The Down Range Forum
Member Section => Down Range Cafe => Topic started by: philw on May 24, 2009, 08:00:18 AM
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at the start of the month we took one of our Nieces for here 13th birthday to Monarto Zoo here in SA ( a massive open plains Zoo) we had booked a meet the Lions experience where we got to feed the cats
WOW these are big cats when you are only 4 feet from them and there is only a fence between you and them
was definitely well worth the experience,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iwo-wh6KiFs
(http://gallery.mac.com/philw/100110/DSCF9475/web.jpg?ver=12431667210001)
(http://gallery.mac.com/philw/100110/DSCF9477/web.jpg?ver=12431667310001)
(http://gallery.mac.com/philw/100110/DSCF9536/web.jpg?ver=12431673170001)
(http://gallery.mac.com/philw/100110/DSCF9470/web.jpg?ver=12431666920001)
(http://gallery.mac.com/philw/100110/DSCF9537/web.jpg?ver=12431673350001)
(http://gallery.mac.com/philw/100110/DSCF9538/web.jpg?ver=12431673460001)
(http://gallery.mac.com/philw/100110/DSCF9542/web.jpg?ver=12431674070001)
(http://gallery.mac.com/philw/100110/DSCF9547/web.jpg?ver=12431674750001)
(http://gallery.mac.com/philw/100110/DSCF9560/web.jpg?ver=12431675860001)
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Here Kitty Kitty Kitty!
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Did ya count all of your fingers afterward? ;D
Beautiful animals!
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Totally must be in the DNA of all cats:
Sleep, wander around a bit, eat, Sleep, wander around a bit, eat, repeat,..........
My two "lion" wannabee's can duplicate those great pics philw, except one prefers her meat slightly grilled.
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Those are some big kitty cats.
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Interesting video Phil.
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Thanks PhilW, a personal story to follow, but out of gas tonight, I wish I had pics, but I don't, but hairy all the way.
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iwo-wh6KiFs
I see lunch walking this way
(http://gallery.mac.com/philw/100110/DSCF9475/web.jpg?ver=12431667210001)
It's a rough job, but SOMEONE has to do it
(http://gallery.mac.com/philw/100110/DSCF9477/web.jpg?ver=12431667310001)
Does the phrase "Bitch slap" come to mind ?
(http://gallery.mac.com/philw/100110/DSCF9538/web.jpg?ver=12431673460001)
It's GOOD to be King
(http://gallery.mac.com/philw/100110/DSCF9547/web.jpg?ver=12431674750001)
A little captioning for you ;D
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All male lions do is sleep,eat, mate and defend thier truf...
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thanks guys,
they also do a meet the Cheaters, where you get to pat them, we are thing of doing that for here 16th birthday
here are a few more pics from the day
(http://gallery.mac.com/philw/100110/DSCF9426/web.jpg?ver=12431665100001)
(http://gallery.mac.com/philw/100110/DSCF9442/web.jpg?ver=12431665830001)
(http://gallery.mac.com/philw/100110/DSCF9444/web.jpg?ver=12431665920001)
(http://gallery.mac.com/philw/100110/DSCF9451/web.jpg?ver=12431666190001)
(http://gallery.mac.com/philw/100110/DSCF9448/web.jpg?ver=12431666070001)
(http://gallery.mac.com/philw/100110/DSCF9487/web.jpg?ver=12431667730001)
(http://gallery.mac.com/philw/100110/DSCF9504/web.jpg?ver=12431669180001)
(http://gallery.mac.com/philw/100110/DSCF9509/web.jpg?ver=12431669840001)
(http://gallery.mac.com/philw/100110/DSCF9517/web.jpg?ver=12431671020001)
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The Cheetah is the largest cat that still 'purrs'.
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The Cheetah is the largest cat that still 'purrs'.
CORRECT
they said that while we were on the bus tour about the place
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CORRECT
they said that while we were on the bus tour about the place
I'm a walking encyclopedia of useless information! ;D
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thanks guys,
they also do a meet the Cheaters, where you get to pat them, we are thing of doing that for here 16th birthday
here are a few more pics from the day
(http://gallery.mac.com/philw/100110/DSCF9444/web.jpg?ver=12431665920001)
Look! It's the mainstream media!
