This is just one more reason we say nature isn't as cute and cuddly as we some times like to pretend. A gorgeous mountain lion is still a predator and hence the part of its name "lion." Here is a game camera photo passed around online that shows a big cat stalking a deer through the trees. Now this picture supposedly was and was not taken in every state in the US and is older than dirt and some say it is photoshopped. Either way it is a sweet picture, so if you haven't seen it before, enjoy. Imagine meeting this guy on the way to your treestand at 6am. Is it a real photo? You be the judge.
Check out this big mountain lion pic! We often think you have to go to Africa to see cats this big, but these are actually native to West Virginia and other mountainous states in the US. What do you think? 150 pounds? 200 pounds?
Congratulations to Bryan Vickers on a very successful muzzleloader in Columbus (Pickaway County). Not only did Bryan take a very nice buck but he also took a piebald buck (piebalds have more white in their fur but are not albino). The best part of Bryan's story is that he and his father, Wayne, had honorably let this buck walk for several years before taking it at maturity. It takes a lot of patience and wisdom to pass up such a nice animal in hopes that they will mature. Congrats again to Bryan and his dad who both almost took this deer this year during bow season and we look forward to seeing photos of the full body mount! Check out the photos in the Trophy Gallery and upload your own.
You have probably heard of piebald deer (spotted in white), albino deer (solid white with pink eyes), and melanistic deer (solid black). Maybe you have even heard of antlered does, but have you ever heard of a cactus buck? A cactus buck is a male deer with cryptorchidism. This means the velvet never falls off the antlers and continues to grow throughout the year. The buck taken below, in Oklahoma, is just such a buck.
Here's something you don't see every day! Deer Fishing anyone? Tom Satre told the Sitka Gazette that he was out with a charter group on his 62-foot fishing vessel when some you deer came swimming up to his boat.
"Once the deer reached the boat, the four began to circle the boat, looking directly at us. We could tell right away that the young bucks were distressed.
I opened up my back gate and we helped the typically skittish and absolutely wild animals onto the boat. In all my years fishing, I've never seen anything quite like it!
Once onboard, they collapsed with exhaustion, shivering."
"This is a picture I took of the rescued bucks on the back of my boat, the Alaska Quest. We headed for Taku Harbour.
Once we reached the dock, the first buck that we had pulled from the water hopped onto the dock, looked back as if to say 'thank you' and disappeared into the forest.
After a bit of prodding and assistance, two more followed, but the smallest deer needed a little more help.
Tom used his handy wheel barrow to move the last one off the boat.
My daughter, Anna, and son, Tim, helped the last buck to its feet. We didn't know how long they had been in the icy waters or if there had been others who did not survive."
It was definitely na one of a kind and unforgettable experience for the Satre family! (Story details courtesy of http:// penkin.posterous.com)
