Mountain lions

[aap1966]

Genuine question for those who live in areas with mountain lions...how much of a threat are they? How does knowing mountain lions are in the area change how you live your life (if at all)?

Thanks all.

[Dantilla]

Mountain lions are usually skittish of humans during daylight.

They are sneaky. Ninja-like. At night, you can be prepared with pepper spray, firearms, whatever, and you will not know there is a cat in the area until its teeth are deep in the back your neck.

[Dantilla]

As general rule, a mountain lion does not want to take something bigger than itself.
Why did God create rabbits? To feed the carnivores. They multiply rapidly, and are a perfect snack-sized meal for a cat.

A cat must be pretty desperate to take an adult human.

[sc_rufctr]

Stephen Fry did a segment about wolves that had recently been introduced to a rural area in the US. The people he talked to had lost their pet dogs to them.

I've queued up the video to the part about the Wolves.

[billybek]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_fatal_cougar_attacks_in_North_America

Attacks on humans are rare but not unheard of.

Usually small people are targeted by the animals. Animals that attack humans are either sick, old, young or stumble on an opportunity that they cannot resist.

I don't recall ever seeing one in the wild and I know they are there.

[Dantilla]

Common pattern we see a few times a year:

Lots of deer here. They wander right up to the house.
Went out on the deck a while ago to shake the sawdust out of a drop cloth.
When it went over the side, three deer that were under the deck scattered.

We occasionally don't see any deer for a few days, then we notice cat tracks around.
A few more days, and the deer are back.

Mountain lions wander large territories. When our local cat is in the area, the deer flee.
Soon, the cat wanders away.

Doesn't change what we do.

[svandamme]

just rub the belly till they purr

[masraum]

Originally Posted by svandamme

just rub the belly till they purr

right, cougar = mountain lion. Although I think the avg cougar wants more than a belly rub.

[Bugsinrugs]

Plenty of deer in my neck of the woods. They taste better then humans.

[svandamme]

Originally Posted by masraum

right, cougar = mountain lion. Although I think the avg cougar wants more than a belly rub.

ain't no cat alive that don't like a belly rub !
anybody who says otherwise is a liar and a chicken.

[wswartzwel]

Nearly hit one on my motorcycle near Salisaw OK. at 80mph one night. I felt threatened....But so did the big cat.

[Sooner or later]

Originally Posted by peteremsley

we usually have a few attacks a year around here. They seem to like the taste of joggers.

pretty well known story from last year of the runner that turned ones lights out with his bare hands when it attacked him.

Movement "triggers " them into an attack. You become fleeing prey.

[Erakad]

Mountain lions aren't the only predators in the area...we pretty much have them all (I have pictures). With that said, just need to be aware of surroundings, especially in the evening and morning; I avoid letting the grandkids play outside at those times. Within a couple miles or so people have lost dogs (fenced yards and patios) to mountain lions, but animal control tries to deal with those. Fortunately, human attacks have been pretty rare around here.

[GH85Carrera]

Cougar, bears and wolf attacks are rare, but they certainly happen. All of them are great to see from a distance and I like them in the wild, but all are NIMBY animals.

[LWJ]

We have them in less populated areas. A family homestead has a healthy number. I camp there with my dog and don't worry for my safety. The dog? He could get eaten if he is not careful.

However, my cousin lives in rural Washington on a secluded acreage. He had a bunch of kids. I was terrified for his young children playing in his woods. Seemed like they were chumming for them.

In the city? We have them in very few numbers. Not an issue.

OTOH, I did have a coyote charge my dog a couple days ago.

[sammyg2]

I ain't going down in that cravis!

[Evans, Marv]

We have regular sightings in the area. In fact there was one seen across the road walking between houses on an access road three weeks or so ago. We have quite a few turkeys and lots of deer too. When we go on hikes in the local area and mountains, we've seen cat tracks occasionally. I carry a small .22 pistol when we go out, although it's not much more than a noise maker. I started carrying it after a lady was attacked and killed in 1996 by a supposedly starving mountain lion in a local state park where we hike sometimes.

[Cajundaddy]

We have quite a few in the hills around SoCal. I have seen both mountain lions and bobcats in the wild while hiking and they never bothered us. Occasionally they will come down into the neighborhoods looking for easy prey or water in summer.

Some solo joggers and mountain bikers have been attacked but it is rare. One wildlife photographer was shooting at dusk and was killed in a nature preserve.

Our basic precautions: High situational awareness, carry a stick or pole, hike in groups never alone, and keep the largest meanest hiker at the rear. A small child lagging behind the group is attractive to predators.

[tcar]

Originally Posted by peteremsley

we usually have a few attacks a year around here. They seem to like the taste of joggers.

pretty well known story from last year of the runner that turned ones lights out with his bare hands when it attacked him.

Peter, that turned out to be a fairly small cub less than a year old.
That would not have worked with an adult cat.

And, an adult cat probably would not have attacked the jogger.

[flipper35]

I worry about wolves more than any of the cats here and there are a few places I carry a hand spoon just in case I run into either. It has been lots of years since I have been close to a mountain lion, but when we checked out its tracks it was an eye opening experience how large those pads are. Wolves I have seen running fence rows when I have been driving but a local hunter was attacked a year ago by a pack.