat near a pond on the property. I’ve also seen the wounds to the horses and mule first hand. Of course, I can’t say for sure what caused the injuries but some of them have been quite nasty and deep.

Unfortunately, my cameras failed to provide any photographic evidence of a truly big cat. I did get a lot of pictures of hogs, raccoons and fox but no “panther” of any kind. I did get some photos of a big bobcat this time around. I suspect that this bobcat is responsible for the scat previously found in the area. The scat is big but not as large as I would expect from a cougar or jaguar-sized cat.

I now have both cameras watching what we’ve nicknamed “Pig Pond.” This is a vital watering hole for the wildlife in the area and has proven a good spot to get photos. I’m hoping that by increasing the amount of camera coverage at the pond we will get the shot we all hope to see.

For now, though, all we can do is be patient and wait.

Waxahachie Camera Project Update: "Hog Heaven"

I was able to get up to Waxahachie on Memorial Day and check on my cameras. As usual, the trip was a mixed bag. I greatly enjoyed being out on the land and visiting with the property owner. On the flip side, it looks like I have lost another camera.

I arrived a little later than I would have liked (about 3:30pm) but still had plenty of daylight in which to get the two cameras already on the property serviced and get my newest camera deployed. I had recently purchased a used Reconyx RC-55 and was excited to get it posted as a replacement to the cheaper Wildgame Innovations camera which malfunctioned after only one month in the field. To be fair, I’ve had pretty good luck with Wildgame Innovations cameras but this one turned out to be a real lemon.



Upon my arrival, I visited for about half an hour with the property owner. She told me that quite a few things had occurred over the last few weeks. One of her horses suffered a nasty and very deep wound on its head/jaw, which she feels is attributable to a predator. She also said that she had heard a deep grunting call similar to that of an African lion coming from an area about 100 yards east of her house and the area where the animals are kept. She also mentioned that the donkey, which acts as sort of a watchdog, had been “on alert” for most of the week. She had discussed this behavior with me before. Basically, the donkey will walk a little ways away from the house and stand dead still and stare at a specific spot for extended periods of time. The property owner feels the donkey is positioning himself between what it considers some sort of threat (possibly a predator) and the two horses and house. While this behavior had been described to me, I had not seen it myself on any of my previous trips to the property. This time I did see it.



The horses and donkeys on the property are very friendly and curious. On my previous trips they would circle my truck almost before I could get out of it. The donkey, in particular, would approach me and my vehicle very quickly upon my arrival. He did not do so on Monday, however. This time, the donkey was positioned in the middle of the yard staring off toward a thickly wooded area to the south-southeast. During my conversation with the owner he did not so much as twitch an ear or flip his tail. He has like a statue. The owner said he had been acting like this off and on for the last couple of weeks. The animal is pretty tame and, if he wasn’t already in your hip pocket, would certainly come quickly when beckoned with a “cookie” or “treat” by the owner. She said when he is “on alert” he won’t come for any reason. She demonstrated by calling him by name and telling him to “come get a treat.” The donkey didn’t even turn his head. I don’t know for sure that this animal sensed some sort of threat or was just “in a mood” but I can now say for sure that I have witnessed the behavior described by the property owner. What it means is open for debate.



It just so happened that I needed to walk right into the area at which the donkey was staring in order to reach the first camera. I figured if there were something in there I would have a decent chance of seeing it. Armed with this knowledge, and a Mossberg shotgun, I began my trek out to the first camera. It was simply unbelievable how high the grass and weeds had grown. There were thistle plants that were literally as tall as I was. The extremely high vegetation made the going slow and forced me to really pay attention to where I was placing my feet. I couldn’t help but think that anything could be out there laying low and I would never see it.



When I reached the first camera I noted the vegetation was extremely high in front of it. I downloaded the data but did not take the time to view the video at that time. I had a lot of events but anticipated 90% of them would be nothing more than shots of weeds blowing in the wind. So, I made a decision to move the camera to a less overgrown area. I found a suitable spot only 25 yards, or so, away from the original location. I then baited the area in front of the camera with a couple of scent dispensers soaked in mountain lion urine (very pungent stuff). This is the first time I’ve used any sort of attractant at this location. If there is a big cat of some kind on the property then I’m guessing it will stop by and have a sniff. I then loaded up and headed back toward the house.



