Snakes & cougars

[Rocketfish]

Have you had any encounter with them during fishing trips?

[Ron Eagle Elk]

I've had a few rattlesnake encounters, but we have an understanding. I don't bother them, except to say hello, and they don't bother me. Never seen a cougar.

REE

[Uncle Jesse]

Snakes are not uncommon in the SE USA, I have encountered many over the 50+ years I have fished. They are mostly non-venomous but there are the occassional cottonmouth or rattlesnake. Cougars are pretty much non-existent in the SE, out west it is possible I suppose.

[bowfin47]

Used to have a female cougar on the property that used to rent in northwestern LA. We occasionally saw/heard her and often saw here tracks.. We knew it was a her, because one spring we found kitten tracks with her's on a sandy road..

In Louisiana there are moccasins everywhere... Usually show them a little respect, and they'll left ya' alone,. But I and most everyone I know that spends time outdoors and on the water, have a number of stories where that wasn't exactly the case...

[tedshuck]

I have seen a cougar while fishing in Waterton Canyon, near Denver. It was quite happy to leave me alone and go its own way and I was quite happy to see it do so. There are rattle snakes in this area, but I have not seen them while fishing. They generally stay away from the water. I have seen several on the bike path while bicycling to work.

Ted

[Steven]

I think I've seen a snake cross in front of me just once. No cougars, although I guess theoretically they could be in Southwest Wisconsin.

Beavers, however, manage to scare the cr@p out of me on a regular basis.

[kbproctor]

There are lots of snakes out here but I have seen only one or two. I have been shadowed by a cougar a time or two. No real encounters, though.

[NJTroutbum]

I was fortunate to avoid conflict with a cougar with a young one over a blacktail deer kill on the Little Naches River in Washington state. A very tense and unnerving situation. After backing off of them with only a flyrod in hand & talking outloud as they stared me down, they shadowed me for quite awhile down the canyon until I finaly got the nerves and got out of the creek for the truck.

I used to fish a small stream near Cherry Springs PA, that held alot of rattlesnakes during the summer months. I would encounter one hopping boulders nearly every trip. Didn't really enjoy it at first, but got used to it and just kept my eyes open....the fishing was great.

[modocdan]

Well. I stepped right on a rattler last summer when a friend and I were fishing a private farm pond.... sad to say, he didn't make it. I should have been lookin where I was walkin. Usually when I see snakes, they're headin away from me, rattlers are fairly timid. Cougars have shadowed me a few times, and I've seen their tracks on top of mine several times. I came face to face with one at Lake Britton in N. CA. two years ago, about 20 yards apart. He just looked at me and my fly rod for a few seconds, then bounded up the hill. I think he was just down to the lake for a drink, it was dusk. I've also seen bears a time or two while fishin' but nothing scary, they usually don't want anything to do with folks either. I always pack a .357, but have never hauled it out. I kinda figure the cougar whose gonna gitcha is the one you'll never see. That 'ol .357 just makes me feel better. .........................................ModocDan

[pittendrigh]

Haven't met any snakes since I quite guiding.

.......sorry. Couldn't help myself. Truth is, when you are a river guide, 99% of the people you meet you like so much you wish you could stay in touch. But there is that 1% or so that does make you grind your teeth.