# Mountain Lion? Bobcat??



## il sogno

I rode Chevy Chase yesterday in the Verdugos. Northbound. As I was doing the descent into the uber rich La Canada-Flintridge side I came upon what was either a small mountain lion or a large bobcat trotting in the same direction I was going 'cept on the other side of the street. 

The cat was about 2 feet tall and a little more than 3 feet long with huge round paws. As soon as he noticed me approaching from the back, he bounded up into the yard of one of the estates there and disappeared.

This was my first encounter with one of these cats. I had never seen one even when mountain biking. And I was not happy to see this one.


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## magicant

Yikes. And here I had added Chevy Chase to my route plans for the weekend to shake things up a bit. Don't think I want to shake things up THAT much. 

I've seen plenty of coyotes, but they're usually scraggly looking things that don't concern me too much.


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## il sogno

magicant said:


> Yikes. And here I had added Chevy Chase to my route plans for the weekend to shake things up a bit. Don't think I want to shake things up THAT much.
> 
> I've seen plenty of coyotes, but they're usually scraggly looking things that don't concern me too much.


Yeah when I first saw it, it was from the back and I was thinking "oh a coyote, no problem". Then I saw it was a cat. :yikes:

Probably okay to ride Chevy Chase. It's well populated with cars going by regularly.


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## stevesbike

I believe most of the mountain lions are tagged, at least they are in the Santa Monica Mountains (there are corridors where they pass through from one range to the other as I understand their range is huge). There may be a way to check with park rangers or something about recent locations-if it's near a populated area they'd want to know about it as my understanding is that this is the sign of a cat becoming sick and may represent a threat to people. 

A mountain lion crossed our path a few years back on Mt Palomar in San Diego county. It crossed the road about 100 feet in front of us (we were riding up). Needless to say, we all did a fast turnaround and a fast descent. This was after one killed a jogger not too far away...


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## The Walrus

Did it have a long tail, or a short, "bobbed" one? If it had a long one, think about working on your sprints....


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## I am The Edge

solid color or stripes and spots?


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## il sogno

The one on top. Definitely solid color. It's paws looked to be about 6" in diameter. Guess it was a mountain lion. Double "Yikes". 

My husband thinks I should notify the sheriff's dept or "fish and game" or something. I'll do that tomorrow. 

Guess it's a good thing I'm such a slow climber. I'm thinking if I had climbed Chevy Chase faster I woulda been in front of the lion and I might have looked like prey to him. This way I was coming up from behind him and it's possible he might have thought I was pursuing him.


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## I am The Edge

it isn't going to attack you on a street (out of his element, it needs to stalk its prey), being on a bike you're way bigger than it is and you didn't provoke/weren't trying to harm it.


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## LCFrecrider

there are tons of deer in those foothills (btw, those are the Flintridge hills, not Verdugos) and they are often crossing the roads in the morning. If it was a mtn lion, must have come down the irrigation channels from the san gabriels. They have been seen all the way down in Griffith Park area.


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## rocco

Yikes!!! :yikes: 

I ride through there at least three to five times a week. I've wondered about encountering one of those up in the San Gabriels but I never considered this was possible down there. Last week I saw an animal control officer scouting out a spot in the bushes up by the dam by Oak Grove / Linda Vista / Highland / 210 / Hahamogna Park.

So now I'm wondering if I should stay away from there for the next week or so or if it has most likely moved on and is well out of the area. It seems like this animal might be sick and which could make it all the more dangerous.


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## tlite48

I live at the top of Chevy Chase canyon and have seen this animal a couple of times. It is not a mountain lion (too small, wrong color, short tail). My guess is that it is either a bobcat or a lynx. Very shy animal, runs away when detected, should not be anything to worry about even if mountain biking. Many hikers use the trails/fire roads and I have not heard of any dangerous encounters or warnings about them. If you own a small dog or cat it might be a different story!.


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## Bixe

*The Locals*



il sogno said:


> Guess it's a good thing I'm such a slow climber. I'm thinking if I had climbed Chevy Chase faster I woulda been in front of the lion and I might have looked like prey to him. This way I was coming up from behind him and it's possible he might have thought I was pursuing him.


Riding and hiking around the San Gabriels both on and off road, I've seen more than a couple of mountain lions. There aren't many bobcats in this area that we'll see; they are much more nocturnal. As mentioned above, the tail is the give away from a distance. 

The mountain lions don't want any part of us; there is enough much easier prey to be had, especially along your ride routes. Yard bound pets, etc....

Just don't corner them or yourself, don't surprise them (well, as if). Talk to them in a pleasant tone (avoid S's and hissing) as you ride by, so even as they disappear into the brush, they know exactly where you are and feel less threatened. Same with bears... and skunks, for that matter.


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## mohair_chair

I had a very up close and personal encounter with a full size mountain lion on a MTB ride one day. I came flying around a corner, and there he was, in the middle of the trail, maybe 15-20 feet away, growling and snarling at me. I was at the low point between two steep climbs, so I wasn't going anywhere fast. I got off my bike, stood behind it, so I put my hands in the air, and waved them like I just didn't care. I heard you're supposed to do that. Anyway, we stared at each other for a minute or so, it snarled a few more times, and finally it jumped off the trail into the chaparral. I got on my bike, turned around, and got the hell out of there.

