Wild Things v8

Hiked: 7/15/2018
Distance: 8.4 miles round trip on trail and cross country
Difficulty: Moderate

These cougar videos were the culmination of 8 months, 3 camera adjustments, and 42 miles of hiking. The story actually starts almost two years ago in August, 2016 when I became enamored with Bluewater Canyon. First, I climbed the highest peak bordering the canyon, that has no official name, but I called it Bluewater Crown. Then, I persuaded Sean Green and Dima Kogan to do a complete circumnavigation around the canyon with me (>20 miles). That was followed by a solo exploration off trail of the canyon itself where I found a dismembered buck. That was somewhat unsettling since I was convinced the buck had been killed by a mountain lion aka cougar. To confirm my suspicion, I bought a trail camera and placed it where the buck was, but my placement was poor and the only thing I got on camera was another deer. Steve Andrews went back with me to do a more thorough exploration miles up the canyon in rough country and I adjusted the camera, getting my first fleeting video of a cougar. I went back with Robert Dlugos for another camera adjustment in April, 2018, and finally did another solo trip to pick up the camera today. I was overjoyed getting great video of not one, but two cougars, apparently a male and female in courtship. Neither cougar was tagged and the male has scars on his face and body. Other wild life caught on video include a bobcat, deer, fawn, and a grey fox. Best of all, I wasn't eaten.




Some stills...

Gorgeous female with some light striping on her legs

Huge scruffy male with major battle scars

Female calling

Bobcat

Watch out, Bambi

See also:
Fisherman's Camp, Bluewater Canyon, San Mateo Canyon