Cougar Country Hazard Rare But Real
What began as a benign walk in the foothills for Donna McSpadden and her dog turned into an odyssey suitable for a Hollywood screenplay.
On July 10, McSpadden was hiking near the south flank of Mica Peak with Sargent, her 10-year-old boxer, and a friend and her dog when the women found an unusual track.
“We had seen elk prints and other tracks we couldn’t identify, but this one was different,” McSpadden said. “I touched it and it was fresh, very fresh. When I looked closer, it was obvious it was a large cat track.”
Within seconds, McSpadden said her friend’s dog started barking. Just as quickly, Sargent leapt into the bushes and a fight with a cougar.
“I can still hear the sound of that fight,” McSpadden said. “I tried to go in and get him, but my friend pulled me back.”
McSpadden and her friend headed to the nearest crossroad to summon help. They kept calling Sargent’s name.
What happened next, McSpadden said, reminded her of the movie “Far From Home: The Adventures of Yellow Dog.”
“I looked back and there was Sargent coming up the road all bloody and limping,” McSpadden said. “His rear right leg was dangling. But he was alive.”
Sargent suffered lacerations on his tongue and soft pallet, torn ligaments in his right rear foot and a bite near the base of the tail.
He’s recovering nicely after surgery at Washington State University and further treatment at All Creatures Veterinary Clinic. But McSpadden said she’ll never look at wild places in quite the same way.
“We always assume we can take over wildlife habitat and not have it affect us at all,” she said. “I now have even more reverence for the woods and the animals that live there.”
Reported sightings of cougars are on the rise, according to Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife spokeswoman Madonna Luers. There are two reasons:
Several mild winters have boosted deer populations high enough that the animals that prey on them, like cougars, are increasing, too.
100,000 new people move to Washington state each year, forcing development that consumes 30,000 acres of wildlife habitat annually.
Luers cautions anyone who encounters a cougar to stay calm, stay put, talk loud and try to appear as big as possible by flailing a stick or their arms.
“Running is the worst thing you can do,” Luers said. “You need to convince the cougar you are a threat, not fleeing prey.”
Dave Byer, a seasoned, professional dog trainer in Post Falls, advises dog owners to keep their dog near them during a cougar encounter.
“Hang on to your dog while you’re making noise to scare the cougar away because your dog might take your actions as motivation to go after the cougar to protect you,” Byer said.
If an off-leash dog starts fighting with a cougar, Byer suggests two tactics:
Get the dog’s attention by calling its name or blowing a whistle, then call the dog to you.
Try to distract the cougar by hitting the ground or the cougar with rocks or a stick.
In either case, be ready to convince the cougar you are a threat if it comes toward you.
“Cougar attacks are rare,” Luers said. “Dog owners, don’t panic. Having that kind of encounter is about as common as getting struck by lightning.”
But, as Donna McSpadden knows, it can happen.
xxxx For a calendar of Inland Northwest dog events, see page E7. If you’d like a dog event publicized, write: Mary Sagal, The Spokesman-Review features section, P.O. Box 2160, Spokane, WA 99210.