I can’t believe that cat didn’t haul butt when the man ran up. Cat must have had something wrong with it.
The Cat isn't very old, looks like not even a year old, but there was recently a 200,000 acre fire nearby so it may have been displaced and separated from its Mother and siblings and on its own, therefore starving.
According to the comments the cat had a mouthful of festering porcupine quills and was starving.
I didn't read that far down in the comments, that makes sense.
673;
Good afternoon to you my friend, I hope the day's been good to you up the valley and all who matter to you are well.
I'm about the farthest thing from a cougar expert there is, but back in the day when our friends ran the taxidermy shop at Vaseux Lake I helped them peel a good double handful of them, though admittedly I did more bobcat and beaver hides for sure.
Anyways, the porcupine thing wasn't rare down here at all. I don't know if the cats just hat porcupines or they specialize in them, but we'd always be careful for them when skinning, especially in the toms.
I think your comment about the fires was the biggest factor here. We've had 4 different black bears in the yard since the Thomas Creek fire started and that's about 3.5 more per year than is usual.
It's really, REALLY moved all the game around where I usually hunt this fall too. Nothing makes sense even in areas anywhere close to the fire. Funny I don't recall that as much from the 2003 Vaseux fire, but this was a tad hotter by the look of the damage I'd say.
Anyways, they've now also had reports of photos of a cougar just laying on the side of a logging road not far from there a couple days prior, so it was likely starving and about to the end of it's rope.
All the best to you folks and good luck on your hunts this fall my friend.
Dwayne
