I’m gonna first start talking about my cougar story in the December issue of
cougar story in the December issue of
cougar story in the December issue of National Geographic this is a cave in
National Geographic this is a cave in
National Geographic this is a cave in the Grove on outside of Jackson Wyoming
the Grove on outside of Jackson Wyoming
the Grove on outside of Jackson Wyoming I put this camera trap up and then for
I put this camera trap up and then for
I put this camera trap up and then for the next 11 months I got about a hundred
the next 11 months I got about a hundred
the next 11 months I got about a hundred thousand pictures of a little ground
thousand pictures of a little ground
thousand pictures of a little ground squirrel it took me a year to get a
squirrel it took me a year to get a
squirrel it took me a year to get a picture of this female and her kitten
picture of this female and her kitten
picture of this female and her kitten and they’re both study animals and it’s
and they’re both study animals and it’s
and they’re both study animals and it’s absolutely fabulous but I was pulling my
absolutely fabulous but I was pulling my
absolutely fabulous but I was pulling my hair out you know taking a year to do it
hair out you know taking a year to do it
hair out you know taking a year to do it so we did camera trapping in certain
so we did camera trapping in certain
so we did camera trapping in certain locations and other guaranteed locations
locations and other guaranteed locations
locations and other guaranteed locations were kills mountain lion kills and this
were kills mountain lion kills and this
were kills mountain lion kills and this females looking back at us and there she
females looking back at us and there she
females looking back at us and there she is in the moonlight with some clouds
is in the moonlight with some clouds
is in the moonlight with some clouds coming over it’s great when you have
coming over it’s great when you have
coming over it’s great when you have clouds on a full moon because it really
clouds on a full moon because it really
clouds on a full moon because it really lights up the sky but one of the
lights up the sky but one of the
lights up the sky but one of the interesting things about this is
interesting things about this is
interesting things about this is mountains is an animal that caches their
mountains is an animal that caches their
mountains is an animal that caches their kills they bury them so other animals
kills they bury them so other animals
kills they bury them so other animals can’t find them of course they stink so
can’t find them of course they stink so
can’t find them of course they stink so you can find them but they don’t smell
you can find them but they don’t smell
you can find them but they don’t smell when it’s 20 below zero and what
when it’s 20 below zero and what
when it’s 20 below zero and what happened here was it snowed and then it
happened here was it snowed and then it
happened here was it snowed and then it iced over so he had to dig a hole so he
iced over so he had to dig a hole so he
iced over so he had to dig a hole so he could eat it’s pretty incredible
could eat it’s pretty incredible
could eat it’s pretty incredible behavior there and that’s one thing
behavior there and that’s one thing
behavior there and that’s one thing we’re trying to get on camera traps this
we’re trying to get on camera traps this
we’re trying to get on camera traps this behavior but a lot of our time was spent
behavior but a lot of our time was spent
behavior but a lot of our time was spent going out with the scientists well they
going out with the scientists well they
going out with the scientists well they went to two fine cats didn’t collar them
went to two fine cats didn’t collar them
went to two fine cats didn’t collar them and recover them change the batteries
and recover them change the batteries
and recover them change the batteries and so we take dogs out or Boone Smith
and so we take dogs out or Boone Smith
and so we take dogs out or Boone Smith does NatGeo channels big cat guy and
does NatGeo channels big cat guy and
does NatGeo channels big cat guy and tree the cat and you can see he just got
tree the cat and you can see he just got
tree the cat and you can see he just got darted cuz he’s not very happy about it
darted cuz he’s not very happy about it
darted cuz he’s not very happy about it and then in boon situation he puts a
and then in boon situation he puts a
and then in boon situation he puts a rope around the back leg and lowers him
rope around the back leg and lowers him
rope around the back leg and lowers him down in South Dakota they let it fall
down in South Dakota they let it fall
down in South Dakota they let it fall and put a net up unfortunately for these
and put a net up unfortunately for these
and put a net up unfortunately for these guys that cat wasn’t drugged yet and the
guys that cat wasn’t drugged yet and the
guys that cat wasn’t drugged yet and the other way that we do it when it there’s
