Cougar sightings on Squamish trails

Just passing along some info distributed by SORCA today:

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.

Another riding reported being followed by a "large mammal" in the trees as he rode from the bottom of S[HTML_REMOVED]M to the top of 7 Stitches.

BE CAREFUL!!!

They should shoot it, and cook it on the BBQ

That "large mammal" was probably a Sasquatch. There are lots around this year.

wow amaing! 200 lbs eh? Woundn't want to take that thing on one-on-one…

glad no one has been hurt yet and I hope it doesn't come to the point where the cat has to be destroyed.

-m

Indeed. There are stories of people succesfully fighting off attacks, and more stories about peopel being seriously injured or killed. I saw a cougar taking down a deer just North of the big orange bridge on 99 I think in March 08. Big strong animal with lots of big pointy teeth and claws. The deer was struggling to get up when I drove past. Then I turned the car around and watched the deer in the grasp of the cat stop breathing.

I have read that the thing to do when confronted is look big so stand up and hold your bike up too and use it as a shield. If attacked fight back. maybe consider carrying a substantial knife that you can strap to your pack or somewhere accessible. Don't run. I guess yelling helps? I don't know.

AdventureSmart has a section on "Cougar Safety" on their website:

http://www.adventuresmart.ca/trip_safety/cougarsafety/index.php

200 lbs is one hell of big cougar. Are great Danes even that big?

She's a long way from the Grizz. Wow.

200lbs? wow, ladyg really put some weight on over the winter.

Samsquatch would take it down.

She's a long way from the Grizz. Wow.

Probably took a wrong turn on stumbling out of the Cliffeside.

There was a LARGE cougar carcass on the highway just north of Alice lake last night at about 10.

Assloads of deer around there all the time as well.

…go figure.

Samsquatch killed it.

The big question is, if it's so aggressive, how did they get close enough to weigh it?
:P