Cornered Cougars - Wild Experience

Naturalists Jim Bennett(JB) and Jim Mulchinock (JM), freelance filmmaker Bill Schmalz and I spent one sunny December afternoon looking for Bighom sheep to film on their winter range above Dry Gulch. BC, Normally, large bands of sheep can be seen grazing on the open slopes. So we were surprised when spotting only one ewe and a young ram high up the rock cliffs. None of us realized the reason for the sheep's absence and we certainly did not imagine that we would meet the reason face to face later in the day.


Thinking the band was further south, we drove up Stoddart Creek where we soon found a number of sheep tracks crossing the road and heading uphill. We decided it would be an easier climb if we continued along the road to a higher point of land and then hiked back along the slope to a good observation point. The climb was more treacherous than expected. The wind had blown away the snow in places and left patches of frozen slope. It was difficult to gain footing but with the help of a few trees, we managed to make our way up towards the ridge. J.B. had poor boot treads, so he was forced to work his way up a shallow gully. J.M, followed while Bill and I continued up the slope. We noticed cougar tracks and yelled back "Cat tracks!” In a few minutes they also seen the tracks and decided to follow them up through the broken rocks and cliffs.

Later, while Bill and I stood taking pictures of the Columbia Valley, we heard shouting - it was distorted by the surrounding rocks, but we could make out the word "Hurry..." I thought for sure one of the Jims had lost his footing and fallen! The quickest route back was to drop down to the road and follow it back. It wasn't long before we saw J.M. scrambling down toward us. That meant J.B. was the one in trouble. We met a very excited J.M. at the truck. He was out of breath and his glasses steaming. He blurted out that no one was hurt. And after catching his breath he said they seen 3 cougars! I guess when following the tracks, they had unknowingly cornered a female cougar with her two kittens. J.B. was the first to spot them and like a movie director he. had yelled down to J.M. "Get ready, here comes one!" The female ran past and J.M. snapped a picture, so excited he was scarcely able to hold his camera steady. Then, "Here comes another one!" and Jim had clicked another picture. The third cougar climbed along a ledge for safety, its exit blocked by J.B. Once the cat had settled down, J.M. went looking for Bill and I. 
Getting back to see the cougar meant we had to redo the scramble up the ledge. But the sight of the cat crouching on the ledge was worth every effort.

Very few people are fortunate enough to see a cougar in the wild so we were lucky.

 It was a day none of us will forget - the afternoon we went looking for sheep and found cougars instead.

Posted on November 28, 2019 09:38 PM by larryhalverson