Bubbahotep
Well-known member
I live a sheltered life and I never lived close to them.
Poll: Have you seen a wild puma?
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eaj101
Well-known member
Also in the SF Bay Area. In fifty years of hiking I've seen cougars three times, all three at very long range but definitely cougars. One on Mt. Tamalpias and twice on Mt. Diablo. Accidental/serendipity and not at all prepared to photograph. They almost define the concept of 'stealthy'. For example, they live in the big park in my neighborhood and I've seen sign and leavings but never seen them. They even seem to avoid camera traps.
Doug Herr
Well-known member
I'd call that a deprived life.
Bubbahotep
Well-known member
I stay at home alot.
I have seen them in the wild here in Idaho many times but all before I got into photography and all but 2 were seen when with my uncle who pursued them with dogs for game researchers and managers. They were treed or cliffed (same a treeing but on a dead end cliff ledge) and then tranquilized, blood samples taken, collared, transported to a different area etc.. and released. This was from before I could even remember I was there but my grandfather had photographs of me and the cougars until I went off to college and my uncle retired his old dog pack.
I saw two others without dogs one when I was 12 and hunting "rock chucks" aka Yellow-bellied Marmots. A cougar was coming up the other side of a large rocky hill as I peeked over it from the other side. The other was ghosting along in the brush here in the Idaho mountains next to a mountain subdivision when I was on a hike with a friend and her dog, dog went on high alert growled a bit and the cougar vanished quickly up a brushy hillside.
I saw two others without dogs one when I was 12 and hunting "rock chucks" aka Yellow-bellied Marmots. A cougar was coming up the other side of a large rocky hill as I peeked over it from the other side. The other was ghosting along in the brush here in the Idaho mountains next to a mountain subdivision when I was on a hike with a friend and her dog, dog went on high alert growled a bit and the cougar vanished quickly up a brushy hillside.
Far more common around here are Bobcats. I was birding when this one stepped out in the grass from behind a wild rose bush where the birds "had been" that I was photographing. Would love to have a cougar do this some day although a bit further away since the Z800 I use now instead of the 600 f/4E this was taken with has a longer minimum focal length
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Living here in the UK I’ve never seen one, but it looks an incredible animal.
Great shots from those that have posted above
Great shots from those that have posted above
Yes and they are beautiful, but even bobcats are hard to see considering how common they are. There used to be a spot in my city of Tucson with two acclimated females (and occasionally their kittens) that could reliably be seen and photographed at close range, but that opportunity is now gone.
Yes they are. I just get more fleeting glimpses
My favorite sighting of all time was a big beautiful bob that appeared out of the fog in a brushy draw where I was hunting ruffed grouse near Hells Canyon here in Idaho. I was behind a willow when he ghosted into view and had the wind in my favor and he stopped in full view and looked around for some time before disappearing back into the fog down the draw. I left that draw to him and moved to another. I did manage a couple of grouse for the pot in the other draw and hope he got one in the draw he went down Have only seen one. A very brief glimpse. At Bosque del Apache NWR. This was some years ago. No chance to photograph.
Agreed.
wildlifr
Active member
I've had four occasions to see and photograph them. But three of those were within a day or two and were the same two large kittens hanging around a kill. I've captured many on trail cameras, which is really not very difficult given how much they move around. I've had two other possible sightings crossing the road in front of me at night, but can't be sure. Seeing one and photographing it was the primary reason for carrying around a camera for ~10 yrs. straight before I finally saw one, which is shown below. After 10 yrs., I had about 10 seconds of opportunity the first time I saw one.
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Took the photo with a two or four megapixel point and shoot camera that was almost state of the art at the time, but can't find the pictures.
The lion was startled and ran into very thick willows and brush and I guessed where it might go from there, and I got lucky.
I hurried and got the picture as it emerged from the other side of the brush. It was then killed by some do-gooders shortly after I got the pic and I have been extremely angry about that ever since and maybe that is why I haven't tried too hard to find the pic.
It was in a file with pics of these brave heroes posing with the lion so I am sure I have saved it under some obscure name that reflected my anger. Sorry to vent but I'm still mad.
The lion was startled and ran into very thick willows and brush and I guessed where it might go from there, and I got lucky.
I hurried and got the picture as it emerged from the other side of the brush. It was then killed by some do-gooders shortly after I got the pic and I have been extremely angry about that ever since and maybe that is why I haven't tried too hard to find the pic.
It was in a file with pics of these brave heroes posing with the lion so I am sure I have saved it under some obscure name that reflected my anger. Sorry to vent but I'm still mad.
wildlifr
Active member
Very sad for sure. The numbers of these animals that die due to ridiculous levels of fear is disgusting. Many die during various hunting seasons by hunters who don't know (or care) about the difference between petrified behavior and aggressive behavior.