I've seen plenty of bobcats. They just seem like oversized cats to me. None has ever shown any interest in me, regardless of how close I get.


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## are

I've seen two bobcats while riding in the last six months; one on Nichols Canyon and another on Mulholland Drive, just west of Laurel Canyon. Both were about the size of a coyote; not nearly large enough to be worried about. I grew up in a rural area and never saw any cool animals, so I think it's a hoot to see them right in LA. A mountain lion would be another story, though ...


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## il sogno

mohair_chair said:


> I had a very up close and personal encounter with a full size mountain lion on a MTB ride one day. I came flying around a corner, and there he was, in the middle of the trail, maybe 15-20 feet away, growling and snarling at me. I was at the low point between two steep climbs, so I wasn't going anywhere fast. I got off my bike, stood behind it, so I put my hands in the air, and waved them like I just didn't care. I heard you're supposed to do that. Anyway, we stared at each other for a minute or so, it snarled a few more times, and finally it jumped off the trail into the chaparral. I got on my bike, turned around, and got the hell out of there.


Now that's a close call!


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## il sogno

Notified the Dept of Forestry and CA Dept of Fish and Game. They said that this is the time of year for the young cats to get kicked out of the den and make their own way in the world. This was probably one of them. 

They said as long as the cat did not confront me it's no problem. The cat was probably looking for food - cats, dogs, cat food, dog food. Someone on a bike would be too much of a hassle for the cat to take down.


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## cheddarlove

In all my years of road and mountain biking I've seen one lion on dirt Mulholland at 10 at night. He bounded off into the brush and I will never forget how beautiful he was. I wasnt scared but I did look over my shoulder as a precaution the rest of the ride back to the car. I wish I would see more of them! I think youre lucky you saw one. I've seen lots of bobcats though.


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## il sogno

cheddarlove said:


> I think youre lucky you saw one.


And lived to tell about it!


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## cheddarlove

il sogno said:


> And lived to tell about it!


Well yeah, there is that!  But wouldnt you rather see a beautiful mountain lion taking a stroll than a distracted cell phone yakker driving any vehicle at any speed anywhere while you are on your bike? That is the most terrifying! Oh, and the people that can barely see over the steering wheel and have reflexes that take an hour to react to anything. Yeesh!


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## il sogno

cheddarlove said:


> Well yeah, there is that!  But wouldnt you rather see a beautiful mountain lion taking a stroll than a distracted cell phone yakker driving any vehicle at any speed anywhere while you are on your bike? That is the most terrifying! Oh, and the people that can barely see over the steering wheel and have reflexes that take an hour to react to anything. Yeesh!


Distracted cell phone yackers are truly a menace. 

All I can think of is the face of this mighty beast when it glanced back at me. Yes it was a magnificent animal but it did have the face of a vicious killer. Just glad I wasn't on it's menu that day.


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## huckleberry

I've had two different sightings of Bobcats on the ride up Benedict Canyon - the most exciting was when I was about 3/4's of the way to Mulholland and a Bobcat jumped from the side of the hill and across the road about thirty feet in front of me - with a gopher in its mouth. It just continued on it's way for a nice Sunday brunch. The other time was more unfortunate, as the Bobcat was dead on the side of the road from a car.

_"The face of a vicious killer"_. Gimme a break. look in the mirror - that's the reflection of the most dangerous species on the planet.

From your responses to this situation and the other threads I fear that you are over reacting. Don't. Just like the second Bobcat I saw, you have so much more to fear from cars than wildlife. Anyone that tells you different is an idiot. Probably a SUV driving, cell phone yacking, ignorant, selfish idiot.

Just my opinion.


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## il sogno

huckleberry said:


> I've had two different sightings of Bobcats on the ride up Benedict Canyon - the most exciting was when I was about 3/4's of the way to Mulholland and a Bobcat jumped from the side of the hill and across the road about thirty feet in front of me - with a gopher in its mouth. It just continued on it's way for a nice Sunday brunch. The other time was more unfortunate, as the Bobcat was dead on the side of the road from a car.
> 
> _"The face of a vicious killer"_. Gimme a break. look in the mirror - that's the reflection of the most dangerous species on the planet.
> 
> From your responses to this situation and the other threads I fear that you are over reacting. Don't. Just like the second Bobcat I saw, you have so much more to fear from cars than wildlife. Anyone that tells you different is an idiot. Probably a SUV driving, cell phone yacking, ignorant, selfish idiot.
> 
> Just my opinion.


Mountain lions are quite different from bobcats.


