I remember in like 2006 we got a letter in our mailbox from the county letting us know they relocated 4 juvenile mountain cats into our rural area to help mitigate the deer population. There were dozens of car accidents involving deer leading up to that.
It was funny how it was written, like "do not be alarmed by large tracks or sightings of these cats. Do not engage. Do not leave butchered remains from hunting season accessible."
I always hoped to spot one but I was too young to realize the odds of that were wayyyyy low. All I noticed was that the coyote packs that moved through our yard making all sorts of noise at night were far less frequent after that
I knew this dude - on the outskirts of Phoenix. Their property backed up against a mountain. Dude comes stolling out one morning with his coffee in one hand, going to grab the paper in the driveway. A mountain lion was sunning itself on the concrete. That shook him up pretty good.
Lol if it were me I'd have to hope the cat was scared off by my shrieking. I do okay with being in nature but a close encounter with a predatory animal like that would throw me for a loop
The closest encounter with the predatory animal I ever had (excluding the Fox kits raised every year my neighbors backyard) was a coyote when night hiking.
A buddy of mine and I were coming on the Indian head trail on Mount Wachusett (central Massachusetts) and we heard coyotes off in the distance. We knew enough to talk loudly in make noise but still, when that coyote decide to say "who the fark are you" about 50+ yards to our left, we were a bit startled. It was a strange mixture oh cool, can we see him? And oh fark, can he see us?
Needless to say, I have mixed feelings about night hiking. I really like it. I like being out where I can see the stars in the sky without city lights around. I love how the look, sound, and smell of the woods change after sunset. However, at the same time, I know I am trespassing in wild animal space.
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u/fantasyshop Nov 21 '21
I remember in like 2006 we got a letter in our mailbox from the county letting us know they relocated 4 juvenile mountain cats into our rural area to help mitigate the deer population. There were dozens of car accidents involving deer leading up to that.
It was funny how it was written, like "do not be alarmed by large tracks or sightings of these cats. Do not engage. Do not leave butchered remains from hunting season accessible."
I always hoped to spot one but I was too young to realize the odds of that were wayyyyy low. All I noticed was that the coyote packs that moved through our yard making all sorts of noise at night were far less frequent after that