Truckee Area Update

[BobVP]

Thanks for the information Jay. Next time I am up that way I will stop there and give the meadows a try. I love small stream fishing...

My cat story: I grew up in a place that is now all National Park, Point Reyes peninsula (Inverness Park to be exact, so our playground was "the woods" or Tomales Bay and Papermill Creek. From a very young age it meant nothing to disappear from the house all day long into the woods behind the house and even to hike over the hill to Drakes Bay. On one of my forays up the local creek to catch "native" brown trout (planted by the German immigrants....part of my heritage) I was walking along and saw a large, old, gray haired cat about fifty yards away. It looked at me and I looked at it for quite a few seconds. Then it wandered upstream and I decided to end my fishing day right then. Just about 3/4 mile from my house. Didn't see another one in California for almost 35 years...that one running across the road on hwy 128 here in Mendocino.

Beautiful creatures best seen first by us than us by them I think. Just like Game Wardens I am sure those of us that wander in the wild areas along streams have been observed.

[Troutstalker55B]

As long as we are sharing cat stories I’ve got a few. My first cat sighting was driving to the McCloud River on Hwy 89 about 10 miles east of town. This cat poked his head out on the side of the road and slipped back in. Complete positive ID. The second one was on my property here between Graeagle and Portola in the very early am. My blue heeler, Madison was up all night barking and just sitting at the back porch window, watching – There was something out there I thought. That next morning as I’m making coffee, this cat is walking down my driveway with half a deer carcass in its mouth. I’ll never forget those big hips swaying to and fro and that way too long of a tail! My third encounter that should have resulted in getting attacked happened at the McCloud River. Fishing and camping alone I had just finished dinner and it was dark out. From the last remaining old building there I heard what I thought was some female getting it from her man, it was loud! It was too much and I had to confront the couple as I wanted to sleep. As I got the building armed with only a headlamp there was no one there. Then the crazy sex chanting started again, I thought to myself “Wow, this couple is taking it to the next level!” So I went down a path to see if I could stop the “passion”, I turned on my head lamp and there were three sets of eyes 30 feet away from me! In a blink of an eye I knew exactly what was going down around me, my hair stood up on end, and I backed up ever so slowly, they just went on about their business. I did not sleep well that night. Lucky?

Jon.

[RenoLipRipper]

First one about ten years ago in Chino Hills State Park, Southern Calif. while mountain biking early like 7:00am about 5 miles in just past the ranger station etc. while going up a slight hill in the fog see a large cat come leaping down an enbankment to my left. I slammed the brakes and watched as the cat took about 5 strides and jumped down the embankment to the right. Needless to say, I turned it around and hi tailed it outa there. Saw the park ranger comming to work, and stopped him and informed him of the sighting, his words were to look big. He said with all the food there, rabbits etc. not much to worry about. I always have a wierd feeling I am being watched in some areas, especially going up very slow grinding uphills in granny gear.

I used to see bobcats all the time. But they were so used to seeing people that they would be in the trail and just look at you.

My biggest concern is while going at speed on the mountain bike and comming around a corner and the cat has a kill and spooking him. But maybe they would hear my from such a long distance that they would be long gone, still at times I make a lot of noise.

Have seen tracks in the snow up here in Virginia City Higlands on some of the dirt roads during winter. We know there are cats up here.

Have seen tracks at the East Carson late winder in snow at Hangman's on the upper trail last year while going way back to the other areas of the East Carson. Sorta spooky when you are by yourself and there are all sorts of trees and brush in which something could be hiding/stocking you.

Even last week while driving to the mid area of E. Carson and then walking in the mile or so, must say I was a bit hyper sensitive to my surroundings. Felt like I was being watched as I was watching out more for rattlers.

I have heard that there are cats off of the Kirman lake trail. Must say there are a few good places to hide and ambush a unsuspecting hiker/fisherman.

I try not to be paranoid of the wild life in the areas I fish etc.. But maybe a good thing.

How about hiking/biking into Marlette, bears and lions are there for sure.

Last year my wife and I went mtn. biking off of Kingsbury grade a few mile down the road from Heavenly then up to some starting point. We where following a great single track then ended up on some atv road which we thought was the wrong way so we took a fork to the left. After about an hours of bushwacking it, climbing over logs, etc. we popped out on highway 50 just down the road from the 50/28 intersection, (Spooner Lake) and there was a sign that said bear crossing.

Enough of this talk, the next 5-10 days I will be fishing, hiking and biking in possible cat/bear territory, don't want to think about it.

[Ralph]

In all of North America (including Canada and Mexico) there is fewer than one mountain lion killing per year. We're talking tens of thousands of lions and many millions of humans. An average of 130 people are gored and killed by deer in the same period. 18,000 are purposefully killed by other humans.

The lion hysteria is hysterical.

[caltagm]

That's a very important statistic......but what if I'm the one????

[Ralph]

That's a very important statistic......but what if I'm the one????

I feel deep sorrow for those who whimper and cow at every whiff of demise. Slow death by cancer, MS, stroke, heart disease, Alzheimer's stretched out over the years? Something is going to bring you down.

By comparison, a swift and magnificent killing by an apex predator while wandering the banks of a mountain stream? Sign me up!

[caltagm]

Oh Ralph, c'mon. Lighten up.

I would much rather be a part of the food chain than waste away.