big cat tracks

[pippinwhitepaws]

a few years ago, I was on the border, eastern Arizona...as in the border fence was tugging at my pants leg...
I was attempting to take the picture I use for an avatar...neat spot...arroyos, dangerous cat claw, an angel hair cholla...

I see these cat tracks in the newly rained on sand...cool...
i walk up a few feet to get 4 paws in the same shot...cool...then I notice the wet sand falling off the top edges of the track...
hummmmm?
I look up just in time to see the hind quarter of a spotted cat, that weights lots more than I do....

pistol is in the car, 200+ feet away, on the other side of all that cholla an catclaw...healthy plants...{not that I would have shot at him for no reason.}
so, here I am with a camera an a swithchblade...against the first jaguar photographed in Arizona since 1932...
I did not get the photo... a rancher set up wildlife cameras to find the mountain lion harassing his sheep...
but I got to photograph his paw prints...

that boot tip is a size 10 1/2 Harley riding boot...no tiny track ladies...
don't give the critters a bad time, and they leave you alone...mostly.

{this is not a 'shoulda killed it' thread, please.!

 

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[bevo]

should of killed it, just kidding, thats really cool, and I'm glad you made out ok. Fresh cat tracks or scat gives me the creeps. Cats are so dern silent.

 

[bevo]

I went down into a creek to pan (about three miles in). Panned for a couple of hours, and on the way out there was fresh scat right where we left the logging road. Which was about 100 yrds away from the creek.

 

[kuger]

Yep,very cool.I like how you worded all of that as well....lions are not all about preying on people but can,and do on occasion.A gun,or knife is not really any defense either....any dog is though as soon as lion beleives its cover is blown,it wont attack....if they do attack,its generally from behind with enough force to break your neck

 

[hvacker]

Your lucky as secretive as these creatures are. I've seen reports about the Jaguars seen in SW New Mexico also. Not seen for years. The only thing these amazing creatures should be shot with is a camera. I know a lot of people get a gun and think, Gee what can I shoot." I'll never get that.
The border seems to have a lot of things more dangerous than animals these days. Drug runners, vigilantes, shaky border patrol agents, scared Mexicans. I'd rate the vigilantes as the most dangerous.

 

[Silver Searcher]

View attachment 796045
a few years ago, I was on the border, eastern Arizona...as in the border fence was tugging at my pants leg...
I was attempting to take the picture I use for an avatar...neat spot...arroyos, dangerous cat claw, an angel hair cholla...

I see these cat tracks in the newly rained on sand...cool...
i walk up a few feet to get 4 paws in the same shot...cool...then I notice the wet sand falling off the top edges of the track...
hummmmm?
I look up just in time to see the hind quarter of a spotted cat, that weights lots more than I do....

pistol is in the car, 200+ feet away, on the other side of all that cholla an catclaw...healthy plants...{not that I would have shot at him for no reason.}
so, here I am with a camera an a swithchblade...against the first jaguar photographed in Arizona since 1932...
I did not get the photo... a rancher set up wildlife cameras to find the mountain lion harassing his sheep...
but I got to photograph his paw prints...

that boot tip is a size 10 1/2 Harley riding boot...no tiny track ladies...
don't give the critters a bad time, and they leave you alone...mostly.

{this is not a 'shoulda killed it' thread, please.!

Honor the sacred.Honor the Earth, our Mother.Honor the Elders.Honor all with whom we share the Earth:-
Four-leggeds, two-leggeds, winged ones,Swimmers, crawlers, plant and rock people.Walk in balance and beauty.


SS

 

[New Orleans Relic]

What about coyotes? Lol

 

[kuger]

I totally missed the "spotted cat part",!!!!!WOW!!!!You are incredibly fortunate!!!Yea,you would be in the clink(and rightfully so)if you had killed it.I had to travel to Jalisco Mexico to see a Jag track,and never did get to see an actual animal!I have been rooting for the return of a Jag population to the South,but seeins how the last documented female was in 1962-3 I dont see it happening soon?With the numerous reports of Black Cats occurring Nation wide there may be hope,since Jags are much more prone to Melanism

Picture taken in 1996 by Warner Glenn

 

[pippinwhitepaws]

on that trip, I was stopped around seven or eight times by the border patrol ...some of those guys can hardly speak English...
saw the self described armed and concerned citizens...scarier than the cat...
but the thing I saw that had me hold my breath...I had stopped along a historic sneak away from the buffalo soldiers, sneak away from the Mexican troops transport route...
neat spot...narrow arroyo, vertical sides...I stop to catch my breath, drink a cup of coffee stationed on the dash board...
I notice an apache man climb out of the wash...he doesn't see me, bends over an soon around fifteen full grown men, long hairs, in dusty carharts and blue jeans are all looking in my direction...
the first one out the wash... kinda smiles {as in showing teeth}an waves me over....
YEA RIGHT!
no damn border patrol here...
I ain't afraid of much...but that site was a full blown flashback to genetic memory...
not my day to be the party friends...
I was down the road with the door closing on my foot.

 

[pippinwhitepaws]

kuger, it was only a sliver of his butt I saw, as strolled away in the catclaw...

lots more jaguars in the us than most realize.



