California is Scary

[georged]

Not just earthquakes 'n' fires 'n' Charles Manson followers, neither.

You got them giant yellow kitties out huntin' yer ass whenever you go joggin' or walkin':

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[Sobrbiker]

Good thing they made hunting mountain lions a crime years ago….

 

[danimalia]

Mountain Lions are badass, and unfortunately, they are notorious for finding themselves in urban and suburban areas where they can pose a danger. Sadly, I think they are responsible for a few fatal attacks each year, though of course human beings and domestic dogs tend to be the most dangerous animals any American state, including California.

When I went to the La Brea Tar Pits a few years ago, and visited the museum, I was surprised to learn of all kinds of animals that used to exist in what is now California and the Western USA. American Lions, larger than their extant African counterparts, Dire Wolves, Elephants (including pygmy mammoths on Catalina Island), Camels, all kinds of cool fauna. I highly recommend it. The tar pits themselves are free, the museum costs a few bucks, there's a nice little park, and it's in a nice area of Los Angeles.

 

[Chasing Embers]

Got them in Kentucky as well. Animal control was once called to the factory I retired from to remove a mother and cubs roaming the parking lot.

 

[georged]

Got them in Kentucky as well. Animal control was once called to the factory I retired from to remove a mother and cubs roaming the parking lot.

Bobcats, yes. Mountain lions (unless escaped from a zoo) no:

Mountain Lions

fw.ky.gov

 

[Tbaggins]

Good thing they made hunting mountain lions a crime years ago….

Makes sense right? Better to pay the government to cull the overpopulation instead of having sportsmen fund conservation through hunting.

 

[BingBong]

There are scarier prospects than Mountain Lions in California. Another "doomsday fish" was found washed up on the beach, a harbinger of earthquakes in ancient lore, apparently. It must be causing a concern, San Andreas and all.

 

[Sobrbiker]

There are scarier prospects than Mountain Lions in California.

You’ve obviously never had a cougar “shadow” you whilst walking through the desert.
I’ve hiked in to check a trail camera, with the sensation of being stalked, only to hike out and find mature cat tracks atop my inbound tracks in places. Very unsettling….
Rattlesnakes don’t even come close to inspiring the level of concern a big kitty does.

 

[Pipke]

Makes sense right? Better to pay the government to cull the overpopulation instead of having sportsmen fund conservation through hunting.

Better to give more money to the government?

 

[cosmicfolklore]

We have mountain lions too. 20 miles from my house, Mt biker at a state park had his scalp removed by one. and several years ago, I saw one laid out in the back of a couple of hunter's truck bed.

I've seen several black panthers in our area as well. I was talking to the ranger working in our Wildlife Area about these. I had asked if it was ok to shoot these, and he told me absolutely... just keep my mouth shut though. If they ever become official residents, they would be protected. So, we just kill them.

Also, a guy moved into the shop across the road from us, starting a short lived taxidermy business, did three big cats before closing shop.

They are more prevalent across the US than you'd think.

 

[HeavyLeadBelly]

We are starting to see a rise in cougars here in Wisconsin which is both neat and unsettling as a cyclist and hiker. I’m more worried about other humans but am usually on the lookout for rattlesnakes, black bears, wolves and coyotes when I’m out and about. Cougars are another issue (though when I was a young fer man I quite enjoyed running into them at a bar late at night )

But when I lived in Washington I was even more concerned about cougars as I found myself hiking in very dense forests which meant I knew they could see me, but I couldn’t see them.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

coyotes

I have yet to figure out why coyotes scare adults. I understand fearing for your toddlers and small pets. But, I have coyotes running through my yard several times a day. Several times I have been out jogging in the evening and had them join me in my run. Of course, now that I have a big ass Anatolian Shepherd, I worry more about having to dispose of coyote corpses.
But, I am not the least bit scared of walking up on a coyote.

We are also getting a lot more bears down here. They tend to like wandering through our small towns, tearing up garbage cans, or getting into people's cars. We've never had bears in central Alabama, for as long as I remember. Now, we get more and more reports of them every year.

