1/20/2012
4:38 pm, 10*
I've been meaning to get out, back to the place I visited last week. But the cold (highs of 12* or so during the days) and new snowfall (14" or more) has kept me staying in, and walking Tikanni on the plowed driveway, which is 1 1/2 miles long.
I've also been a bit hesitant to go out back right now. I've heard from a friend that not far from here, across the Game Range that I have chosen to write about, another friend had an uncommon and startling encounter with a cougar. Recently.
I won't go into all the details, but she was walking up her driveway with her dog, when the dog alerted her that something was nearby. My friend didn't think much of it, and went looking into the dense and gnarled limbs of an ancient apple tree. A cougar jumped at her, "hissing, snarling, paws swinging in my face." Luckily she had her trekking poles with her, and used them to defend herself. By swirling them at the cougar's face. She was able to back up slowly, and as the cougar crouched down to leap, she remembered to make herself look big. (She's 4'1l"!) After waving the poles over her head and yelling, the cougar slunk away. She yelled at her dog to "sic" the cougar, and with enough barking and noise, the cougar disappeared. Yikes!
Of course, we all know that cougars are around. I have seen several at night in my headlights as they leapt across a road. I have caught glimpses of their tawny haunches and very long tail. This is the first encounter I have heard of that was so aggressive. We are speculating that the cougar had a deer kill buried beneath that tree, and was defending it.
So, I will go out to my place again, soon. I will take care to watch Tikaani for any signs of alarm. She'll know well before I do if there is a cougar, or anything else nearby. I will go in the daylight and stay out in the open. I will look carefully at the palette of new snow for any sign of pawprints, tufts of fur, sign of deer kill. I will watch for scavengers: ravens, eagles, and magpies.
I'll let you know how it goes.
Good grief! How scary! I don't blame you for being hesitant to go outside right about now, I would be too. I like how you included the signs to watch for when you do go out. I wouldn't have thought to look for birds to see if anything was killed. It reminds me of Little House on the Prairie. :)
ReplyDeleteFunny, cougars are one of those animals that I could remain unafraid of in Sequoia, because I'd never seen one (save once driving up the hill at night) and because no one I knew had ever had a direct encounter. But something like this might make me feel differently. Please take care, cougars AND weather. A few years ago, one poor student happened to be in North Dakota and I would not let her attempt a place entry for about a month, because it was so dangerous!
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