lol sorry about that I was at work and had to run so just hit the submit button
We were walking up a road to pick huckleberries, walking because there was a lot of downed trees blocking the ATV's access. We didn't bring a gun or a chainsaw. Libby was out front 50 feet or so and my dad, son and nephew were walking behind. My son is 11 and nephew 13 or so.
The dog all the sudden went on point, at about the same time my dad grabs my shoulder to physically turn me to the cat to see it, but the cat ducked behind the log so I missed it. He tried to play some kind of gestures game to get me to understand what he's seen as to not alarm the boys, I figured it out right away (and so did the boys) and glance back to my dog who is going in! Thank god I got her pretty solid on come, she did not want to come so I broke out the deep no nonsence "COME NOW" voice, she waivered and shook a bit but started coming, point, come, point, come... it took a lot to get her to come back but finally I had my hands on her, removed a belt and fashioned a leash. We hung out a bit there to see if the cat would bolt off, it didn't. After a few minutes I could smell it. It was a strong urine musty smell just like a cat peeing in the house, you cannot mistake it. You could almost taste it on your tongue rather than smell it, the slight breeze brought it right to us. I figured it was a tom cat and perhaps was marking its territory when we walked up. I got the since that it was a big mature tom.
man I wasn't expecting this!
So we are walking back out, about a mile and a half back to the ATV's. I think ok done deal, nope
The cat paralled us on a rocky ridge about 30 yards away padding along the rocks in silence, except some areas where the rocks broke into a small brush filled crease even a cat couldn't get thru without disturbing the dry brush, we heard it each time. I armed myself with a big stick and dad did likewise, Man I felt pretty lame holding a freaking stick while being stalked by a cougar
I had the boys hold the dog and walk right between me and dad, she really wanted up on that ridge to sniff out that cat, I don't think she realized how big it was
after having the cat trail us ahwile we thought ok it dropped off, nope
The cat ran ahead and set up an ambush right off the side of the road, slightly uphill from us and in a thick patch of brush, we walked by the pounce point and the cat stoop up to get a target but we spotted it. It was fifteen feet away and eyeball level, one small leap for a cat. I immediatly stepped in front of the boys and squared off next to my dad who also was armed with a big stick. I was really ready to clobber that cat.
The cat squatted back down but didn't leave, we eased on out and that was the last I seen of it.
Untill I went back up the next day armed with a .44 carbine
I didn't see the cat but it did take a dump right in our tracks, wow did it ever stink, and it was a big pile of scat...way big
