Does anybody seem to have issues with cougars or other predators?

@Bossroo @OneFineAcre 100 square miles, huh? That is good to know. I am aware of the unlikely but very real dangers of mountain lions attacking humans. My husband has known a couple of hunters who have been jumped by a cat on their hikes and hunts. We always aim to be prepared so whenever we go into the woods we are armed. In my neck of the woods, you never know what wildlife you may run into so it's best to be prepared.

outdoorhoney said:

We always aim to be prepared so whenever we go into the woods we are armed. In my neck of the woods, you never know what wildlife you may run into so it's best to be prepared.

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So glad to hear that!

i agree with the other folks. lgd's are the way to go to protect your animals. it sounds like you are doing all you can do for the time being to keep the babies safe but a big barkie dog who lives with the goats is the best deterrent in the world. i have sheep and goats and have at least one if not two lgds all the time. in my neck of the world we have a variety of predators and the ones that worry me the most are the mountain lions and wild hogs. neither of them have a respect for humans and will attack you out in the woods. you are very wise to carry protection with you when you hike. have you thought that taking the goats out with you would be a cougar magnet and they would trail you home? just something i would worry about. good luck

@goatgurl Although I don't have a LGD out with our does at the moment, I do have three family dogs of larger breeds that go out on the property during the day. I wonder if having their scent all over the yard helps keep predators away at all? As for taking my girls out hiking with me, yes I am always worried about the risk of having coyotes or a cougar track us down on a trail. I take many precautions before going on a hike with them which includes going out and checking the terrain before taking them out with me and determining which spots have a lot predator sign (I know this doesn't mean they are only lurking around there but at least we know where they like to spend their afternoons some days). Our Alpine is being trained for packing right now but she is still only six months so we are always at her side and of course, armed in case anything were to sneak up on us. I always go out with my husband and we don't split up the goats (this would cause them to cry for each other and become vulnerable, NOT good for keeping predators away or hunting). We do not ever leave the goats unsupervised in the woods, period. As long as we are on our feet and being cautious about what's around us, we feel confident in the safety of our goats. I did my fair share of research before the first day I took my babies out on a trail as any concerned parent would Goats are wonderful hiking companions!!

sounds like you pretty much have it covered. good luck and be safe

outdoorhoney said:

@babsbag @goats&moregoats Thank you for the information on LGD. I hope to one day be able to bring one home to our expanded farm. I will keep an eye out for any LGD that are being rehomed in our area just in case

Today while I was out walking I did see cougar sign. Thankfully it wasn't close enough to home to have me immediately wanting to turn around and protect our property but it reminded me that my girls are still babies and I need to be extra cautious when taking them on trails, not just when they are at home.

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A cougar will jump on you as quick as it will your 'babies'. They are not afraid of humans, lgds, donkeys, barking yard dogs or anything else short of brown bears, and not too much afraid of them.

greybeard said:

A cougar will jump on you as quick as it will your 'babies'. They are not afraid of humans, lgds, donkeys, barking yard dogs or anything else short of brown bears, and not too much afraid of them.

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They give out cougar tags year round out here

I feel like I had seen somewhere on BYH about two LGDs in need of re homing, I wish I could remember though

Poka_Doodle said:

I feel like I had seen somewhere on BYH about two LGDs in need of re homing, I wish I could remember though

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Is this it?
http://www.backyardherds.com/threads/unrealistic-dog-wish-list.29766/page-9

Goat Whisperer said:

Is this it?
http://www.backyardherds.com/threads/unrealistic-dog-wish-list.29766/page-9

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Yep it is