Two neighbors shoot at mountain lion; a bullet strikes house

Two neighbors who shot at a cougar near where it was observed killing a deer earlier were cited for alleged second-degree criminal mischief. (...)

Two Oregon neighbors who shot at a mountain lion near where it was observed killing a deer earlier in the day were cited for alleged second-degree criminal mischief because one bullet ricocheted and damaged a house.

The mountain lion had been observed killing a deer near Baker Road in a neighborhood in Deschutes River Wood near Bend on Sunday morning, according to the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office and The Bend Bulletin.

Later that day, at around 5:40 p.m., numerous residents called 911 to report gunshots in the area of Shoshone and Baker roads.

Deputies arrived on the scene and learned that Grant Haddix, 61, and John Krister, 46, were walking near the site of the deer kill, saw the cougar hiding in the bushes approximately 10 feet away and fired their guns at it, claiming the mountain lion had been acting aggressively toward them.

Instead of hitting the cougar, one bullet ricocheted and hit a nearby house.

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The cougar was later observed hiding under a porch in a resident’s backyard before continuing through yards in the neighborhood. Deputies then lost sight of the mountain lion.

Based on safety concerns for those in the populated area, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife was called in, and a tracker located the cougar near another residence. It was shot by an Oregon State police trooper from the Fish and Wildlife Division.

ODFW spokesperson Michelle Dennehy told The Bend Bulletin it was likely the same cougar seen in Deschutes River Woods in late June, adding that this cougar was hanging around residential areas and had been seen repeatedly in daylight, behavior that is a human safety risk.

Some commenters on Facebook and The Bend Bulletin were critical of the two men for shooting at the mountain lion and going near the deer kill in the first place.

“Shooting an animal in close proximity to residence is a stupid move and they should get bigger fines,” one wrote. “The cougar was not stocking them directly and only protecting its kill. They should have called the authorities first.”

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“Those two guys belong in Jail! Leave the wildlife alone!” stated another. “That Cougar was harassed for doing what it is supposed to do.”

“How is a cougar that’s hiding in the bushes acting aggressively?” another wrote.

“What bothers me is why were they hanging around in close proximity to a fresh kill knowing the cougar was probably close by?” said another. “By the little information given, it appears that if they’d just left things alone, wouldn’t have had to kill the cougar.”

Generic photo courtesy of the National Park Service.