Jim Posted May 8, 2003 Posted May 8, 2003 I was going to post a quict TR about the climb up and ski down Shasta on Monday but it was straight-forward. Fun and sunny. But what was more interesting was the cougar encounters we had on Tuesday evening. We were conducting spotted owl and great gray owl surveys in the Klamath basin. Basically you get to different calling stations via ATVs and use a voice recording to see if you get a territorial response. We were checking out a couple of new stations in the daylight so we could keep from getting lost at night. We saw a cougar jump out ahead of us near a station so we followed it tracks and found a buried deer about 20 feet from one of our stations. Great. That evening when we went back there was one cat just sitting up near the station so we bypassed it for the next one. On the way down there were two cats, females I think, knawing on the the carcass. At another station about three miles away we finished up when we though we heard a coyote rustling around the underbrush. We had a 1,000 watt maglite and searched down the trail and saw a couple eyes looking back so we walked that way. It was a big male cat - walking towards us. The cat got to about 25 feet away and sat down on its haunches and just looked. We decided to shush it away and it slowly walked into the forest line where we backed off. We started walking back down the trail to the ATVs but stopped to check behind us and the cat was plodding along following us. We chased it away again, got on the ATVs and headed out. Never saw one that close before. Quote
JGowans Posted May 8, 2003 Posted May 8, 2003 That's wild shit Jim. Did you read the article on cougars in the latest Outside mag? I didn't realize they went for adult meat too. I thought only little kids were in danger. Holy shit. It's amazing how they've made a comeback without any government protection programs and what not. Quote
Jim Posted May 8, 2003 Author Posted May 8, 2003 I did read that article. Very interesting. The cats seem to be very adaptable. Down in the Klamath basin they seem to be increasing. One rancher I know has called in a trapper as he's getting a bit nervous, though he hasn't suffered any livestock loss. Very cool critter. Quote
Dan_Harris Posted May 8, 2003 Posted May 8, 2003 JGowans said Holy shit. It's amazing how they've made a comeback without any government protection programs and what not. Cougars have government protection in California. Quite a few years back a law was passed outlawing the hunting of mountain lions. Since then the numbers have swelled. There have even been several sightings over the last couple of years in and around towns in the central valley, many miles from what would be considered lion territory. Quote
JGowans Posted May 8, 2003 Posted May 8, 2003 Yeah, I should have been clearer. From my limited understanding, it's illegal to hunt them, but they haven't had any help like the wolves have had by being reintroduced to various areas and so on. The article in Outside mag was really interesting in cataloging some of the sightings and consequences we humans have had when coming into contact with them. Quite grizzly. Quote
micajones Posted May 8, 2003 Posted May 8, 2003 I saw one in the Olympics with my boss while logging back in the early 90's. Big red male sunning himself on a stump. 35 years in the mountains, and he is the only one I ever saw. Several times I've felt the hair on the back of my neck raise when it felt like something was following me. That could've been one a them creepy Forest Service types though. Their populations are exploding everywhere. Quote
ryland_moore Posted May 8, 2003 Posted May 8, 2003 Comt to Eugene where they just killed 3 over a 10 day period in an area called Triangle Lake, west of Eugene. The mother was shot because she was "hassling the homeowners pet poodle." Then two cubs were shot because they "posed a life threatening situation to an adjacent homeowners Pekinese." The guy who shot them was describingh on camera how fierce these two cubs were. They were no bigger than a dog, about the size of a small lab or pointer. p.s. There are some dumb people in this world and it amazes me how they survive into adulthood. I just wish the Darwinism process worked a little quicker on folks like this. Quote
