Cougar sign post

[cb1989]

Was grouse hunting up an old  road, came across this. Lot of BT's in there, thought this was a bruiser rub from a distance... but up close it looked like something I liked a lot less. The claw marks down the front looked fresh. Unstrapped my spray and kept on up the road, another hundred yards or so came to a steep bank with a very well used trail up it, disappearing into an old slash pile in some thick young cedars. No hoof prints up the bank, only a lot of what looked like claw marks. Bank was too steep to get any sort of definitive prints. I was by myself, and suddenly the shade under the cedars along the edges of the road looked a lot darker. I decided wrapping up my limit with another ruffy wasn't worth the goosebumps crawling up my neck. Say what you will, I've read a lot on here and know there's some dudes with real lion experiences that would probably laugh at this, but being new to hunting in predator dense areas, and doing it solo, that was way too much fresh sign in an area for me. Had spray and my O/U, but when the dark edges of the road bank are 5ft from your neck, the line between irrational and rational get pretty blurry.

[deerhunter_98520]

Looks like a rub to me and not cat scratches...with the leaf litter on the ground they won't leave any tracks on those 

[lewy]

Your not gunna be able to walk up to many roads around here if that scares you lol

[cb1989]

Your not gunna be able to walk up to many roads around here if that scares you lol

Maybe reading the 20-some page long thread on the north bend attack before I left had me feeling extra touchy. Seen a lot of tracks on trails, some real fresh (on top of rain from the night before) and not had a feeling like I had up there. Just an urge to get out. Never really experienced that before. Perhaps that makes me soft (most guys from the midwest are - in my opinion). Time out here has definitely tuned up my cardio, I'm sure it'll harden up my nerves eventually.

[Rainier10]

Hey I'm a big believer in "if something doesn't feel right get out".  One more grouse certainly wasn't worth it.  Cat's are no joke and definitely something to be aware of.

[deerhunter_98520]

  trust your gut....chances are you've walked past a few cats and had no idea they were there...just keep your head on a swivel and be aware of your surroundings

[N7XW]

I used to do logging unit layout ("forest engineering").  My partner was chased by a cat one time.  Never saw that guy run so fast through heavy brush and blackberries.  He was all tore up by the blackberry vines by the time he hit the road.  We later suspected I was stalked by the cat too based on where I had been.  Never saw nor heard it though.  Scary. 

Was also kinda nervous working in a different unit with large platform hemlock trees after coming upon a fresh cougar kill.  Cat had eaten the guts and pawed up dirt over the kill to come back to later.  Was just waiting for it to jump down on us from one of those platforms. I started carrying a sidearm working in the woods after that.

[HighlandLofts]

You never know where they are, if a food source is there, chances are some type of predator is there too..

I always carry a handgun everyday/all day, 365 days a year from when I get dressed in the morning until I get ready for bed.

When up in the mountains I open carry a 357mag or a 44mag revolver or a glock 20 - 10mm.

Peperspray just doesn't do it for me, I want something that will put a quick end to the situation with no chance of it happening again to me or anyone else. Death is forever.
Whether it be a cougar, bear or a methed out drug addict.
A lot of things happen up in them mountains away from.society.

[bornhunter]

Not a cat scratch. Just a really short bull elk!