Mountain Lion Trio Prowls Through Country Neighborhood

Mount lions on Salmon Creek

 

A game camera captured this trio of a mother mountain lion and her two cubs west of Miranda not far from where Salmon Creek Road meets Thomas Road. Multiple domestic cats have been missing in the neighborhood recently. These are big beauties but they will make dinner out of pets so people in the area should be cautious.

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Bozo the Clone
Guest
Bozo the Clone
8 years ago

Yah.. the critters are always looking for lunch. We cleared a fuel break in the woods along our fence on the northern edge of Miranda. Our three cats like to go out there and hunt gophers and lizards ( hooray on the gophers… but I wish they would lay off the birds and reptiles). At high noon a few days ago a large bobcat nonchalantly cruised by grocery shopping. I know that the predators are around, but once you see one RIGHT THERE…it is difficult not to be concerned. Our kitties have their own door and come and go as they please. They would not like a life locked indoors.
Life is full of risk…but we’ll just have to keep on keepin’ on.

sohumbornsghost
Guest
sohumbornsghost
8 years ago

So beautiful! They remind me that we’re just sharing, and I’m okay with that. I’ve had worse neighbors.

nines
Guest
8 years ago

Yeah, probably with youngsters the pets are in more danger. Generally the mountain lions prefer deer and wild pigs, stuff they can chase and pull down, and it’s bobcats and raccoons and coyotes that go after our pets. I just know for sure that if you don’t act like prey there is little chance they will come after you, and, if they are too close for comfort or going for one of your pets, they will stop and run off if you throw something at them… if you bonk ’em on the head with a softball or a roll of tree marking tape or a rock or whatever.

I just know that a black bear will act like you tried to shoot him, be a hundred yards off before you can blink, if you just pipe up and say hello, and a mountain lion will look at you like you’re daft and stroll off. Don’t act like prey. And if they’re coming near your pet-filled yard, raise your voice so they’re sure to know you’re around. That almost unerringly sends them right off in the other direction. Maybe have a basket of tennis balls near the door to use as “ammo” to throw at any big kitties absorbed in hunting your pets or chasing them.

Truly, they’re don’t-want-no-trouble types and seriously gorgeous neighbors.

mr p
Guest
mr p
8 years ago
Reply to  nines

Did you by chance read that stuff in a book? Why dont you ask the lady tring to save her husband who was being attacked in Prairie Creek State Park if bonking then made the cat run off. My point is one will never know how a big cat will act sometimes your method will work and sometimes it wont.

nines
Guest
8 years ago
Reply to  mr p

I lived it. I lived in a little cabin by a pond in the trees and the nearest human neighbors were a mile away. Also my lover was a logging boss and I had a lot of forester friends. So I had firsthand and reliable secondhand information to go on here.

I did not read about Prairie Creek incident you mention, but I will guess that the situation either involved a mother protecting a baby or he decided to run instead of turn and make the cat rethink.

I didn’t say it is foolproof, but I’ve been within ten feet of a mountain lion a few times. I immediately spoke up, cooing to them like they were house cats, before even my fear could get hold of my limbs. I’m NOT kidding. It certainly didn’t entice them to come closer for a good scratch behind the ears, nor did it frighten them. They just walked off.

My ex, who came upon them more often than I did, used to do exactly the same thing to them. They did exactly the same thing in response.

It’s NOT easy to get over the terror of them having bad or no information about them can create, but no, I did NOT read that in a book. Maybe if that poor couple in the park had read about it, though, things would’ve gone a lot differently for them.

In the end, of course, yes, we can’t tell for hunnert percent. It definitely works, but maybe not every time. I never heard of someone who tried it and it didn’t work, and I don’t know AT ALL if it will work once the cat has hold of its prey. I just know it works plenty of the time, and, for myself, I’d rather die from a bad encounter with a mountain lion than live without them.

Deanna Beeler
Guest
Deanna Beeler
8 years ago

That’s dated last year.

Angel
Guest
Angel
8 years ago
Reply to  Deanna Beeler

On April 16, 2014 the moon phase was full. While this photo is incorrectly dated for the year, the moon phase indicated on the bottom of the photo as just past the first quarter is accurate and substantiates that this photo was taken on April 16, 2015.

ekanfromdows
Guest
ekanfromdows
8 years ago

Notice how they are walking in unison. More quiet that way perhaps?….

john
Guest
john
8 years ago

Wow. The conversation on this site is so civilized, literate and relevant to the actual featured story; unlike the other local news blog which has descended into the tabloid realm… I have experienced four mountain lion sightings, (all 4 from the car) and they were awe-inspiring. You might recall Mr. Hamm ‘s incident in Prairie Creek a few years back. He was attacked by a young male lion, and his Bad -Ass wonderful wife fended off the lion with a ballpoint pen, probably saving his life. The lion was later “depredated”; unfortunate for the animal, but prudent for the safety of Park visitors. Mountain lions are beautiful and dangerous, not unlike news blogs. Enjoy this forum while it is still uncorrupted by things that writhe in muck under bridges. Thanks to Kym. Queen of Sensibility.

Lani Burch
Guest
Lani Burch
8 years ago

The best way to ensure the safety of your pets is to keep them from becoming a meal for the mountain lions by keeping them indoors. If you start from day 1 with house cats – screen doors with closers, window screens, etc. your cats AND small dogs will adjust quite well and rapidly.

Every cat we have had (first one 1972) lived to be 17 when she had several strokes and left for the Rainbow Bridge. All but one lived to be older than 10, including a feral cat that adopted us.

I find it interesting that, since we moved here in 1977, the numbers of domestic cats has dropped considerably. I hope it’s not due to mountain lions. If you love your pet, then protect him/her.

HumHappy
Guest
HumHappy
8 years ago

“Nines” has got it right. Humans are the invaders here. These innocent creatures only want to be left alone to raise their own families. Why is that so difficult for people to get?
Keep an eye on your kittys and other small pets folks.

onlooker
Guest
onlooker
8 years ago

I’ve had a couple of encounters with the local lion; once I encountered a very young kitten right at my gate, and we have any number of takedowns of deer within 100 yards of our home, every year. Caution is always advised. We have a good idea where momma dens, and stay away from that part of our property if we’re walking alone. My favorite device is an airhorn, the kind that uses a pressurized air canister…inexpensive…you can get at Allsport, they use them for boating and sports events and so on. We call ours the bear horn, because it has been really a success at scaring the bears off of our deck. A good, unexpected, loud blast of noise will scare most animals. Another tip…lions will hunt at anytime, but are most active at dawn and dusk. We train our cats from young kittenhood to sleep indoors at night, by simply feeding them in the evening. They come in and stay in happily, and avoid the most dangerous hours.