(http://gallery.mac.com/philw/100110/DSCF9451/web.jpg?ver=12431666190001)
That's the media fighting over a "bone" the Obama administration throws them every morning at the press briefing.
(http://gallery.mac.com/philw/100110/DSCF9448/web.jpg?ver=12431666070001)
And there is the media doing what it does best!
Sorry, Tom got me started...... ;D
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Here Kitty Kitty Kitty!
I had a friend hiking out west someplace. He said he got an uneasy feeling and turned to see a mountain lion following him. He said the only thing he could think to do was call here kitty, kitty ,kitty. Luckily the "kitty" ran off.
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I had a friend hiking out west someplace. He said he got an uneasy feeling and turned to see a mountain lion following him. He said the only thing he could think to do was call here kitty, kitty ,kitty. Luckily the "kitty" ran off.
Of all of the "wilde beasties" out there, mountain lions give me the willies the most. They are the only ones that will actually hunt a human. I have read numerous stories about turkey hunters doing what they do best - sitting still and sounding like prey being surprised by mountain lions.
MB had a chilling blog last year that started out "At 2AM I heard the lion cough"
Another story I read had to do with a Dad and son out deer hunting, only to spy a lion a couple of hundred yards off. They hightailed it back to the pickup, and returned next day with a whole team of hunters. They found lion tracks leading up to where they had left the pickup the day before - the lion had followed them all the way back to the pickup.
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Northern California in the late seventies while in the Navy, my basic daily sidearm was a .357 mag and in the mountains, at least one of us had a .44 Mag. I was walking down the 101 freeway between Fernbridge and Fortuna when a big cat came off the hill on the north side of the road and crossed in front of me about 20 feet away...just outside the illumination of the highway light. Scared the bejesus out of me!
Never let the revolver out of my hand the rest of the way.....
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I'm a walking encyclopedia of useless information! ;D
Which is better than a useless encyclopedia of walking information......... ;D ;D ;D
Hey, Phil, those are some great photos......what camera were you using?
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I've been stocked by mountain lions hikeing, kind of funny, when it was legal to hunt them in CA there was no reports of attacks and sitings were very rare... now 6 years after they stoped hunting them... they are all over the place.
Its actually very common to see them now.
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I've been stocked by mountain lions hikeing, kind of funny, when it was legal to hunt them in CA there was no reports of attacks and sitings were very rare... now 6 years after they stoped hunting them... they are all over the place.
Its actually very common to see them now.
Gee, might there be a connection? I've never been a fan of predator hunting (not that I'm against it, I just don't find it my cup of tea). Nevertheless, I've never really worried about bears in National Forests. The ones in National Parks scare the hell out of me because they have no fear. Yet another illustration of the joys of a gun free zone.
FQ13
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whats scarry is this was less then 1000 yds away from a major hwy( hwy 50, I'm sure you have heard it) and about 700 yds from several cabins.
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My encounter was within 500 feet of my house and on the freeway. The good thing about N. California in 1977-79, no one would give a second look to someone carrying a sidearm openly. Never had a license, nor did I need one...
The big guy was just going hunting down on the Eel River, I could hear him in the brush as I continued on my way south....heart pounding the whole way, white knuckling that S&W......
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I always carry while hiking. ( and yes that is legal,there are many, ifs, ands and buts...)
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Camping in the Uwharrie National forest in NC, pack of possums (yes possums) , ignored the fire and
drunken campers, fellow campers, and literally showed NO fear to either the noise, radio, or campfire.
We were in their yard, and they didn't give a crap.
Never encountered a mountain lion, but 'coons and possums? I can't stand em.
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The Florida Panther is endangered as I recall, I guess if you spend enough time in South Florida, you might run into one.
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The Florida Panther is endangered as I recall, I guess if you spend enough time in South Florida, you might run into one.
Seen 4 in my 39 years ,one north of Okeechobee, three outside of Everglades City. All very cool.
FQ13
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Camping in the Uwharrie National forest in NC, pack of possums (yes possums) , ignored the fire and drunken campers, fellow campers, and literally showed NO fear to either the noise, radio, or campfire.
