No one chases the cats anymore since Bart Travis left for Great Falls, and that was 3 years ago. A mile from here the lady said there was one on her front patio. Someone saw a tail in the ravine, cruising above the shrubs until taking off and disapearing. Then Sammy and a former forest Ranger saw the biggest tom they'd ever seen right by the mining gate. The ranger had seen cats all his life, his son's brought them home nowadays, the hides, and before that during his years of rangering. He'd seen a 230 pound cat once. He swore this one was 250. An old tom this close to town?
That's about 250 yards from my house, give or take a few trees and boulders. I should have noticed the deer weren't bedding down on the mountain anymore. It was quiet. The turkeys aren't back yet either, and I'm beginning to wonder if they're coming back, though Fall is still a ways off.
They watched it cross the drainage and climb up, then lept to the rock ledge above the road, an easy lift of 15 feet for a big cat, and disapeared. Sammy said all he could see was the tail for the longest time, still swishing.
"I'd just gotten there, the others had been waiting for me to lock the gate again. All I saw was movement, that giant tail, and a set of balls."
We've had cats around before. They always sniff at the old indian's place behind the hill in the coulee. But he see's those tracks every year. This year was different. Reports were coming in from all over. everywhere. It was getting ridiculous. Bart said the big toms used to cross the valley way back on my mountain, a couple of miles. I guess that's changed. Now they cross right behind the house. In broad daylight.
Well, first thing, no more playing outside alone for the kids. They have to be together. No more hikes up the mountain without me. And Carter's khukuri is staying either by the front door where he can reach it as he leaves, or by the fence when they're all outside. He has a 16" WWll.
I've seen what my patio looks like from the mountain. It looks like a doggie dish loaded with sweet meats- my sons.
There's a Mosin Nagant sitting next to me, a Finn M39 I just tested. With iron sights and my bad eyes I get 2" from a bag at 80 yards. I can't see the bull very well at one hundred, though I could still come close, it would no longer be an accuracy test of the rifle. The Big Finn would be useful with those 180 bullets. And it's so large and heavy, so obvious, you'd think anyone even thinking about touching a loaded gun would think twice because it's something you couldn't hide and everyone would notice. My sons don't touch the weapons, but I can't speak for other peoples children. I put them away when we've visitors. Well, Anton and little Sam aren't coming by soon; their mom said they can't play over here because of the cougars. My wife has this idea the gun room should be locked with the Finn inside, but I'm not screwing with locks if I hear a single shout outside. So, what to do? We've always carried khuks or guns or both while hiking. The khukuri is one of the few blades that I would bother carrying, because any legitimate swipe from it onto the form of a cougar and the cat is going to die there or later. If it's later, as the cats do, they will run off when severely wounded. Of course I don't write that down in the Bible, but that's generally what they'll do if injured bad.
I'll have to crank out some handgun loads and get the revolvers centered again. No sense running outside with a slab of iron without knowing how close to point of aim the bullets are striking. The Finn is three inches to the right.
No, it's not hunker in the bunker, but you can feel this is a special year, and I don't want one minute in my sons life to change it forever. So I guess we're just going to be on Cougar Patrol for awhile. I wonder if I should even start carrying a handgun all the time?
For now on I'll walk with the boys down the hill to the bus in the early morning hours. Soon, it'll be dark as they rise.
It's been a special year. And this summer, the cougar reports just won't quit.
You can feel it in the warm air outside. Something could happen this year.
I'll see what the Cougar tag regulations are tomorow.
munk
That's about 250 yards from my house, give or take a few trees and boulders. I should have noticed the deer weren't bedding down on the mountain anymore. It was quiet. The turkeys aren't back yet either, and I'm beginning to wonder if they're coming back, though Fall is still a ways off.
They watched it cross the drainage and climb up, then lept to the rock ledge above the road, an easy lift of 15 feet for a big cat, and disapeared. Sammy said all he could see was the tail for the longest time, still swishing.
"I'd just gotten there, the others had been waiting for me to lock the gate again. All I saw was movement, that giant tail, and a set of balls."
We've had cats around before. They always sniff at the old indian's place behind the hill in the coulee. But he see's those tracks every year. This year was different. Reports were coming in from all over. everywhere. It was getting ridiculous. Bart said the big toms used to cross the valley way back on my mountain, a couple of miles. I guess that's changed. Now they cross right behind the house. In broad daylight.
Well, first thing, no more playing outside alone for the kids. They have to be together. No more hikes up the mountain without me. And Carter's khukuri is staying either by the front door where he can reach it as he leaves, or by the fence when they're all outside. He has a 16" WWll.
I've seen what my patio looks like from the mountain. It looks like a doggie dish loaded with sweet meats- my sons.
There's a Mosin Nagant sitting next to me, a Finn M39 I just tested. With iron sights and my bad eyes I get 2" from a bag at 80 yards. I can't see the bull very well at one hundred, though I could still come close, it would no longer be an accuracy test of the rifle. The Big Finn would be useful with those 180 bullets. And it's so large and heavy, so obvious, you'd think anyone even thinking about touching a loaded gun would think twice because it's something you couldn't hide and everyone would notice. My sons don't touch the weapons, but I can't speak for other peoples children. I put them away when we've visitors. Well, Anton and little Sam aren't coming by soon; their mom said they can't play over here because of the cougars. My wife has this idea the gun room should be locked with the Finn inside, but I'm not screwing with locks if I hear a single shout outside. So, what to do? We've always carried khuks or guns or both while hiking. The khukuri is one of the few blades that I would bother carrying, because any legitimate swipe from it onto the form of a cougar and the cat is going to die there or later. If it's later, as the cats do, they will run off when severely wounded. Of course I don't write that down in the Bible, but that's generally what they'll do if injured bad.
I'll have to crank out some handgun loads and get the revolvers centered again. No sense running outside with a slab of iron without knowing how close to point of aim the bullets are striking. The Finn is three inches to the right.
No, it's not hunker in the bunker, but you can feel this is a special year, and I don't want one minute in my sons life to change it forever. So I guess we're just going to be on Cougar Patrol for awhile. I wonder if I should even start carrying a handgun all the time?
For now on I'll walk with the boys down the hill to the bus in the early morning hours. Soon, it'll be dark as they rise.
It's been a special year. And this summer, the cougar reports just won't quit.
You can feel it in the warm air outside. Something could happen this year.
I'll see what the Cougar tag regulations are tomorow.
munk
. 
