Felix,
Bounce is right. The cougars in the bars are far more dangerous than the real cats. People like to tell you stuff like that to see what your reaction will be. When we were passing through the Gila NF earlier this summer some young adults told us that they had seen a big bear about a mile from our camp site at Rocky Canyon. We did not believe it, and we hung our food and smelly stuff normally anyway.
The fellow that got killed by the cougar last week lived alone in the woods and made a habit of bathing and shaving outside his trailer in the same location. It happened down by Silver City in Pino Altos. Now everyone is getting hysterical and seeing cougars everywhere. Far more people die of domestic dog attacks and bee stings each year than of cougar attacks. There are an estimated 2000-3000 cougars in New Mexico. The bad thing is that they will stalk you and hit you from behind, but it is extremely rare. Throw rocks, holler, and use your bike as a shield if you need to. Protect your neck because that is where they like to bite first. However, you aren't very likely to see one.
Cougars?
Felix,
Bounce is right. The cougars in the bars are far more dangerous than the real cats. People like to tell you stuff like that to see what your reaction will be. When we were passing through the Gila NF earlier this summer some young adults told us that they had seen a big bear about a mile from our camp site at Rocky Canyon. We did not believe it, and we hung our food and smelly stuff normally anyway.
The fellow that got killed by the cougar last week lived alone in the woods and made a habit of bathing and shaving outside his trailer in the same location. It happened down by Silver City in Pino Altos. Now everyone is getting hysterical and seeing cougars everywhere. Far more people die of domestic dog attacks and bee stings each year than of cougar attacks. There are an estimated 2000-3000 cougars in New Mexico. The bad thing is that they will stalk you and hit you from behind, but it is extremely rare. Throw rocks, holler, and use your bike as a shield if you need to. Protect your neck because that is where they like to bite first. However, you aren't very likely to see one.