Smelly Cat

Remember the cam that caught the 2 collared cougars? Near Mono Lake?

Well, last October, when I went to reset in the same canyon, but in a different habitat, I stumbled upon a scene that seemed perfect for an overwinter set - a game trail on the hillside of the narrowing canyon as it transitioned from aspens into Jeffrey pines:

 

There were even a couple of scats on the trail. And a smaller Jeffrey that seemed rubbed.

So I set the trusty and tough Reconyx, freshened the scats with water, dabbed on a little extra skunky scent, and said goodbye for 6 months - knowing that the cold, snow and pass closures of the great Sierra Nevada would prevent our re-acquaintance for that long winter wait.

Unbelievably, the camera worked the entire 6 months - October 14th to April 12th. And, at 7,400 feet in elevation, there were times when the temp hit 6 degrees F.

Appears I picked a popular trail. 7 species stopped, sniffed, peed, pooped, rolled and/or rubbed.

Here's a charmer for the lion lovers out there - a 3rd collared kitty:

































And the full series of 44 puma pics, put together into a video:



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Smelly Cat, Smelly Cat,
What are they feeding you?
Smelly Cat, Smelly Cat
It's not your fault...

They won't take you to the vet
You're obviously not their favorite pet
You may not be a bed of roses
And you're no friend to those with noses
I promise you when we're done
All the world will smell as one

Smelly Cat, Smelly Cat,
What are they feeding you?
Smelly Cat, Smelly Cat
It's not your fault

- Phoebe Buffay, on the TV show 'Friends'

Guess now we really know why they smell.

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References:

• Nature of a Man (this blog) - Always Put Collars on Your Kitties
• Nature of a Man (this blog) - posts on cam trapping the Mono Basin

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