Ok, this isn’t nearly as unique or exciting, but the last time I went backpacking with my dad in the Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness, we were hiking around a lake and saw some really nice deer tracks in the almost muddy soil of the lake shore, like you could make nice molds out of. We go a bit further, and I’m looking at the tracks because they’re so pristine, deep, and perfect, and I see a cats paw join the tracks. The paw print was bigger than my hand, and I’m a grown-ass man.
I was half worried about meeting that cat; I’m no tracker, but I suspect the tracks had been made the previous night or that morning. The other half of me was sorry for that deer.
We weren’t hunting and had no guns, but I bought a Pelican case for our next trip; that was our last one together, though.
I always love thinking about what wild cats could do to a person.
I think of what a five pound angry house cat can do to you … it will roll around like a snake in your hands, dazzled in fur, spiked with razor blades. It will cut and scratch you until you bleed in 20 different places.
Now turn that cat into a 100lb animal that has daggers instead of razor blades.
My favorite story stems from a park ranger in Oregon (IIRC) who was giving a tour, and they were carrying a 15’ (5m) long pole. As were about halfway through, they were taking about cougars, and they stopped next to a tree, and they explained that if a cougar is after you, climbing a tree is not a recommended defense; the pole was a demonstration of how high an adult cougar can jump, straight up.
Those of us with house cats were not surprised, but still. It helped put things into perspective.
Ooo!
Ok, this isn’t nearly as unique or exciting, but the last time I went backpacking with my dad in the Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness, we were hiking around a lake and saw some really nice deer tracks in the almost muddy soil of the lake shore, like you could make nice molds out of. We go a bit further, and I’m looking at the tracks because they’re so pristine, deep, and perfect, and I see a cats paw join the tracks. The paw print was bigger than my hand, and I’m a grown-ass man.
I was half worried about meeting that cat; I’m no tracker, but I suspect the tracks had been made the previous night or that morning. The other half of me was sorry for that deer.
We weren’t hunting and had no guns, but I bought a Pelican case for our next trip; that was our last one together, though.
I always love thinking about what wild cats could do to a person.
I think of what a five pound angry house cat can do to you … it will roll around like a snake in your hands, dazzled in fur, spiked with razor blades. It will cut and scratch you until you bleed in 20 different places.
Now turn that cat into a 100lb animal that has daggers instead of razor blades.
EDIT: typos from fat fingers on a phone
My favorite story stems from a park ranger in Oregon (IIRC) who was giving a tour, and they were carrying a 15’ (5m) long pole. As were about halfway through, they were taking about cougars, and they stopped next to a tree, and they explained that if a cougar is after you, climbing a tree is not a recommended defense; the pole was a demonstration of how high an adult cougar can jump, straight up.
Those of us with house cats were not surprised, but still. It helped put things into perspective.