I need help IDENTIFYING this animal ASAP

[Hoopy]

Earlier today my dobermans were raising hell outsiode.
I went outside and heard ALOT of running through the bushes.
Tonight I pulled into my driveway to find 6 small dog/cat like creatures in my driveway.
Maybe as big as a fox, but LOOKED like a cat with a very long skinny tail, very bushy fur, and RED and BROWN striped.
They looked like a red and brown zebra.
In almost 20 years of hunting I have NEVER seen these kinds of animal before, they were NOT foxes or coyotes.
IF they were some form of wild cat then they were genetically all screwed up. I live in Charlotte NC on the outskirts in 29 acres of VERY heavily wooded land.
When I pulled in they didnt run, they stood there making like, yelping noises?
I honked the honr they didnt move, I layed on the horn for almost 10 seconds and they WALKED into the bushes.
WTF kind of animal is that???

[pointerDixie214]

no idea!!! but i can't wait to find out... i think i wouldv'e stayed in my truck unless i was fully armed!!!

[coolbrze0]

Turn the dogs loose!

[sloth]

I spent quite a bit of time looking on the net for what you described. Good thing my boss doesn't know.

Anyway I couldn't find anything that, that is native to North Carolina.
Best resources I found were http://www.mammalsociety.org/statelists/ncmammals.html and for all locations http://enature.com

There isn't anything that I could find that fit that description. I only checked native species to North America though. Could be something somebody smuggled in an let loose.

[x-mountie]

Hoopy:

could it be a fisher? sounds like it fits the description.

[BrutalAttack]

ORIGINAL: x-mountie

Hoopy:

could it be a fisher? sounds like it fits the description.

No that does not describe a fisher. They also don't congregate like that.

My guess it was a family of foxes, they can sometimes look cat-like if you have the right angle.

If it wasn't that then it was probably an exotic. I would just shoot one and find out.

[Red Hawk]

I want to say an Lynx but its hard to say. I know there is an rather odd looking fox that is in the family tree. My best advice is go or call the wildlife department and maybe find out that way.

[BrutalAttack]

There is no lynx in NC. It could have been bobcats, but if it was then that was the largest bobcat group ever seen in history probably. lol!

[SWOSUMike]

Couldn't have been bobcats. BOBcats don't have tails, and these did. Man, I would be tempted to bag one of those critters and get some advice. To not be scared of you is too wierd. Most times a horn or barking dogs will run a wild animal off. Hope you don't have any little dogs to go along with your dobermans!

[Dan O.]

Try this link:

http://www.cfbisd.edu/schools/blk/ac...d%20Panda.html

Does it look like the picture?

Dan O.