If you go down to the woods today, you're sure to?

I went archery elk hunting the other day well before first light, and happened to encounter an adult mountain lion heading down the river beach towards me. We both froze instantly and s/he lets out a "low close quarters rumbling growl" at which point I raised my walking stick over my head and growled back at it. The cat gave that same growl a couple more times before it darted into the brush. Follow the link to hear the growl - 11th one from the top.

Low close quarters rumbling growl
 
My house is just at the edge of the woods so I just walk out on my porch. The critters that come up & most visit us everyday are the gray squirrels, black squirrels, fox squirrels, various woodpeckers, crows, hawks & a few hummers yet. Every once in a while I'll a fox trot on one the trails at the rear of the house. The deer will be coming by soon either at night or very early in the morning. Come to think about it now, all of the robins have left.
 

againstthegrain said:
I went archery elk hunting the other day well before first light, and happened to encounter an adult mountain lion heading down the river beach towards me. We both froze instantly and s/he lets out a "low close quarters rumbling growl" at which point I raised my walking stick over my head and growled back at it. The cat gave that same growl a couple more times before it darted into the brush. Follow the link to hear the growl - 11th one from the top.

Low close quarters rumbling growl
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Wow! You had a lot of courage growling back. Weren't you frightened? Or does this happen often?
 
katlupe said:
Enjoy the quiet and peacefulness of my old home surrounded by the state forest.

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Very inviting. Also quite different compared to here. You'd be hard-pressed to find deciduous groves in my region. Our native trees are probably more than 95% confers (many species). Just a little cottonwood, birch, sometimes aspen nearer to creeks & riverside. Very occasionally a splash of deciduous in the coniferous slope up a mountainside. People plant broadleaf trees on their own properties for color in the autumn and for the contrast of the form of these trees to the conifers.
 
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So my archery hunt continues. The encounter w the cat put a huge smile on my face, but figured there was no way an elk would be any where near a prowling cat. I cross the river, climb my tree and sit in the tree stand about 30' off the ground.

IMG_2790bow.jpeg



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A couple hours later the hunt was about over w no deer or elk in sight so I was gathering my equipment to lower to the ground. I heard this strange whistle-bark coming from a distance through the thick brush. The call was repetitive and came steadily closer. After a minute or so a juvenile mountain lion in the 50lb range comes out of the brush and down the trail that goes past my tree. The entire time it was making these steady plaintive search calls. It came past my tree and rested about 40 yds south of me and it kept calling, it eventually wandered off. I could hear in milling around, calling just 60-100 yds away for 10-15 mins as I climbed down and walked towards the river.

I searched the net for these calls, but didn't find anything similar.
 
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Gary O' said:
I would well imagine yer bears are bigger
Maybe they're more well fed?

Our blackies go around 400 to 500 lbs or so
This one (a yearling) dressed out at just under 400 lbs

View attachment 304823

My cabin doors are quite stout

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But
They're inside opening due to snow load

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Makes it a bit easier for Mr Bear

But haven't had to stand the test

However, my buds in SE Alaska have had some adverse experiences
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It's the smell that attracts bears. Any smell. Even toothpaste. That's what I've heard.
 
againstthegrain said:
So my archery hunt continues. The encounter w the cat put a huge smile on my face, but figured there was no way an elk would be any where near a prowling cat. I cross the river, climb my tree and sit in the tree stand about 30' off the ground.

A couple hours later the hunt was about over w no deer or elk in sight so I was gathering my equipment to lower to the ground. I heard this strange whistle-bark coming from a distance through the thick brush. The call was repetitive and came steadily closer. After a minute or so a juvenile mountain lion in the 50lb range comes out of the brush and down the trail that goes past my tree. The entire time it was making these steady plaintive search calls. It came past my tree and rested about 40 yds south of me and it kept calling, it eventually wandered off. I could hear in milling around, calling just 60-100 yds away for 10-15 mins as I climbed down and walked towards the river.

I searched the net for these calls, but didn't find anything similar.
Click to expand...
Do you think it was searching for a family member (like a child for its mother?)
 
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