Jaguar Management

 

[kuger]

on that trip, I was stopped around seven or eight times by the border patrol ...some of those guys can hardly speak English...
saw the self described armed and concerned citizens...scarier than the cat...
but the thing I saw that had me hold my breath...I had stopped along a historic sneak away from the buffalo soldiers, sneak away from the Mexican troops transport route...
neat spot...narrow arroyo, vertical sides...I stop to catch my breath, drink a cup of coffee stationed on the dash board...
I notice an apache man climb out of the wash...he doesn't see me, bends over an soon around fifteen full grown men, long hairs, in dusty carharts and blue jeans are all looking in my direction...
the first one out the wash... kinda smiles {as in showing teeth}an waves me over....
YEA RIGHT!
no damn border patrol here...
I ain't afraid of much...but that site was a full blown flashback to genetic memory...
not my day to be the party friends...
I was down the road with the door closing on my foot.

...cant even imagine!I have spoke with landowners along the Border that claim they still have out right shoot outs down there....Old West Style!

That trip to Jalisco was about as close to that as I have been,and I didnt like that feeling....at all.There had been several Guerrilla forces in the area and Kidnapping was VERY common

 

[kuger]

kuger, it was only a sliver of his butt I saw, as strolled away in the catclaw...

lots more jaguars in the us than most realize.

Yes...but note when the last documented Female was

I highly recommend the Book by Warner Glenn
also....you have seen a whole lot more of one than I!!!!!

 

[ret-detector]

You're lucky...next time stay armed.

No hiking without Mr. Glock...my personal rule.

 

[pippinwhitepaws]

 

[Gold Maven]

I was fortunate to meet Mel Hershberger in the late 70's, just before his death. He was the top Bobcat trapper in Arizona for years. He showed me some pics of 25 cat days, he ran a long trap line and knew Arizona well.

He said that the game commission wouldn't admit it, but there are Jaguars in Az. I've hunted in areas with a lot of lion sign, and never saw one, it's not to hard to believe there could be a few Jaguar around.

He was secretive about his bobcat numbers, for tax reasons probably, but he did say he caught 190 coyote accidentally in his cat sets the year I met him. I talked to his son a few years later, and he said they caught over 400 bobcat that year. He was an amazing trapper.

RIP Mel.

 

[pippinwhitepaws]

Coyote pup rescued after being covered with cholla cactus | azfamily.com Phoenix

 

[kuger]

Good deal,nothing deserves to die that way...but...thats Mother Nature,she is NOT humane,there was no part of man involved in that situation besides the outcome

 

[DizzyDigger]

Congrats on the Jaguar sighting!

Jaguars have been known to be in Southern AZ for many years, and there's also a few in New Mexico and
west Texas. My sis lives in the jungles of the Osa Peninsula in Costa Rica, and she has Jaguar in her area,
although they are rarely seen in the daytime.

As for cougars, I just spent a couple nights in the high country above Manhattan, NV, and found tracks
of 3 different cougars. One was definitely a male, and the other pair were (presumably) a female and
a half-grown cub. My guess is he was after her, as his tracks are about a day fresher than hers and
following along the same draws. Slept in the truckbed (very comfy) instead of a tent/cot, and when out
hiking the area I spent one minute rockhounding and 5 min. checking for unwanted company. Trees were
too short for a aerial assault, but there was loads of cover available for a ground stalk. There was
a large population of Mule Deer in the area (based on the sign), plus a healthy jackrabbit population for
the bobcats, coyotes and cougars to feed on, so I really didn't fear being a "food source", but I also
had no desire to meet up with Momma Cougar and her kid, and especially not with that big buggar
whose tracks showed to be large bodied and long-legged.

 

[kuger]

Congrats on the Jaguar sighting!

Jaguars have been known to be in Southern AZ for many years, and there's also a few in New Mexico and
west Texas. My sis lives in the jungles of the Osa Peninsula in Costa Rica, and she has Jaguar in her area,
although they are rarely seen in the daytime.

As for cougars, I just spent a couple nights in the high country above Manhattan, NV, and found tracks
of 3 different cougars. One was definitely a male, and the other pair were (presumably) a female and
a half-grown cub. My guess is he was after her, as his tracks are about a day fresher than hers and
following along the same draws. Slept in the truckbed (very comfy) instead of a tent/cot, and when out
hiking the area I spent one minute rockhounding and 5 min. checking for unwanted company. Trees were
too short for a aerial assault, but there was loads of cover available for a ground stalk. There was
a large population of Mule Deer in the area (based on the sign), plus a healthy jackrabbit population for
the bobcats, coyotes and cougars to feed on, so I really didn't fear being a "food source", but I also
had no desire to meet up with Momma Cougar and her kid, and especially not with that big buggar
whose tracks showed to be large bodied and long-legged.

Yes,Nevada has a BOOMING lion population DESPITE,a year round season,open 24 hours a day,each hunter can kill two....and The Nevada Div. Of Wildlife Sponsors a Full time Gov. Trapper to eradicate lions from Bighorn sheep recovery ranges......so imagine the populations in Calif where they are protected...and they are still stating the same population numbers as they did over 20 years ago....HOGWASH...endangered my foot