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???

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

Turn the dogs loose!

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.

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.

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.

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!

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!

Try this link:

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

Does it look like the picture?

Dan O.