Can I legally shoot it?

[DayTripper]

For the last 3 nights, I saw a largest bobcat I'd ever saw darted in and out of our alley way. From the back it looked to be around 16-18" in height.

This morning I found out from my neighbors that within the last week two cats, one small dog went missing and another cat was found half eaten in a backyard.

I am not sure if I can legally shoot it. But, since I am not going to discharge any fire arms within the city's limit... By the way I live in the middle of Dallas. What do you all thinks?

[Bud B.]

In most municipalities across the nation it is illegal to discharge any weapon inside the city limits, to include bb guns, slingshots, bows, crossbows, crossbow pistols, and slung shot (David and Goliath type).

Bows are silent, though.

[Thumper Dunker]

There might be a season on them also. Not worth going to jail over.

[TxAg]

I live in Dallas (Lake Highlands)...I'll come over and shoot it.

No season on them.

I don't think you'll get in any trouble.

[Hoyt]

I'm with Thumper..don't think I'd want to do any time over 2-1/2 cats and a small dog.

[iohkus]

Get in touch with your state's Department of Wildlife Agency, or Conservation Commission. They can advise you what to do or take care of it themselves.  

[krink]

Some places will loan you a have a heart trap to put out.  They say when something gets in there to call them.  I say get one form them trap the bugger, skin it out and tan it.  Would be a cool hide!  

BTW Im not sure how legal that is either!

[krink]

Double post.

[Panzer]

Pellet Rifle will do it.

[K.S.TRAPPER]

Originally posted by iohkus:
Get in touch with your state's Department of Wildlife Agency, or Conservation Commission. They can advise you what to do or take care of it themselves.      

x2, No kidding is it really worth a ticket?

Almost all states require Bobcats legaly taken to be tagged one way or another just to have the pelt frozen,tanned or for sale. Including Texas!

There are many a bobcat every year that are taken by hunters that have no clue what furharvester regs are and thats a shame. If you have a chance of killing a bobcat or any furbearing animal were you hunt make sure you have the correct license and or tags and no when the seasons start and end.

Give the fish and game a call, They have a list of many trappers and wildlife control exsperts that can trap year round legally and for a living and do the job right.      

Tracy

[landman]

A friend of mine, deceased now, used to have a lot of problems with neighborhood cats.   He would shoot them in the stomach with a low velocity, subsonic .22 that would not disturb the peace and that allowed the cats to go home and die.

I love bobcats as long as they're in the wild and I refuse to shoot them at all but I haven't had one predating my personal space and harming my pets.  My old friend's method should work just as well on a bobcat as an errant tom.

[K.S.TRAPPER]

[K.S.TRAPPER]

Double post sorry!    

Tracy

[ChrisM]

No tagging or limits on bobcats in Texas.  The only issue may be the discharge of a weapon.

[K.S.TRAPPER]

Your right I checked again, Helps if I slow down and read carefully.

BOBCAT PELTS: TAGGING TEXAS PARKS AND WILDLIFE DEFINITIONS LICENSES
Prior to purchase, sale, trade or transport outside Texas, bobcat pelts (see definition of bobcat) taken in Texas (including tanned pelts and mounts) must be permanently tagged with a department issued federal Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) tag valid for the year in which the bobcat was taken. Legally taken pelts may be tagged at no cost by any registered bobcat pelt dealer or at TPWD Law Enforcement offices. Individuals desiring to purchase and/or tag bobcat pelts taken in Texas must register with the Furbearing Animal Program (4200 Smith School Road, Austin, Texas 78744) and be issued a Bobcat Pelt Dealer Permit and Tag Voucher. It is unlawful for any dealer to: (1) possess untagged pelts; (2) transfer tags to any other dealer, or to use tags issued to another dealer;
(3) refuse to tag a bobcat pelt presented as being legally taken in this state. This is not construed to mean the person must sell to the dealer from whom the tag is obtained.
Persons desiring to transfer bobcat pelts out of Texas for noncommercial purposes may obtain a tag by presenting the pelt to any dealer or Department Law Enforcement Office and completing and signing an Annual Bobcat Pelt Tag Report.

Yep, It says for transport or sale. My bad!  :D

[TxAg]

A have-a-heart trap is the surefire legal way. Although, living in Texas all my life, I don't know of any policeman or game warden that would fine you for shooting a bobcat preying on neighborhood pets...as long as you go about it tactfully.

If you use a weapon, make it a good bow shot, high powered air rifle to the noggin, or a .22 short (quieter).

If you don't want the pelt, someone here definitely will, and there are no issues with a gift...just can't sell them without a permit.

[wapitirod]

definitely check with fish and game first.  I've killed my share of nuisance animals and I always check first.  There are two things to consider first legal ramifications and although this is a nuisance animal and most intelligent law einforcment guys would slap your hand and say don't do it again there are always those that will hold to the letter of the law.  Within the law I don't know how texas is but here I have to get a nuisance animal kill permit which is issued by fish and wildlife and is free but without it in the rare event I were checked I could get in trouble.  Second is the politically correct side of it, (which I personally don't care about) if you have to live around these people and any of them are tree hugging card carrying peta members you may be setting yourself up for a bunch of crap.  It's not worth a ticket or especially a game violation that could cost you your hunting rights.  That's my 2 cents for what it's worth.

[USN_Sam1385]

Originally posted by landman:
A friend of mine, deceased now, used to have a lot of problems with neighborhood cats.   He would shoot them in the stomach with a low velocity, subsonic .22 that would not disturb the peace and that allowed the cats to go home and die.

That is disturbing.... They caused enough 'problems' that it was deemed necessary to shoot them and allow them to die a slow painful death?

If they need to die, so be it. But do it quickly.

[Grey Taylor]

I agree. Any person who would purposely gut shoot an animal so it could die slowly is just about the lowest form of scum in my book. I don't care what kind of problems he had with cats, that's not ethical or moral.

As for the bobcat. Use a trap. How do you think things will turn out if the neighbours see a bobcat running by with an arrow sticking out of it, or see a blood trail running down the street with a dead animal at the end?
Just because you love archery doesn't mean it's the answer to everything.

Guy

[ChuckC]

Grey, whether I agree with you or not, that statement could have been said without calling him a name, that is likely to illicit an ugly response etc.

Trying to make a point is good.  Trying to change someones (maybe bad) habits by pointing out another view is good.  Name calling is bad.

ChuckC