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Morning Glory
09-07-2004, 13:05
Last weekend, I ran into a section hiker at Miss Janet's and a few days later on the trail, who claims he discovered the tracks of mountain lion near Big Bald Shelter near the TN/NC border. He said he had taken a picture of it with his digital camera and he later ran into some rangers down at Spivey Gap, whom he showed the picture too. Supposedly, they were extremely interested in finding the exact location upon seeing the picture, and one of the rangers was actually going to go up to try to locate the track, and make a cast of it. This hiker, who goes by the name, Finder, seemed pretty reliable, and gave me no reason to doubt his story.

Ridge
11-21-2004, 01:02
I'm one of those who must see one in person, not the track but the lion itself. I may be taking a chance in being that close but I will take it, just to see one. Personally, I don't think there are any on the AT, but will stand corrected if I do see one.

The Hog
11-21-2004, 07:34
There is no reason to doubt that mountain lion numbers are on the rise in the eastern U.S. But it's a fact that other animals tracks are often mistaken for cougar. Expert trackers will tell you that there are instances where one animal's tracks will look exactly like another. Sue Morse, of Jericho, Vermont, is one such expert (she has tracked mtn lions all over the country). She often says, "If in doubt, follow it out, don't be a nerd, find that turd." The scat can be diagnostic because it will contain cougar hair (which can be positively identified) if it indeed came from a mtn lion. When photographing a track, you should position yourself behind the track and place some kind of ruler (or familiar item for scale) next to the track. I have photographed fresh mtn lion tracks in Montana using a dollar bill placed next to the track.

Mountain lion tracks are asymmetrical, with a leading toe (different from dog or wolf which are symmetrical - you can make an X thru a dog track). A cougar track usually (but not always) has no claw marks, unlike a canid, and the lion's heel pad is bilobed on the front, whereas a wolf or dog's heel pad is pointed.

9026543
11-21-2004, 09:11
Don't scoff to much about possible cougar's along the AT. The State of Missouri scoffed for two decades about cougar's being in Missouri. Now after one or two being killed on the highways and other instances of official sighting they now state that there may be a small resident population of cougar's which will reproudce.

Youngblood
11-21-2004, 10:30
I'm one of those who must see one in person, not the track but the lion itself. I may be taking a chance in being that close but I will take it, just to see one. Personally, I don't think there are any on the AT, but will stand corrected if I do see one.

I don't share your approach and don't agree with your logic at all. I hike every year or so in southern California where they do have cougars, seen posted signs, have seen their tracks and their scat. But not seeing one in person doesn't mean they are not there... or that they haven't seen me. Cougars aren't usually seen because they don't want to be seen and they are very good at what they do best, especially in heavy forested areas where there are many opportunities to stay out of sight.

Youngblood

BookBurner
11-21-2004, 11:11
I'm convinced there are mtn. lions on the A.T. Here's why:

I was camping alone at the Campbell Pig Farm near Troutville, Va. At dusk, I was out taking care of my last business for the day when I saw and heard a tree swaying down the hill from me. The hill was steep so I could see the top of the old pine tree moving back and forth below me. I could also hear it starting to crack. After a few more minutes of swaying and cracking, the old rotted tree finally fell to the ground. I then heard a lot of clawing sounds like the ones my cat makes on its scratching post. I quickly went back up to my tent and crawled into bed. As I read and wrote in my journal later, I could here whatever had just dropped the tree walking around the perimeter of camp. I figured it was just another black bear looking for a free meal.

The next morning, I decided to go down and take a look at the tree. I hoped there might be some interesting claw marks to inspect. About half way down the hill, however, I happened to look down into the underbrush and discovered a very well-hidden deer carcass. It had been pulled under a bush and covered with branches. I took a closer ( and very brief) look and saw that its entire gut had been eaten out. That was enough for me. Screw the tree and claw marks. I was outta there in a hurry!

Mountain lion? Bear? Backcountry hillbillies? You tell me.

-- BookBurner

www.enlightenedthruhiker.com (http://www.enlightenedthruhiker.com)

MOWGLI
11-21-2004, 11:40
The next morning, I decided to go down and take a look at the tree. I hoped there might be some interesting claw marks to inspect. About half way down the hill, however, I happened to look down into the underbrush and discovered a very well-hidden deer carcass. It had been pulled under a bush and covered with branches. I took a closer ( and very brief) look and saw that its entire gut had been eaten out. That was enough for me. Screw the tree and claw marks. I was outta there in a hurry!



-- BookBurner

www.enlightenedthruhiker.com (http://www.enlightenedthruhiker.com)

Hey Matt. Great story! Congratulations on your book being published!

Little Bear

tlbj6142
11-22-2004, 11:15
Black bears do hide carian, they don't like fresh meat. However, they rarely are the cause of death.

hacksaw
11-27-2004, 23:48
Here's another Cougar story to not believe, I hope.

In the past I spent about 3/4 of my time in the real backwoods of North Georgia in my lifelong effort to chase the snakes of a bad southeast asian experience out of my head. (Limited success, but better) On several such expeditions of over two weeks duration and only sanitary baths I have heard the chilling screams and seen the funny tracks and hairy scat of some big kittys which for a time I passed off as Big Bob, a well known Bobcat of extreme north central Georgia, but one day I got a glimpse of her and she definately was not a bobcat.

Years passed and I continued to politely and discreetly try and get a better look. Once I roughed in her range I tried to end my longer hikes within what I thought was her territory hoping to have lost enough of my human scent markers not to defile the air enough to tip here off. One day I got lucky. I eased in to her territory and as I moved in "sniper stealth mode" I heard that unmistakeable snarl just over a small knoll. I was able to get my eyes over the crown and lock and observe mom watching the kids play after feeding on a kill for what seemed like half an hour but was probably more like a couple of minutes when her ears perked up and she snapped her head around and looked directly in my eyes! With a barely audible snarling growlish kind of sound they vanished into the brush in an instant and were gone. I got my good look and have not tried to track her since.

She has most likely passed on by now, but her offspring will have had offspring and then again. She was the most beautiful animal it has been my priveledge to observe in the wild and I hope she had a long and otherwise undisturbed life.

There is a healthy and growing population of Cougar, Mountain Lion, Panther, Painter or whatever you wish to call them in the North Georgia Backwoods and long may they reign. PLEASE don't bother them.

BTW, This family was about (multiple tens) of miles away from the AT but their territory does include some trails. The average hiker has nothing to fear from Cougars, for as has been stated they know you are coming long before you get there and they will not wait around to make your acquaintence. Eastern Mountain Lions have NEVER been known to stalk or attack humans. We tast NASTY compared to a fawn, no doubt.

If you have ever heard one at full scream you know what I mean when I say it makes your blood run cold!

Let 'em BE!

Hacksaw

PS. I ain't exactly a slouch when it comes to following a trail, I've been told, but I do better tracking humans than wild critters. Humans are by far the easiest and I really am not inclined to track wild critters. I do not hunt.