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RumiDude
Marmota olympus
Joined: 26 Jul 2009
Posts: 3597 | TRs | Pics
Location: Port Angeles |
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RumiDude
Marmota olympus
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 Sat May 19, 2018 2:13 pm |
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"This is my Indian summer ... I'm far more dangerous now, because I don't care at all."
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Hikerdood
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Joined: 09 May 2016
Posts: 108 | TRs | Pics
Location: Bothell, Wa. |
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RichP
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Joined: 13 Jul 2006
Posts: 5634 | TRs | Pics
Location: here |
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RichP
Member
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Sat May 19, 2018 3:31 pm |
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Very rare, indeed.
| Quote: | | The last fatal attack in Washington apparently occurred in 1924 in Olema when Jimmy Fehlhaber, 13, was killed. |
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zephyr
aka friendly hiker
Joined: 21 Jun 2009
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Location: West Seattle |
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zephyr
aka friendly hiker
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Sat May 19, 2018 3:46 pm |
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Tragic and scary. Sincere condolences to family, friends and loved ones. 
Some pull quotes from the article RumiDude posted:
The two men were mountain biking when they were attacked before noon, according to the Sheriff's Office.
KOMO is reporting the attack took place on Tolt Reservoir Road which is north of North Bend and east of Carnation.
There is a link in the article to a map of cougar incidents in 2017-18 (the past 365 days). Per the article the map is from WA Fish and Wildlife. Many are attacks on livestock. ~z
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ChinookPass
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Joined: 21 Aug 2009
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RIP.
I had my only cougar sighting in that same area while mtn biking there about 15 years ago.
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Malachai Constant
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Joined: 13 Jan 2002
Posts: 16100 | TRs | Pics
Location: Back Again Like A Bad Penny |
I think they like to go after MTB because they are low and fast triggering a predatory mode. There have been a number of attacks on bikers in the hills west of the Bay Area. The run down prey and attack from behind. I assume this was on the tree farm. RIP
"You do not laugh when you look at the mountains, or when you look at the sea." Lafcadio Hearn
"You do not laugh when you look at the mountains, or when you look at the sea." Lafcadio Hearn
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BdCast
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Joined: 13 May 2011
Posts: 238 | TRs | Pics
Location: Washington |
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BdCast
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Sat May 19, 2018 4:52 pm |
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Dave Workman
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Joined: 06 Aug 2006
Posts: 3699 | TRs | Pics
Location: In the woods, by the big tree |
| Malachai Constant wrote: | | I think they like to go after MTB because they are low and fast triggering a predatory mode. There have been a number of attacks on bikers in the hills west of the Bay Area. The run down prey and attack from behind. I assume this was on the tree farm. RIP |
Right you are. I think 2 or 3 people have been killed in Cal. and partially eaten. I did stories on at least two such incidents in past years. Let's face it, to a mountain lion, some people just look like food.
Now, there have been other incidents of cougars coming up behind or on the flanks of people. Even happened to a friend of mine who was hunting deer over in Chelan County several years ago.
People will come up with all kinds of theories about why cougars attack people. The last known fatal attack I know of was in New Mexico about 10 years ago. In New Mexico, IIRC, they still hunt cougars with hounds, soooooo, the argument that cougars attack people (In WA and CA) because they don't hunt them with hounds loses a bit of traction.
Cougars are predators. They spend all of their waking hours looking for food. This one apparently was a big one, about 100 lbs. WDFW will do a necropsy, according to one report. Then we'll see what they say.
"The essential American soul is hard, isolate, stoic, and a killer. It has never yet melted." - D.H. Lawrence
"The essential American soul is hard, isolate, stoic, and a killer. It has never yet melted." - D.H. Lawrence
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Bootpathguy
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Joined: 18 Jun 2015
Posts: 1791 | TRs | Pics
Location: United States |
Population is on the rise. I just today saw yet another road kill cougar on I90 east bound right about were twin falls is. That's 3 in just over a year
Experience is what'cha get, when you get what'cha don't want
Experience is what'cha get, when you get what'cha don't want
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gb
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Joined: 01 Jul 2010
Posts: 6315 | TRs | Pics
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gb
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Sat May 19, 2018 9:20 pm |
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| Dave Workman wrote: | | Malachai Constant wrote: | | I think they like to go after MTB because they are low and fast triggering a predatory mode. There have been a number of attacks on bikers in the hills west of the Bay Area. The run down prey and attack from behind. I assume this was on the tree farm. RIP |
Right you are. I think 2 or 3 people have been killed in Cal. and partially eaten. I did stories on at least two such incidents in past years. Let's face it, to a mountain lion, some people just look like food.
