The cougars are back!

The two yearling cougars sighted in Bill Zilk's backyard are harbingers of what's to come and, in the words of Merry Ann Moore, who lives right next door, "No good can come from this..."

That is especially true for those people who continue to attract deer into their yards by feeding them. There are approximately 40 head of deer within the Sisters City Limits year-round, and they are there for only one reason: they are either unintentionally or intentionally being fed.

In addition to people feeding deer, another reason we see more deer moving through is that the winter solstice is upon us - the sun rises earlier and it sets later as the winter begins to fade - which means the days are getting longer. Mule deer, cougar, eagles, black-tailed jack rabbits, great horned owls - indeed, just about all of Nature - are on the move.

Mule deer that have survived the harsh cold conditions in their winter range habitat, between Sisters and Lake Billy Chinook, are slowly moving back toward the Cascades. Tagging along, ready to pounce one every couple of days, are the deer's predators. Chief among them is our bold and able-bodied killer, the cougar (Puma concolor) - also known as puma, mountain lion, mountain cat, catamount and panther.

No matter the name, our native big cat is an animal you'd best give a wide berth.

You just don't want that kind of an animal wandering through your backyard, especially if you have children. Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife biologists have been telling us over and over again: "Stop putting out handouts for deer and elk!"

Steven George, ODFW biologist in Bend, said he has been contacted by the department's director who received two calls from Sisters residents with diametrically opposed opinions regarding the cougars circulating around the area: One has insisted that something be done, the other that nothing be done, George said.

"Both parties are very intent on their opinions, but as of right now, there is nothing we can do, except allow the cougar to move on."

It's no coincidence that cougars are being spotted where they are; over the years other sightings have been common from those areas, especially near Whychus Creek. Not too many years back, Walt Paul, who, with his wife Ruth, lived adjacent to where the creek goes under Camp Polk Road, spotted an adult cougar near his home, dragging a kill to the juniper/pine thicket to cache it. That same year, a young cougar was struck by a motor vehicle near the Paul's home. Mule deer and cougar have used the trails along the creek since the end of the last Ice Age.

Dave Smith, acclaimed Northwest naturalist, who has had extensive experience with wild animals that can kill you, wrote a book about such attacks, "Don't Get Eaten: The Dangers of Animals that Charge or Attack."

It would be a wise to read Smith's book, and heed his advice.

Smith's suggestions are not meant to scare you, but to use good old common sense to prevent a cougar attack, and then to save your bacon in the event the unlikely should take place. As that wonderful old Boy Scout motto reminds us, "Be Prepared!"

Avoid a cougar kill. Cougars will cover a kill with dirt and debris and return to feed; be alert for birds and other scavengers that might tip you off to a carcass, and avoid dead animals in general. (In our country that means watching ravens and magpies, and while you're about it, you can enjoy all of our birds!) Travel in a group; running, jogging or mountain biking alone in cougar country is a bad idea. Keep small children within reach; a cougar may watch and wait for an opportunity to grab a child that strays from the group. Have an adult at the front and rear of the group.

A cougar prefers to make a kill by ambush, therefore, in the event of a sudden and close cougar encounter, never lose eye contact. A cougar will rarely attack when it knows it's been discovered.

Adults: Pick up the kids! Given that children tend to frighten easily, adults should pick them up to prevent them from running or making sudden movements. Another alternative is to instruct kids to grab your leg and hang on. At the very least, children should crowd around an adult.

Children: Don't move if you are closest to the cougar. If there's a group of children scattered around an adult, the children behind the adult should move toward him or her; if there's a child between an adult and the cougar, the adult should move toward the child.

Carry a walking stick; it could be used in your defense. Don't count on a dog to protect you; aside from packs of well-trained lion hunting hounds, even large dogs have little or no value as a deterrent in cougar country; a loose dog may actually lead a cougar back to you.

Make yourself look bigger. Raise your hands overhead. If you've got a jacket or a pack hold it up so you look even bigger and bulkier. Attempt to move to safety. Don't run, but if there's a safer location nearby (building or car), move toward it slowly while facing and watching the cougar.

Try to get on higher ground than the cougar. Smile - show the cougar your teeth - to the cougar, you're displaying weapons. Yell, shout, and make intimidating noises. Your goal is to convince the cougar that you are not prey, and may in fact be dangerous.

If the situation goes from bad to worse, fight for your life; use any weapon available: camera, binoculars, knife (no matter how small), fishing pole or your fists. Direct your blows to the cougar's eyes, nose, ears and face.