Cougar Sightings and Incidents (Hayden, Sandpoint: 2013, home, neighborhood)

[Clark Fork Fantast]

There have been several cougar incidents in North Idaho recently, according to the Bonner County Daily Bee:

Cougar sightings reported in area - Bonner County Daily Bee: Local News

Mountain lion sightings have been reported in Sandpoint and Clark Fork in the last few days.
A mountain lion was spotted on Lower Syringa Road on Saturday evening, according to Sandpoint Police.
The department put out an advisory on its Facebook page on Sunday recommending that kids stay indoors at dusk and dawn. Police also suggest encouraging kids to play in groups and escorting kids to their bus stops in areas were mountain lion are spotted.
The department further recommends that pets be brought in at night, ensure that home exteriors are illuminated and to feed pets indoors.
A mountain lion killed a dog in Clark Fork on Friday and cached its carcass, said Idaho Department of Fish & Game Conservation Officer Matt Haag. One of the people looking for the dog crossed paths with the cougar.
“He came face-to-face with a mountain lion,” said Haag.
The mountain lion screeched and took off.

The thing is, I think I may actually "know" that cougar in Clark Fork. There is a male cougar that has been stalking the area for a long time, on and off. In the late summer of 2013 he took several big dogs off front porches, and he may have been after our dog Sweetie. She made whiney-growling sounds I'd never heard her make before, right before we heard the cougar cry out, and my goodness, what a howl that was! Completely true to legend! It sounded like a woman in great pain and anguish. Next day we heard the cat had attacked and killed somebody's pet. And we found cougar scat just 30 yards from our camper. I feel terrible for the people who have lost their dogs--what a dreadful way to lose your pet. (As some of you will remember, we lost Sweetie 3 months ago, to a rattlesnake bite, in SoCal.)

Here's what to do if you encounter a cougar:

Wildlife managers urge people to steer clear of cougar and to give them an avenue of escape. Running from a mountain lion is discouraged because it could stimulate the cats’ instinct to chase.
If a potential conflict cannot be avoided, managers recommend maintaining eye contact and doing whatever you can to make yourself appear larger, such as opening your coat, raising your arms. Throwing objects at the animal can also be effective.
If attacked, fight back with whatever is at your disposal and try to remain standing.
Haag recommends that adults bring up the front and the rear when hiking in the forest with small children.
“Nine times out of 10, when you’re hiking in the woods a mountain lion is probably watching you, but you never see it,” he said.

(I know we have an old thread about wildlife incl. cougars, but I couldn't find it! )

[oldafretired]

Wow, CFF, you have cougars in your area! My builder said he only sees a bunch of chipmunks and turkeys on my lot when he's working.

Is there a history of cougars attacking humans? I wonder how well bear spray would work on a cougar?
It's really sad that people have lost their pets to cougars.

[Cnynrat]

I'll bet there are cougars in your area as well. They are not uncommon in north Idaho, but they can be pretty stealthy so you don't always see them. The people who built our home in Sagle told us that when they lived there a cougar lived on the BLM land just north our our property, and our tenants found a deer that was pretty obviously killed by a cougar back there last winter. At the time they were searching for their dogs that had run off.

We have friends that live in Athol that have told us a story about a cougar stalking their dog.

So, cougars are around in north Idaho. I think pretty much anywhere in the American west where you have good deer populations you will find cougar. Keep your eye's peeled!

Dave

[elousv]

They are all over up here. Hauser is known for them and since Spirit Lake is a stones throw away I would imagine so is your neighborhood. You will be hard pressed to actually see one. I have seen a Bobcat but not a mountain lion. I have seen tracks and kills in the snow before in CDA forest. My buddy saw one sail right across the trail as we were snowmobiling once. I was talking to another guy who was being stalked and heard a few twigs snap and had that 'feeling' and was on alert. He finally turned around to see the lion up behind on a rock just looking at him. Make noise throw rocks and look big. I ALWAYS pack when in the woods. If you are not aware though the last thing you would feel are the jaws clamping on your neck. I think the US average is less than one death per year due to attack. They are expert stalkers so would most likely never see them.

[oldafretired]

Might be interesting if a couple of those motion activated cameras are set up on the lot to see what comes by.

[mistyriver]

We know there are cougar here. We've seen two and saw tracks on our property before we got our Great Pyrenees. I would guess they are most places here and we just don't see them. One was also just seen near Priest Lake about a month ago.

[mtngirlatheart]

They are definitely up at Hayden Creek. We've caught several on our trail cam just this past summer.

[Sage of Sagle]

They are also in the west Dufort valley, up on the ridges mostly. But they've been down in the valley closer to Dufort on occasion. We haven't seen any but neighbors have, and one neighbor higher up lost a couple small dogs to them. Now, that could all be just a single cougar for all we know. I don't think anyone around us has seen two together...

[LionFamily]

We live in the valley and haven't seen any in the 3 1/2 years we've been here. Our neighbors across the road who have been here 20 plus years tell us that one cruises through every few years, though. And, of course, the very next day after I read the article in the Bee my horses were especially squirrely and the dog was on red alert in our woods. The behavior is much like we see when the moose come down from the mountains, but there are no moose yet.

[mistyriver]

the year we moved here a cougar killed a horse about 5 miles from us. If one messes with my daughter's cranky pony...my money is on the pony.