Cougar around Fern Hill - Crumpit Woods

[Trick]

I was sent this and thought I'd pass it along.

Message from SORCA

Good morning,

One of our members has sent us the following on Wednesday, June 3rd:

"... 200 lb male cougar that is very aggressive in the Crumpit Woods area..." "A conservation officer is checking it out."

" Last night at 9:30 pm I had to rescue two friends that were coming out of the Farside trail (on the powerhouse entrance) who had a 30 min standoff with a very large and healthy cougar. The cougar sat in the crouched position (on the gravel pad between the car park and trail head) staring at (with head low, hind raised, and tail flicking aggressively) them while they stood on the concrete blocks yelling at it. It remained there in that stance until I drove up in my car."

Please exercise due caution and do not head into the area alone.

Thank you.

[pinner]

And the next update from Sorca:

Good afternoon,

We have received a second email this morning from another member
regarding their experience with "possibly" the same cougar in the
Crumpet Woods area.

"I was followed from the exit of S&M Connector to the top of Seven
Stitches. The “large mammal” stayed in the woods as I climbed the
hill (originally intending to ride Seven Stitches and then choosing to
stay in the open and go directly to Finch). He/she was about 50 feet
from the trail and while I never saw it, every time I stopped I would
hear movement then it would stop. I am glad that my spider senses told
me to keep out of the woods and into the open; it now seems to have
become more aggressive / brazen!"

We have contacted the B.C. Conservation Officer Services and they
recommend http://www.adventuresmart.ca
and click on 'trip safety' for information about cougars.

Thank you.

[Kevin]

I have been through a similar experience face to face with a very large cougar in Crumpit Woods, alone, and far from the road in the late evening. Shouting and being aggressive was only making the situation worse as time passed and the cougar inched closer. I changed tactics and started chatting with it in a regular conversational voice. The cougar's head actually flicked up with a look of surprise. His entire demeanour changed and after a few minutes he began to back away and then turned and left the scene.

It was explained to me later by an animal behavior specialist that a cougar is accustomed to its prey emitting fear. When I changed voice and got relaxed about it, I would have no longer appeared as something it would normally eat.

Cougars in Crumpit Woods are commonplace, they live here just like we do, but please keep in mind that when an incident is reported to the police, the animal invariably ends up dead within hours through no fault of its own. One bullet is the preferred cost of quickly disposing of a reported incident, and that is all too often what happens whether public safety is genuinely at risk or not.

Kevin McLane

[Dru]

I seem to recall there was an incident about 10 yrs ago with Glenn Payan and David Woodsworth climbing at Octopus Garden where one of them reached the top of the crag and found a juvenile cougar sitting next to the bolts and watching him?

[Kevin]

Yes Dru, that's correct, maybe 5-6 years ago. They reported the cougar's presence and it was dead within 2 hours.

Kevin McLane

[Peter]

I have seen 3 cougars in the area over the last few years: one on the main trail near the sanctuary trail head (before the power lines were put in) and last year saw 2 together on the mamuam rd just before the far side/fern hill parking. So there could be more than just one.........

[Axel]

We were climbing up there today and it was sitting 5 feet off the trail near the gate watching us walk by. I swear I saw it lick it's lips. lol.

C.O. dropped off a bear trap there this morning with a big bag of catnip in it.

[sherri]

I noticed on the Smoke Bluffs signboard today that a cougar was seen at Octopus Gardens Friday night.

[Trick]

One bullet is the preferred cost of quickly disposing of a reported incident, and that is all too often what happens whether public safety is genuinely at risk or not.

Kevin McLane

Is this really the policy of BC Parks? One part of me says to report sightings in the interest of public saftey, but I also don't want a Cougar put down when it is us that is intruding on it's space, and it's just doing what is natural.

[smallman]

it seems pretty obvious that this cougar has lost its fear of humans and is now a potential threat to anybody in the smoke bluffs and crumpit woods. This is a public safety issue especially for anyone with little kids or pets in valleycliffe. Mountain bikers are particularly appealing to cougars as they act like running deer. Unfortunately this cougar is likely in the crumpit woods due to the high number of deer there as a result of lack of hunting and safety from predation. The Conservation Officer service (not BC Parks) has a higher mandate to protect people first .

[smallman]

Oh and last year, the CO service had to kill two cougars preying on livestock around Robin Street just down the way from the bluffs parking lot.

[smallman]

A cougar (same cougar) attempted to attack a dog in the Grand wall boulders in the evening of June 11 also. This dog was very close to people. Keep an eye on your pets and kids! This kitty sounds like it may be very hungry.

[Charlie]

My kitty is pretty hungry in the evenings too, luckily she is only 10 lbs and can't take me down.

Seems strange that that the normal drills they preach for dealing with cougar encounters don't seem to be working. Might need to start carrying a really big stick while walking in the woods. Heaven forbide a belayer is approached with a climber in the middle of a run out crux...

[Peter]

That's why I always carry bear spray when I'm scrubbing by myself. Unfortunately they always seem to go off when the cougar isn't around. One in my pack, the other got punctured when I was scrubbing and pulled off a tiny rock which fell and punctured the bottle which proceeded to discharge straight up and engulf me with spray 30 ft off the deck (see Blood & Pepper at Fern)

[Axel]

Peter you may want to switch to one of these. It's also good for getting rid of roots.

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