Mtn Lion kills mtn biker in Whiting Ranch

[EL CAZADOR]

don't any other details as of now, will post more when I find out.

Whiting Ranch is in Foothill Ranch, CA

 

[Frank]

Just caught part of it on the news. Two men riding bicycles were attacked, killing one and seriously injuring the other. Police and fire dept rescued them.

Near LakeForest straight north of mission viejo

All I heard

 

[EL CAZADOR]

More info:

Two riders, lion killed the man, injured the woman. Woman was airlifted out. Apparently the lion stayed in the area even after sheriffs and other emergency crew arrived.

 

[grtwythunter]

Here's the link........

http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/news/010804_nw_mt_lion.html

Scott

 

[DKScott]

Lions in CNF are fully out of control. Most of the incidents have been down toward the southern portion, near where I live. This one was in the northerly portion. Only the completed attacks make the news, but I have personally been stalked and though I rarely see deer anymore, I have seen lions in broad daylight on several occasions and I'm not the only one. If they retained a proper fear of humans, that wouldn't happen. It's a thrill to see them, but then you realize they have forgotten who the topline predator really is and now I won't go back in there without packing heat. It's the only place I do. There's some decent quail spots, but I feel like I'm throwing out bait if I have my dog and so my trips are limited.

 

[onecoyote]

AWWwww that's to bad, poor people put in the food chain and lost. How many of you were here in 1971 when Mt Lions were protected? This is 2004 boys, don't you think it's time to do something about 10,000 lions roaming around California doing what they want ( attacking humans ). SSS........Shot em......Shovel em....and Shut up.

 

[DKScott]

Onecoyote, Your concern for your fellow man is stunning, but where were you? Where were you in 1987 when the ban was lifted? Or 1990 When Prop 117 was passed? Or 1995 when Sen. Leslie introduced SB 28 (Prop 197) to repeal much of Prop 117 and where have you been every other time someone has raised the issue of an initiative to mandate that the DFG controls all wildlife management issues? We have all been steamrolled by an ignorant, urbanized population who vote emotionally and is always told they are getting a free lunch when they vote for this crap. But hey, hope springs eternal, and feel free to lead the charge. I'll support you all the way.

Proposition 117, The Wildlife Protection Act of 1990 was a reponse to the DFGs mishandled resumption of hunting and it is what what did the deed. It was a ballot initiative and is now part of the State Constitution. It can only be undone by another initiative or a 4/5 vote in both houses of the legislature plus the Governor's signature. The 1990 initiative falsely claimed MLs were endangered failed in 56 of CA's 58 counties. Guess which ones it passed in?

 

[onecoyote]

DKScott, I've been hunting for more then 50 years in California and I'm a long time predator hunter ( fourty years worth ), you don't think I did anything about the Mt Lion issue in this state? Buddy, I know all about what you're talking about and more, 1971, 87 and 95. I did alot at the time to try and make people understand the issue and that the news and TV people were lying to the public. They had pro 117 commercials on TV full of lies. The antis won the hearts of the uneducated public with all there lies. The only people who should have anything to do with fish or wildlife laws and rules is the DFG. The GP general public don't have a clue about the outdoors and should not have any business or say so in wildlife management. Now whos side do you think I'm on? lol

 

[DKScott]

One coyote, I have no doubt we're all in favor allowing hunting of mountain lions, but you posed a question suggesting we all sat on our a$$es in 1971. I was here, but I sure as hell couldn't vote - or drive for that matter. My point was we are massively outnumbered by idiots in this state and who was where doing what 30-some years ago is kind of a pointless question.

Now as to where to go from here, I'm open to suggestions. In this state, I think that even if we had roving bands of mountain lions armed with assault weapons mowing down and consuming children by the hundreds, it would still be about impossible to get lions back as a huntable species.

 

[mrgadget]

Not to set aside what you folks are saying, but more on the immediate topic at hand: you couldn't hunt in Whiting Ranch if you wanted to. Most likely this guy was completely caught off guard by an ambush, and wouldn't have been able to even draw a gun if he had one.

