Cougar sighting (Portland, Bend: living in, safety, parks)

[BendLocal]

Report of a cougar on the Phil's Trail Complex.

Got up and close with a cougar on ELV.

[kapetrich]

Thanks for the update, seriously.

Seems like during the Fall and Spring we have the most sightings.

[delta07]

Wow, scary! I've spotted a cougar once but it was when I was working for the Forest Service in Colorado. Talk about an eerie feeling.

I do have to laugh at some of the comments on the link though.

[Steve Pickering]

Must be the weather. They have them in Portland too.

[VirtualErik]

I've come across fresh prints in the dirt before, don't know how aggressive they are and if they approach people or keep their distance or not.

[oregonwoodsmoke]

There are at least 2 cougars living in Bend. One lives on Pilot Butte and the other lives in Buck Canyon. There might very easily be more of them that I don't know about.

Leave the cougar alone. Don't corner him. Don't try to pet him. Don't feed him. Don't let your dog try to chase him. Don't bother him and he won't bother you.

[VirtualErik]

pilot butte? really? I go up there all the time and haven't come across one. The prints i came across were at tamalok state park. I'm sure I spelled that wrong but its right along the Deschutes river.

[delta07]

Originally Posted by VirtualErik

I've come across fresh prints in the dirt before, don't know how aggressive they are and if they approach people or keep their distance or not.

Definitely keep your distance. Chances are you will not see one. However, if it approaches you, you better be ready to defend yourself. They can be very aggressive! Here's a great link that explains what to do. Safety in Encounters with Mountain Lions

Originally Posted by oregonwoodsmoke

There are at least 2 cougars living in Bend. One lives on Pilot Butte and the other lives in Buck Canyon. There might very easily be more of them that I don't know about.

Leave the cougar alone. Don't corner him. Don't try to pet him. Don't feed him. Don't let your dog try to chase him. Don't bother him and he won't bother you.

I've lived at the base of Pilot Butte for 6 years now and never seen any trace of the mountain lion. I did a little search and it appears the last time it was spotted near Pilot Butte was 2001. So my guess is it has moved out of the area. Stealthy NE Bend cougar escapes police perimeter » Bend Bugle

Originally Posted by VirtualErik

pilot butte? really? I go up there all the time and haven't come across one. The prints i came across were at tamalok state park. I'm sure I spelled that wrong but its right along the Deschutes river.

I'm guessing you meant Tumalo State Park. It's just northwest of Bend, in the town of Tumalo. Oregon State Parks and Recreation Department: Tumalo State Park

[BendLocal]

Dogs help Oregon couple fend off cougar attack

The dogs began to growl and bark. Suddenly, the cougar jumped out from the shadows onto Corona, clamping its teeth around the dog's neck and shaking him.

Gigi, the German Shepherd, came to Corona's rescue and bit the cougar on its hind quarters.

"The animal let go of Corona and swung around for Gigi," said Wesley. "That's when I flashed my flashlight on it and saw it was a cougar."

The big cat's teeth were bared and its ears were pinned back as it swiped at the barking dogs. Wesley yelled to his wife, "It's a cat! Get the gun!"

[BendLocal]

The other night I was taking pics out at the Tumalo Nature Area which is a place to be wary of cougars. I didn't see any out there however I sure felt like I was being watched. But that could have been the badger that was keeping an eye on me. At one point he scared the crap out of me when he came within 20 feet while I was busy trying to focus my camera in the near pitch dark.