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"Okay...believe what you will, Guru."

Belief is what you are demonstrating, whereas I was trying to show you hard data about predator behavior in general and couguar behavior in particular. Denying is not refutation.

"BTW...the most reports I've seen of cougars "regularly" attacking people is near large urban areas such as CA. where they're being squeezed out of their natural habitat."

Once again, you are parroting the enviro-socialist party line. Consider that people were "squeezing" panther out as the human population expanded, and that this has been occurring in California for the last century.

Yet only after hunting was stopped for some ten years did panthers begin preying on humans. Don't forget that ten years is sufficient time for a new generation of cats to be produced that didn't learn to fear man because man hunted them.

So, the cats began to hunt man. Lack of hunting is why people were torn to shreds or killed by panther. "Squeezing" is a mere enviro-socialist myth.

"In places where there's still plenty of wilderness, they're very elusive and will almost always avoid human contact unless they're sick or starving."

Another myth from GangGreen, I'm afraid. Predators go where there is food. Man creates a more productive habitat and the predators follow. When hunting couguar was outlawed in the Everglades, the cats began to chase deer through camp areas and within 20 feet of people. I have had the nasty things within 30 feet of me and last night one was seen on my place again.

This didn't happen when hunting of the was allowed. And there is plenty of "wilderness" for them in Everglades National Park but the cats don't live there in any significant number.

Evidently neither man nor beast wants to live under Park Service control.

Okay..."Uncle...uncle...uncle!"

You win!

Happy now?

I am NOT parroting the environmentalist "ANYTHING"!

I live in the wilderness and base my observations on what I see on a daily basis.

End of debate.....you know everything.

You win.

BTW...my brother is an outfitter in Colorado who tracks cougars for wildlife photographers.

There have been many treks they've taken where they've tracked a lion for miles and never successfully treed one.

If my premise is incorrect about 'urban squeeze' causing most human attacks, why don't the lions being tracked double-back and attack the humans tracking them?

They don't because they don't feel cornered when they have plenty of room to roam.

My last word.