Yes, What is it? Not a relic but a monster in the woods. For real.

[smokeythecat]

So I live in God's country in Maryland, next to beaver, raccoon, fox, squirrel, bobcat, skunk, opossum, chipmunk, groundhog and nutria infested woods. Not to forget the deer. My trail camera got 3 deer in 1 frame last night.

Anyway, I got home about 9 pm, well after dark and I parked a little farther away than normal from the outside motion sensor lights, so when I got out of the vehicle it was dark, with moonlight as we're at full moon stage. I walk 10 feet toward the house and the floods kicked in. Immediately thereafter there is a blood curdling ROAR, coming out the woods and I figure I was about 100-150 feet away from the roaring critter. I did the horror movie thing and fumbled and dropped my keys getting into the house, but fortunately did not get CHOMPED by the thing.

What could it (realistically) have been? A neighbor saw a mountain lion three weeks ago in their field 2 houses down. My friend saw one here about 10 years ago, another neighbor saw one jump out of tree about 2 years ago and I have chased a bear out of my trash right up close and in person about 6 years ago. Bears still come and go.

It was not a little roar. It was a BIG roar. Any advice appreciated. I'm thinking mountain lion (although they're not supposed to be around here) or a bear. Probably not an alien.

 

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[smokeythecat]

No, the sound matches a bobcat. So this morning I put out the better of my two trail cameras, put a yellow feather and a turkey wing (cooked) tied to a bush and extended about 2-3 feet off the ground. Too high for a shunk, real kitty cat or ground or opossum to get, probably too high for a raccoon. Deer wouldn't want it. So by tomorrow if the leg is gone I should have some pics.

I also put two battery powered (they think of everything) motion sensors nearer the house so nothing can get within 50 feet of the house without some sort of light coming on and stuck a big whack-em-t-pieces pole between where I park and the door just in case I get a really ticked off one come at me. Raining today, no digging.

 

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[Ant]

That tom cat is looking for romance, he won't bother you, as for size generally not over 25 pounds, normally more like 20. From what I've learned bobcats yend to follow Bergmann's rule, bassiclly the closer you get to the pole's (towards colder the climate) the larger the animal will be.

 

[smokeythecat]

I'm just looking for bobcat selfies at this point. Did get pics of the beaver here at night. Once I get the cat, Ill try for daylight beaver pics. The dam he built has not gotten any bigger, and it's not flooding anything important.

 

[flyadive]

I would like to see those pics!

The PA game commission investigated and found it legit !

 

[flyadive]

now i wonder if the cat i saw was rabid or just curious, as it
followed me on a low rise above a dirt road, in a hollar in wva
i was on a bicycle about a 1 mile from home and the rabies
vaccine was still 2 yrs away
the one i heard was a few yrs later near the same hollar

The "Hollar" , I love that and Mountain Momma too!
Years ago I had a Coyote come up to me , Unafraid !
Always wondered if it was Rabid? It hung around a bit and then just walked away.

 

[smokeythecat]

At dusk tonight nothing had disturbed the feather or tasty turkey wing. We'll see what it looks like in the am.

 

[rick67]

Well?
You scared him off?

 

[smokeythecat]

I scare off most everything, put up the shiny silver disc and there is a turkey wing hanging from a tree. Only a squirrel and fox showed up last night and early this am. Will check again.

It's raining here, that may have something to do with it. He was under my front bushes on Sunday. Saw him from less than 10' away. Kinda small. Must be a youngun'.