Hounding After Hours

[soapdish]

*is terribly afraid of cougars*

We get them here in our suburbs. One was hit on the freeway last summer.

 

[Debbie]

Well, yes, it was.



And I'm pretty sure I knew what number it was, too.

That's bc you live next door, duh.

 

[slcboston]

*is terribly afraid of cougars*

We get them here in our suburbs. One was hit on the freeway last summer.

That could not have been good for the car. Or the cougar.

 

[slcboston]

That's bc you live next door, duh.

I do?



Does this mean I can stop by and borrow a cup of sugar?

 

[soapdish]

That could not have been good for the car. Or the cougar.

No, the cougar didn't make it. I'm not sure about the car.

We have a zoo devoted to them here where you can do what's called a "close encounter" in a glass tunnel. They say it's totally "safe". But... I can't even drive within a one mile radius of the entrance without having a mini-panic attack. I don't think you'll ever get me in a glass tunnel with one.

 

[slcboston]

We have a zoo devoted to them here where you can do what's called a "close encounter" in a glass tunnel. They say it's totally "safe".

This would be incredibly cool. Like those shark tunnels at the aquarium. Or the polar bear tunnel at the Pittsburgh Zoo. (Even if the polar bear is rarely in the water.)

I doubt the cougar is going to break through the safety plexiglass, Soapy. They aren't saber-toothed tigers or anything.

 

[CDaniel]

*is terribly afraid of cougars*

We get them here in our suburbs. One was hit on the freeway last summer.

Now, now soap. The only time to be afraid of a mountain lion is when they're sitting on the roof of your front porch waiting for you to come out.

 

[soapdish]

They aren't saber-toothed tigers or anything.

Even still.

I'll stick to the deer encounter. They say you can watch them frolic. Which sounds a bit tamer to me.


It is cool, in theory. Just not for me.

There's an encounter for birds, tigers, lemurs and a few others too.

 

[soapdish]

Now, now soap. The only time to be afraid of a mountain lion is when they're sitting on the roof of your front porch waiting for you to come out.

 

[Debbie]

Are cougars common that people run into (heeheepun) them this often?

I do?



Does this mean I can stop by and borrow a cup of sugar?

Sure.

It's raining out.


HEY how'd your dad catch up w/a moose?!Yikes! i just fell out of town. =(

 

[CDaniel]

Even still.

I'll stick to the deer encounter. They say you can watch them frolic. Which sounds a bit tamer to me.

Deer should be avoided as much as a cougar, just for the record, especially when the bucks are in heat. I've seen the kick a dog to death once.

 

[slcboston]

Sure.

It's raining out.

This might make things tricky.

HEY how'd your dad catch up w/a moose?!Yikes! i just fell out of town. =(

We were hiking up in Canada, when a moose crossed the trail in front of us. It wasn't all that close, but close enough, and it wandered off down the trail.

Dad wanted a picture, so he thought he'd follow it.

Well, down the trail a ways there was a big boulder blocking the view around the corner. Dad comes around the bend in the trail, and there's the moose. It snorted at him and took off the other way.

Which was lucky, because it could have just as easily seriously hurt him.

He did get his picture, though.


Of his thumb. One of the few times he's ever done that.

 

[slcboston]

Deer should be avoided as much as a cougar, just for the record, especially when the bucks are in heat. I've seen the kick a dog to death once.

Agreed.

Deer tend to form mobs. Vicious, pushy, nasty mobs.

 

[soapdish]

...the poor dog.

 

[CDaniel]

Agreed.

Deer tend to form mobs. Vicious, pushy, nasty mobs.

Being a sheep, you of everyone here should be more afraid of the cougar. Seeing how you are its favorite meal.

 

[slcboston]

Being a sheep, you of everyone here should be more afraid of the cougar. Seeing how you are its favorite meal.

Eh, as a sheep you learn to live with everyone wanting to eat you.

 

[LaurieD]

Lions and tigers and mooses oh my

 

[slcboston]

Lions and tigers and mooses oh my

And deer.


And sheep.

Don't forget the sheep.




Though this sheep has a meeting to attend. There should be a law against having meetings on vacation. Grrr.

Later Hounds

 

[Debbie]

And deer.


And sheep.

Don't forget the sheep.




Though this sheep has a meeting to attend. There should be a law against having meetings on vacation. Grrr.

Later Hounds

Aww, like we would forget the sheep, silly rabbit.

Internet is scketchy w/this weather so i'm gonna go.

Later gators

 

[CDaniel]

Eh, as a sheep you learn to live with everyone wanting to eat you.

Lions and tigers and mooses oh my

And deer.


And sheep.

Don't forget the sheep.

 

[Shadowflame]

Um, and what all had you been doing before you saw this cougar?

Allie, in broad daylight, in the middle of the suburbs of Philadelphia, on top of a car no less, there is no way you saw a live, wild cougar. Just none. Maybe it was someone's stuffed trophy or something (Penn State's mascot is the Nittany Lion, after all, and the real version of that mascot is essentially a cougar.) Heck, maybe it was some idiot's pet.

Cougars aren't small, either, Allie. I don't know if you've ever seen one in the flesh, but they are decidedly big cats.

But honestly, more likely? You mistook something else for it.

You'd be surprised how often people are 100% sure they've seen something, only to be wrong. Just ask anyone who has ever had to interview eye witnesses. In just a short glimpse, the brain fills things in.

Sorry.

Not always

Now I live in rural Missouri, close to some rivers, lots of forest and farmland here, so that means lots of wildlife.
We have the usual squirrels, rabbits, wild turkey, coyotes, deer and some odds and ends.

Including bobcats, bear and cougars.

The bobcat I can for sure verify, as my uncle was deer hunting and one came after him. he shot it. Has the pelt. (He blew its head off so couldn't have it stuffed)

There's a small group of black bear outside of town. It has been verified by the Conservation department. So long as they are not a nuisance or endanger anyone they can stay.

Cougars, yes we have them around the rivers. Nothing, and I mean NOTHING sounds like a cougar scream. That is one noise that will raise the hair on the back of your neck faster than anything I know.

Lastly, this came from my parents who know the local wildlife quite well. The believe they have either a melanic cougar (means an animal who has a much darker than normal coloration) or a panther.

They live out in the middle of nowhere, seriously there have been a flock of wild turkeys in their yard in the morning. They were going to town for some reason and when they topped one of the hills, there was a very large black animal at the bottom in the ditch. Dad slowed thinking it was a dog. they got halfway down, before dad realized that it wasn't a dog. Sleek fur, very mobile tail (dogs characteristically have a stiff tail, while cats are much more flexible), short muzzle, rounded ears. before they got much closer, the animal ran across the road and down a dry creekbed.
They stopped to see if there were any tracks, and took a photo with mom's cell phone. This track was clearly a cat, and it was HUGE.

 

[LaurieD]

Wow. When we were house hunting here in NE OK about 13 years ago we looked at 30 acres, split down the middle by a large creek. We didn't look at more than the driveway - where there were cat prints as big as my palm.

 

[FOTSGreg]

Debbie, Ted's brain, now jellied or at least jellifying, is currently cooling in the bar's fridge (ie extraordinarily large walk-in freezer).

We'll be having brain jelly shots later this evening.

 

[LaurieD]

*sprinkles bacon on chilling brain shots*

 

[FOTSGreg]

The only time to be afraid of a mountain lion is when they're sitting on the roof of your front porch waiting for you to come out.

I thought that was only for giant jumping spiders?