Close encounter with cougar tonight.

[trigger7mm]

Decided to go down to the Battle River, just north of Hardisty tonight with the wife and our two labs to check out the river and maybe do a little fishing. Wife says she’s a bit tired and decided to stay at the truck while the hounds and I went down stream a ways to try our luck. Wasn’t gone 5 minutes when I heard her yell at something. I immediately thought coyote, but she suddenly yells my name and then yells “COUGAR”. I holler back where, and she says right here. I tell her to lay on the truck horn to scare it away because I didn’t what it to get with the dogs. She said when she first saw it coming through the bush she thought it was a deer until it stepped out at a distance we later measured of 7 yards. When she yelled at it she said it didn’t care less and just stood and looked at her. She said it was big and had a long tail. Typical adult cat. Even after she was on the truck horn it was in no hurry to leave, it just turned around and sauntered off. Camera was sitting right there on the truck dash, but she said she was so surprised at what she was looking at that she didn’t even think of taking a picture. Too bad, that would have been awesome. I know she saw the real thing because we have one mounted in our basement that I shot several years ago at Hinton. What a cool encounter! You never know what’s lurking around. I’ve called coyotes around there for years, and have always had it in the back of my mind that maybe someday I’d call in a cougar.

[drake]

Saw tracks and followed them to a kill down by the river near taber last year. Was surprised to see them. Had three cougar encounters last year in various parts of the province.

[trigger7mm]

I have no doubt they are roaming around every river system in the province. They are a super cool animal to see. I’ve hunted all over the province for 45 plus years and have never seen one other than the one I shot, and that was only because we chased it with hounds. Told the wife to feel lucky. She probably will never see another one in the wild ever again.

[Talking moose]

Originally Posted by trigger7mm

I have no doubt they are roaming around every river system in the province. They are a super cool animal to see. I’ve hunted all over the province for 45 plus years and have never seen one other than the one I shot, and that was only because we chased it with hounds. Told the wife to feel lucky. She probably will never see another one in the wild ever again.

Yup. I’m sure every drainage system across the province has resident and transient cougars.

[Red Bullets]

Those kind of encounters stay with a person for fireside yarn in future years. Used to be I was willing to lay down to sleep under any tree or star in the parklands without a concern. Maybe not so much anymore.

Time to invent a ball cap with rear view mirrors. And a neck collar a cat can't bite though. Hmm Maybe catnip spray instead of pepper spray would be fun to spray on a cougar too.

[jeffreys 21234]

Drake I grew up in taber have cut numerous cougar tracks along old man river coulees while hunting coyotes in winter there was one under in laws friends deck few years ago just north of grassy lake an hear about a cpl that have been caught in coyote snares towards Burdett

[270person]

One of the colonies we hunt every year has already advised to keep our eyes open. They're reporting that the occasional sighting per year has become 2-3 times a week and in various sizes.

Had a big old Tom pose for us for a full minute last fall in 521, not far from Whelen's place. Biggest I've ever seen with his belly hanging a few inches off the ground 35 yds away. Couldn't have given a rats patoot that we were there.

Might be time to sew a couple of eyes on the back of the hat and bring a Dojo Argentino along as a hunting buddy.

[rmk800]

wifey had one walk across century road 4 miles south of spruce grove last week.

[trigger7mm]

They are super cool critters. The ninjas of the animal world.

[58thecat]

Seen two in my lifetime....one came out of the lush underbrush right down to a stream and drank while I just sat there on a rock 15 yards away....cool....the other one darted across the road in front of me to disappear like a ghost....all on Vancouver island....yes the woods have eyes and you don't see what really is watching you 99 percent of the time....

[trigger7mm]

Originally Posted by 58thecat

Seen two in my lifetime....one came out of the lush underbrush right down to a stream and drank while I just sat there on a rock 15 yards away....cool....the other one darted across the road in front of me to disappear like a ghost....all on Vancouver island....yes the woods have eyes and you don't see what really is watching you 99 percent of the time....

Agreed.

[Glion]

Originally Posted by rmk800

wifey had one walk across century road 4 miles south of spruce grove last week.

That's where I am.... neighbor has trailcams setup and has a pic of one last winter in my back bush. We are approx 2 miles from the river

[Iron Brew]

Originally Posted by rmk800

wifey had one walk across century road 4 miles south of spruce grove last week.

Holy crap. I've been hearing rumours for out by 43, but not that close.

[robfraser]

Not long ago a woman told me she saw one at terwillegar dog park in Edmonton.

[bessiedog]

Try seeing this in your back yard...


Makes trail running round here lil more interesting..

[58thecat]

its called sprints or sprinting....with 180lbs kitty wanting to play....consider it interval training....elevate your game.

to date I have had bobcats only on my trail cams...would be cool to get a cougar on one of them.

[Talking moose]

Originally Posted by 58thecat

its called sprints or sprinting....with 180lbs kitty wanting to play....consider it interval training....elevate your game.

to date I have had bobcats only on my trail cams...would be cool to get a cougar on one of them.

