Mountain Lion Attacks Deer!
09-12-2009, 06:53 AM
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I asked my wife last night just to confirm what the Biologist stated. I wanted to make sure that I was not hearing things. She agreed that he made the statement of 1.5 per day. I went online and found these documents from the research department of the fish and game in reference to Deer and their predators. I could not find anything relating to how many on average per day were taken as a result of cats.
( Report from the Department of Fish and Game California)
[All the fawns were healthy at time of capture, and their size and weight were comparable to those of fawns from other mule deer herds. During the 7 years of the study, fawn survival ranged from 13% to 42% and averaged 38%. Two percent were killed in accidents, 9% died from disease or birth defects, and predators were responsible for the deaths of 51% of the fawns. Of those taken by predators 3% were killed by bobcats, 22% by bears, 27% by coyotes, and 49% by mountain lions.]
[Other workers have stated that when the density of mountain lions reaches the point that home ranges overlap, breeding stops. However, in this study reproduction continued at what appeared to be a normal rate; and litter size averaged about 2.5 kittens. When the known kittens are added, the density of all mountain lions using the area becomes 10.6 per 100 square miles.]
( Report from the Department of Fish and Game California)
[All the fawns were healthy at time of capture, and their size and weight were comparable to those of fawns from other mule deer herds. During the 7 years of the study, fawn survival ranged from 13% to 42% and averaged 38%. Two percent were killed in accidents, 9% died from disease or birth defects, and predators were responsible for the deaths of 51% of the fawns. Of those taken by predators 3% were killed by bobcats, 22% by bears, 27% by coyotes, and 49% by mountain lions.]
[Other workers have stated that when the density of mountain lions reaches the point that home ranges overlap, breeding stops. However, in this study reproduction continued at what appeared to be a normal rate; and litter size averaged about 2.5 kittens. When the known kittens are added, the density of all mountain lions using the area becomes 10.6 per 100 square miles.]
Last edited by Family-JK; 09-12-2009 at 06:59 AM.
09-12-2009, 10:51 AM
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I've heard that CA is getting real bad. I had a big cat walk up on my when I was kid in Tahoe....even tho I had a gun and saw him first it was a bit humbling when he bared his fangs at me and screamed from about 20 ft..
A friend of mine (in CA) was heading out to his deer stand a couple years ago. It was early morning....still dark, and he just had this strange feeling as he walked. He'd stop, look around, but see nothing. Finally as he got closer to his stand he actually heard a twig snap or something. He had had it, so dug through his pack to find his flashlight. Sure enough, the light illuminated the eyes and the big head of a lion. So he yelled at it and it ran off. But he told me he felt that lion was stalking him.
BTW....I don't put much stock in these biologists....especially the Feds. Like up here.....they try to make decisions for Alaska, from the input of a couple green, wet behind the ear kids, that come up to party for a couple days and then go back to DC and make their report.
One year, there was a problem with the moose population in an area. The AK. natives where fighting over which tribe should be able to hunt them. The Feds, in all their infinite wisdom, just decided to "draw a line in the sand"........you take these moose on this side, and you take them on this. What happened?.......that fall all the moose moved to one side....
So of course the Feds ruling was about as worthless as the paper it was written on. Needless to say, the natives still fought, but they all managed to eat moose that year.....just ignored the ruling.
Great video btw........Nature at it's best....The circle of life....!!!
A friend of mine (in CA) was heading out to his deer stand a couple years ago. It was early morning....still dark, and he just had this strange feeling as he walked. He'd stop, look around, but see nothing. Finally as he got closer to his stand he actually heard a twig snap or something. He had had it, so dug through his pack to find his flashlight. Sure enough, the light illuminated the eyes and the big head of a lion. So he yelled at it and it ran off. But he told me he felt that lion was stalking him.
BTW....I don't put much stock in these biologists....especially the Feds. Like up here.....they try to make decisions for Alaska, from the input of a couple green, wet behind the ear kids, that come up to party for a couple days and then go back to DC and make their report.
One year, there was a problem with the moose population in an area. The AK. natives where fighting over which tribe should be able to hunt them. The Feds, in all their infinite wisdom, just decided to "draw a line in the sand"........you take these moose on this side, and you take them on this. What happened?.......that fall all the moose moved to one side....
So of course the Feds ruling was about as worthless as the paper it was written on. Needless to say, the natives still fought, but they all managed to eat moose that year.....just ignored the ruling.Great video btw........Nature at it's best....The circle of life....!!!
09-13-2009, 12:02 AM
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One of the houses I was working at that my dad is building is on the edge of town. One day I looked out the back over the desert and there was a mountain lion laying down on a rock.
09-14-2009, 10:05 PM
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09-15-2009, 05:58 AM
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If you think about it, what does a big cat like that eat...dear and elk. You are what you eat. They are extremely lean so you have to be careful not to burn the meat. But it's really good in green chile.
09-15-2009, 07:54 AM
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That just tells you how comfortable mountain lions are becoming when they would take down a deer in the middle of a road, in front of a vehicle. Talked to a california Fish and Game Biologist, and he told me on average a mountain lion will take down 1.5 deer per day. There is over 9000 mountain lions in the state of California based on their finding. That's allot of deer. Cool video. No wonder hunting is getting bad.
http://www.aws.vcn.com/mountain_lion_fact_sheet.html
this guy is saying a more reasonable number is 8-10 lbs....
09-15-2009, 07:56 AM
#19
I never have tried mountian lion either....I sure if you talk with an Asian cook...they would have some pretty good recipes for cooking cat.
Last edited by RevyJKU08; 09-15-2009 at 09:20 AM.
09-17-2009, 06:48 PM
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tastes just like turkey
We (fish & game club) host a wild game banquet every spring the cougar is always the first to be eaten. We have had Doug Janz the area biologist at our club meetings in the past if I remember the stats correctly he stated an adult cat will take down approx. 50 deer a year some will be consumed pretty well complete and others will be abandoned with very little taken.
It was interesting to see this conversation tonight as I just came out of camp last night on the water taxi and we saw a cougar on one of the bluffs on the way out with a deer bedded down about 50 to 100 feet away. Unfortunately I did not have the camera ready and the cougar sighting was not much more than a flash as usual. We see deer on the bluffs all the time but I have only seen cats 3 times with out the help of hounds. And supposedly we have one of the highest concentrations of cougars in the world on Vancouver Island. I see more grizzlies than cougars in the mainland inlets where I work, last week we saw 6 bears up river from where we are working. The fish are not in the river in any great numbers yet, so the bears are moving a lot I have been able to get some good pics of the bears. The big ones are not down on the river yet but should be in the next couple weeks. I will try to figure out how to shrink some pics and post some if anyone is interested?
It was interesting to see this conversation tonight as I just came out of camp last night on the water taxi and we saw a cougar on one of the bluffs on the way out with a deer bedded down about 50 to 100 feet away. Unfortunately I did not have the camera ready and the cougar sighting was not much more than a flash as usual. We see deer on the bluffs all the time but I have only seen cats 3 times with out the help of hounds. And supposedly we have one of the highest concentrations of cougars in the world on Vancouver Island. I see more grizzlies than cougars in the mainland inlets where I work, last week we saw 6 bears up river from where we are working. The fish are not in the river in any great numbers yet, so the bears are moving a lot I have been able to get some good pics of the bears. The big ones are not down on the river yet but should be in the next couple weeks. I will try to figure out how to shrink some pics and post some if anyone is interested?