cougars in the barrens

[manumuskin]

Back in 78 when I was 14 years old me and my cousin were canoeing the mullica at the top of the big beaver pond a couple miles below atsion around march because the red maples were just starting to flower when we came around a bend in a savannah like area with a few spindly maples here and there in the meadow when all the sudden this big cat jumped up out of the dead grass and bounded off thru the water and up a maple about 100 ft away and about 20 ft tall where he stopped with his ass jacked up on a higher limb and his head hunkered down peering at us then he jumped out of the tree and headed for high ground on the north side of the river.He was about 5 ft long without the tail and solid beige.Last i knew deer don"t climb trees.Now I know I"m not a wildlife biologist so what I say don"t mean crap but recently a biologist reportedly sighted one in the barrens and it made the papers.How is it if you don"t have a college degree you don"t have enough sense to identifiy acnis concolor AKA cougar,mountain lion,panther or whatever?I know what I saw and my cousin remembers it too.Do we think that not only are we the baddest critter in the woods but the slickest too?Never seen one since but back in 78 we had at least one of em.
Al

 

[Ben Ruset]

I was one some guy's website who claimed that there might be cougars living in the Great Swamp.

 

[bach2yoga]

Russ does a "cougar hunt" periodically for the PPA. He seems to feel it is MAY be possible that there are, though unsure of whether or not they are Eastern or Western that someone may have let loose at some point. Come to think of it, the cougar hunt we went on was in the middle of the Great Swamp.
Renee

 

[NewSchoolPiney]

I haven't heard of cougars but there is another animal that I found out recently exists in the Pine Barrens, though limited. My neighbor is a hunter and he showed me a picture of a coyote which his friend had shot and had stuffed. Weird looking animal, but it was fairly recent. This was at a Christmas party in December of '02 so I assume it happened during the Fall '02 hunting season.

Justin

 

[manumuskin]

great swamp

Me and a friend of mine crawled and slithered across great swamp last fall.we crossed from the northeast corner by the old cranberry bogs to the big meadow on the west side a distance of a mile.this took two and a half hours then we recrossed due west and came out by a small beaver pond and this was another mile and took another 2 hours.not quite as many blowdown strips this way.Thas one wild place.All we saw in the way of critters was one spotted turtle about 100 yards in and some buzzards circling us half way across.I don"t think they expected us to make it out.If they would of landed they"d of never been able to take off again.Worse swamp I ever crossed on a whole though I"ve crossed worse areas that were smaller.Where I saw the cougar was maybe 3 miles crow fly distance from the swamp.Don"t know where the cat came from or where he was going but he came,he saw and he boogiedDidn"t think I was that ugly but he ran like hell.
Al

 

[Ben Ruset]

How does one cross a swamp? Just wade through with waders?

 

[manumuskin]

stump jumpin

this swamp is a particuarly nasty one.mucch time is spent on your belly slithering under blowdowns or holding onto trees while leaning out to find your next solid step and inevitably have the dead tree give way on you and dropping you where you dont want.this is a real good place for a broken leg out here.many places i was six feet off the ground snaking along downed cedars which also could give way under you.all in the name of seeing whats there.awesome swamp,it was so thick that their weren"t even any deer trails or poop once you get past the perimeter by about 50 yards.I doubt a deer could get back in some of them blowdowns.no large animal sign back here at all.bear would probably have a hard time though cougars could use the downed trees like highways.
Al

 

[Ben Ruset]

I think I will take a pass at it then. I don't like the idea of being on my belly crawling around a swamp. The walking on dead trees part sounds better to me.

I may be a wuss but I don't like to get dirty.

 

[bach2yoga]

stump jumpin

this swamp is a particuarly nasty one.mucch time is spent on your belly slithering under blowdowns or holding onto trees while leaning out to find your next solid step and inevitably have the dead tree give way on you and dropping you where you dont want.this is a real good place for a broken leg out here.many places i was six feet off the ground snaking along downed cedars which also could give way under you.all in the name of seeing whats there.awesome swamp,it was so thick that their weren"t even any deer trails or poop once you get past the perimeter by about 50 yards.I doubt a deer could get back in some of them blowdowns.no large animal sign back here at all.bear would probably have a hard time though cougars could use the downed trees like highways.
Al

oh, yes, that sounds about right! Damn good fun, too! :bounce:
Renee

 

[manumuskin]

swamp woman

renee,

your a swamper huh? Never met a woman that would actually take it to the belly slithering stage!Met some damn tough women cavers and some real tough hikers but never met one that could get into a real mean swamp.My swamp boots are off to you!I"ll even wash my feet first
Al

 

[Teegate]

swamp woman

renee,

your a swamper huh? Never met a woman that would actually take it to the belly slithering stage!Met some damn tough women cavers and some real tough hikers but never met one that could get into a real mean swamp.My swamp boots are off to you!I"ll even wash my feet first
Al

I can vouch for Renee being a swamper. This picture is edited but it is Renee and her daughter in the middle of a swamp in the pouring rain photographing plants.

Guy

 

[manumuskin]

swamp woman

definitely hardcore there.raising the youngun to be a swamper too,I like that
I noticed that getting wet slowly in the rain is a lot more uncomfortable then being wet so as long as the temp is say 60 or above and I"m caught in the rain I"ll usually find a creek if ones available and jump in and when I come out the rain no longer has any effect Of course this is not wallet friendly.ruined a lot in my younger days.Thank God for lamination
Al

 

[bach2yoga]

Geez, you're always sneaking in pictures when no one is looking!
Yeah, been sucked down to my rear in peat a couple of times, lol! Been learning to stay on those hummocks! :wink:
I've been known to go in with no boots as well--I love the feeling of the mud squishing between my toes, then washing in the cedar water afterwards! I look for excuses to get into the water. Sure a lot cheaper than paying for a mud bath at a spa!
But I usually wear my waders. It's a challenge, and it feels great when you make it out.
Last week I was in Cape May Point and was walking the blue trail, when I decided to leave the trail (as usual). I didn't have any problem knowing where I was, but I went so far off trail, that when I tried to get back I was confronted by mass after mass of thickened briars that were impenetrable, and poison ivy overgrowth loomed everywhere. Briars don't normally bother me, but these masses were the types that animals home in, a solid wall three or four feet high. I finally had to bite the bullet and crawl through the briars and poison ivy. Scratched the heck out of me. I washed off as soon as I got to the ocean, and I haven't seen any sign of poison ivy (yet), fingers crossed. Thank goodness the kids weren't with me, they were down on the beach with their dad.
I used to go caving in Arkansas when I lived in Missouri. I remember a ducked running jump and bodyslamming my body against a chasm and pulling myself up so I could get to the other side. Came out with tattered and torn clothing more often than not, always filthy, usually sporting a few bruises and scratches which I wore as a medal of honor. Absolutely invigorating. I don't exactly look the part of tough though. I think it comes down to this for me--life is too short. Enjoy it, get dirty, be part of it! :jump:
And Kristen is hysterical (my daughter). Kid's got great spunk. She's usually the one bugging me to go further in! Joseph enjoys it as well, but he's a bit more cautious than Kristen.
Renee