PRESENTATION: MOUNTAIN LIONS, ELUSIVE YET PREDICTABLE
Mountain lion visiting a remote mountain spring to lick water off the top of the ice.
When: November 4, 2024, 6:00 - 7:30 PM
Where: Red River National Wildlife Refuge
150 Eagle Bend Point, Bossier City, LA 71112
Sponsor: Friends of Red River National Wildlife Refuge
Registration (Limited to 100 Attendees)
This presentation is part of the Animals in Winter series at the Red River National Wildlife Refuge. Twenty years ago, when I first started studying and filming mountain lions, I assumed they were elusive and unpredictable. I followed their tracks in the snow to determine if there were any natural factors that would help me pinpoint how they navigated across the landscape. After about five years of spending time weekly in their home turf, I came to realize that yes, they are elusive and yet very predictable in how they hunt and navigate across the landscape. And during the winter months they become even more predictable in an effort to save precious calories. For their size, they are one of the most predictable animals I’ve studied in North America. This combination is unique for any wildlife species and makes the mountain lion a fascinating animal to study.
The presentation will cover the following:
highlights of 20 years studying mountain lions weekly
correcting misconceptions about mountain lions
unique mountain lion traits among common predators (red and grey fox, coyote, bobcat, black bear)
finding mountain lion activity (tracks, scat and scrapes)
examples from the field, elusive yet predictable
the value of mountain lions as a keystone species
All of the wildlife footage you’ll see during this presentation is of completely wild behavior of truly wild wildlife in wild places. No shortcuts were ever taken. No lures, no dogs, no helicopters, no GPS tracking. Successful wildlife conservation begins with accurate education.
MEET YOUR HOST - DAVID NEILS
David Neils and Jenny Jones, sauntering somewhere in Northern Colorado.
David Neils has spent a lifetime studying elusive wildlife. Growing up in northwest Montana he was surrounded by grizzlies, wolves and mountain lions. He started venturing into the Cabinet Mountain Wilderness, without adults, for up to ten days at a time at the age of eleven. Wild grabbed him and never let go. Today he intentionally spends time, three times a week, where mountain lions are active. When he sees his first fresh mountain lion track for the day he can feel his heart rate drop because of what that track represents. His house in Loveland is simply a place to keep his boots dry for the next adventure. His home has always been in nature.
David has spent the last twenty years studying and filming mountain lions in some of the wildest country of Colorado and Montana. He developed a system, using four natural factors, which allows him to pinpoint mountain lion activity throughout the United States, Canada and Chile. He enjoys sharing this knowledge and supporting others to study this magnificent apex predator through a personalized Mountain Lion Workshop which includes mapping mountain lion activity in the client’s chosen area, up to 100 square miles.
In addition to sharing a passion for mountain lions and other wildlife, he enjoys supporting others to navigate boldly and safely in the backcountry. Through his Backcountry Navigation and Safety Workshop, he supports clients to leverage the Ten Essentials Plus system, which eliminates many of the factors that result in Search and Rescue operations. In fact, it completely eliminates the Search in Search and Rescue. He also provide hands on orienteering courses, supporting clients to have the confidence to explore the wild areas around them.
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