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I can't ever comment on these 'kids & animals hurt or killed' threads because I can't watch videos. Yes, my computer plays videos; I just can't bring myself to watch those particular ones.
My eyes & brain have had enough insult from my own life experience that I'm aware of my boundaries & I know better than to disrespect them.
I have come to believe that when cats attack humans it's because they just can't believe they would ever stumble on prey so slow, weak and poorly equipped to defend themselves and can't pass it up.
Well.... mountain lions can certainly dispose of us easily should they choose. What you say may be true in some cases, but mountain lions over the past 150 years have learned to be wary of people. We're the ones with guns after all.
Here's an interesting thing you might not be aware of: the preferred method for hunters to kill mountains is to use a hound dog to chase them up a tree. Mountain lions have learned to become deathly afraid of hunting dogs. A single small hound can tree a lion who could easily do away with that dog if it tried to.
The main thing that triggers attacks by mountain lions is jogging or bicycling because it triggers their instinct to consider something that's "running away" as "prey."
Well.... mountain lions can certainly dispose of us easily should they choose. What you say may be true in some cases, but mountain lions over the past 150 years have learned to be wary of people. We're the ones with guns after all.
The same is true of black bears, which were much more aggressive toward early settlers pushing west. Then, like mountain lions, in a place with a lot of people who had a lot of firearms, the bears made trouble were much less likely to pass on their genes. Natural selection in action.
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Originally Posted by 80skeys
The main thing that triggers attacks by mountain lions is jogging or bicycling because it triggers their instinct to consider something that's "running away" as "prey."
Also, short people - closer to the size of their typical prey. Since I'm tall and I don't run, I worry not at all about mountain lions when I'm on the trail.
I was watching a TV show once with two guys filming a mother grizzly and her cubs across a treeless ravine at least a quarter mile away.At one point the wind must have shifted and that grizzly just took off straight towards the guys. One second her head was down looking for food, the next second she was charging. They barely had time to get their cameras, jump in their car, and get it started before she was on them. Her speed was amazing and she had no problem figuring out who she was going for.
But at the same time, I bet anyone else closer than those guys was going to feel her wrath. Moral of the story, not only be able to outrun your friends, but make sure they're just a little closer than you are. Bears don't care who pays, as long as it's someone. LOL
Wow, that description was both terrifying and awe-inspiring.
Well.... mountain lions can certainly dispose of us easily should they choose. What you say may be true in some cases, but mountain lions over the past 150 years have learned to be wary of people. We're the ones with guns after all.
Here's an interesting thing you might not be aware of: the preferred method for hunters to kill mountains is to use a hound dog to chase them up a tree. Mountain lions have learned to become deathly afraid of hunting dogs. A single small hound can tree a lion who could easily do away with that dog if it tried to.
The main thing that triggers attacks by mountain lions is jogging or bicycling because it triggers their instinct to consider something that's "running away" as "prey."
Yes I'm quite familiar with using dogs to tree mountain lions. I've been on a couple stock killer hunts. There was a picture up a while back with three hounds that had four cats in a Pinion tree. That happened up around Elko.
Cats will turn and fight as well but generally they are pretty shy of people around here. But they do take a toll in livestock especially sheep ranchers. Back in the 80s when CA banned mountain lion hunting they had a rash of attacks happening after a couple years. Didn't take long and they were losing fear of people it seems. Cats attacking people just out of the blue is pretty well unheard of herebouts. I think that NDOW has the last known attack on a human being WAY back.
The same is true of black bears, which were much more aggressive toward early settlers pushing west. Then, like mountain lions, in a place with a lot of people who had a lot of firearms, the bears made trouble were much less likely to pass on their genes. Natural selection in action.
Yeah... the thing about being afraid of hound dogs. In addition to being a learned behavior, maybe there's a component of instinctual association with wolves. I don't know what mountains lions natural reaction is towards wolves.
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Also, short people - closer to the size of their typical prey. Since I'm tall and I don't run, I worry not at all about mountain lions when I'm on the trail.
I carry bear spray, which people have used effectively on mountain lions. I'm probably the only person in the Bay Area who carries bear spray to go hiking in the foothills. Everyone else would likely smirk at it but I think it makes sense considering the encounters that sometimes happen.
Yes I'm quite familiar with using dogs to tree mountain lions. I've been on a couple stock killer hunts. There was a picture up a while back with three hounds that had four cats in a Pinion tree. That happened up around Elko.
Ok, considering your experience (I'm not a hunter, myself), I've got a question for you. Do you think the ability of dogs to tree mountain lions is because lions have learned to associate dogs with armed hunters, or because the lions instinct is to associate dogs with wolves, or some combination of the two? I've been curious about this for many years.
FYI, I was up in your neck of the woods a few months ago, a friend and I traversed central NV and did some camping on public lands out there. Interesting terrain. It's also the only place I've been able to get piñon the past few years (our New Mexico crops have been absent.) In fact I think it was the first time I ever had NV piñon. I found it just as flavorful as NM piñon. My friend knows of some hot springs in the desert in NV you have to hike to to reach, so we're planning on doing that next year.
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Back in the 80s when CA banned mountain lion hunting they had a rash of attacks happening after a couple years. Didn't take long and they were losing fear of people it seems.
The occasional "encounter" happens in my area here. In fact just two weeks ago the place I go hiking posted a sign about an encounter, so I called them up and asked about it. They didn't say much, just that someone came across a mountain lion that was behaving "strangely" or "aggressively."
The parents are the ones who put the kid in the situation, not the crowd.
The crowd including other kids were there. You can’t pick two people out of 55 who are all doing the same thing, and say only they are being charged with something. It’s either illegal for anyone to have their kid within 100 yards of a bison or not at all. What is the exact rule anyway? Is there one, IDK?
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