Finding Mountain Lions

A place to explore the natural setting (geology, flora & fauna), people, constructed infrastructure and historical events that play and have played a part in shaping the Sierra Nevada as we know it today.
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AlmostThere
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Re: Finding Mountain Lions

Post by AlmostThere »

maverick wrote:
there is from some reports an active mountain lion den above the happy isles trail along the first mile in Yosemite.
That is like leading the prey to the predator.
Since there aren't sightings (they would post a warning notice at the trailhead as usual if there were) and it continues to be true that no one has ever died by predator attack in Yosemite (the only animal caused death is a deer, accidentally killing a toddler in Wawona Meadow), it's hard to consider the millions of tourists that take that trail each year to be prey.

I've also seen fresh tracks in Yosemite. Near Alder Creek Falls I started yelling and singing after realizing I was the only person around and the tracks in the trail were the largest I'd ever seen....
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sparky
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Re: Finding Mountain Lions

Post by sparky »

A couple years ago while solo and attempting to hike up le conte gully in the valley I came upon a game trail. I quickly recognized mountain lion tracks, and was soon encountering mountain lion poos, some very fresh. I was on edge. Then a pretty strong stench of poo and urine hit me as I was approaching a sort of cave made by some stacked overhanging boulders. I couldn't see inside, and I got the F out of there. I was stymied a few hundred feet above and had to backtrack. I dropped enough elevation to where I knew I was below the rocks to traverse over. I soon came upon some rocks I had to shimmy down. Yes it was the den. The cat I am sure was scared off by my cursing so I just hucked myself into the den of death and again got the F out of there!

My one and only sighting was around 7AM in the Ortega Mountains (Santa Ana mts) on a fire road, one jumped into the road right in front of the car then dashed away.
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gdurkee
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Re: Finding Mountain Lions

Post by gdurkee »

I've only seen 4, though have run into tracks fairly often. They are really, really hard to see. It's more than likely they've seen you but you not them if you've done any amount of hiking. About 20 years ago, the Round Valley deer herd (north of Bishop and a major source of food a number of mountain lions) crashed and the lions started regularly going higher for bighorn sheep where they're now a routine predator. I've seen tracks at cliff bases at 12,000 feet.

A friend of mine has a great photo of two lions in autumn grass. You can barely see them and wouldn't likely notice them if you're walking by. He almost didn't from about 100 feet away.

I think the ranger/Elizabeth Pass story is a bit garbled in translation. One of the b/c rangers was being followed by a lion in, yes, low visibility, though can't remember the location -- I vaguely remember Evolution Creek. Eventually the lion took off but the ranger was for sure a bit nervous. No helicopter. That's the only incident I know of with a ranger. Also on Evolution Creek, I came on a very fresh (still warm) gut pile and followed the drag/blood trail but never found the kill or the lion.Probably not a great idea... .

It's not uncommon to find their kills along streams and in brush or willow. They'll cover it with dirt or debris, but it's not well buried. You can sometimes recognize a deer kill because the ribs on one side are broken in. The lion will hit the ribs hard to access the stomach and organs. Not sure if they're necessarily nearby or up a tree, but the do come by to feed on that kill.

You definitely want to be careful running or even biking (I think). Something moving away from them fast triggers an attack instinct. Also, just showing your back or bending over can trigger it. I think there have been one or two attacks on kids. Best bet is to stand, make yourself look as big as possible and back of slowly. That what I've heard, anyway. Never had to put it to a test.

Oh. PS: Rat poison. Nasty stuff in the food chain. One huge source are marijuana grow sites which I'd suspect in the Santa Monica area. I'd hope legalization makes this source no longer profitable. It's a huge impact on wildlife at all levels.
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oldranger
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Re: Finding Mountain Lions

Post by oldranger »

George

The Elizabeth Pass incident really did occur as a front country or trailhead ranger returned after a ranger rendezvous at Big Bird lake. There was no helicopter and at some point the mountain lion lost interest. I was at the rendezvous and was heading down Deadman when the event occurred, but didn't learn about it until later in the summer.

Mike
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Who can't do everything he used to and what he can do takes a hell of a lot longer!
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gdurkee
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Re: Finding Mountain Lions

Post by gdurkee »

Mike: Ah. Yes, brain is finally engaging and I actually now remember that. It was the same year Rob got followed down Goddard Canyon for a ways, also in the rain and fog.

grazie!

g.
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SweetSierra
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Re: Finding Mountain Lions

Post by SweetSierra »

The only time I've seen a mountain lion wasn't in the Sierra, though I was with a friend who ran into one near our camp in Golden Trout Wilderness, but at Pt. Reyes National Seashore on a solo hike into Wildcat Camp a couple of years ago. I had started the descent into Wildcat when I saw a large tawny-colored cat leisurely walking on the road/trail below me. I saw the big dusky body and long tail and after a few seconds of disbelief, I knew it was a lion. It turned a corner and since it didn't emerge, I assumed it dove into the dense brush at the side of the road. I very carefully walked by that section. Later, I saw animal bones, which looked like they had come from a relatively fresh kill, on the trail above camp and asked a ranger there about it. He said there was a big cat that called that area home. I like to run on mountain trails and later when I ran in that area, I looked around a lot and sang and waved my arms. Luckily there was no one around to see this :lol:
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Leadfoot83
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Re: Finding Mountain Lions

Post by Leadfoot83 »

This is a bit of an older thread, but why not resurect it.
I have seen two mountain lions in the last twenty years. I was staying on some property I have in the mt home demonstration forest near Balch park. Both times I was on my way (driving) on the road to get to the tule river to do some day hiking in the area, and each time the lion was walking across the road right in front of me. They sure are beautiful animals, but I was happy seeing them safely from the inside of a vehicle.
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MountainMinstrel
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Re: Finding Mountain Lions

Post by MountainMinstrel »

A few years ago I was doing the Alta Peak/Pear Lake loop. Camped at Panther Gap and had light rain off and on for most of the night. When I hit the trail the next day, beginning just a hundred yards or so from camp I followed the fresh tracks of a large cat. It must have been on that trail only an hour or so before me. I was very aware of my surroundings that morning until about a mile in when the tracks disappeared. Then I became a bobble head wondering from which rock it was going pounce on me from. I never saw it though.

The only one I ever saw (at least I think I saw) was about two years earlier on the same trail. It was just a tan blur flashing across the trail a hundred feet or so ahead of me. The only thing it could have been is a mountain lion but I can't really say I saw it.

Living in Sonora, I know they are around. My brother-in-law had one pass in front of him on a main road a couple of weeks ago. We heard the most horrendous cat scream about a week ago and saw a very large (like the size of a retriever) grey cat slink off up the hill from our house. Don't have any idea what that was, but it was not a feral cat.
Just an old musician who loves the Mountains.
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acorad
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Re: Finding Mountain Lions

Post by acorad »

a very large (like the size of a retriever) grey cat slink off up the hill
Could be a bobcat, I've seen a number of them.

Andy
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Re: Finding Mountain Lions

Post by Cross Country »

In over 500 day in the Sierra I never saw one. I did see two things of interest. I saw a dead dear on my way to Edith Lake which had been dragged and partially eaten. I imagine it was dragged by a lion. I saw a dead dear half in and half out of a creek with talon marks on it's side that looked like they were made by a lion.
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