THE Random Chat Thread - AKA "The RCT" - No shirt or shoes required - Open 24 / 7

[pepperj]

 

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[releventchair]

39c today. This hot weather makes it impossible to do anything.
But a question for you big cat country people.
There's always been stories of big cats in our bush. There were a number of releases back in the early goldrush days where cashed up miners shipped some over here for hunting just because they could. The majority got hunted down and killed but a couple they say escaped. Ok, that's the 1800s. More recent some US soldiers here in Victoria and other states doing training stuff with ours during WW2 had pumas and cougar mascots. They were told to destroy them but instead not wanting to kill them they let them go into the bush. Did they survive and breed is something often debated.
Since then there has been regular claims of sightings and paw prints.
These are the most recent just this week I think.
What do you guys make of these, big cats?
View attachment 2192187
View attachment 2192188

Top left could be cat tracks. But c'mon. No reference of size. Camera can zoom in or out all ya want.

Other tracks look canine.
Cats and fox are roundinsh. Often roundish blunt toes. Not always. But claws are valuable and like a folding pocket knife reserved for particular use.
If traction were needed that's different.

Studying would mean spending time following and finding where they defecate.
Diagnosing kills (whodid it.)

Prey matters.
Young cats will do alright on your rabbits but a decline in rabbits (they cycle in numbers often) can raise havoc on cats that became dependent on them.
Meaning in a few years it should show in attempts to shift to other prey when main prey is scarce.
Noe we're hanging around homes and ranches chasing easy stuff. Hopefully.

Bobcats here leave big tracks. Impressive big tracks some of them.
Lions do pass through at times.
I held a tape measure for dusty tracks where lady friend insisted on crossed the road in front of her.

A lion or two around isn't the same as one raising young.
If not remote and raising young there'd be more than tracks to suspect ; I suspect.

Claim is that young will follow humans sometimes.
While big cats are scarce in my parts I haven't heard of an adult following anyone.

Dd watch a large black one while hunting the back of a farm I used to rent. It was frogging like mice or rabbit were under a downed tree eventually after putting the sneak on it.
A former captive animal would be my 99% guess.
Left it alone and never had an issue about it with the horses or other stock. Nor saw tracks in the sand.
So it likely kept moving.

One cat here was allegedly from out West. (D.N.A. from hair sample maybe I've forgot how it was traced). Not just a couple states west either.
A yearling or slightly older one finding it's way after dispersal? And being uncontested by other cats mostly? ....Why not go on a walkabout?

In your area one would be lucky to survive long.
A spider bite and attack by a feral rabbit or twenty.

 

[Surf_Pirate]

If you use a metal detector, do you qualify as a Detective?

 

[releventchair]

Mornin all.

 

[Evan in CA]

Good morning all

 

[releventchair]

Good morning all

Mornin Evan!

 

[releventchair]

 

[releventchair]

Meskwaki (Fox) man and two women boiling Maple Tree Sap at the Meskwaki Settlement in Tama County, Iowa - circa 1920



Meskwaki (Fox) man and two women boiling Maple Tree Sap at the Meskwaki Settlement in Tama County, Iowa - circa 1920