The Cellar - View Single Post

07-14-2004, 12:44 PM

WE all take risks every day we are alive. Even just crossing a street means that we are risking being hit by an out of control truck or a drunk driver. If we decide to take an airplane, there's a risk it might crash. If we get in our cars, there's a risk we might have an accident. Swimming in the ocean or walking in the wood is no different. I think its foolish to take it out on the animals. We know that they may be there, we access the possibilities, and take the risk. I agree that its pointless to go around killing sharks. They'll never figure out which ones were responsible for the attack, anyhow.

I go out in the back country often, and the animal which concerns me the most around here is the cougar. When it comes to cougars, there are no good statistics on "repeat offenders." Generally, a cougar which kills a human is hunted down and destroyed. There are a couple of instances where the animal was caught and relocated and never attacked anyone again. Most cougars which attack people are either yearlings who have not found a hunting territory of their own or animals which are sick. 80% of all cougar attacks were found to have been carried out by under weight animals. When I'm in cougar country, I take certain precautions. I avoid activities at dawn or dusk - a cougar's prime hunting hours. I avoid acting like prey - jogging in the woods, etc. I carry mace, and I know that if I encounter a cougar, I need to act like a predator - jump on a rock if possible, shout, throw rocks, and wave my arms around while looking at the cougar the entire time. Cougars don't really consider humans to be a tasty treat, and would much prefer to go eat a nice deer or elk. You need to remind them of this if you encounter one. The worst possible thing to do is to act like prey and try to run from one. They're too fast anyhow. It's damn hard to out pace a cougar.

If I ever were to be killed by one, I'd just as soon Fish and Wildlife let it go unless it was proved to be a threat to other humans. Its a risk, but its a very small one. I'll take my chances and accept the consequences if I loose through my own foolishness.

07-14-2004, 12:44 PM	#24
marichiko Guest Posts: n/a	WE all take risks every day we are alive. Even just crossing a street means that we are risking being hit by an out of control truck or a drunk driver. If we decide to take an airplane, there's a risk it might crash. If we get in our cars, there's a risk we might have an accident. Swimming in the ocean or walking in the wood is no different. I think its foolish to take it out on the animals. We know that they may be there, we access the possibilities, and take the risk. I agree that its pointless to go around killing sharks. They'll never figure out which ones were responsible for the attack, anyhow. I go out in the back country often, and the animal which concerns me the most around here is the cougar. When it comes to cougars, there are no good statistics on "repeat offenders." Generally, a cougar which kills a human is hunted down and destroyed. There are a couple of instances where the animal was caught and relocated and never attacked anyone again. Most cougars which attack people are either yearlings who have not found a hunting territory of their own or animals which are sick. 80% of all cougar attacks were found to have been carried out by under weight animals. When I'm in cougar country, I take certain precautions. I avoid activities at dawn or dusk - a cougar's prime hunting hours. I avoid acting like prey - jogging in the woods, etc. I carry mace, and I know that if I encounter a cougar, I need to act like a predator - jump on a rock if possible, shout, throw rocks, and wave my arms around while looking at the cougar the entire time. Cougars don't really consider humans to be a tasty treat, and would much prefer to go eat a nice deer or elk. You need to remind them of this if you encounter one. The worst possible thing to do is to act like prey and try to run from one. They're too fast anyhow. It's damn hard to out pace a cougar. If I ever were to be killed by one, I'd just as soon Fish and Wildlife let it go unless it was proved to be a threat to other humans. Its a risk, but its a very small one. I'll take my chances and accept the consequences if I loose through my own foolishness.