For a guy that was pet-less for over 25 years, I seem to have acquired a regular clowder of cats around here. I've got Chyk and Chuk, my over-fed guard-cats that live in the house, and theres the new kitten Spook that lives out in the shop. But there has been another, less obvious member of the menagerie. A mystery cat that has survived by his wits in the wilds for I don't know how long.
Last fall down at the hot spring people reported eyes at night around the campsite and food items missing in the morning. I caught a quick glimpse of it crossing a trail one day there, but that was all. The guys down at the gate have seen it a few times, and it spent some time around the cabin there in search of scraps or garbage bags to tear into, but it remained an elusive creature that would run off when it saw you. It's tracks evident in the snow showing it was still around, I began to take down food for it once a week to help take the edge off, as I'm sure it led a very tough life.
Somehow, wild-cat finally found his way in the snow all the way up to the lodge about a month ago, I think he probably followed the snowmobile tracks here, his clandestine activities betrayed by a bag of garbage ripped into on the front porch one frigid night, and odd cat tracks around at first light.
Of course I began to leave a dish of food out for it which would be gone in the morning, the dish licked clean. I don't know where it spent it's days, but if caught in the flashlight beam at night it would always bound off taking huge leaps. I managed the catch it by accident a couple times, just a flash as it scampered off to the woods. Anyways, I was glad he was getting a steady meal for a change, as he was I'm sure, and might find himself a spot under the shop or the guest cabin maybe. Even though it may cause some issues with the existing cats, and the fact that I may never get near him, it was nice to know he was warm and dry, a full tummy, and safe from predators. He was usually referred to as wild kitty, but I started calling it Spunk.
So we had Chyk and Chuk, and Spook and wild-cat Spunk.
A couple mornings ago I came out to the shop at first light to see he had been back as evident by his empty dish. I walked in and before I had time to sit down I heard a strange noise from outside. There are only so many sounds that happen out here, and anything out of the ordinary gets my attention. I heard it again and wondered if it was a raven, then all hell seemed to break loose outside, like the sound of the worst cat fight you can imagine. I ran out the door and through the orchard towards the racket. It was just getting light in the open, but once I got into the trees where the cats were fighting I had a difficult time seeing. Thinking my tom had got into it with wild Spunk I started hollering as I got there and as I stood there trying to focus in on the snarling ball of fur at the base of a tree, I suddenly realized it was a bobcat that had jumped a cat. At the time I didn't know which cat as I couldn't see, but the bobcat is laying on its side holding some poor creature biting clawing and scratching with it's hind legs, and all the time the victim is screaming bloody murder.
If there is one sure way of getting me stirred-up, it is something chewing on my cats.
I still had on my slippers and thought twice about getting my feet in there but I looked down and spied a branch then picked it up and started in on the bobcat. He jumped up and bounds away and in my rage ran after him smacking at it with my stick. I turned around expecting to see an injured cat left behind, but nothing, the cat was gone.
I ran back inside where I was greeted by the shop kitten Spook, whom appears to be unaware of any bobcat in the area. I ran back over to house to check that Chyk and Chuk were accounted for. Well, it had to of been poor Spunk. Back outside I see the bobcat has returned to the scene of the attack, hoping to start in where he left off I imagine. I dug out a firearm and put in a full clip, I hunted around following his tracks and catching nothing but a brief glimpse.
It had snowed just a little the night before, just enough to make tracks and I could put together how it all went down. I could see where the bobcat had wandered around in the night searching for a victim. There was snow in some of his tracks so I knew he had been around for several hours.
When I clomped up on the deck at the shop that morning, Spunk ran out from under and around the back of the shop as he always seemed to do. Unfortunately this time a bobcat had been staking out the area, and him, and immediately gave chase.
The tracks showed a spirited dash for life before the bobcat caught up to Spunk and there was a violent take-down here behind the shop, evident by the skid-marks and scratches on the ground.
There were some bits of fur in the snow, bobcat fur, so the wild cat Spunk had put up quite a fight.
The snow was flattened out like there had been quite the battle, and looked like Spunk had broken free then ran under the snowmobile trailer which probably slowed the bobcat down a little. Spunk's tracks emerged from the other side at a run and made the mistake of trying to climb a tree where the bobcat jumped up and up and hauled it down to a depression at the base where the two of them where locked in a life or death struggle. From the time I heard the sound that got my attention, it had taken me less than 20 seconds to get to the scene of the attack, which felt like an eternity. I never did see Spunk, but his tracks were there, leading from the scene at a fast rate, passing under the camper trailer, back to the shop and under the deck then emerging from the other end and making a direct line for the guest cabin then off into the woods where he feels most at home.
There was no blood, but I know from experience the damage done by a bobcat attack.
I'm hoping he is under the small cabin now, warm and dry, and nursing his injuries, which I hope are not too severe. I've been staying clear of there for fear of scaring him off into the woods, if he hasn't gone already. But the fact is, I don't know where he is right now, and he will never seek help. I feel bad for the poor guy, to have lived so long on it's own then when it gets someplace 'safe' it gets jumped by a predator. The poor bugger finally had it made.
