Cat kills biker on his training ground (Orange Co, CA) FOLLOWUP ON VICTIM

The Orange County Register ^ | January, 10, 2004 | GREG HARDESTY and JOHN McDONALD

[TheDon]

Saturday, January, 10, 2004 Cat kills biker on his training ground Well-liked racing enthusiast Reynolds knew of risk, but death shocks friends.

From his one-bedroom apartment in Foothill Ranch, mountain-bike racer Mark Jeffrey Reynolds could see the fringes of the park where he loved to train.

[TheDon]

IN MEMORY: A bouquet was left for mountain lion victim Mark Reynolds at the entrance to Whiting Ranch Wilderness Park.

[300winmag]

"If he could have, he would have put up a fight," Galati said. "He would fight anything - with the same intensity as he raced and trained."

The state would not allow him to carry a large-caliber handgun, the only "equalizer" effective against a large cat that has no fear of humans. The cat is protected, and humans are expendable. That's the subtext of this sad story.

[mylife]

"When he was killed, Reynolds was a lean 5 feet 9 inches, 135-pounds"

I have a brother who is slight of build ( Im no hulk myself ) I had a hard time convincing him that hiking a 4 mi trail alone in the Chiricahau wilderness at dusk was bad juju.

[mylife]

"The big cats usually attack from behind, sinking their teeth and jaws into the base of the skull and biting through to the spinal cord while clawing into the chest and abdomen"

I also had to drill in the lesson that Children NEVER trial or lead a group of hikers.

I had a cat track me once, damn scarey

[Luke Skyfreeper]

When one of our daughters was probably about 3 years old, cute, wonderful kid, we went to the zoo.

As we walked past the local tiger, just a few feet away behind his bars, he locked onto her like Bill Clinton onto a hot intern.

Took absolutely zero effort at all to read the thought balloon above his head. It said, quite clearly: "Tyson's."

[mylife]

"Took absolutely zero effort at all to read the thought balloon above his head."

Yup, they arent cute, they are hard wired to kill, and the smaller the easier. Most Predators are also hardwired to respond to flight, running cues them.

[Vince Ferrer]

I also had to drill in the lesson that Children NEVER trial or lead a group of hikers.

There was an attack about three years ago in Mesa Verde National Park in Colorado, where a mountain lion grabbed a young child standing in a line of people and started to run off with him. The people in line threw rocks at it and screamed enough for it to drop the kid, who was practically uninjured.

[blackbart.223]

". The cat is protected, and humans are expendable.

Nail hit squarely on the head.

[GladesGuru]

It is interesting that in Africa, lions regularly kill the natives, but they carefully avoid the tall, skinny ones with spears.

Lions avoid showing themselves to those natives because the lions had learned that the tall, skinny men with spears were Masai - who hunt lions for sport.

When the average American was armed, large-bodied predators avoided men. When enviro-socialism displaced America's historically proven methods such as private ownership/control of land, and disarmed the user of parks, forests, etc, then predatory beasts lost their fear of man.

The moral from these tragic attacks is simple:

ALLOW CITIZENS TO BEAR ARMS IN THE PARKS, FORESTS, ETC.

[Mike Darancette]

That cat probably watched "Meals on Wheels" peddle by on a daily basis hoping one day to get lucky. One day he did.

[mylife]

There was an attack about three years ago in Mesa Verde National Park in Colorado, where a mountain lion grabbed a young child standing in a line of people and started to run off with him. The people in line threw rocks at it and screamed enough for it to drop the kid, who was practically uninjured.

Lucky kid. Thank god the people in the party realized that being agressive in return works.

[Post Toasties]

IMHO, allowing large cats or bears to range around heavily populated areas of the US is not my idea of responsible policy.

[FutureMarine]

The state would not allow him to carry a large-caliber handgun, the only "equalizer" effective against a large cat that has no fear of humans. The cat is protected, and humans are expendable. That's the subtext of this sad story.

Exactly what I first thought when I read this story. If the man was packing a .44 magnum he could have really gotten the best of that bastard cougar. Two in the chest, one in the head.

That's what I'd do.

[mylife]

The state would not allow him to carry a large-caliber handgun, the only "equalizer" effective against a large cat that has no fear of humans.

I Have another brother who while trial riding in the prescott national forrest was freaked out that EVERYONE carrys a side arm, He asked whats the deal with the guns junior? The reply from every one was Cats. and bears and unsavory humans

[TheDon]

Someone should be checking for tracks constantly near inhabited areas.

[TheDon]

"The big cats usually attack from behind, sinking their teeth and jaws into the base of the skull and biting through to the spinal cord while clawing into the chest and abdomen"

It's unlikely Mark even knew what hit him. It would have definitely helped Debbie and Anne however.

[paul51]

Suggest to your brother he get a weapon and learn how to shoot. Not only are the four legged creatures dangerous, but also some two legged ones. Don't be foolish in isolated areas. Better to carry illegally if necessary than be caught in a bad spot unarmed.

[300winmag]

IMHO, allowing large cats or bears to range around heavily populated areas of the US is not my idea of responsible policy.

They're not only "allowed to roam", they're being seeded into areas where they've been absent for a century or more. Deer in the suburbs is a pain, but cougar is deadly. Grizzlies are being introduced into eastern parks where they haven't been seen since the last ice age.

Michigan already has coyote problems, and now there have been some cougar sightings, which has the greenies all atwitter. These predators/scavengers sense that they are protected, and the closer to humans, the easier the picken's. Right now it's domestic pets in the suburbs, and smaller livestock in the countryside. That may be escalating soon.

I think the big predators are magnificent, but I want to see them on my terms, not theirs, or the government's. If the zoo isn't good enough for me, I'll visit them out in the country, but only if I can more than equalize their natural advantages. That means a large caliber handgun, and maybe a respectable rifle.