Fire, hungry predators

[Qxxx]

I've spent many decades going into the back country in the west, and not even seen a bear or mountain lion in the wild. And only ever seen 3 rattlesnakes. There is some good info in the links below.

http://fwp.mt.gov/fishAndWildlife/livingWithWildlife/mountainLions
https://www.distinctlymontana.com/bear-vs-mountain-lion-which-more-dangerous

What happened in the Colorado Front Range, is that over the past 30 years years or so, people have steadily built houses in the woods, which caused the authorities to outlaw hunting in those areas. Therefore, the deer population exploded in those areas, and the mountain lions moved in behind them. Those 2 incidents I cited were in that same area. I was mainly indicating the typical mode the lions use for hunting.

You can be pretty safe camping in the woods if you stay in NF campgrounds where other people are also camping. And of course, not too many mountain lions in desert Arizona.

 

[crofter]

I'm pretty terrified of mountain lions myself, and live in the vicinity to boot, but still ... how can you tell from game cams whether a mountain lion is afraid of people?

Sorry I did not see this reply. In the fringe area of the Eagle Creek fire Oregon there were both sightings on game cams and other sightings by people who said the lion was following someone. It was my job to report in person sightings to Fish and Game. Then there was the time the school threw a weenie roast and a lion showed up to the party. Also reported. 

Fish and Game has criteria they follow in determining whether an animal is a threat to the humans reporting the sighting. In Oregon, all lion sightings are required to be reported to Fish and Game, and they determine the next steps if any. 

Since lions are stealthy and usually well fed by their natural prey, it would be unusual for a lion to come to a party with 50 people and a large bonfire. Also unusual to appear on a game cam at a house, or observed following someone in a dispersed and noisey crowd of 150 people. The main thing to remember is to report it to Fish and Game, and they will do their thing. Also bear spray for your personal protection.  -crofter

Description: news article
https://www.oregonlive.com/pacific-...s-cougar-sightings-on-the-rise-in-oregon.html

 

[crofter]

...The main thing to remember is to report it to Fish and Game, and they will do their thing. Also bear spray for your personal protection.  -crofter

Description: news article
https://www.oregonlive.com/pacific-...s-cougar-sightings-on-the-rise-in-oregon.html

Description: link to encounter instructions, and Fish and Wildlife links

https://www.dfw.state.or.us/wildlife/living_with/cougars.asp

https://images.app.goo.gl/7hTjY19fLF2hCzHx9

https://www.tualatinoregon.gov/police/possible-cougar-sighting

Hope this helps.  -crofter

 

[WanderingRose]

You can be pretty safe camping in the woods if you stay in NF campgrounds where other people are also camping. And of course, not too many mountain lions in desert Arizona.

And that what I do, stay in and near the campgrounds.

Some years ago I accompanied my husband to Gunsite near Prescott, AZ, I believe, and one of the other guys there had seen a big mountain lion lounging on the picnic table the day before we arrived.

Re-reading my post, I sound a bit abrupt and I was really just joking about it, so apologize Q for forgetting to add the emoticons for clarity.

I can’t get past the fear, so while others are trekking off onto trails in the mountains, I stay closer to the campground when I am on foot.

I have not seen a bear in a campground, but have heard them a few times and seen their destruction.

We were once in upper Michigan when campers across the road had a bear get into a cooler they had foolishly left out.

Their dog went off and when the guy unzipped his tent, thinking it was raccoons, there was a big black bear looking him in the face.

Their dog chased it off, but the bear left teeth marks in the cooler as if it had been made of butter.

Those big teeth, they scare me.  :s

 

[GypsyJan]

My, what big teeth you have, Grandma!

I agree...big teeth = no thanks, no close encounters.

 

[Qxxx]

Yeah, not surprising there may be mountain lions up in Prescott or other areas of AZ with woods at higher elevations. If there are deer, there will no doubt be lions. That's why I said "desert" AZ, lol. And yer best bet is, just don't go smearing bacon grease on yer body.

 

[ridgeway]

Last year a jogger in Ft Collins got attacked by a young mountain lion while running he grappled with it for about 8mins then was able to get his knee on it windpipe and kill it.
https://www.npr.org/2019/02/15/695035064/man-who-suffocated-attacking-mountain-lion-tells-his-story

 

[Qxxx]

Yeah, it's been some years, but there was the kid in Idaho Springs who was jogging and the lion jumped on him from behind. Then there was the gal who was jogging in the hills above Boulder, I think it was, and the lion was tracking her from behind and she climbed up a tree. Lions seem to like joggers in the woods. Maybe there is a lesson there.

 

[WanderingRose]

It’s their territory.

Humans are the interlopers, then becoming prey.

 

[rhinelanderdoug]

This is a bit off topic, but was a stark reminder to me that animals travel and to always be aware of your surroundings.

I saw a young mountain lion in northern Wisconsin early one morning this past June, just south of Ashland.

After contacting DNR, they told me they get sub-adult males in the area periodically, traveling from South Dakota.

Makes walking in the woods a whole new experience.

I used to live in Ashland Wi and I remember hearing about mountain Lion sightings every year. Cougar also.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[highdesertranger]

ah, cougar and mountain lion are the same animal. highdesertranger

 

[crofter]

Yeah, it's been some years, but there was the kid in Idaho Springs who was jogging and the lion jumped on him from behind. Then there was the gal who was jogging in the hills above Boulder, I think it was, and the lion was tracking her from behind and she climbed up a tree. Lions seem to like joggers in the woods. Maybe there is a lesson there.

Running away is a prey behavior, so triggers the lion to respond. Doing power walking with your arms up is less like a prey behavior. Or if you must jog, wear a large coat and go with several friends all carrying bear spray. If there is a mountain lion, face it and spray it.
-crofter

 

[shadowmoss]

So, we could always ask HDR what happens when you go camping and smear your body with bacon grease. I recall a story about him doing that once.

 

[nature lover]

I am an old fashion hetero but imagining somebody rubbing bacon grease all over their body gets me turned on. I once told a rather large female cook at One of the originalKentucky fried chicken stores in Whitesburg Kentucky that if my wife came home to me smelling like that chicken every night I’d be all over her. Till I found out she brought a bucket home and I would leave her alone and go for the bucket . Don’t be mad honey I’ll be right back once I finish this chicken. I hope you brought extra crispy.

 

[highdesertranger]

hahahahaha, hold on I didn't rub bacon grease all over my body. I did cook bacon and throw cooked and raw bacon all over camp trying to attract bears. I wish I could remember what number that post was on the YARC thread. highdesertranger

 

[highdesertranger]

here's the bacon post from the "you Ain't Right Club" thread,

little stupid story. if this doesn't get me an "you ain't right badge" nothing will.

so when I was young and dumb I was camping in the Red's Meadow, Devils Post Pile area of the Sierras. there were bear warning signs everywhere. your typical signs, do this don't do that, there is a bear problem in the area. I said cool I want some bear pictures. so what did I do. first off I cooked a bunch of bacon for dinner for the aroma. then I threw raw and cooked bacon around camp just to give the bear something to eat while I snapped some pics. now for the topper, I slept outside on the picnic bench with camera ready to go. well I am still here and none of my many scares came from a bear. no bear showed up, at the time I was disappointed. looking back I am damn lucky. ah to be young and indestructible. as a side note beside the camera I was well armed.

highdesertranger