What area of the province are you getting shots of bobcats? Or is this in bc?

[Glion]

Originally Posted by robfraser

Not long ago a woman told me she saw one at terwillegar dog park in Edmonton.

Friend of mine his Mom got attacked just north of St Albert. She was walking along the sturgeon with her dog when she got jumped from behind. Knocked her out and they figure the dog fought it off as it had claw marks on it. That one was a little close for comfort.

[bessiedog]

I think a person would be surprised as to how many attacks or close calls happen every year.

[58thecat]

Originally Posted by Talking moose

What area of the province are you getting shots of bobcats? Or is this in bc?

or maybe it was a Canadian lynx...more than likely a lynx...wmu 501.

we toss these terms around lynx/bobcat but they have different markings etc

https://www.travel4wildlife.com/tell...n-lynx-bobcat/

[MyAlberta]

Cruising trails in North Glenmore park, Calgary. Round a corner and in front is a mottled lynx size cat with a long tail lopping up around the next corner. I scurry up and stand still for 5 minutes. Nothing. Just as well as mother’s face would have been the next thing Id see.

[EZM]

Originally Posted by Talking moose

What area of the province are you getting shots of bobcats? Or is this in bc?

Apparently there are Bobcats here now in Alberta. I haven't seen one, but seen reports and pictures. One was in the Edmonton Journal not too long ago.

All sorts of other creatures seem to be migrating and moving around - I wouldn't be surprised.

[Talking moose]

Originally Posted by EZM

Apparently there are Bobcats here now in Alberta. I haven't seen one, but seen reports and pictures. One was in the Edmonton Journal not too long ago.

All sorts of other creatures seem to be migrating and moving around - I wouldn't be surprised.

There’s been bobcats in southern Alberta for a very long time now. 59 lives up by cold lake. Would be surprised to see bobcats up there. Was thinking lynx.

[EZM]

Originally Posted by robfraser

Not long ago a woman told me she saw one at terwillegar dog park in Edmonton.

They are definitely here in the city in the West End along the river here. I walk my dogs down there and have seen what I suspected to be big kitty tracks but they weren't perfect (kind of semi-dry mud) but sure lokked like them to me.

The following spring - got a much more defined set of prints in the snow - yup - a cat. Also confirmed by the stride as there were a dozen or two along that trail.

A few years ago - Cops shot a cat here too .... it was in a back yard

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmon...yard-1.3233839

[EZM]

Originally Posted by Talking moose

There’s been bobcats in southern Alberta for a very long time now. 59 lives up by cold lake. Would be surprised to see bobcats up there. Was thinking lynx.

You never know I guess.

I bet the average person would have a tough time telling the difference - particularly juvenile lynx when the coat is patterned. Even the tail can be hard to judge because they don't seem to want to stick around long enough.

I've done a couple double takes watching a couple kittens a few years back.

But yeah, you never know.

[bezzola]

I seen one in a field just north of stony plain couple years back.
The wife had on stock up on her in 2009 by chip lake as she was sitting on her machine on the trailer i was about 200 yards away dealing with a stuck truck.
She yelled and it took off

[YYC338]

Originally Posted by Talking moose

What area of the province are you getting shots of bobcats? Or is this in bc?

Lots of bobcats in Calgary, neighborhoods bordering the big parks (Nosehill, Fish Creek) have lots of them. I've seen only a couple this summer, but one was in my next door neighbors yard.

Funny we don't have a big stray cat population in the neighborhood, me thinks it's more than a coincidence.

[KinAlberta]

Had some friends using our cabin last week and they spotted a cougar on the property. The next day when i was out there to do a bit of work on our bridge back in the bush I figured it best to just leave our dog in the cabin. (Neighbours regularly walk the trails but with two larger dogs.)

So I’ve never much thought about them when on the trails but does anyone know the likelihood of a cougar going after a dog with a human nearby? (Ours is just 55 lbs.)

[oilngas]

There are Bob Cats in Lake Sundance of SE Calgary. One sauntering by under our living room window, one at mail box (yes they were discussed with junk mail it would seem), or maybe they were looking at the have you seen fluffy posters.

Three or four daylight encounters in back alley, they are totally unconcerned with wife n self watching them from about 4 or 5 m away. Very nice looking animals.

They have eradicated the stray cats, racoons seem to be way down, all since they moved into the area.

second hand info; The lady down the block, said her resident Bob Cat raised 4 kitten this last summer, under her deck.

[Talking moose]

Originally Posted by KinAlberta

Had some friends using our cabin last week and they spotted a cougar on the property. The next day when i was out there to do a bit of work on our bridge back in the bush I figured it best to just leave our dog in the cabin. (Neighbours regularly walk the trails but with two larger dogs.)

So I’ve never much thought about them when on the trails but does anyone know the likelihood of a cougar going after a dog with a human nearby? (Ours is just 55 lbs.)

Yes they will. They will lock onto your dog and won’t even acknowledge your presence.