After two dogs were killed by a cougar just outside of Valemount, a local hunter was asked by B.C. conservation officers to exterminate the cat that has been getting a little too close for comfort for residents.

Colin Niemeyer, who has been hunting cougars all his life and has worked with conservation officers in the past, received a call early in the morning to go to the Hammann family residence, where a cougar had just killed one of the family’s two dogs.

A week earlier, the same cougar had killed Margaret and Angus McKirdy’s dog about three kilometres out of town.

Once Niemeyer arrived at the Hammann’s, the process of finding the cougar with his hounds, treeing the cat and killing it took only minutes.

“He (the cougar) had killed the dog and was just 100 yards from the house eating the dog. It only took 15 minutes before we took the cat,” said Niemeyer of the hunt. “There wasn’t really much to it.”

Niemeyer is an experienced hunter and has known the Valemount area conservation officer, Kevin Van Dam, for years. He says Van Dam trusts his knowledge and experience of hunting cougars and their behaviour. Since Van Dam is based in Clearwater, B.C. Niemeyer was asked, if possible, to use his hunting license and kill the cougar.

Niemeyer said it was easier that way, and since it was still hunting season for cougars, which ends at the end of the month, it was easiest to take that route.

The McKirdy’s were particularly glad to hear the news.

“Our dog was very much a personal pet, (but) there’s a lot of dogs, a lot of people have dogs in town,” said Margaret McKirdy. “(The dog) just kept everything away – we don’t have any cattle, but we have friends’ horses right now.”

Margaret McKirdy said her husband has always worried about cougars hanging around the house, but she always figured they were in the mountains and of no danger. While the McKirdys haven’t seen many cougar attacks on their land, which they’ve owned since 1964, their dog was once attacked by a cougar years ago, she said.

That time, the dog was attacked on their back porch. When Angus went outside, the cougar vanished into the dark and was never seen again. Their dog also took off, but returned, looking confused and concussed, but survived.

Niemeyer said he confirmed by autopsy that the cougar he killed indeed killed both the dogs. Hair of the first dog was still in the cougar’s stomach, and Niemeyer said the houses were easily within an hour’s walk for a cougar, which he estimates could have a territory of 30 to 40 kilometres.

“It was the same cougar, there’s no doubt about that. There are a few cougars that live on that mountain, he’s not the only one there. But he just obviously got lazy and took the easier prey. And that’s when they become dangerous,” he said.

Both dogs were killed at night, as the Hammann’s two dogs had been out all night, as well as the McKirdy’s dog.

“We didn’t know until somebody came and told us,” said McKirdy, who said she and her husband are very old. “I called him, and he always answers, and he never came.”

While both the Hammanns and McKirdys can breathe a little easier now, despite having both lost a family pet, Niemeyer said everyone should continue to be careful.

“There are probably half a dozen cougars that live in that vicinity. They have to continue to be careful. Obviously the cougar was quite a threat, he had become very comfortable (with the area).”

There are children at the Hammann’s who go for walks in the bush, he said, and when cougars start becoming so comfortable that they can be right by the house, children become a food source, which is a very dangerous situation. “Your odds of that cougar killing pets or people are pretty high, extremely high now.”

Niemeyer said he saw the Hammanns’ other dog, which was also attacked by the cougar but managed to escape. It was pretty torn up, he said, but was recovering fine, although he was extremely lucky.

Since the cougar was killed during hunting season and Niemeyer has a legal license, the cat is now in possession of Niemeyer.

When asked if the McKirdys will get another dog, Margaret simply replied, “No, we don’t want to raise cougar food.”