Now, there have been other incidents of cougars coming up behind or on the flanks of people. Even happened to a friend of mine who was hunting deer over in Chelan County several years ago.
People will come up with all kinds of theories about why cougars attack people. The last known fatal attack I know of was in New Mexico about 10 years ago. In New Mexico, IIRC, they still hunt cougars with hounds, soooooo, the argument that cougars attack people (In WA and CA) because they don't hunt them with hounds loses a bit of traction.
Cougars are predators. They spend all of their waking hours looking for food. This one apparently was a big one, about 100 lbs. WDFW will do a necropsy, according to one report. Then we'll see what they say. |
This is misleading. The very few recent attacks have either been joggers or mountain bikers unless you can come up with a different real example. Banff or thereabouts and in Southern California. The prey response to someone moving rapidly seems obvious.
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Dave Workman
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Joined: 06 Aug 2006
Posts: 3699 | TRs | Pics
Location: In the woods, by the big tree |
| gb wrote: | | This is misleading. The very few recent attacks have either been joggers or mountain bikers unless you can come up with a different real example. Banff or thereabouts and in Southern California. The prey response to someone moving rapidly seems obvious. |
Oh, yeah? And just what is "misleading?" I said essentially the same thing you said.
I also noted that people will come up with all kinds of theories.
What, you didn't care for cougars being called predators?
Maybe you didn't care for me concurring with Malachi that the attacks in CA were on bikers, and that they might have been attacked because the MTB is low and fast and triggers a predatory mode, eh?
"The essential American soul is hard, isolate, stoic, and a killer. It has never yet melted." - D.H. Lawrence
"The essential American soul is hard, isolate, stoic, and a killer. It has never yet melted." - D.H. Lawrence
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cambajamba
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Joined: 05 Nov 2011
Posts: 339 | TRs | Pics
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I'm not really looking to get into this but I feel the need to point out that MTB is not really a low to the ground vehicle. When in a fast riding position you'll usually be bent forward a little with your rear out of the saddle. Generally speaking that plus the pedal height means I'm roughly the same height as when I'm walking.
I mean all that being said I own cats, I get it. They moved too fast past that cat, and it went into kill mode. If my little furballs will draw blood...
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DIYSteve
seeking hygge
Joined: 06 Mar 2007
Posts: 12654 | TRs | Pics
Location: here now |
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DIYSteve
seeking hygge
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Sun May 20, 2018 9:37 am |
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| gb wrote: | | The prey response to someone moving rapidly seems obvious. |
From today's NYT article:
| New York Times wrote: | | The authorities said the two cyclists saw the cougar, a 100-pound male, in pursuit and one of them screamed. They stopped, got off their bikes and made noise to ward it off as people in such situations are advised to do, the authorities said.
At first, it appeared to work. The cougar fled.
But as they were about to pedal away, the cougar returned, Sgt. Ryan Abbott of the King County Sheriff’s Office said. It jumped on Isaac M. Sederbaum, putting its mouth around his head and shaking him. It released him and chased after the other cyclist, Sonja J. Brooks, who had started to run.
As Mr. Sederbaum, who had been bloodied but survived, rode away from the scene, he could see the cougar dragging Ms. Brooks into the woods. . . . |
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Jake Robinson
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Joined: 02 Aug 2016
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moonspots
Happy Curmudgeon
Joined: 03 Feb 2007
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Location: North Dakota |
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moonspots
Happy Curmudgeon
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Sun May 20, 2018 12:31 pm |
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A quote from the article: "Cougars, also known as mountain lions and pumas, are a protected species." which makes me wonder if in this case would it have been legal to kill the cat, had the cyclists had the means to do so?
"Out, OUT you demons of Stupidity"! - St Dogbert, patron Saint of Technology
"Out, OUT you demons of Stupidity"! - St Dogbert, patron Saint of Technology
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