The hunt for the Jaguarundi!

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Desert Cruiser
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The hunt for the Jaguarundi!

Post by Desert Cruiser »

Ok so they haven't been seen in Arizona in over 50 years, but last summer I saw one just below Martinez Lake back in the mountains. Just enough of a look to know what it was but not long enough to get the camera up and get the shot! Real disappointment. So every now and then we go over there just hoping to catch him and get a photo. http://www.agarman.dial.pipex.com/jundi.htm

No luck today but it wasn't a total loss. We caught these guys and girls hanging out on the side of this hill. ---

A ram with a youngster; probably a yearling:
Image

A little better look at the big boy; there were two rams:
Image

A couple of the girls that were hanging around with them. There were 8 altogether:
Image

Don....
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Re: The hunt for the Jaguarundi!

Post by reptilist »

That page says the jaguarundi is "diurnal in it's hunting activities"...How odd!
Nice sheep pics, which lens did you use?
Jerry Feldner
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Re: The hunt for the Jaguarundi!

Post by Jerry Feldner »

I hate to say that you might have misidentified what you saw but you may have. I doubt highly that a Jaguarundi would have gone all the way out in the desert to Martinez Lake.
In my experience, Jaguarundis are more forest animals. In 1998, I was participating in a herp study in the Peloncillo Mtns of SE AZ. There was a biologist there all the time checking on the study animals and logging their activity. On Saturday, the principal of the study and my son and I arrived at the campsite but the biologist on site had already gone up the mountain to do his duty, When he came down, he apologized for having forgotten his camera because he had seen a "strange catlike creature." When he described it, I immediately showed him some pictures in my Field Guide and he immediately ID'd it as Jaguarundi. I feel it was a good ID since he was a Brit and had never seen one before.

BTW, the Audubon FG notes that Jaguarundis are occasionally diurnal.Audubon also indicates the range in the US is only in SW TX (Christmas and Chisos Mtns) and SE AZ, not extreme SW AZ.
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Re: The hunt for the Jaguarundi!

Post by Desert Cruiser »

Yes I do know that Jerry. Thanks. This cat was black, and it's more likely to be a Jaguarundi than a panther. Our friend and neighbor Randy Smith who is a dept head for Game & Fish here gave me the ID for the cat. We've lived in the Sierras for 17 years and have seen many mountain lions so we're familiar with the cat family out here. This cat was black, was seen during the day, was much smaller than a mountain lion, Had a flattend (for lack of a better description) nose, not elongated like a Puma. 2 weeks after our sitting he (Randy) had calls from a rancher in Hyder about a black cat killing some of his young sheep.

This cat was seen by me no more than 1/3 mile from the Colorado River in an area with a lot of trees and undergrowth. Lot of rabbits, quail, etc. I don't want to give the exact location.

Thanks for the compliment on the sheep photos, Their always fun to see.

Don...
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Re: The hunt for the Jaguarundi!

Post by Desert Cruiser »

Terry: A lot of the Jaguarundi are daytime hunters, not all. I used the 300 mm lens for those, they were quite a ways off.

Don...
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Re: The hunt for the Jaguarundi!

Post by lara »

the sheep pics are really great!

rsg
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Re: The hunt for the Jaguarundi!

Post by Desert Cruiser »

Thanks Lara: Well since everyone likes Bighorn Sheep. Here's one I don't post on the web but in this smaller size I guess it's ok. This was taken 2 years ago with a 720mm lens. This one was standing on a small rock with his back feet. And was a pretty handsome ram. This is my favorite one.

Image

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Re: The hunt for the Jaguarundi!

Post by lara »

again, a superb pic!
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