I've been setting his food out at night, but so far, it has remained untouched. The bobcat has moved on for now, but it will be back. I cleaned my rifle yesterday, checked the sights, taped a powerful flashlight to the barrel, and I keep it in a handy location. Wish me luck.
If you haven't heard enough about wild critters from the woods, here's more...
http://hotspringlodge.blogspot.ca/2013/04/princess-chyk-monster-slayer.html
Somehow, wild-cat finally found his way in the snow all the way up to the lodge about a month ago, I think he probably followed the snowmobile tracks here, his clandestine activities betrayed by a bag of garbage ripped into on the front porch one frigid night, and odd cat tracks around at first light.
Of course I began to leave a dish of food out for it which would be gone in the morning, the dish licked clean. I don't know where it spent it's days, but if caught in the flashlight beam at night it would always bound off taking huge leaps. I managed the catch it by accident a couple times, just a flash as it scampered off to the woods. Anyways, I was glad he was getting a steady meal for a change, as he was I'm sure, and might find himself a spot under the shop or the guest cabin maybe. Even though it may cause some issues with the existing cats, and the fact that I may never get near him, it was nice to know he was warm and dry, a full tummy, and safe from predators. He was usually referred to as wild kitty, but I started calling it Spunk.
So we had Chyk and Chuk, and Spook and wild-cat Spunk.
A couple mornings ago I came out to the shop at first light to see he had been back as evident by his empty dish. I walked in and before I had time to sit down I heard a strange noise from outside. There are only so many sounds that happen out here, and anything out of the ordinary gets my attention. I heard it again and wondered if it was a raven, then all hell seemed to break loose outside, like the sound of the worst cat fight you can imagine. I ran out the door and through the orchard towards the racket. It was just getting light in the open, but once I got into the trees where the cats were fighting I had a difficult time seeing. Thinking my tom had got into it with wild Spunk I started hollering as I got there and as I stood there trying to focus in on the snarling ball of fur at the base of a tree, I suddenly realized it was a bobcat that had jumped a cat. At the time I didn't know which cat as I couldn't see, but the bobcat is laying on its side holding some poor creature biting clawing and scratching with it's hind legs, and all the time the victim is screaming bloody murder.
If there is one sure way of getting me stirred-up, it is something chewing on my cats.
I still had on my slippers and thought twice about getting my feet in there but I looked down and spied a branch then picked it up and started in on the bobcat. He jumped up and bounds away and in my rage ran after him smacking at it with my stick. I turned around expecting to see an injured cat left behind, but nothing, the cat was gone.
I ran back inside where I was greeted by the shop kitten Spook, whom appears to be unaware of any bobcat in the area. I ran back over to house to check that Chyk and Chuk were accounted for. Well, it had to of been poor Spunk. Back outside I see the bobcat has returned to the scene of the attack, hoping to start in where he left off I imagine. I dug out a firearm and put in a full clip, I hunted around following his tracks and catching nothing but a brief glimpse.
It had snowed just a little the night before, just enough to make tracks and I could put together how it all went down. I could see where the bobcat had wandered around in the night searching for a victim. There was snow in some of his tracks so I knew he had been around for several hours.
When I clomped up on the deck at the shop that morning, Spunk ran out from under and around the back of the shop as he always seemed to do. Unfortunately this time a bobcat had been staking out the area, and him, and immediately gave chase.
The snow was flattened out like there had been quite the battle, and looked like Spunk had broken free then ran under the snowmobile trailer which probably slowed the bobcat down a little. Spunk's tracks emerged from the other side at a run and made the mistake of trying to climb a tree where the bobcat jumped up and up and hauled it down to a depression at the base where the two of them where locked in a life or death struggle. From the time I heard the sound that got my attention, it had taken me less than 20 seconds to get to the scene of the attack, which felt like an eternity. I never did see Spunk, but his tracks were there, leading from the scene at a fast rate, passing under the camper trailer, back to the shop and under the deck then emerging from the other end and making a direct line for the guest cabin then off into the woods where he feels most at home.
There was no blood, but I know from experience the damage done by a bobcat attack.
I'm hoping he is under the small cabin now, warm and dry, and nursing his injuries, which I hope are not too severe. I've been staying clear of there for fear of scaring him off into the woods, if he hasn't gone already. But the fact is, I don't know where he is right now, and he will never seek help. I feel bad for the poor guy, to have lived so long on it's own then when it gets someplace 'safe' it gets jumped by a predator. The poor bugger finally had it made.
I've been setting his food out at night, but so far, it has remained untouched. The bobcat has moved on for now, but it will be back. I cleaned my rifle yesterday, checked the sights, taped a powerful flashlight to the barrel, and I keep it in a handy location. Wish me luck.
If you haven't heard enough about wild critters from the woods, here's more...
http://hotspringlodge.blogspot.ca/2013/04/princess-chyk-monster-slayer.html
I called Ross Tsuwaquna.Bobcat.
ReplyDeleteTsuwaquna. Thats interesting, I wondered what the local word for bobcat was. I just usually call them bastards.
ReplyDeleteStory update... Not long after this incident I spotted him a few times, seemingly none the worse for wear. He has resumed his life foraging at the hot spring campsite, and coming around here checking things when the pickings are slim.
ReplyDelete