The Whitecourt Cougar Incident

There was a couple years in a row people were warned not to go on "snake hill" in Sundre because of regular sightings of a cougar. Seeings as the hill borders the school playgrounds it is a wonder they didn't do more than just give a warning.

I bet it did a cull on the totally out of control stray cat problem they have there.
 
If you've spent anytime in the hills of S.Alberta you can bet a cougars watched you. I found lots of fresh sign up the road and actaully told a fella who was looking to try and call a cat in. Shooting on sight isn't nessessarily the best idea (in my books) as the ones who bother to let you see them obviously aren't intrested in killing you.
 
Today on CBC a professor from Laurentian University reported verifying that scat found, I missed the location, wife turned on the radio part way through the report), was from a cougar. So we have them in N. ON.
Probably about a dozen people have reported sighting cougar on Manitoulin Is. One even furnished a photo of a long tailed cat to the local newspaper. MNR looked for tracks and scat, but didn't find any and say that the burden of proof has not been met.
 
She should apply for an ATC. If you can't get one to defend against bloodthirsty and unpredictable animals, what CAN you get one for?
 
Pretty hard to deny the existance of cougars in S. Ont if people keep reporting sightings.

Police report sparks London cougar alert

Thu, June 7, 2007

By SUN MEDIA


London has recorded yet another cougar sighting.

City police responded to a field near Colonel Talbot Road south of Base Line Road in Byron after reports of someone screaming.

When police arrived an officer saw a large cat, similar to a cougar disappearing into a nearby wooded area.

Police didn't see the cat again, but heard the animal in the area.

Anyone who sees the cat shouldn't approach the animal, but call police.

http://lfpress.ca/newsstand/CityandRegion/2007/06/07/4241205-sun.html
 
About 8 years ago in Halton Hills Ontario, on some propery wher I hunt, the farmer saw one beside his barn. I taught that he was BS me and proceeded in calling the MNR for anwers. The girl told me that they had seen one in that area and they had reports of sightings in Flamborough as well. Who knows????

It would be a great experience to see one. I wouldn't shoot one unless I'm in danger.
 
Always amused at why some government knob "has to verify"
this or that ...

Have seen and heard cougar in AB., out around Bragg Creek.
Have heard them here in S.Ont., just haven't eyeballed one yet .

Sure as hell seen a tornado, and didn't have to have some dipstick
from Environment Canada verify it for me !
 
Why would the MNR not recognize the cougar in Ontario?
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Simply because then they would be under an obligation to manage for it. Land use practices acceptable in abscences of a cougar population may be unacceptable if you are trying to maintain a population.
 
And of course in our governments infinite wisdom the average licensed Joe is not allowed to carry a handgun while walking in the woods!! How do you protect your family? Knife? I would rather not get that close to one!!
 
I don't mind cougars at all, except they have come into my yard and eaten the house cats from time to time!;)

If you have spent ANY time in the bush in BC, at least one cougar has spotted you and checked you out. A few years ago I was hiking wiht my gal, and we turned a corner, only to find some fresh cougar scat, which of course made me wonder where he was. The girl was tugging at my arm to get me going, so I didn't have time to fully explore, but you can bet it was watching us.

I sure woudln't shoot a cougar on sight becasue I felt it posed some sort of danger to humans, because for the most part, they don't. There are truckloads of cougars out there, far more than most peopel understand, and the fact that more attacks don't take place is testament to that.

Cougars pose a much higher threat to pets and children than to a grown man. They aren't stupid, they don't *really* want to tackle a 200 lb 6 foot man, but they will if forced by starvation, which has happened a few times.

Most men coudl fight off a ocugar attack if they were able to get ahold of a club. Cougars are strong and fast, and generally atack by surprise, but they lack the brute strength of bears and if a guy was to survive the initial attack, you have a good chance of survival.

Children are a completley different matter, they are well within a cougars regular prey "size" and are physiclaly weak. COs around here pay close attention to a cougar sighted near a school,, far more than a bear sighting.

I wouldn't suggest that people be completely unprepared for cougar attacks, but I wouldn't panic about htem, either.:D
 
Haven't seen actual cougars myself, but have spotted their fresh tracks going in the opposite direction to my tracks many times. My sister had a close encounter in the 2005 hunting season in camp with a cougar - fortunate she had the 30-06 in hand and fired a shot into the ground about 3 feet to the left of the big cat which got it moving quickly for the hills. Sure enought when I got there 5 minutes later, there were the tracks and one scared sister.

Given that people are not it's usual prey, I'm not too worried about cougars. Bears will be my bigger concern any time I'm out hunting big game.
 
Went paddling at Rugged Point this past May - Van Island, north-ish coast.

PLENTY of cougar sign, and two of the biggest, greasiest hairballs I've ever seen, both hacked up on the boardwalk to the outhouse.

Makes one mindful...
 
I saw one near High Level, AB. It was in the back of a guys truck, frozen solid after getting caught in a trap and then put down.

It was a heckuva big cat. But despite tramping around the bush a bunch I've never seen another though I'm sure that a bunch of them have seen me.
 
These cats are killing machines, it's all they know.

I would sooner find a bear following me anyday than a cougar.
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Copy that. I've never felt fear from a bear, near or far, but Cougars make my hair stand on end!
 
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