CAT FOOD - BUT NO CATS...

Out at 6:30 am this morning. A moderately heavy fog allowed for visibility of only about a hundred feet as the day began to dawn.

No screaming women this morning...only the distant gobble of Tom Turkeys, calling from their roosts in the canyon below. These, along with a healthy deer herd, undoubtedly provide a little of the cat-nip that would make this place an appealing stop within the mountian lions large home range, said to be 25-140 sq. km. for females and up to 750 km. for males (who do not allow over-lapping of other males within their ranges) per University of Michican Dept. of Zoology.

Scott

FEMALE LION IN ESTRUS?

Based on the information below on the timing we are guessing that the loud wailing we heard this morning indicated a female lion in heat, though we'd be delighted to hear from others more knowledgeable on the subject.

"Although mountain lions may breed throughout the year, mating is believed to be most common from December to March. Young mountain lions are generally born from April to September after a gestation of 82 to 96 days (Young and Goldman, 1946; Eaton and Verlander, 1977). The usual litter consists of two to three kittens, and litters may be spaced as far as two to three years apart. The young are born in the den, but no nest is constructed."

MOUNTAIN LION IN FOREST RANCH!

We were thrilled to have a mountain lion wailing 20 yards from our house at app. 6:45 am this morning! Kathleen went outside to let the dog out, heard a heinous noise and called me to come outside quick. I have often hear mountain lion vocalizations referred to as sounding like "a woman being killed" and this could not have been more accurate (unless of course a woman was actually being killed, over and over again on the hillside below our house). We called both of the kids out to listen but they could only handle a few moments of it. As Kathleen and I stood there in the dark listening the lion walked right past us, just below the lip of the canyon - literally yards away. The cat continued up canyon but downhill and we last heard it 100 yards below us.

I plan on rising early tomorrow morning for a listen and perhaps even a look. Going out this afternoon to look for tracks. After a lifetime spent in the outdoors this is still a lifer mammal for me.

Hopefully I'll find a mountain lion and not a dead woman!!!

Scott