RobBob Posted May 8, 2003 Posted May 8, 2003 What the Hell's going on here? A cougar thread goes for 7 posts without mentioning Scot'teryx?? There, that's better. Seriously, interesting post Jim. Quote
allthumbs Posted May 8, 2003 Posted May 8, 2003 scott's cool - he's out climbin' while you're sprayin' Quote
RobBob Posted May 8, 2003 Posted May 8, 2003 Hey, I only flip Scotty shit in a friendly way---ask him. Quote
nolanr Posted May 9, 2003 Posted May 9, 2003 What about tagging and relocating problem humans, then shooting them if the problems persist? Kinda like they do w/ bears. Quote
ryland_moore Posted May 9, 2003 Posted May 9, 2003 Or better yet, have fish and wildlife handlehuman-animal encounters like they do in other developing countries. While in costa rica a guy went swimming in alligator-infested waters and lost an arm. Did they kill 10 gators to find the one with the arm in its gut? Hell no. They made fun of the guy (American by the way) who went swimming with the alligators! Two weeks prior, it was discovered that this bright young American hiked to the top of an active vlocano called Arenal, and was burned badly on his feet from gas vents he stepped through. In both instances there were signs warning of the potential dangers, but he was a dumb-ass. He would fall under the category, "Recreational Darwinist." Quote
nolanr Posted May 9, 2003 Posted May 9, 2003 Dude, that guy should already be dead. Darwinism isn't working like it used to. Quote
RuMR Posted May 9, 2003 Posted May 9, 2003 ryland_moore said: Or better yet, have fish and wildlife handlehuman-animal encounters like they do in other developing countries. While in costa rica a guy went swimming in alligator-infested waters and lost an arm. Did they kill 10 gators to find the one with the arm in its gut? Hell no. They made fun of the guy (American by the way) who went swimming with the alligators! Two weeks prior, it was discovered that this bright young American hiked to the top of an active vlocano called Arenal, and was burned badly on his feet from gas vents he stepped through. In both instances there were signs warning of the potential dangers, but he was a dumb-ass. He would fall under the category, "Recreational Darwinist." Problem w/ your scenario and cats is that they probably wouldn't go for the "obvious" dumbass who's making a shit load of noise...They tend to grab solo people or small kids... I can't imagine many things scarier than a 150 lb hungry cat...you don't even know that they are there until its over...much rather run into bears (even grizzlies) than a cat...cuz if you "ran" into a cat, its cuz you've been invited to (be) dinner...shit, most bear attacks are just a plain old mauling (not that it can't kill you) and then they walk away...cat won't just be "walking" away... Quote
Fence_Sitter Posted May 9, 2003 Posted May 9, 2003 you wont run into a cat though...he'll just all of a sudden be on your back biting your neck... scary lil bastards.... Quote
RuMR Posted May 9, 2003 Posted May 9, 2003 that's my whole point...they EAT people as opposed to mauling them... Quote
erik Posted May 9, 2003 Posted May 9, 2003 RuMR said: that's my whole point...they EAT people as opposed to mauling them... YOU SEEING BEING FAT LIKE MYSELF, I HAVE LESS TO WORRY. SHORT PEOPLE ON THE OTHER HAND ARE AS GOOD AS SCREWED! Quote
RuMR Posted May 9, 2003 Posted May 9, 2003 erik said: RuMR said: that's my whole point...they EAT people as opposed to mauling them... YOU SEEING BEING FAT LIKE MYSELF, I HAVE LESS TO WORRY. SHORT PEOPLE ON THE OTHER HAND ARE AS GOOD AS SCREWED! yeah, but they'll smell "sheep" on you, and see a fat tasty sheep for a snack... Quote
erik Posted May 9, 2003 Posted May 9, 2003 RuMR said: erik said: RuMR said: that's my whole point...they EAT people as opposed to mauling them... YOU SEEING BEING FAT LIKE MYSELF, I HAVE LESS TO WORRY. SHORT PEOPLE ON THE OTHER HAND ARE AS GOOD AS SCREWED! yeah, but they'll smell "sheep" on you, and see a fat tasty sheep for a snack... Quote
RuMR Posted May 9, 2003 Posted May 9, 2003 erik said: RuMR said: erik said: RuMR said: that's my whole point...they EAT people as opposed to mauling them... YOU SEEING BEING FAT LIKE MYSELF, I HAVE LESS TO WORRY. SHORT PEOPLE ON THE OTHER HAND ARE AS GOOD AS SCREWED! yeah, but they'll smell "sheep" on you, and see a fat tasty sheep for a snack... Where you climbing this weekend? Quote
