There May be A Cougar Prowling Nearby Tonight
In case everyone in Gather doesn't know by now, I live in a trailer on an Indian horse camp in the mountains about 70 miles east of San Diego. Last October we had record-breaking wildfires that came about 20 miles away from us and that killed a lot of wild critters. It also drove many more into strange territory. Wherever the deer went, cougars were bound to be close behind.
Today some horse campers came back from a ride near the little lake about 1/4 mile up the hill, and told us a cougar had run across the path in front of them. I'll bet that is what my big black lab/collie, Smokey Joe, has been barking at lately. He has been looking up the mountain several times a day toward the rocks that surround the small lake, and his bark is different from the way he barks at coyotes and strange people or dogs. Right now at 10 p.m. he is whining to go out. He probably thinks it is a cat he would be allowed to chase. "Uh-uh, Smokey, your fat self would be badly outclassed."
As soon as I heard the warning, I called the tribal office so people on the rez would know to be a little more watchful of their children and pets. I discovered the cougar has been seen around here before. Hey! How no one told me before now?
I'm going to look for tracks early tomorrow morning before I let out my house cats, or Smokey and the old female dog I recently acquired.
Other than that, things are percolating about as usual. The weather is clear and cool. Actually it is cold at night ? my water lines have frozen for the last few nights. The wind stays 10 to 20 mph or more, and that causes a wind chill factor that makes me bundle up every time I go outside. I'm always amazed how much warmer it is in Jacumba where I go to the library. That is about 12 miles away at about 2000 feet lower in altitude. I have to take off my jacket there. They don't get the wind that blows most of the time up here.
Well, cougar or no cougar, I'm going to bed. It is probably more afraid of me than I am of it. With new grass coming up, the rabbits are eating better, and I have already seen them doing spring dances down by the corral near the arroyo. So our cougar will be eating better without prowling for food around my trailer. Good night.
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Comments: 12
Would you believe in our little town, 32 miles from Boston, a bobcat was reported shot last week....a bobcat in Massachusetts. Very strange!
I let Smokey Joe out before dawn, and he broke out of my reinforced fence and is now out there chasing something. If he is after the cougar, I hope it is a young one who scares easily. Smokey is too fat for a fight. Poor old Sherpa followed him through the hole in the fence and couldn't find her way back into the yard. She is very deaf and partially blind. She is happy to be back inside in her bed by the heater. The wind is blowing a gale but it's not terribly cold.
hope all's well