Mountain Lion Sightings.....

[Lawdog]

3 Mt Lion Sightings Reported in Palo Alto this morning in three different locations.  The tracks show that each sighting was a different lion.  One lion was described as a 150 lb. male while the other two were of smaller size.  Because of all the sightings in the Palo Alto area the residents have set up an automated phone system which when activated will warn residents of sightings and a command post has been set up in the area of the second and third sightings were made today.  I wonder what the Mountain Lion population is around Palo Alto area now?  Lawdog
 

[Siskiyou]

An ideal location for more lions.  :-D

[Lawdog]

Siskiyou,

I am just waiting for some elected official’s kid to get killed and eaten. I am going to be first one in line to tell him "I TOLD YOU SO".  I figure it will take something like that go get Congress to put Mountain Lions back on the list of Big Game animals where they belong.  Now if it were an animal rights idiot then I would be sorry for the lion.  Having that bad a case of diarrhea would really be uncomfortable.  The Mountain Lion population in California is way out of control.  Lawdog
 

[gwindrider1]

These critters are proving to be very adaptable it seems.  In my home state of Colorado, I believe that I heard a DOW statistic two years back that said we have around 3500 of them in the state.

We have had some attacks, and deaths over the years.  While I have no personal interest in hunting cats, I have had two encounters in the last three years, and carry protection when I am out and about in those areas.

I would stress to anyone in "Lion country" to not let the kids, or pets out unattended in the evening hours.  Deer seem to be their primary food source, but they are opportunistic predators.  Be aware, and stay cautious!

[Lawdog]

gwindrider1,

I would stress to anyone in "Lion country" to not let the kids, or pets out unattended in the evening hours. Deer seem to be their primary food source, but they are opportunistic predators. Be aware, and stay cautious!

Good advice.  And you’re right about them being “opportunistic predators”.  A close family friend raised three of them that they had removed from their mother after they killed her(she was in the process of killing a ewe).  Didn’t think they would live but they did.  Got to watch them growing up and how they behaved.  Mountain Lions will eat small dogs(puppies seem to be a favorite), house cats or anything else that is easy to catch.  Talk about Mountain Lion population, the last estimate in California is an excess of 16,000.  Not bad considering that when the Mountain Lion Ban was put into effect in 1968 they said there were only 9 left in the whole state.  Talk about going forth and multiplying.  There is a HUGE Tom Mountain Lion that is living around one of my favorite Bass fishing ponds.  This guy is an easy 7+’ long and would weight over 150 lbs..  He also has no fear of man.  I reported him to the local warden but until he does something they won’t do anything.  Lawdog
 

[gwindrider1]

Lawdog,

Yeah, they are big aren't they? :eek:   Before I had a face to face with one of these rascals, I had no idea they were as large as they are.  The cats I saw had 6 ft. of body, and about 6 ft. of tail.  A serious predator.  My rough guess would be a 200 lb. animal.

The other thing that really struck me after my first encounter was the speed these animals can move.  After our initial eye-to-eye, the cat turned and ran across a large portion of my meadow, so I was able to watch it in the open for about 300 yds.  Fast does not describe how quickly that cat covered that distance.

I think that they are unique, and beautiful creatures, but they damn sure make me nervous in a way that being around bears never did.

[Turtle]

gwindrider1,

I'm also in Colorado try to do a fair amount of back coutry via horseback when I can. It's amazing how nervous a good solid horse gets when he gets a scent of a cat.  Can't blame the horse.....lions make me nervous too.
Lions are amazing animals and definately "“opportunistic predators” like you say.  A rancher that we help from time to time lost his cow dog and 9 pups to a lion in the barn which is not 75ft from the house.  They think the lion jumped the gate to get into the barn and the darn lion got all the dogs. Bad deal.

Turtle

[james]

Those stories remind me of a question I read.
SHOULD YOU SHOOT A "PROTECTED" MOUNTAIN LION ATTACKING A PETA MEMBER OR LET NATURE TAKE ITS COURSE?  
james

[aulrich]

"Fish got to swim and a birds got to eat" - finding nemo

Ask the cat if it wants some fresh ground pepper on that, or a refill of water :twisted:

We get the same sort of thing here with grizzly hunts. I get people at the office who know I am a hunter and start a "conversation". The conversation ends when I ask them "if there was a bear chewing on you do I shoot the bear (to protect you)  or you (to end your suffering)".  Funny how that evil act is OK when it is their a$$ getting chewed.

[Siskiyou]

Word is the F&G Department removed (killed) two lions in the Yreka area.  And there are already sightings of another lion in town.  

East of Sacramento in the Sierra Foothills last week two mountain lions were observed walking down a street just North East of Folsom Lake.   A home owner observed a large lion with a smaller lion.  Suspect it was mom with last years cub.  Down the road just a few miles a number of Sacramento Kings stars have "very" large homes.  It would be interesting to read the sports page if one of the kitty's got a bit on a "Star."  But then again the African Lion is their mascot!

[1911crazy]

I seen one in Vermont with my wife and son and were they say there not there and they say the same thing in Ct. too where mu wife and son have seen them too.  These people who say they don't exsist are in denile for sure.  The mountainlion i seen in Vermont was a big one it had to be 180 to 200lbs. what an awesome animal.                                                                 BigBill

[while99]

I've lived in the Rocky Mountain region for 16 years and hunted in the Rockies for over 20 years.  I've seen cat tracks in the mountains but never a cat.  The only mountain lion I've ever seen was on a pheasant hunt in Nebraska.  When I mentioned it at the local co-op, the ranchers indicated that seeing mountain lions, especially around calving time, was not un-heard of, but not common either.

