Mountain Lions in Salinas

Mountain lion meat is delicious.  Take the backstraps and cut them into medalions, season like any other game, grill, and serve rare.  It's the other white meat.  Taste like chicken only different

Cool photos, Pat.   

Those cats do look healthy - better shoot 'em!   

I'm with Andrew here - tree-hugger type thoughts coming out of me.  These cats are magnificent, and, while it's unfortunate that some have had their dog hauled off and eaten by them, I think it's pretty sad that people would want to kill something that 99% of people never even see.  Oh well...

I've never seen a live one.  Did come across a pretty good size mountain lion carcass high on a hill trail to the south of King's Peak back in '93 - it was right along the (remote) trail, so maybe it got gunned down for being such a threat to some macho type...  After I saw the bear in the redwoods last year and it followed me I've thought alot more about the cats that are probably out there watching me.  I got a big can of bear-sized mace spray after that, but I'd really be upset to have to use it on a critter that I came across in its own territory.  Emergencies only, and I plan trips with kids much more carefully and with the bears and cats in mind.

I love posts like this - helps everyone figure out who they do and don't want to yakfish with, eh...   

I've been searching for these mt lion pics that this same guy sent me 2 years ago. They were hi-res pics of a VERY healthy cat in a tree behind his house in broad daylight.
It was early morning and he heard his dog barking like crazy, went outside and saw his dog had the cat cornered up the tree! This was a 100lb yellow lab vs a 250lb mt lion and the friggin thing climbed up a tree in retreat. He lives in a somewhat remote area. But definitely not backwoods. I am trying to get the pics to post here--it was pretty sweet.

Bear Mace?  that sounds like a good idea if it works, probably legal too..
another thing we have going for us in Santa Cruz is that these cats are NOT starving.  there are so many deer here, theyhave to be well-fed.

Still, hiking down to the river in the darkness is downright spooky!

Allen

Bear Mace?  that sounds like a good idea if it works, probably legal too..

downright spooky!

Allen

Bought it at a local outdoor store here, so I assume it is.  Again, I'd only use it in a case of defense of my well-being as a last resort.  Raising my arms and yelling in the meanest mofo voice I could seemed to work pretty well to stop the bear in his tracks...

Spooky is good - the "wild" would suck without spooky.   

Abking- I hear you.  That little extra bit of excitement means adventure.

The flutter in my stomach when I paddle out pre-dawn at Bean or Davenport....

Once I got to the river last week, I felt beter, figuring I could jump in the stream if I had to, unless cougars are like tigers, go right in the water?  Anyone know about this?

Allen

 

I think you'd look more vulnerable (and tasty  ) in the water, Al.  Just flash some of those Wick-ed skateboarder tats to scare the land kittens away.   

whoa. i stared at that pic for a few seconds and could not make it out!  weirdest thing.  You know what I mean?  weird.  But it finally registered in my brain that it was a cat swimming

whoa. i stared at that pic for a few seconds and could not make it out!  weirdest thing.  You know what I mean?  weird.  But it finally registered in my brain that it was a cat swimming

That's a SEA KITTEN.

Time for a trip to the eye doc, yakuza? 

You can hunt them in other western states (including all of CA's neighbors), the only difference is the relative populations of sea kitten type people.  

Purrrrr...

I think I saw some of that "Grizzly Mace" in REI, and of course being REI it wasn't cheap.

About 4 years ago, I was having awful trouble w/racoons in my backyard ponds. So I bought some synthetic "mountain lion urine" online to try as a deterrent. The 'coons stayed away for about 3 weeks but my yard smelled really foul. And my dog acted like a psycho for a month....running full speed back-and-forth and just being weird.

Many moons ago during the Hippie invasion of Cotati.........

Thread Jack Alert!

Whoa Shimmy! If you were there back then you may also remember a few of these: the Wigwam Cafe, Inn of the Beginning, Pioneer Pool?

Sorry guys, couldn't resist . . .