174 lbs of BAD NEWS!

[Fullpan]

You prospectors in Mother Lode country of Calf., be aware and be prepared - just sayin


Mountain Lion Mountain Democrat

 

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[AzViper]

Well this Bobcat is not big but thought you all would find it intersting. Make sure you look at all the photos as the last photo says it all. He spent about 6 hours at the top before coming down. As you can see he was asleep atop of the saguaro.

 

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[kuger]

I love that picture,but makes me cringe,knowing how sensitive a bobcats feet are!
Fun Fact......Lions love to eat Porcupines,and there system actually makes Porcupine quills into limp noodles.....any other animal,a quill will literally work its way through the body.I have had dogs get them in their heads and months later have them come out there rear ends point first!

 

[soupfreak]

Well this Bobcat is not big but thought you all would find it intersting. Make sure you look at all the photos as the last photo says it all. He spent about 6 hours at the top before coming down. As you can see he was asleep atop of the saguaro.

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Years ago I worked for a courier service, and one evening coming back from a delivery near San Diego I see a "cat" lying in the middle of the road. Being as I didn't want the poor feline to get run over while at the same time wanting to have some mischievous fun, I plotted to pull up next to it and hit the horn.

I rolled my window down as I pulled up next to the little guy (or gal, still not sure.) Just as I was about to hit the horn, The cat looks up...and I see the fangs! BOBCAT! The bobcat had this look of "Yeah, go ahead. See what happens!" Didn't know I could roll up a window that fast while flooring it. Surprising where wildlife will turn up.

 

[NeoTokyo]

Awesome pics, what camera are you shooting?
I am going to venture out and say a Canon because you get the same banding that the rest of us do and its not random/film grain like most Nikon and Sony's are.

 

[NuggetN8]

Well this Bobcat is not big but thought you all would find it intersting. Make sure you look at all the photos as the last photo says it all. He spent about 6 hours at the top before coming down. As you can see he was asleep atop of the saguaro.

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Nice pics! Wish i had a chance to get some of an animal like that.

 

[AzViper]

Awesome pics, what camera are you shooting?
I am going to venture out and say a Canon because you get the same banding that the rest of us do and its not random/film grain like most Nikon and Sony's are.

I carry a Canon Power Shot SX210 - 14.1 megapixal - 14x optical zoom in my backpack. Not the camera of choice other than to keep in my backpack. I needed something small, lite, that had a big optical zoom with video. My main camera gear is Hasslblad not what you would place in a backpack.

 

[Patfoundit]

One of my favorite stories my dad use to tell was when he was young, Late teens, Him and six of his buddies went camping in northern Calif without a tent, they were roughing it. The first night being ten feet tall and bullet proof, my dad and his buddies spread way out around the fire and went to sleep. The next morning they awoke to find Mountain lion tracks about 6" across that went to every sleeping bag. He said the next night they where stacked up like cord wood next to the fire. No one got much sleep that night.

 

[pmgsourdough]

I've come across 2 lions here in the hills and not once did I feel threatened. These big cats want nothing to do with me or my dogs.

 

[kuger]

I've come across 2 lions here in the hills and not once did I feel threatened. These big cats want nothing to do with me or my dogs.

...most dont,but ya wanna tell that to the families of the people that werent so lucky,or the warden that just had to shoot one Sunday?

 

[pmgsourdough]

There is not a single confirmed lion attack involving a human being in the black hills. That is a fact. Stories of attacks have been brought to the attention of gf&p, but never confirmed. I do not fear the the lion, as my dogs could not kill one, but would certainly fight till the death in the instance of an attack.

 

[oldbrundogg]

Mr. Dough, I love cats, all kinds shapes and sizes. I wish none of these magnificent creatures ever had to be put down. Yet I know sometimes they have to be killed, you cannot compare their life to a humans. And for the families of the ignorant people who get themselves in a bad situation we must err on the side of the human. As we continue to expand our territory we infringe on the cats territory it's unfortunate for both.
I feel your grief for the animal.
Statistics are just numbers. The fact is a cat that size can and will kill a human if it chooses.
JMHO
OBD

 

[pmgsourdough]

2 seasoned hog dogs. I am not worried.

 

[kuger]

There is not a single confirmed lion attack involving a human being in the black hills. That is a fact. Stories of attacks have been brought to the attention of gf&p, but never confirmed. I do not fear the the lion, as my dogs could not kill one, but would certainly fight till the death in the instance of an attack.

Yes,sorry...I failed to note your location,where they are still hunted it is extremely rare to experience issue,as they still retain their fear of man.......out here,they arent,so they dont A dog is best defense regardless where you may be!!

 

[oldbrundogg]

Yes sir I think those dogs could keep a lot of critters away. No easy target for sure.
OBD

 

[goldog]

2 seasoned hog dogs. I am not worried.

Beautiful dogs. No kitty problems with them around.

 

[DizzyDigger]

174 lbs. is a damn healthy cat, so that big kitty has been feeding well, on something. Be it deer,
cattle, rodents or family dogs the cat has to eat a lot of chow to grow that healthy.

I'm a true wildlife lover anymore, and always have been to some degree, however I've also spent
many, many years hunting and trapping coyotes, bobcat (btw, nice shots AZ Viper!), badger...etc.
(long list..lol). Now, unless a critter was threatening me or my family I would rather run it off or,
if it's not a threat to me or my cats (2 of them are about 90% feral) I'll let them hang around
a bit just to learn about them. Most cases once a possum, raccoon, etc. figures out you're no threat
they won't bother you much, and sometimes they're both interesting and hilarious to watch as they
go about their business. Best way to avoid them is don't leave garbage cans outside and uncovered.
Clamp the lids down, tight, and they'll learn there's no chow to be had there.

