Cougar tracks

[Spiderman]

Swim time(ly story).

[Aspenglow]

Hey, enipla. Thought you might want to see this. (Reuters)

[Slow_Moving_Vehicle]

@enipla

Yes and no. We have had a lot of them. None for a few months though. Just got to make sure that you have an escape route, and not get too close.

Here is the fellow I named Fredric. I was actually about 25 feet away on our deck when I snapped that picture.

FWIW, when I was taking a National Outdoor Leadership School course in the Wind River Mountains, the lead course instructor told us that moose were by a long stretch the most dangerous animal we were might encounter.

[asahi]

@kayaker

I met a guy who was fly-fishing a local stream when he was attacked by a beaver. He managed to eventually get a good hold of it and hold it under water long enough for it to die, but he was bitten multiple times. Turns out it was rabid. I guess you do what you gotta do.

Beavers, otters aren’t gonna attack shit unless they’re rabid. If you’re getting bitten by beavers and otters or raccoons during the day, you already know it’s rabies shot time.

[Quartz]

@enipla

Here is the fellow I named Fredric. I was actually about 25 feet away on our deck when I snapped that picture.

I just get adverts when I click that link. Anyway, aren’t moose supposed to be semi-tamable? That is, you can accustomise them to your presence?

[Inigo_Montoya]

@enipla

A runner was just attacked somewhere near Fort Collins. He survived. He strangled it. How he will ever sleep again I don’t know.

I started a MPSIMS thread on that when I read about it this morning (didn’t know about your reference here). Turns out, he was “attacked” by a kitten. When you hear about cougar attacks you usually think about a sick or older adult 150-200 pound cat with blunt/broken fangs who can’t manage a deer anymore so it goes for some monkey meat. I’m highly suspicious that fellow started the altercation, then the kitten panicked, then he panicked, then the kitten ended up strangled, then the victor wrote the history. Which is not to say healthy adult mountain lions make good pets.

@Two_Many_Cats

If a cougar runs away, does it say, “Exit, stage left!”?

That’s only pumas.

[Aspenglow]

@enipla

Dogs have a doggie door into the house, and a 6’ fenced yard (not that that would stop a cougar). Dogs as in plural. Two 60lb Boarder Collie mixes. Cougars are opportunistic hunters, and doubt they would give our dogs a problem.

But if it is sick, hungry, or whatever, you just don’t know. A runner was just attacked somewhere near Fort Collins. He survived. He strangled it. How he will ever sleep again I don’t know.

Loaded up my Marlin 336er .356 win. Just to have handy. Hopefully won’t ever need it, or will use it just to make a GREAT deal of noise. It’s a bit of a cannon.

Not sure if this would work for you Beck, but crushed moth balls dissuade bears pretty well.

I missed this bit in your post, also, though I have no idea how! Apologies for the duplicate reference. Obviously you are very well aware of the incident.

I saw an interview with the fellow last night. He said he was most worried that the cub’s momma would turn up, and said something to the effect that he knew if that happened, it was all over for him. Quick thinker and lucky, for sure. He also said he won’t go running again without a partner.

[Crafter_Man]

@enipla

Starting to think about carrying a side arm when walking the dogs.

Bears, cougars… while it’s true they rarely attack, I would be a little bit nervous walking around your area without a self defense tool. I would suggest a revolver of fairly large caliber, e.g. .44 Magnum.

[DPRK]

@Quartz

I just get adverts when I click that link. Anyway, aren’t moose supposed to be semi-tamable? That is, you can accustomise them to your presence?

Cf. tame puma

[DPRK]

@Crafter_Man

Bears, cougars… while it’s true they rarely attack, I would be a little bit nervous walking around your area without a self defense tool. I would suggest a revolver of fairly large caliber, e.g. .44 Magnum.

I don’t know; I read that to seriously blow away dangerous game you need an elephant gun.