California Cougars

[Darrell]

I was awakened late one night/early morning by the dog raising hell outside, back when I lived up in Leadville. I was the last guy up the hill on the east side of town, nothing but trees and mountains to the east of me. I got up to shush the dog. When I stuck my head out the door, I heard a mountain lion a ways up the hill screaming its head off. Every story you've heard is true, it was atavistic, bone chilling. I brought the dog inside and huddled under the blankets.

As for wolves, some want to reintroduce them in Colorado. Some say they're already here.

[Jered]

I've seen a cougar in the wild. I'm not surprised that they snack on Scooby.

[First Shirt]

A few years ago, I was over at the local gun doctor's house, swapping some parts after a gun show, when a guy busted in with the card from his game cam. Showed us the pictures, and in two of them, big as life, was a cougar. I wouldn't say it was "big" but I think it could have stood flat-footed and f**ked a Shetland pony. He said he'd shown the pictures to the local wildlife folks who told him that it was impossible, there's no cougars in Alabama!

Ok. As long as it stays away from my place, we're all good. If it messes with my horses, all bets are off.

[Steamforger]

A friend I work with lives about 15 minutes from me. On the other side of the river and up the mountain just a little bit. He was snowshoeing with the family the other night and stumbled across this track. Being one of "us" he was armed and happy to be so after finding this trail. I don't think they've heard any screaming at this point. There's no shortage of deer (the orchards dump their rotten apples on a site down the road a bit) and 'yotes are thick as fleas. I'm certain the kittahs are eating well.

[Windy Wilson]

It's been twenty years since "Charlie the Lonesome Cougar" got onto California's protected wildlife list, and maulings have gone up, including of a little girl in Orange County. Surprisingly, everything about the shyness of mountain lions and fear of humans was based on many humans trying to kill them. They've expanded their range into places they did not live in one hundred years ago, as have coyotes. One even went into the People's Republic of Santa Monica last year or the year before, where it was iced after it couldn't be captured.
I think the only person to have been eaten by one is stilk the jogger in Colorado some 15 years ago.

[Denis]

Wolves: I've been hunting in a few places in Germany where I was warned not to shoot the "grey dogs". Unfortunately, I didn't see any, though I would have loved to. There is reliable information that they are coming back to colonise wilderness and rural areas in eastern and central Europe, and there were even recent sightings close to Paris.

Frankly, that's a bit unnerving. European wolves are the villains of fairy tales for a reason. We had wolves in MT without any real issues

Indeed. As long as the wolves confine themselves to eating deer, sheep and the occasional domestic dog, I think there will not be much trouble, other than with shepherds, whose "most valuable pet lamb" was always the entrée, and who always want more monetary compensation than they already get for wolf kills. However, once small children start to appear on the menu, there will doubtless be public fear, outcry and calls for the evil hunters to rescue the derps from the big bad wolf...

[Cybrludite]

I've heard a panther trying to get its freak on in south central Mississippi. (My parent's weekend place there was about on a line even with the top of the toe of Louisiana's boot) Spooky as all hell. Sounds almost like a woman screaming for help.

[Vonz90]

It's been twenty years since "Charlie the Lonesome Cougar" got onto California's protected wildlife list, and maulings have gone up, including of a little girl in Orange County. Surprisingly, everything about the shyness of mountain lions and fear of humans was based on many humans trying to kill them. They've expanded their range into places they did not live in one hundred years ago, as have coyotes. One even went into the People's Republic of Santa Monica last year or the year before, where it was iced after it couldn't be captured.
I think the only person to have been eaten by one is stilk the jogger in Colorado some 15 years ago.

List of cougar attacks:

http://tchester.org/sgm/lists/lion_attacks_nonca.html

[JKosprey]

He and his dad did their best to keep the local population of them and the coyotes somewhat in check, and away from the neighborhood.

While I have no problem with coyote hunting, it's been shown to have little impact on the population. They're so adaptable that when strongly pressured by hunting, litter sizes just go up. In some cases, hunting has even been known to increase the population.

[Vonz90]

He and his dad did their best to keep the local population of them and the coyotes somewhat in check, and away from the neighborhood.

While I have no problem with coyote hunting, it's been shown to have little impact on the population. They're so adaptable that when strongly pressured by hunting, litter sizes just go up. In some cases, hunting has even been known to increase the population.

Possibly true, but the biggest value (IMHO) is that when predators are under hunting pressure, they fear man and avoid us rather than consider us part of the menu. That is worth it.