 

[HeavyLeadBelly]

I have yet to figure out why coyotes scare adults. I understand fearing for your toddlers and small pets. But, I have coyotes running through my yard several times a day. Several times I have been out jogging in the evening and had them join me in my run. Of course, now that I have a big ass Anatolian Shepherd, I worry more about having to dispose of coyote corpses.
But, I am not the least bit scared of walking up on a coyote.

We are also getting a lot more bears down here. They tend to like wandering through our small towns, tearing up garbage cans, or getting into people's cars. We've never had bears in central Alabama, for as long as I remember. Now, we get more and more reports of them every year.

I never said I was scared of them, only worried, and I followed up later in my post that humans are more concerning to me than the animals I mentioned. I’ve come across coyotes and black bears on trips through the woods and knowing how to deal with them meant I was obviously fine.

But to go out into the woods without concerns is naïve and what gets people into trouble.

Edit: if we’re going to get into semantics the respect of nature, both flora and fauna, is what I’m getting when going out into the wild.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

I never said I was scared of them, only worried, and I followed up later in my post that humans are more concerning to me than the animals I mentioned. I’ve come across coyotes and black bears on trips through the woods and knowing how to deal with them meant I was obviously fine.

But to go out into the woods without concerns is naïve and what gets people into trouble.

Yeh, less directed "at" you, but you did mention it. But, in our area where we live, people seem to live in an unreasonable fear of the coyotes.

 

[HeavyLeadBelly]

Yeh, less directed "at" you, but you did mention it. But, in our area where we live, people seem to live in an unreasonable fear of the coyotes.

Fair. People shouldn’t be scared of them as for the most part they don’t want anything to do with us. Both of my “up close” encounters with them on the trail they were about 25-50 yards away and after taking a quick look at me they dashed off into the woods and left me alone.

It’s good to carry a can of bear spray tho

 

[Sobrbiker]

Here in the greater Phx AZ area, coyotes are thick in the areas off limits to hunting. They’re smart and adaptable, and will even hunt pets in male/female teams-the female will usually engage a domestic dog in play, and lure them to where the male is at, then engage in the kill together.
Where they have hunting pressure they’re pretty educated. Most guys new to the predator game (and there are many) will complain of getting responses to their calls, but the coyotes will never come in view-that’s when I let them know they were most likely calling back and forth to another hunter
If wolves were as adaptable as coyotes they’d rule North America.

But I digress….

I always make sure I’ve got a current Mountain Lion tag with me when I’m out in the field-it’s the best defense against running into one that I know of!!

 

[sablebrush52]

Mountain Lions are badass, and unfortunately, they are notorious for finding themselves in urban and suburban areas where they can pose a danger. Sadly, I think they are responsible for a few fatal attacks each year, though of course human beings and domestic dogs tend to be the most dangerous animals any American state, including California.

When I went to the La Brea Tar Pits a few years ago, and visited the museum, I was surprised to learn of all kinds of animals that used to exist in what is now California and the Western USA. American Lions, larger than their extant African counterparts, Dire Wolves, Elephants (including pygmy mammoths on Catalina Island), Camels, all kinds of cool fauna. I highly recommend it. The tar pits themselves are free, the museum costs a few bucks, there's a nice little park, and it's in a nice area of Los Angeles.

Always loved the La Brea tar pits have been a favorite since I was a kid. George hunted sabertooth cats when he was a kid.

 

[shanez]

You people think you have it bad with cougars? You should see Vegas. Martini bars are a very dangerous place to go.

 

[mawnansmiff]

No mountain lions here in Cornwall though we do have the occasional hedgehog and they can give you a nasty prick if you can't run away fast enough

Jay.

 

[sablebrush52]

Speaking of coyotes, when I used to do my evening walks I occasionally encountered the lone Coyote of two and they would usually skedaddle when they saw me. But a pack of them? They ain't gonna be all cuddly and shit.