Tag: mountain lion

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Cougar sightings continue across Ontario

My August Outdoors Guy column appeared last week in the Pembroke Daily Observer, and received more interest than any other column this summer.

Everyone, it seems, is interested in big cats!

Check it out: http://www.thedailyobserver.ca/2015/08/19/outdoor-columnist-warns-of-the-potential-for-cougar-sightings-right-here-in-the-ottawa-valley

 

The ever-elusive cougar is still being spotted across Ontario with regularity and the Upper Ottawa Valley is no exception.

As one of the few outdoor writers in Canada who monitors big cat sightings and reports regularly on the mystery of cougars in Ontario, I am privy to copious ‘Cougar Intel’ from across the province; including reports of big cats being spotted right here in the Valley. The often misunderstand mountain lion has evidently taken up residence in Ontario yet many folks still choose to turn a blind eye. The evidence is mounting as we get closer to determining the origin of these intriguing large felines.

Big cat theory

The only physical specimen the province has seen since the 1800s was a cougar (sadly) shot by police in Bracebridge area, in summer of 2012, which turned out to be an escaped captive animal. This is not to say that the half dozen or so big cat reports I receive each month are ALL domesticated animals, there is evidence to demonstrate that a West-East Migration may be occurring in Ontario. A cougar killed along a Connecticut highway in 2011, for example, was discovered by an American Wildlife Genetics Laboratory to have a genetic makeup consistent with the Black Hills of South Dakota. This cougar was believed to have travelled more than 1,500 miles in an unfathomable trek eastward. It is my theory that many of our Ontario cats could fall into this category. Keep your eyes peeled and should you catch a glimpse of a large brown or black cat with a long tail, please contact me: [email protected]

Summer drawing to a close

Seasonal changes are upon us folks! Fish species like Northern pike and muskie which spent much of the summer in deep water will slowly emerge in the shallows. Seasonal movement is observed among white-tailed deer as well, with the buck’s antler development all but complete, resident males travel into open fields for the annual ‘meet and greet’. As the pre-season period approaches, these bucks will congregate to compare antlers size and establish the pecking order. Now is one of the best times to observe critters on the move so be on the look out.

2015 Ford Expedition, a beast in civil clothing

This summer when not out chasing cougars, I had the opportunity of road testing a 2015 Ford Expedition Platinum. The Expedition was a formidable beast indeed and the largest SUV I have reviewed to date. This rugged full-size comes with a new turbo V6 under the hood kicking out a more than ample 365 horses and impressive 420 foot-pounds of torque; propelling me soundly (and safely) down Highway 401 towards Niagara Falls. Had I been towing a boat or trailer, the 9,200-pound towing capacity would have completed the task in spades with the best towing capacity I have seen in a Sport Utility Vehicle.

Considering the Expedition’s mammoth footprint it handled more like a Ford Escape, and I had no trouble manoeuvring in and out of traffic. I enjoyed the MyFord Touch screen which covered all important vehicle parameters such as climate, entertainment and navigation. The acceleration, highway cruising speed and comfort level were excellent, and the Platinum trim came nicely appointed with blind spot indicator (BLIS), neat retractable running boards and large eight-inch MyFord Touch screen and moon roof, among other things.

This beast came dressed in civil clothing too as a sharp-looking and admirable ‘sportsmen hauler’ to say the least, available in both seven and eight-passenger with more than enough clout to get any hunter or fisherman safely off the grid. The four-wheel independent suspension had a lot to do with the Expedition’s superior ride quality, quite noteworthy for a nearly 6,000-pound vehicle. Average fuel consumption ranged from approximately 13-15 L/100 km, which isn’t too shabby given the magnitude of this SUV. Enthusiasts in this size-class don’t usually purchase based on fuel sipping capabilities. My time with the 2015 Ford Expedition was enjoyable from start to finish. For more information, check out the Ford of Canada site: http://www.ford.ca/

Next time!

Tune in next time for more exciting news from the back-40 including another informative product field-test report and the official kick-off to moose season.

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Homeless man critical following cougar attack

A 50-year old-old homeless man from Perris, California – 70 miles east of Los Angeles – is in critical condition following a cougar attack. It is the 15th cougar attack on a person in California since 1986.

 

Read more:

Wildlife rangers in Southern California were hunting on Monday for a mountain lion that mauled a homeless man at his roadside encampment over the weekend in a rare attack that left the victim in critical condition, fish and game authorities said.

Rangers set up baited box traps over the weekend, scoured the area for cougar tracks and scanned the vicinity with infrared cameras at night from a helicopter, but have so far found no signs of a mountain lion, said Lieutenant Patrick Foy of the wildlife agency.

None of the numerous lion sightings reported by nearby residents after the incident had panned out, but there was little doubt that the man was attacked by a cougar, Foy said, and authorities were continuing their search for the wild cat.

The injuries found on the victim – lacerations, puncture wounds and bite marks at the base of his skull – “are very consistent” with a cougar mauling, Foy said, adding, “We are comfortable confirming it as a lion attack.

A blanket that the victim apparently had wrapped himself in after the attack was soaked in blood, according to Foy.

If the animal is found, it will be killed in the interest of public safety, he said.

Investigators have collected DNA samples from the victim to match with the lion if it were captured, and the wildlife department will make “all reasonable efforts to ensure the actual offending animal is destroyed,” the agency said.

“The first priority of any law enforcement agency is the safety of the public, and we are doing everything we can do (to) find and capture this animal before it can harm anyone else,” assistant department chief Dan Sforza said in a statement.

Residents were warned to be careful with pets and children.

The circumstances of the mauling, including what time of day it occurred, whether the man was asleep when attacked, or whether he fought off the cougar, remained unknown because investigators have not been able to speak with him.

The lieutenant said rangers were awaiting doctors’ approval to interview the man, listed in critical condition following surgery on Saturday night and described by Foy as being “in pretty bad shape.”

The man managed to stagger from his campsite to a nearby home to make an emergency 911 call early on Saturday, but Foy said he believes the victim may have refrained from seeking help for several hours before that.

The homeless man, whose name was not publicly released, is known to law enforcement as having a “history of being mentally unstable,” and has had “multiple violent confrontations with police” in the past, Foy said. He may have therefore been reluctant to call for help.

Mountain lion attacks on people are rare. A 63-year-old man survived an attack in July 2012 in Nevada County. The last fatal attack in California occurred in 2004, when a cyclist was mauled in the foothills of Orange County.

 

Outdoorsguy