After checking in with the owner, I accessed the back portion of the property in order to get to my second camera. I was excited about the potential for some good photos from this camera as it had been relocated to a spot on a hidden pond the month before. Justin Horn and I had located all manner of animal sign including some large, and catlike-looking, scat at this location. My plan was to refresh the existing camera and deploy the new Reconyx camera on the opposite side of the pond. When I arrived at the pond I immediately found scat very similar to that which we had found a month before. Encouraged, I made my way toward the Cuddeback camera that had been watching the north side of the pond.

That is when things got interesting.



I was about halfway between the pond and the camera location when I heard something splash in the water behind me. I turned to see a very large black hog at the edge of the pond. He raised his head to look at me about the time I spotted him. He was approximately 30-35 yards away at that time. Hogs don’t have very good vision so I can’t say for sure that he saw me but he did seem to react to my presence. He did sort of a stiff-legged hop up and down on his front legs twice. I’ve not observed this before and couldn’t say for sure what it signifies. What I do know is that right after that the hog began trotting around the edge of the pond towards me. He wasn’t coming, forgive the pun, full-boar but wasn’t dawdling either. I had no tree suitable for climbing so quickly decided that this hog needed some discouragement. The hog was about 20-25 yards away when I opened up on him with my 12-gauge Mossberg Persuader. The hog stopped in his tracks, fell back on his rump, made a sound between a grunt and a squeal and sprinted away into the woods. I heard him thrash around a bit and then things got quiet. The property owner began yelling my name (she could not see me from the house) and I could hear her quickly approaching my location. I decided to emerge from the brush around the pond and let her know I was ok rather than try to follow the hog at that point.



After relating the events leading up to the shot, the property owner accompanied me to the camera location. I was disappointed to find the camera face down in the mud at the base of the tree on which it had been attached. The bungee cord had snapped. From the looks of it, the camera had been partially submerged by water at some point over the past week or so (it is no secret that we’ve had some stormy weather in north Texas and Oklahoma over the last month). I was encouraged as the display screen on the camera was still operating. I removed the card and was able to download a large number of photos. I was disappointed, however, when after loading fresh batteries the camera would not turn on. I pulled the camera and placed the new Reconyx camera in the same spot. The spot had yielded a large number of photos so it seemed foolish to leave this spot without camera coverage (Placing another camera near the spot where the scat had been found would have to wait). I baited the area in front of the Reconyx with cougar urine and we made our way back to the house.

Interestingly, the donkey’s affect had completely changed. He was like a different animal. He was once again following us and seeking attention. He followed me to my truck and gently head-butted me in the back so that I would stop and pet him a bit. He, again, was the very curious animal that I had always seen before. I thought he was actually going to try to get in the truck when I opened the door to stow my gun case. He followed me back to the porch area and had himself a roll in the dirt and dust near the house. Whatever had been bothering him before was no longer doing so. I found the change in behavior very interesting.



I ended up getting only one video of interest from the first camera. It showed a very large spotted hog wandering about. As I suspected, the bulk of the video showed only swaying vegetation and/or birds. The lack of anything interesting reassured me that moving the camera to a less overgrown area was the right move. Hopefully, next time, especially since the camera has been scent-baited, I’ll get better results.

The photos the old Cuddeback took prior to its untimely demise were very good. Lots and lots of pictures of big, healthy hogs. Truly that pond area is “hog heaven.” It is no wonder I had a run-in with one. The camera also got photos of a couple of coyotes, what might be a fox or maybe a very small coyote, and a red-shouldered hawk in flight. If nothing else, these photos prove that a lot of wildlife frequents this spot making it a prime camera location. As we get into the summer months here in Texas, this pond is going to become more and more important as a watering hole. Hopefully, all the animals in the area, including any big cats, will make periodic stops to drink. If so, I should get the photo I’m looking for eventually.

At least, I hope so.