Ursus ... let em have it.

http://friscoblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2010/10/mountain-lion-spotted-at-popul.html

quote:

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Residents are urged to use caution at Frisco Commons park, where city officials reports three separate sightings this week of what appears to be a mountain lion near the hiking trail on the park's north side.

The city has had several bobcat sightings in recent years, but all three people confirmed they saw a mountain lion, not a bobcat. The most recent sighting was this morning. The city employee who saw the big cat said it ran away and was not aggressive.

Texas Parks and Wildlife officials and Frisco Animal Control officers are investigating. The city's animal control staff hasn't found any evidence of a wild animal living near the hiking trail at the north end of the park.

"More likely the animal is passing through," said Greg Carr, the city's animal control administrator. "Staff will continue to monitor the area to make sure a wild animal is not sticking around."

The city also plans to post signs around the park alerting people of the recent sightings. The park, at 8000 McKinney Road, is open from dawn to dusk.

According to state wildlife officials, mountain lions are solitary animals. Only four mountain lion attacks on people have been reported in Texas since 1980. Wild animals often use creeks to travel through cities. A female mountain lion has a range of up to 100 square miles and a male has a range up to 200 square miles. Click here to learn more about mountain lions.

If you encounter a mountain lion:




•Pick up small children to prevent them from running and triggering a rush or attack.


•Stay calm, talk calmly, and slowly back away, keeping eye contact with the mountain lion. Do not run or turn your back.


•Carry a sturdy walking stick with you. Do what you can to appear larger by raising your arms or waving the stick.


•If the lion is aggressive, throw rocks or sticks, and speak firmly and loudly.


•Fight back if a lion attacks you. Lions can be driven off by fighting back.

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Oh yippy. Yeah, I heard about.

There was a report from that area last week, and it was a straight up grey fox.

*I'd like to know who from TPWD is doing the "investigating". It isn't me, and it isn't the Collin County game warden.

[This message has been edited by ursusguy (edited 10/8/2010 6:16p).]

it's three guys in the back of pickup sitting on lawnchairs with a clipboard and a rifle!

And this is a quality comment already---

"El Mojado
6:09 PM on October 8, 2010
In Colorado Springs, many protested the relocation or hunting of mountain lions. 10 years later nearly 100,000 lions roam the hils behind Garden of the Gods park where at least one jogger per year is pounced and eaten.

Those cute and cuddly "kittens" do indeed grow up to become 6ft long predators that eat deer, dogs, cats, livestock, and whatever runs across their path."

---Obviously this guy doesn't have a clue what he is talking about

Thats hilarious man!

There was a sighting in Sachse last year. They even had video of the animal walking across a field which they showed on the news and it was 100% without a doubt a bobcat.

I got to be on TV for that one.

My favorite part of that one, homeowner "We saw bobcats all summer, we know what bobcats look like, and this was no bobcat".

If you saw the news clip that ran "Citizens afraid of potential mountain lion, and the state is unconcerned". Channel 5 got a bit creative when they realized they didn't have a story, so they changed the angle to make me look like a bad guy. Now I won't do a Channel 5 interview if I have a choice.

[This message has been edited by ursusguy (edited 10/8/2010 10:17p).]

Just for perspective. Here is "proof" of a mountain lion that was sent to me this week from Allen. Supposedly, the guy's dog bit the tip of the tail off.



About a 1/2 mile from the same spot two days later "a small coyote was in my backyard eating my cat, when I yelled at it, it ran up a tree. I've been hunting all my life and have never seen a coyote do that"....That's because it is a grey fox.

I doubt it was a mountain lion, but even if it was, its more scared of humans than we are of it. I've been face to face with one 10 feet away at my deer lease and it took off running when i pulled my rifle up.

So from what angle do you look like a bad guy? Profile shot? Was the lighting bad?

quote:

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When interviewed, the mountain lion said it originally came to Frisco to meet an old friend but decided to stay for the reasonable tax rates and good schools . . .

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those of you posting comments missed the best one....

quote:

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I drive for a Courrier service and have seen a Black Panther (same animal as a mountain lion) in the Aubrey area north of Lewisville Lake. That is perfect habitat for them to live.. Nice evening jog to Frisco for dinner.. Heck, I drive 20 miles for a great place to dine... Think people, just because you drive Preston Road the wildlife doesn't use the bike or sidewalk path...

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OP: got the same info in an email from my HOA today but this was at the very bottom! ha!

"Sightings have also been reported along Panther Creek, near the High School and a possible sighting within our community of a mix (household cat and wild cat) litter of three on Little Anne last week. They look a little different, smaller ears, little or shorter tail, black coat (Animal control joked and said well you live near Panther creek}"

Can a grey fox climb a tree?

Yes, it's the main reason for the confusion around them.

"This fox is adept at climbing trees, particularly if they are leaning or have branches within 3 m of the ground, and it is not unusual for it to use this escape device when pursued by hounds."

[This message has been edited by ursusguy (edited 10/10/2010 9:04p).]

quote:

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Animal Expert
2:32 AM on October 11, 2010

I believe this "Mountain Lion" is actually an Aoudad...

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I had to do it.


[This message has been edited by another future AG (edited 10/11/2010 2:34a).]

Barbary Sheep/Aoudad
Native to North Africa, introduced to North America
Chupacabras and Sasquatches fear them.

[This message has been edited by exige (edited 10/11/2010 5:28a).]

quote:

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Stay calm, talk calmly, and slowly back away, keeping eye contact with the mountain lion. Do not run or turn your back.

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Any confirmations of this being somebody's escaped yellow lab yet?

No one I am aware of from TPWD has been officially contacted. I know the gw is aware of the rumor, but no one has given anything to warrant a site or requested one. Someone said they had pictures, well shocked, they haven't been able to produce them yet.

If only it could be as sweet as the Sachse lion, errr bobcat, from a couple years ago. Grapevine should be just about due for a "mountain lion" sighting.

just let me know when you get bored ursus, I will snap some fuzzy pictures of the mountain lions ('yotes) I see occasionally in the median along 170 near cabela's.


or possibly the lioness and cubs (doe and two fawn) I saw along 35W just north of grapevine lake headwaters.

I'll be hunting the NW wma at Grapevine Lake for pigs eventually so I'll be sure to submit a mountain lion phone pic.

You will not be allowed to say that I am mistaken when I do find one. I've been taught by the best there ever was. "The Bearking."

[This message has been edited by Signel (edited 10/13/2010 12:12p).]

Gee, what a shock, the photos finally made their way through the system. Yep, "confirmed mountain lion" wasn't even a particularly impressive bobcat.

And the usual insult to injury, the guy raising a stink pulled the "I'm a hunter" card.

I get a little tickled at the frequency of urban mountain lion sightings when you take into account all the folks that live in BFE who say they see one about once a decade if that.

From what I understand they're pretty solitary animals and don't care much for contact with humans. But now all of a sudden they're dumpster diving behind shopping centers and snatching poodles out of yards. Not sure Darwin ever considered a creature evolving quite that quickly!

100,000 lions, huh?

"I swar, you cain't so much as throw a rock around here without hitting a gal-derned mountain lion!"

The interwebs are crawling with 'em.

Hey, we know that guy in the above picture! Friend of a friend. Haha.

Gig'em