First, it's absolutely PACKED with people. Like Fullsack said, it's right across from his work. It's a mountainbiker's hangout. My mother-in-law's house backs up to it, and most likely she had a front row view of the whole thing.

It's also packed with game, so I don't get why this thing was feeling compelled to take down humans bigger than he was. Maybe tired of rabbits.

Sad, sad, situation.

 

[Schoettgen]

Makes you wonder how many people, missing in this state, were killed by lions and never found. The way lions drag victims into heavy brush and cover them makes carcasses had to find. Especially when most of the evidence is eaten.

 

[tony270]

I had to straighten out a guy at work yesterday because he becomes disgusted when I talk about calling yotes. I told him that he liks to fish and that some people don’t want him to do that because they they love fish. He came back with that "it's different because I eat what I catch". I told him that they don’t care that you eat what you catch; they say that you can go a buy fish at the market. I got him thinking, but he still has a hardhead.

This is what I got out the noon news cast:

An interview was just broadcast on the Coachella Valley News. The announcer was interviewing a black guy on a mountain bike, the interview was being held in the dark. He said that he and someone else rode up a lady in a ravine, the lady had a hold of another ladies feet while a huge mountain lion had the other ladies face in its mouth. It was a tug of war and the lion wouldn’t let go, he threw rocks at it and hit it in the head. It still wouldn’t let go. He threw his bike at it and his friend was throwing rocks too. When some other people arrived on the trail he scremed at them to call for help, but they had know phone. Se he stopped throwing rocks and used his cell phone to make a few calls.

The authorities arrived and hunted the lion down and it was not far. And while they where hunting the lion down they found a man that was dead. Most likely a different kill, but same area. The lady was evacuated to the hospital.

 

[raidernation]

And then a few mile away last night a car hit and killed another Lion!!!

 

[DKScott]

mrgadget,

These lions roam over a pretty wide area and undoubtedly leave WR Park on occasion. You don't have to kill them, just educate them. Once they've been chased by hounds and shot at a couple of times, they will associate humans with trouble and keep their distance. (except of course to come snack on an occasional poodle)

 

[tony270]

I don't think dogs will do the trick if the lions have gotten too thick. When their ranges start to overlap and they have nowhere else to go, they will soon start fighting and some will go to the good pickings in our urban parks.

I know that the law says we can't hunt them, but it also says we can't harass them, so we can't do anything until someting happens to someone. So why not just promote how dangerous it is out there when we don't keep the lion population in check? If we could convince enough people that these cat dangerous it might be possible to get a lion season back.

 

[onecoyote]

DKScott, you just said it all right there. For those of you who want to check this out, please do. Before California protected the Mt Lion, there was NEVER a case of a Lion unprovoked attacking an adult human on record. There had been a few cases of Lions attacking young people, the oldest being 13 at the time. Lions have lost all fear of man and that's one of the reasons we see so many attacks.

As far as a lion attacking something larger then itself, that's no problem. It has all the tools to do so and it does in deer, elk etc. I believe one of the main reason people on bikes are getting attacked is they look to the lion as if they are running away. What happens when you run from a dog?

Being a long time predator hunter I have called in lions, believe me they were scared more of me then me of them. The DFG says the Lion population is somewhere between five to ten thousand in the state, the most of any state in the US and the only western state you can't hunt them in.

Think about this one. California HAD the second largest deer population in the US back in the 60s, what happen? If a Lion eats a deer a week and we have ( the low end ) 5000 lions and there is 52 weeks a year. That would be 52x5000= 260,000 deer are eaten by Lions, plus another 50,000 killed on the roads. It's time to start hunting Lions, when they run low on deer, they may be hunting you lol.

 

[brut]

save a deer kill a cat

 

[onecoyote]

brut, I'm in Apple Valley and hunt local alot. Matter of fact, I'm going cat hunting tonight ( bobcats ) lol

 

[brut]

onecoyote there is definetly no shortage of bob cats either. I've just started targeting preditors and if it wernt for the bob cats i'd be 0 fer. good luck

 

[walterb]

Audio links and interviews about the killer lion in CA.

click on the audio links..

http://www.npr.org/features/feature.php?wfId=1580004

http://www.npr.org/features/feature.php?wfId=1591640