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## single1x1

*I saw one a couple of months ago myself*



il sogno said:


> I rode Chevy Chase yesterday in the Verdugos. Northbound. As I was doing the descent into the uber rich La Canada-Flintridge side I came upon what was either a small mountain lion or a large bobcat trotting in the same direction I was going 'cept on the other side of the street.
> 
> The cat was about 2 feet tall and a little more than 3 feet long with huge round paws. As soon as he noticed me approaching from the back, he bounded up into the yard of one of the estates there and disappeared.
> 
> This was my first encounter with one of these cats. I had never seen one even when mountain biking. And I was not happy to see this one.


 I saw one while ridding my cross bike with my german shorthair in rural western Wa near were I live. At first I thought it was a bob cat cause it wasn't really big, and I've seen bob cat near there before and it's been years since I had seen a cougar. Rocko (my dog)saw it and chased afer it till it ran too far from the gravel road and into the woods, really fast like. I got on my coaches whistle to try to get Rocko's attention to come back, and to further scare the cat away. At first I thought it was a bob cat then I got to thinking it was about the size of Rocko and had a huge tail, yep it was a cougar, probably between 80-100lbs, Rocko is about 70# of fast running dog


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## huckleberry

il sogno said:


> Mountain lions are quite different from bobcats.


Yes, I know. I lived in an area of north central Washington. They called it "Cougar Kitchen" because it was on a mule deer migration route, thus lots of cougars going for food. Seen 'em.

I'm just afraid that you're perpetuating a stronger fear than necessary ( I could be wrong, just basing this on your responses). Look at the statistics - how many road cyclists are hurt or killed by cougars per year versus roadies hurt or killed by cars, or even attacks by dogs are greater. I can't recall ever hearing of a road cyclist killed by a cougar, yes, I've heard of mountain bikers being attacked, but not roadies.

My apologies if I misread your posts, just don't like it when people get worked up about the danger of wildlife, and dismiss the real threats.

Chris


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## Mapei

*Huckleberry --*

The reason why there are so few reports of cougar attacks on cyclists is because there are so few cougar sightings...as compared to dog sightings and automobile sightings.  Likewise, there aren't a lot of bear sightings and wolf sightings, either, at least in Southern California. The thing is, these creatures consider themselves the kings of their respective territories, and they have both the physical prowess and inclination to back up their claim. Thus, when you _do_ spot, say, a lion, you could be in deep trouble. And the very fact that you spotted that lion means, chances are, you've wandered into its range and may encounter it again if you return to that area.


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## huckleberry

Spotted many - attacked by none. Have come across many bears and cougars in the foothills of the North Cascades, just out my front door when I lived there. 


As territories dwindle, sightings increase, and yes, so will attacks, but my point is that it seems to be a innefficient use of your "worrying" allotment to be fearing a cougar attack when you are so much more likely to be injured/killed by cars, flat tires, pedestrians, dogs, bee stings, etc...


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## Bixe

*....*

Most of my 'rural' riding here is in the San Gabriel Mtns, on and off road between the 14 and 15. I've encountered more bears and mountain lions than bobcats, both on the bike and while backpacking, more than a few times I was solo.

Not once during any of these encounters was I as concerned about my safety and well being as when I'm riding on PCH in OC alongside cell phone yakking SoCal drivers who clearly prefer poking at a cell phone than operating a turn signal. Vehicles might as well have pinball machines on the console.... It's only another year and a half before the cell phone/driving law takes effect. This is wandering more than a little OT though; a rant for another thread.


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## El Caballito

I guess you're safe, but next time If you're going down C.C. drive haul a$$, or if you're going up CC drive put the hammer down and haul a$$!


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## Fsharp3

I saw a bobcat this past saturday while doing some laps at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena. The cat was just hanging out in the shade of a little tree about 15 feet off the road. A couple laps later I gilimpsed it further up the hill with some lunch. What surprised me was that it was around noon and there were a lot of people riding and jogging around the Rose Bowl.


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## Squeegy200

Fsharp3 said:


> I saw a bobcat this past saturday while doing some laps at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena. The cat was just hanging out in the shade of a little tree about 15 feet off the road. A couple laps later I gilimpsed it further up the hill with some lunch. What surprised me was that it was around noon and there were a lot of people riding and jogging around the Rose Bowl.



I've seen these on St Katheryns and St Augustines while climbing up to Sacred Heart Academy. Those cats seem to have no fear and they just waltz across the yards and fences. I usually ride after dark and during this time of the year there are lots of cars driving home.


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## tlite48

I saw it again on Monday about an hour before sunset. Near the intersection of Camino San Rafael and Emerald Isle at the top of Chevy Chase Canyon. Taking its time crossing the street to go back up into the hills. The back end view revealed its large abdomen, either a good meal or possibly pregnant? It had accents of black hair on the tips of its ears and tail.


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## il sogno

tlite48 said:


> I saw it again on Monday about an hour before sunset. Near the intersection of Camino San Rafael and Emerald Isle at the top of Chevy Chase Canyon. Taking its time crossing the street to go back up into the hills. The back end view revealed its large abdomen, either a good meal or possibly pregnant? It had accents of black hair on the tips of its ears and tail.


This is a bobcat, right?


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## tlite48

Bobcat or possibly a Lynx, very short tail. Definitely not a mountain lion.


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