Saturday, June 6, 2015

May Trail Camera Photos - Wow!

We got some pretty interesting Trail Camera photos in May.

We had the usual Nocturnal Visitors like Pepe le Pew.

And an opossum wandered by.

There's a bob-cat on the far right...

See it?

Bob-cat at night

With lush green grass we had plenty of deer. 

The one on the left is stretching up to eat.

Very bucolic.

We even had a couple of bunnies!

Hop to it bunny!

But the Big News in May...

Cougars!

Here's a close-up - strolling around at 7:33pm!

And again the next morning.

Bunnies beware!

I decided there was enough activity...

...that there was more than one cat.
Cat #1.


Cat #2.

I thought they were different sizes and the markings on the legs were different.
Cat #2

Here's a night-time shot.

And here's the shot that proves I was correct!

Two Big Cats!

There are no Cougars east of the Mississippi. Oregon has a Cougar population of around 5,700. Cougars are normally loners and defend a territory of 100 square miles or more.  The females breed about every three years and raise 1-3 kittens for 18-24 months.  I lean toward thinking this is a Mama Cat and grown kitten rather than a Courting Couple.  Do you have any thoughts?

9 comments:

Vickie said...

Wowie zowie! Scary!
We actually DO have cougars in WI. Check this out: http://www.todaystmj4.com/results?keywords=cougar&searchType=gen

Angie said...

We lived on Ft Hunter Liggett and had a cougar stop under our big tree just outside our fence to rest from the afternoon sun. It was a majestic sight I will never forget. Love your header, Beth:)

Mary said...

Awesome big cats....my question is how close are they to your patio?

Maggee said...

All my thoughts were tossed out the window, in favor of "oh my!!!!!" That is too scary!!

Melody said...

Oh my gosh! I can't believe you have cougars out in the wild on your property! That is scary. Wow.

Margaret said...

Wow! Very very cool! But so close to your house. Yikes!

Barb said...

I don't know anything about cougars but do find the pictures fascinating!! We had a fairly large bear in the yard two doors down. It was after bird feeders!

Elizabeth said...

That's so cool! We have bobcats here in VA that get fairly close to what we would do our trail rides. I had a horse catch wind of one and take off like a shot, too fast for me to even see it! Keep sharing your cool nighttime photos!

Melissa said...

There's been a LOT of cougar sightings, attacks, etc on the news recently. I wonder why that is. It's a lot scarier for people going for walks in the woods!