other way that we do it when it there’s
other way that we do it when it there’s a closure and you’re working with
a closure and you’re working with
a closure and you’re working with kittens you use cage traps and within an
kittens you use cage traps and within an
kittens you use cage traps and within an hour they were free and gone back with
hour they were free and gone back with
hour they were free and gone back with mom and when they do captures they take
mom and when they do captures they take
mom and when they do captures they take all the vital signs DNA put the collar
all the vital signs DNA put the collar
all the vital signs DNA put the collar on and then here the kitten is learning
on and then here the kitten is learning
on and then here the kitten is learning that mountain lions pull the hair off
that mountain lions pull the hair off
that mountain lions pull the hair off and spit it out and that’s what she’s
and spit it out and that’s what she’s
and spit it out and that’s what she’s learning to do one of the things about
learning to do one of the things about
learning to do one of the things about mountain lions is they are not
mountain lions is they are not
mountain lions is they are not endangered and it’s also legal Hunnam in
endangered and it’s also legal Hunnam in
endangered and it’s also legal Hunnam in certain states this cat was killed in
certain states this cat was killed in
certain states this cat was killed in South Dakota this one here is being
South Dakota this one here is being
South Dakota this one here is being mounted in South Dakota also but one of
mounted in South Dakota also but one of
mounted in South Dakota also but one of the most interesting aspects of this
the most interesting aspects of this
the most interesting aspects of this story to me was going to a mountain lion
story to me was going to a mountain lion
story to me was going to a mountain lion meeting in Montana
meeting in Montana
meeting in Montana meeting the scientist that works with
meeting the scientist that works with
meeting the scientist that works with the cats north of LA and telling him
the cats north of LA and telling him
the cats north of LA and telling him wouldn’t it be great to get a picture of
wouldn’t it be great to get a picture of
wouldn’t it be great to get a picture of a mountain lion with the Hollywood sign
a mountain lion with the Hollywood sign
a mountain lion with the Hollywood sign because these cats are moving closer and
because these cats are moving closer and
because these cats are moving closer and closer to urban areas so I set my camera
closer to urban areas so I set my camera
closer to urban areas so I set my camera traps up but this is something you need
traps up but this is something you need
traps up but this is something you need to scientifically figure out where this
to scientifically figure out where this
to scientifically figure out where this cats going to be working with the
cats going to be working with the
cats going to be working with the biologist we got a good collar on him
biologist we got a good collar on him
biologist we got a good collar on him with the National Geographic expedition
with the National Geographic expedition
with the National Geographic expedition council so we get coyotes deer and I got
council so we get coyotes deer and I got
council so we get coyotes deer and I got another Bobcat
guys walking their dogs people but I
guys walking their dogs people but I mean this is good because with that
mean this is good because with that
mean this is good because with that collar we’re getting points every two
collar we’re getting points every two
collar we’re getting points every two hours so I put a video camera developed
hours so I put a video camera developed
hours so I put a video camera developed by the missions program and the remote
by the missions program and the remote
by the missions program and the remote imaging unit downstairs I can’t thank
imaging unit downstairs I can’t thank
imaging unit downstairs I can’t thank you guys enough for what you’ve done and
you guys enough for what you’ve done and
you guys enough for what you’ve done and gonna change moving images for wildlife
gonna change moving images for wildlife
gonna change moving images for wildlife with these HD video camera trap and
with these HD video camera trap and
with these HD video camera trap and there we got it took 12 months but just
there we got it took 12 months but just
there we got it took 12 months but just an incredible iconic picture but the
an incredible iconic picture but the
an incredible iconic picture but the prize was still out there the mountain
prize was still out there the mountain
prize was still out there the mountain lion with the Hollywood sign and there
lion with the Hollywood sign and there
lion with the Hollywood sign and there is the prize
is the prize
is the prize [Applause]
[Applause]
[Applause] [Music]
”
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