Five miles away from my home on New Years Eve, a mountain lion sniffed the base of a bear marking tree...
This was the spot where the
juvenile mountain lion spent a long time trying to get a tracking device off of his ear last summer. That juvenile left fur all over the rocks embedded in the ground at the base of the tree. This is a new cat, who marked the area extensively by rubbing his fur on the ground on New Years Eve.
He eventually departed. In the near future, I'll show you his visit to a small non-frozen spring where I have a trail camera shooting video.
Here, a third of a mile from my home, the long tail of a lion appeared a few nights ago. My heart always gives an extra hard thump when I see a lion tail on my camera viewfinder while sitting in the forest.
After passing my trail camera, he noticed it. He looks small in this photo, doesn't he?
His focus on my camera's dim red light racheted up...
Then, in a tenth of a second, he leaped from his spot 10' from my camera almost onto it.
He rubbed against the camera for a while (perhaps marking it?) before heading away.
Believe it or not, another cat came through the next night but I'll save those photos for another post.
I've been wishing for more mountain lion photos on my trail cameras. I think my wish came true, all of a sudden!
Happy Sunday!
that would sure make me nervous. glad you've got shyla to alert to danger when you're out together.
ReplyDeleteYour trail camera's cat photos are always my favorites :)
ReplyDeleteHere kitty kitty. hahah OK I would not be that brave if I was there in the furs with the kitty. They are very beautiful.
ReplyDeleteBlessings,
Goose
That big kitty would get my heart thumping too!
ReplyDeleteLove your cat pics.
ReplyDeleteHow cool, how beautiful, how exciting!
ReplyDeleteThe mountain lion is my favourite so I love your pictures of them! Can't wait to see the next ones!
ReplyDeleteThat is one way to celebrate the end of the year, super shots, and they must move so fast. so " If you go down to the woods today... Take care!!" Greetings from Jean
ReplyDeleteThey are such magnificent creatures! I love seeing them. I hope your eye is doing ok. Even though I don't always have time to comment, I do read every single one of your posts.
ReplyDeleteThese are always so amazing.
ReplyDeleteCindy
I sure do love your cat pics!! I think I would be a bit nervous though...knowing they were so close to my home. Good thing that cat did not break your camera!!
ReplyDeleteWow! Those are such beautiful animals. Be careful out there.
ReplyDeleteIThese fotos give me an uncomfortable sense of awe. Very Cool
ReplyDeleteSuch beautiful creatures!
ReplyDeleteNola
These are fantastic and captivating shots! You know how much I like cougars and see them as my guardian. I would love to see them in the wild - from a safe distance.
ReplyDeleteAWESOME! Love the pic of the lion rolling on the ground. So adorable!
ReplyDeleteWow- we never thought a mountain lion would leap at something it was uncertain of! Gosh,,, my mommy better see these photos, cause she is fearless.
ReplyDeletelove
tweedles
Yikes - 10 feet is a long leap!
ReplyDeleteLove ya lots♥
Mitch and Molly
Wow...Those are so awesome!!!
ReplyDeletethank you for sharing. such beautiful creatures! I will have to get a camera someday.
ReplyDeletei think while i was a way for a few weeks, that a lion killed and buried a deer in my yard.
I never knew it had been here because it snowed on the tracks before i returned.
a few days ago something pulled the partially sheered and eaten deer from it's snow freezer and coyotes have been here nightly for it. Birds too. I found it interesting for a few days, but today i drug it far away... out of my front yard.
Hi Y'all!
ReplyDeleteHope y'all had a wonderful weekend and that you are feeling better. Always love when you post these wildlife photos.
Y'all come by now,
Hawk aka BrownDog
Interestingly, when I look at these photos I don't feel the frightening wildness of a predator that I should according to everyone else's responses. I must be too domesticated, ignorant about nature maybe?
ReplyDeleteMelon
Awesome. Just awesome.
ReplyDeleteIt makes me so happy to see these big guys out and about! (Glad you weren't standing behind the camera though)
Awsome Pictures!
ReplyDeleteExciting if you see kittens in spring