Cool video.
We used to do a lot of lion chasing with hounds, and to me, following a lion track in the snow to see how they go about their business in very interesting.
Several times, we've tracked them right through wintering and calving cattle and the lions would not give the calves or cows a second notice. But then go over the hill and catch a deer.
They catch coyotes more often then you'd think and often eat a good portion. I think many times a coyote would try to sneak in to grab a bite off a kill and fail to realize the lion was laying close by.
We used to have lots of porcupines in these parts and darn near every lion would have quills in them. They kill and eat porkies slicker than snot.
Momma lions with kittens to feed, kill more than lone males. Studies done in this part of the country say they make kills or some sort every week or two. It's not uncommon for young lions to starve to death either.
Lonny;
Good afternoon to you sir, I hope that the day down in your part of Idaho was as bright and clear as it was up here across the medicine line.
Honestly it's the first day we've seen that much sun down in the valley for a few weeks so even though it wasn't enough to melt the snow much, I appreciated seeing the sun.
While I've never chased our Okanagan cougars myself personally, a whole lot of my acquaintances have and before they closed their shop a buddy had a taxidermy business just down the road so we got to see a lot of local cats brought in that way.
We had enough cougars a few years back that the Ministry upped the annual allowable harvest to two cats per season, though I can't say I know any of the houndsmen who actually killed more than one a season.
I've got some connections to the local ranching community - have been on a branding crew for more than 25 years now - and honestly can't recall anyone blaming a cougar for a cow or calf kill.
They will however eat horses with gusto and when the winter snows get deep some years they'll kill a fair few. I want to say there were more than a dozen horses killed in the south valley in the winter of '96, but last winter we had more snow actually and I can't recall anyone reporting a horse taken so there you go.
There are less horses around than there were in the '90's I suppose, still I can't explain the difference.
Another poster - Fireball I believe - asked how many deer a cougar will kill and I'd think at least one deer/sheep sized animal a week would be a minimum for an adult cat.
Way back in the day a local guide told me he was chasing a huge tom one valley to the east and it killed 3 adult moose in a couple week period. Now I'd suggest that it would not have killed that many if they'd not have been chasing it perhaps, but that's a guess on my part.
The video sorta touched on how elusive they are and for sure we've only laid eyes on one cougar - and one lynx for the record too - in our years of kicking around the back country. We've seen kills and tracks in the snow, but only saw the one cougar.
That all taken into account, wolves moved in here about a decade back and despite my efforts in trying to see one - calling, etc - I've yet to see one of them too.
Lastly in all the years I've been here in BC - 35 coming up in a month or two I see - I can't recall anyone mentioning a black phase cat, but just because I've never seen or heard of one doesn't mean they don't or can't exist.
Anyway thanks for reading my ramblings on a Sunday afternoon and all the best to you as we hopefully head into spring sooner than later.
Dwayne