When I lived in California (years ago) voters passed a law to ban mountain lion hunting. Sadly, you can still get a hunting license for them in all other western states.
wildlifr
Active member
Yes, unfortunately I'm aware of that. I'm just grateful to be living in a state (WA) that still bans hound hunting. This may be the only remaining state with that law. I'm not sure.
eaj101
Well-known member
In a few weeks going on a pre-dawn photo trip in Point Reyes with Daniel Dietrich Safaris, hoping for bobcats. There's actually a fairly robust mountain lion population in Point Reyes due to the relatively high deer and Tule Elk populations, but hardly anyone ever sees them. Will be traveling with camera at the ready, anyway. But one suspects that the cats have psychic means of avoiding camera traps as well as photographers....
ricardo00
Well-known member
Good luck at Pt Reyes and please let us know how it goes! I have met a couple people who say they saw a mountain lion there but neither got photos. Pre-dawn would be the best time to see one.In a few weeks going on a pre-dawn photo trip in Point Reyes with Daniel Dietrich Safaris, hoping for bobcats. There's actually a fairly robust mountain lion population in Point Reyes due to the relatively high deer and Tule Elk populations, but hardly anyone ever sees them. Will be traveling with camera at the ready, anyway. But one suspects that the cats have psychic means of avoiding camera traps as well as photographers....
Zwilkins
Member
No luck with a puma, but about 5 years ago we vacationed outside Rocky Mountain National Park. First night staying in a home on a nearby mountainside residential development we are eating dinner out on the deck and see this guy sitting a on a rock and watching us about 75 ft away. Ran inside to grab my D3300 with Tamron 70-300 (this was early in my photography journey) and got a few shots before he disappeared into the mountainside.
I believe this is bobcat or lynx but correct me if you know otherwise!
I believe this is bobcat or lynx but correct me if you know otherwise!
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Walter Baliero
Member
Hi Greg! If you want so – to come to Chile to photograph wild pumas so near that you won’t believe it – just contact me, I can lead you to the Chilean Patagonia. [email protected]
Though Canadian lynx have been reintroduced to the Colorodo Rockies, this is definitely a bobcat. Great shot!
GregT943
Well-known member
Some day I definitely will go to Chilean Patagonia, I have only been to the Argentina side of Patagonia so far. I already have my trips booked up for the next year. Maybe 2025
Many years ago while sitting and watching Riverside Geyser in Yellowstone we spotted a mountain lion sunning on the rocks on the mountain side high above the geyser. What gave the lion away was his tail wagging up and down on his rocky perch.
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I have been following this thread and find it interesting that no one has mentioned hearing the sounds they make. Hearing them was quite exciting and interesting.
I assume it was a cougar I was hearing one morning, while it was still pitch black out on a moonless night. I was sitting and leaning against a tree prior to sun up on a muzzle loading elk hunt.
You could hear something running very fast thru the trees in or above a gully and loudly screaming like a man or woman on fire. I was amazed that something could run that fast thru the forest in the mountains. The scream seemed to last about four to five seconds and then stopped but resumed again after a short pause. Then everything went back to dead silence again.
From the noise the animal (and quarry?) made running thru the brush and trees I assumed it was a large animal, significantly larger than a bobcat, for example. It seemed to run as fast as a person running on a road so I went to that spot later that day and there was no trail, no road, nor camp anywhere at all near that area. I was looking for sign that the sound might have been made by a person but did not think to look for signs of an animal kill or carcass. By process of elimination I figure that was a lion---but I could be wrong.
I'd appreciate any insight or explanation someone might have regarding similar incidents like this.
Thanks
I assume it was a cougar I was hearing one morning, while it was still pitch black out on a moonless night. I was sitting and leaning against a tree prior to sun up on a muzzle loading elk hunt.
You could hear something running very fast thru the trees in or above a gully and loudly screaming like a man or woman on fire. I was amazed that something could run that fast thru the forest in the mountains. The scream seemed to last about four to five seconds and then stopped but resumed again after a short pause. Then everything went back to dead silence again.
From the noise the animal (and quarry?) made running thru the brush and trees I assumed it was a large animal, significantly larger than a bobcat, for example. It seemed to run as fast as a person running on a road so I went to that spot later that day and there was no trail, no road, nor camp anywhere at all near that area. I was looking for sign that the sound might have been made by a person but did not think to look for signs of an animal kill or carcass. By process of elimination I figure that was a lion---but I could be wrong.
I'd appreciate any insight or explanation someone might have regarding similar incidents like this.
Thanks