We were in their yard, and they didn't give a crap.
Never encountered a mountain lion, but 'coons and possums? I can't stand em.
Some of the places I have camped, the coons are a terrible problem. I accidently left a window down and they got in my truck and ate a box of Whitman chocolates. The little paper cups the chocolates came in were are stacked up neatly, but there were chocolate finger prints everywhere inside and outside my truck. Luckily they didn't leave any thing else.
I have had them so bold you could barely shoo them away. We could hardly make dinner as they were several dozen of them raiding from every direction. If you got a few feet away from any food items they would rush in and steal it. It looked like something from a comedy show trying to get get the food out, prepared, and cooked while fending off a gang of bandits with a spatula in one hand and a spoon in the other.
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Some of the places I have camped, the coons are a terrible problem. I accidently left a window down and they got in my truck and ate a box of Whitman chocolates. The little paper cups the chocolates came in were are stacked up neatly, but there were chocolate finger prints everywhere inside and outside my truck. Luckily they didn't leave any thing else.
I have had them so bold you could barely shoo them away. We could hardly make dinner as they were several dozen of them raiding from every direction. If you got a few feet away from any food items they would rush in and steal it. It looked like something from a comedy show trying to get get the food out, prepared, and cooked while fending off a gang of bandits with a spatula in one hand and a spoon in the other.
Not sure, but that might be your problem right there - bringing a spoon to a gun fight. 8)
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I was at Rye state Park in at Rye Harbor NH one time and saw a crazed tourist running across the park screaming curses and waving a barbaque fork at a Sea Gull that had stolen a chicken leg right off the grill. My Dad and I laughed our asses off ;D
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Not sure, but that might be your problem right there - bringing a spoon to a gun fight. 8)
I would have loved to have shot them, but we were in a state park and they were out of season. I had already had a talking to from the ranger. We didn't have the tent set up yet and I had unloaded some things from the back of my truck to the picnic table. I was in the back of my truck changing from shorts to jeans when four coons jumped up on the picnic table 10 feet from me and started stealing and fighting over food. I jumped out of the truck and chased them down the trail behind our campsite in my underwear. The ranger didn't take to kindly to that.
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Sorry, Tom got me started...... ;D
I bet huntin' those dudes would be a lot like yotes....only you'd need a larger caliber. That would be the excuse for a 243 WSSM I've been wanting. Only problem is I'm on the wrong continent. Who makes a .243 WSSM with a 25 or 26" target barrel?
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Hey, Phil, those are some great photos......what camera were you using?
Fuji FinePix S5700
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I bet huntin' those dudes would be a lot like yotes....only you'd need a larger caliber. That would be the excuse for a 243 WSSM I've been wanting. Only problem is I'm on the wrong continent. Who makes a .243 WSSM with a 25 or 26" target barrel?
like this :)
Browning A Bolt in 243wssm
(http://gallery.mac.com/philw/100050/DSCF0039/web.jpg?ver=12333028400003)
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I was at Rye state Park in at Rye Harbor NH one time and saw a crazed tourist running across the park screaming curses and waving a barbaque fork at a Sea Gull that had stolen a chicken leg right off the grill. My Dad and I laughed our asses off ;D
This very same thing happened to me on the coast of down east Maine. Frigging flying rat bastard took a whole leg and thigh off my Hibachi and flew off. Guess who skipped dinner that night?
I got my just rewards as I watched every other gull in the area decend upon the miscreant little rat bastard and nearly tear him apart fighting over my dinner. ;D
Thank God I still drank back then, I filled the void in my stomach with cold beer and Doritos... ;)
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Coons can be a serious problem. In the Everglades there is the Wilderness Waterway, a 110 mile canoe trail, with camp sites, some of them just platforms on stilts, built along it. The locals refer to these as mosquito feeding stations. The thing is the coons that live in the mangroves (poor bastards, but probably reincarnated politicians) are desperate for fresh water. The only way to keep your water safe is to keep it inthe boat and anchor off shore. Even a rope line lets them run up it, You just have to wade.
FQ13