Dealt with many big cats over the years, and never did I have to kill one because I felt seriously
threatened. In the desert country I am far more concerned about the rattler whose rattle I can not hear,
or a scorpion hanging out under a rock I'm reaching down to move. As Kuger and others have said, if
that critter has you on the dinner menu then you won't see a thing or hear a sound till it charges or
leaps at you.

Perhaps Kuger and others might add to this list, but here's a few good rules to keep in mind when in
big cat country:

1. Being proactive can save your hind end, so ALWAYS be aware of your surroundings, and take
note of gulley's, washes or large boulder areas around your general area. When working good
ground or intensely watching as we move our coils, it's not uncommon to get so involved we
quit paying attention to our immediate surrounds. Try and remember to look up and all
around every couple of minutes, just to be sure we can stay off the evenings menu.

2. IF YOU DO GET JUMPED: Many times the cat will knock you down, hard, and if you immediately
start screaming at the cat and fighting back, it might just let go and rethink it's situation. Grab rocks,
sticks or anything you can and FIGHT. Make yourself look big by waving your arms up high and
shouting at the top of your lungs, and again, throw rocks and try to beat it back from you. A cat
does not expect that, and like any cat they can get spooked by loud noises and assault. If he
does keep hold of you, hopefully you can beat, kick, bite, gouge out it's eyes, kick it in the
testicles (if male). If you can reach a handful of dirt, then throw it at it's eyes. Don't be a victim,
so FIGHT WITH EVERYTHING YOU HAVE and you have a much better chance of surviving the attack.

3. Bobcats are not generally a threat to humans, but it's not unheard of for them to attack small
kids and pet. Like any cat, they get curious about noises and sounds coming from their "back yard",
so they check them out. Both Cougar and Bobcat do the majority of their hunting at night, early
mornings and later parts of the evening. If they are really hungry, they'll hunt a couple hours after
dawn, and also may come out earlier in the evening. Pay special attention during those times,
and in all directions (including UP).

4. If you see a Cougar walking towards you, DO NOT TURN AND RUN! That will trigger a "prey"
response from the cat, and they will be on you in a second. The cat may just be curious, and will
walk away, but in any event stand your ground. If you feel threatened (as in if it's closer than 100')
make yourself look big and mean, yell at it and throw rocks, sticks etc. If there are several people
with you, get them all together in a tight bunch hollering, acting aggressive and throwing rocks at the cat.
99% of the time that cat will bail-out, and fast, as they want to eat, not get in a fight where they might
get hurt. If you see kittens, stay the hell away from them! Mom isn't going to be far, and like any mom
she's going to protect those babies to the death, so best thing you can do is move on to another area
and let her have her space for the kids to play in.

...and don't forget to watch for rattlers in the meantime!

Best I can offer ya's, and hopefully others will chime in with their suggestions for staying safer.

Dizz

 

[rex]

I think that they should make it legal to hunt mountain lions in CA. Each one can have up to 4 cubs per litter I'm sure the population is off the charts =/. Wonder why it's illegal here and not illegal in other states.. Same with coyotes. I guess there's a lot of things that are illegal here that aren't in other states... Like dredging. If they did make hunting them legal then they would probably have to regulate the amount of tags they sell to people in different counties. Anyone know why it's illegal to hunt them? They could just make it more difficult to hunt them. Make it legal only with a crossbow or bow and no hunting dogs to tree them

yes, they need to be hunted but use firearms. the fear of man needs to be instilled into them. we don.t have many cats around where i live but we do have coyotes. there is no closed season on them and they get hunted alot. two times while in the tree stand i have seen coyotes cross my trail ,stop sniff the air and turn around and run back from where they came from. if your cats had that built in fear of humans you would rarely see them let alone be attacked by them.

 

[wa-au-nut]

There was just a Cat encounter Thursday in Manson Wa. which is just north of Chelan Wa. Lady let her dog out and A cat jumped it on the porch. Warden killed the cat hiding behind the Hot tub. Dog was dead and Lady had to have stitches. Since they baned hunting with dogs here the cats are loseing the fear of man. Encounters are increasing. Just a matter of time before a cat gets a child here. And now with the reintoduction of the wolf here it's even worse. Less food for the cats. Younger males are looking for teritory usally the ones causing problems. WDFG had to opening limited hound hunting to ease the problem. Manson is right on the shores of Lk.Chelan. Yup Cats and Wolves are a problem here and its gonna get worse.

 

[walldo]

Just like wa-Au-nut said. If you live in Washington state do not go in the woods with out some form of defense. Between all the cougars and the Montana wolf packs. It will be just a matter of time before you run into one of these little critters. My family can attest to that.

 

[kuger]

I need to add......I spoke with a friend that happened to have "handled",the situation with the cat above.....it was indeed a large healthy cat(which most are here)but it was not 174 lbs. for whatever reason people always feel the need to embellish stories.

Excellent post Dizzy,you and I are a lot alike.I have made my living hunting animals,have saved more animals than the majority of "animal rights folks",I have always been an animal lover and was taught at a very young age the respect I posses still today.When I could avoid killing I always did.Anymore I get great joy just taking pictures,I have done my part,and get great joy.....just watching

Excellent advice as well as to how to react if confronted.Lions(Felines)attack from behind %95 of the time,and in a way they are least likely to be injured,they are very cogniscent of this,along with all Dizzy has suggested,a dog as a "partner",is ones best defense as they are much more aware then we could ever be