Was out on the Duckabush over the weekend. Still snow on the ground, and there were cat tracks everywhere - up and down the river and on all the roads . Now it has not snowed much for several years, but years ago it used to snow all the time, I used to fish the Duck all the time, and I never remember seeing cougar tracks along the river or especially on any roads - any cat that crossed a road would have hounds on his @ss right away as many locals kept hounds and hunted every day.

There are a few more people living up the Duck than there were 20 years ago, but not that many more, certainly not more year-round residents and probably less. There's nobody living in the hills because that's all USFS. We aren't moving into their territory in the Duckabush valley, they are moving into ours, because there is nothing happening to them to keep them out.

I can't run or kick like I used to (dislocated knee) neither can I punch (bad rotator cuffs) or bite (missing a few molars). I'm seriously considering packing, and I'm definately adding my foot long pig sticker to my fishing vest.