RobBob Posted May 9, 2003 Posted May 9, 2003 Hey, If their population starts getting too high I'm all for huntin'em. Quote
Jim Posted May 9, 2003 Author Posted May 9, 2003 . KALAMA COUGAR JUMPS, KNOCKS DOWN MALE ANGLER Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife enforcement officers on Wednesday issued safety warnings to residents near a section of the Kalama River while a private hound hunter continued searching for a cougar that reportedly jumped a male angler Tuesday, knocking him to the ground. The man, a Fort Lewis resident in his mid-30s, was not injured but his frame backpack showed claw marks. WDFW officers, assisted by a hound hunter, searched the area about 10 miles northeast of the citiy of Kalama for several hours after interviewing the angler. The Kalama River flows into the Columbia River in southwest Washington. The man told officers he was jumped from behind and knocked face-first to the ground as he was hiking out from the Kalama River shortly before 11 a.m. with a 25-pound chinook salmon wrapped in a plastic bag and tied to the outside of a frame backpack. When he rolled to his side to get up he saw a "huge" cougar disappearing into a brushy area about 12 to15 feet away. The man hiked out to a nearby mini-mart where he encountered a state hatchery worker who reported the incident to WDFW officers. Hunting hounds summoned to the area of the attack were able to pick up the cougar's scent, but with daylight waning could not follow the cat's trail into a steep area. The hound hunter returned to the area Wednesday. Meanwhile on Wednesday, a WDFW officer visited a residential area along Greenwood Road above the area where the cat disappeared to alert residents and children who wait along the road for school buses. The enforcement officers plan to distribute written cougar safety information to area residents. "We are following up to protect the public," said Murray Schlenker, the WDFW regional enforcement captain for southwest Washington. "We consider this an extremely serious incident." Under WDFW policy, cougars that attack humans are tracked and killed. The department offers the following safety tips for citizens who live in or near cougar habitat: -- Closely supervise children playing outdoors, and make sure they are indoors by dusk, when cougars are more active. -- Keep pets indoors or in secure kennels at night, and never leave pet food or food scraps outside. -- Light walkways and remove heavy vegetation near the house. -- Store garbage in secure containers so odors do not attract small animals that are prey for cougars. If you encounter a cougar: -- Stop, stand tall, pick up small children and don't run. A cougar's instinct is to chase. -- Do not approach the animal, especially if it is near a kill or with kittens. -- Try to appear larger than the cougar. Never take your eyes off the animal or turn your back. Do not crouch down or try to hide. If the animal displays aggressive behavior, shout, wave your arms and throw rocks to convince the cougar that you are not prey, but a potential danger. If the cougar attacks, fight back aggressively and try to stay on your feet. To report a cougar encounter that is a risk to human safety, immediately contact the Washington State Patrol, which will relay the incident to WDFW enforcement officers or call the WDFW emergency incident hotline at 1-(800)477-6224 Quote
Szyjakowski Posted May 9, 2003 Posted May 9, 2003 RuMR said: erik said: RuMR said: erik said: RuMR said: that's my whole point...they EAT people as opposed to mauling them... YOU SEEING BEING FAT LIKE MYSELF, I HAVE LESS TO WORRY. SHORT PEOPLE ON THE OTHER HAND ARE AS GOOD AS SCREWED! yeah, but they'll smell "sheep" on you, and see a fat tasty sheep for a snack... Where you climbing this weekend? SINCE ERIK'S WAGON BROKE LIKE MINE DID... HE DOES NOT CLIMB ONLY DRINK TALL BEERS Quote
kitten Posted May 9, 2003 Posted May 9, 2003 erik said: RuMR said: that's my whole point...they EAT people as opposed to mauling them... YOU SEEING BEING FAT LIKE MYSELF, I HAVE LESS TO WORRY. SHORT PEOPLE ON THE OTHER HAND ARE AS GOOD AS SCREWED! That makes me feel all warm and fuzzy. Quote
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