Idaho News (Boise, Blackfoot, Hayden: horses, retired, bike)

[mistyriver]

Fish and Game halts wolf hunt in Idaho wilderness | Outdoors | Idahostatesman.com

[banjomike]

That's no surprise, Misty.
The wolves in the Salmon area have smartened up due to the hunting pressure. The Salmon Wolf Derby created a lot of high emotion but no wolves. Only 14 coyotes were killed.
The winter has been open so far, making it easier for the wolves to move around in a time of year when they usually stay put. That's making them harder to hunt, and more scattered, so even a pro hunter is bound to have a harder time of it. Fish & Game's budget isn't large enough to support a failed effort for very long.

[Syringaloid]

Dogs expected to recover after mountain lion attack | KTVB.COM Boise

[banjomike]

A buddy of mine in Missoula said his dog woke him up twice in one night a couple of years ago.
The first time, there was a deer in his back yard. The dog wanted to go out to chase it. About an hour later, the dog woke him up again, but was growling and afraid the second time.
My friend grabbed a flashlight and shined it through a sliding glass door. He saw cat's eyes reflecting back at him. The next morning the tracks were either a very big bobcat or a mountain lion.

He lives right in the middle of town, only a few blocks away from a main drag.

[Syringaloid]

For those who don't know, Garden City is a little sliver of town along the Boise River and completely surrounded by the city of Boise.

Mountain lion killed in Garden City | Boise, Garden City, Mountain Home | Idahostatesman.com


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[mistyriver]

We had one prowling the backyards of my suburban neighborhood in AZ. Cougars are the thing that give me the biggest heeby jeebies around here.

[oldafretired]

Are cougars that common up there? How about black bears in NID?

[mistyriver]

Originally Posted by oldafretired

Are cougars that common up there? How about black bears in NID?

Cougars and black bears are both very common though you don't often see cougars. Very elusive critters. I've seen one but have also seen the tracks right near our cabin when we first moved here.

[oldafretired]

Originally Posted by mistyriver

Cougars and black bears are both very common though you don't often see cougars. Very elusive critters. I've seen one but have also seen the tracks right near our cabin when we first moved here.

Thanks. Don't really want to run into either one when jogging or riding my bike after moving up there. This is probably a dumb question but are moose aggressive? I know deer always run away but moose are pretty large and it sure wouldn't be fun with a huge moose mad at you.

[mistyriver]

Originally Posted by oldafretired

Thanks. Don't really want to run into either one when jogging or riding my bike after moving up there. This is probably a dumb question but are moose aggressive? I know deer always run away but moose are pretty large and it sure wouldn't be fun with a huge moose mad at you.

They can be, mostly during the rut in early autumn. Our nearest neighbor used to walk to get his mail with a .44 strapped to his hip because he'd been charged by a big bull when he walked up his driveway one year. He made it home without being stomped but I guess it gave him a good scare.

I have heard rangers say that they consider moose to be one of the most dangerous animals out there during the rut.