The Whitecourt Cougar Incident

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OMNR isn't going to say a lot about cougars until they get a couple in hand. There have been 2 or three runaways in the Niagara area from a couple of owners that had them get away. I never heard that any of those animals were ever re-captured. I don't recall what variant they were. There is also a possibility that the odd cougar has come north up the eastern seaboard from the southern US. While rare, they are known still to exist there. Flow from the west over Superior is believed to have or be happening, but carcasses are needed to figure out which ones they are, and maybe they're some of each.

 

[coyotebc]

I think it was in North Vancouver about 10 years ago they had a cougar walk onto a soccer field in a stadium during a game.
You need to be aware of them exspecially if you have children, but really you are at greater risk driving to the hiking area, then from cougars, bears, wolves and coyotes

 

[crashinkona]

We have those fuzzy buggers just outside of New Sarepta. I have seen his fuzzy but running as i shot my flares at him. Its my chicken on the barbque not his. I would love to make him my saddle rack. My German Wire Haired Pointer just goes nuts when the cat comes to visit.

 

[walksalot]

If cougars were as unpredictable as some feel they are then stories of attacks would be in news weekly. The bottom line is they are a predator and they are just doing their job. A cougar doesn't differentiate between a dog or cat or any other four legged prey. I have seen a few cougars while in the outdoors and my son and I, while sitting on a scrape line, had one walk up to within 30 ft. of us. We were down wind of it and when it realized we were there I stood for a few seconds and then bolted away.
Once we leave the security of our homes or vehicles and head into the forest we are entering the realm of survival of the fittest and we must always keep this in the back of our minds. Being aware of our surrounding is just common sense when in the forest because it is natures way to capitalize on an easy opportunity dinner. Frequently check your back trail and look up. If there are lots of food around then there are going to be animals who will take advantage of a target rich environment. Just as we attract deer with food plots and such we are unwittingly attracting the predators.

 

[thegreatnorthernhunter]

about 5 years ago i stopped at a mudhole on my normal hunting route back in the middle of the woods, it was a great spot to see tracks and i saw what i thought was cougar tracks. This is 20 mins west of Truro Nova Scotia. I took pictures and video and DNR told me it was the front paw of a black bear, i was young then but had seen lots of bear tracks and this was just like a bobcat track, only it was 6 inches across