[Lawdog]

In the last two weeks there was been 11 Mountain Lions killed by law enforcement or Department of Fish & Game personnel here in California.  Five were killed for killing farm animals and the rest for threatening behavior toward humans.  If they don’t watch out they are going to kill every Mountain Lion in California, according to the Mountain Lion Preservation Society and P.E.T.A.(the Mountain Lion Preservation Society is the one responsiable for getting the ban on Mountain Lion hunting here in California).  Lawdog
 

[Siskiyou]

The following information was taken from the Feb. 20, 2005 Sacramento Bee.  The Sac Bee is a liberal tree hugging, anti-gun newspaper which serves N. California.

From the Bee article:"Killing of bears a cabin called 'clear-cut' and legal."  "A sow and her two entered a Lake Tahoe cabin and caused an estimated $100,000 in damage.

My opinion:  The Bee published a tear jerker story about a property owner last week who had two guys kill a sow and two cubs living in his cabin at Lake Tahoe.  The property owner had obtained a depredation permit for one bear.  It was an article designed to get a lynch mob together after the homeowner(victim) and the two men he hired to kill the bear(s).  The article quoted a lady who talks to bears numerous times.  

Opinion:  They did not realize that there were three bears in the house.


"In 2004, 231 mountain lions permits were taken out and 115 lions were killed,  and there were 168 bear permits issued and 66 bears killed, figures that are expected to change as more killings are reported, Bernard said."

Does anybody know what the "non-game animal" Mt. Lion is costing the Fish and Game budget?  Now the Mt. Lion Foundation is a free cheese outfit that is not paying the bills their legislation burdens the F&G with.  So hunting license fees are paying the bill.  The bear problem is caused my many of the same hair balls that are in the Mt. Lion Foundation.  The rapidly expanding bear populations are causing more problems.  They are more threatening in the Lake Tahoe basin because hunting is not allowed there.

 :shock: Did the bears eat the oatmeal?

[GANDER]

Here on the northern front range we are COVERED up with lion. The problem being is that most of the area is small private. The other areas that are public THE USFS decided to lock up all the backwoods trails to keep the "jeepsters" of which makes it very hard to hutn them here. Along with that we have a BOOMING deer population because of the same reasons above and being this close to boulder. They are a TRUE killer, I met up with a lady today as I was riding up above my truck had to cross between two private pieces and met a lady in a jeep. She stopped me and asked DID YOU NOT SEE THE SIGN?? "I said No ma'am... What sign" Oh the one that says this areas CLOSED to OHV's "I said sorry but  I didn't I ain't up here to tear anything up just putt'n around" she said whatcha hunting? "I said... Lion" She said come up to my house to I followed her up there and she showed me where the cat had killed her 100 lb. goat on Thursday and drug it over a 6 foot fence. She showed me some track from the day it happened and the paw print was as big as my hand. I gave her a card and asked for her to call me when she has another problem or see's some tracks. She said she would be happy to do that and also said it would be fine for me to come to her house and unload the ATV so that nobody would give me static about having the ATV up there. She turned out to be a real nice lady after our first "semi" heated confrontation.
 The problems these cats cause the DOW are out of this world but the problem is the DOW, the USFS, and the landowners don't care about getting them managed until they cause a problem. Which in my eyes is TOO late.

[onecoyote]

No disrespect intended, but where are you guys getting your numbers from?  A 200 lb Mt Lion would be huge.

What kind of cat is this one? A 6' body and 6' tail? Thats a 12' cat, What the hell did you see, a Sabor Toothed Tiger?

Mountain Lion Identification: Head and body 42-54," Tail 30-36." Weight 80 to 190 lbs.(Field Guide To The Mammals. Burt and Grossenheider)

The Mt lion ban in California was not in effect in 1968, it was 1971 and it was called a moratorium. At the time, they estimated the lion population  to be around 250 (we all know that was BS).

The best estimates in California that I've seen were in the 5,000 to 7,000 range and that's alot of lions for the size of California. When you consider a male lion takes up on an average of about 50 square miles and a female 20 square miles.

My experience with lions has been 42 years of predator hunting and having called in eight that I know of. I've followed the lion story in California from the start. Tried to fight it and educate the people of California about Mt lions but it sure didn't help.

What good have  lions done to California? We had the 2nd larget deer hurd in the U.S. at one time, now we don't. Lions have caused problems with the California Bighorn sheep. Lions have caused problems with people even to the point of death and the beat goes on..........SSS..........Seems to be the only answer at this point.

[gwindrider1]

onecoyote,

Around here, they seem to eat well, and grow large.  The size shocked me as well!

[onecoyote]

Gwindrider1 I believe you, but that's not a normal lion that's for sure. Did the person that killed it take it to B&C. They measure the skull, weight don't count.  A cat that large would probably make the book.

I have a relative that shot a big cat on his rance that had killed a calf and came back to eat on it. Dave shot it in the eye with a 22, I told him he was nuts lol, but it killed the big cat just the same.
That one went 180 lbs, biggest one he or I had ever seen. That took place in sw New Mexico.
There are some large longtails out there, they are not very common.

[Siskiyou]

I was just talking to a friend and he was watching CNN and they were showing a Mt. Lion in a tree in Altadena, CA.  Only better place would be San Francisco.