[pct-l] more on mountain lions

[Jeff Moorehead]

Bill,
 It must be the case that a good many PCT hikers get stalked by mountain 
lions constantly . Numerous times I saw mountain lion prints superimposed on 
my own as I was heading back out to the trail in the morning. I think the 
lions are just curious as to whether we are food or enemies. In a few cases, 
they take us as a potential food item and attack, but as brought out by 
several others here, this is a very rare occurrence. There was a lion 
sighted on the PCT this year in the Marble Mountains by Hannibal. 
Apparently, the lion perched on a nearby log outside of a ranger station 
waiting for a tame deer who had been seen by other hikers earlier. It left 
without incident.

I believe, the lion that ambled into a campground near the Cuyamacas in 
southern Cal some years ago was determined to be previously owned by humans 
and released into the wild. It could not fend for itself and was hungry and 
malnourished. It was later destroyed by game wardens.