CritterPainter
Knows Their Stuff
Joined: 27 Aug 2006
Location: Washington State
Posts: 1212
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| Posted: Sun Jul 06, 2008 2:55 am Post subject: Cougar |
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Whyohwhy can I never find my camera when I need it? I was having dinner with my family just now, when I noticed an unfamiliar animal just outside my perimeter fence. I sent DH running for the binoculars, and sure enough, it was a young cougar! So naturally (and please understand, this is the DUMBEST thing to do in this case) I took off barefoot to get a better look. DH came after me, having paused to (wisely) put on shoes. We stood watching the cougar for awhile, trading off binoculars, when the cougar decided to start watching us. Slightly creepy feeling. " do they look tasty enough to bother jumping this fence?" Guess we didn't look that tasty, it turned and ran toward the neighbors house. I jumped the fence once it was out of sight, and went to let the neighbor know. DH got the car and drove around to the next road over, directly where the cougar was headed. We don't know those folks, only that they have a couple of little kids. Not to worry. As DH discovered, they also have quite alot of guns in the house, and kinda seemed excited at the prospect of challenging a cougar.
Anyhow, all told, a very, very cool experience!
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Mary
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kuntrygal
Texas Rose
Joined: 02 Sep 2007
Location: Lufkin, TX Zone 8
Posts: 1358
PlantStew: 51 |
| Posted: Sun Jul 06, 2008 3:03 am Post subject: |
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Mary, what an exciting, heart pounding moment.Do you live close to a zoo, wild life preserve, etc.? Wonder where it could have come from.Too bad you didn't have your camera!
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Gaylyn ~ 2277 
A house is not a home without a dog
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CritterPainter
Knows Their Stuff
Joined: 27 Aug 2006
Location: Washington State
Posts: 1212
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| Posted: Sun Jul 06, 2008 3:10 am Post subject: |
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O, I live right next to the Mima preserve, which is a bit of unique prairie that runs right up to the Black Hills, which is mostly all publicly owned forest land. Plenty of room for the animals, but in all the years I've lived here, I've only really seen a black bear, a porcupine, several coyotes, scads of deer, and on down smaller.
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Mary
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Droopy
Slug Slaughterer
Joined: 11 Aug 2007
Location: Western Norway (Map)
Posts: 4061
PlantStew: 5386 |
| Posted: Sun Jul 06, 2008 8:07 am Post subject: |
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Sounds terrifying, they're big! But lovely. I'd probably have done the same thing you did, CP, I'd have been so excited.
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The time you enjoy wasting is not wasted time.
-Bertrand Russell
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PepperDude
On The Way Up
Joined: 28 Jun 2008
Location: Tishomingo, MS. zone 8 (Map)
Posts: 216
PlantStew: 152 |
| Posted: Sun Jul 06, 2008 8:23 am Post subject: |
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Me i'm the worry wart who would wonder why its so close to the houses and call someone to let them know. Than i would get the camera just to get proof of it so they wouldn't think i was crazy.
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Richard
Free Weeds
U Pick 'Em
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eileen
Moderator & Resident Taxonomist
 Moderator
Joined: 07 Feb 2005
Location: Scotland (Map)
Posts: 10888
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| Posted: Sun Jul 06, 2008 10:17 am Post subject: |
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I'd have done exactly the same as you did Mary except that I'd have grabbed every camera, telescope and pair of binnoculars that I could find. Probably would have got thorns in my feet and rushed through thistles and brambles without a care just to get a better look!! 
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Netty
Chaotic Gardener
Joined: 04 Nov 2006
Location: Southern Ontario zone 5
Posts: 4300
PlantStew: 4114 |
| Posted: Sun Jul 06, 2008 5:21 pm Post subject: |
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We have Cougar around here but I have yet to see one. The farmer across the street has seen it and so has the farmer behind him. I admit the thought of a Cougar is a little scary, but I would love to see one.
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Wrennie
Showing Great Promise
Joined: 21 Nov 2007
Location: Catskill Mountains NY
Posts: 600
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| Posted: Sun Jul 06, 2008 6:24 pm Post subject: |
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Wow, what an experience! I want to see one too!!
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CritterPainter
Knows Their Stuff
Joined: 27 Aug 2006
Location: Washington State
Posts: 1212
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| Posted: Sun Jul 06, 2008 9:52 pm Post subject: |
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actually I did get my feet pretty scratched up, especially climbing the fence! Ugh, I know, I really hate that I missed the photo op, but an old-timer friend of ours, who has spent MANY years hiking the backwoods, was pretty jealous as it was. He's never seen one either. I was on many search-and-rescue missions during my teenage years and never saw much of anything, I guess because we had to call out every 15 minutes or so in case the person was nearby.But my dad was a heavy-equipment mechanic who spent alot of time in the woods, he brought us home pictures of bears that he saw out there. Have I ever mentioned that I love this part of the country, lol! O I should add wild beaver to my list of larger critters spotted. Hmph, it's been too long since I've been on a good, way-out hiking trip...
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Mary
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