Thanks for stopping in and reading. I appreciate your addition to the conversation.

Just as an FYI–we got a few pics of a very large, block headed lion with a chunk taken out of one of his ears in this same hardpan bottom. Problem: once we flipped it to video mode we never got him marking, just cruising through. We knew he was there though–coming and going with no particular day/time pattern–just moving as he pleased.

Then, we talked to a hound hunter who’d taken 2 female lions in this same general area. The lion in the video above was never to be seen again–we can only surmise she was one of the 2 taken. And then the male lion was never to be seen again–we surmised he moved to/concentrated on an area that was being marked by another female or set of females.

We moved our cameras to a completely new area and started fresh, but I’ll bet that the area has been taken back over by a new population of lady lions. And, from past conversations with him, I’ll bet Steve Craig would agree that we could put the cameras back now and we’d start getting pictures of new female lions and possibly that same old block headed tom (provided he hasn’t been run down and killed). The area is remote, rich with deer, fox, javelina, a few cattle, and the long & robust ridge and hardpan systems provide access to several dufferent habitat types. It’s a place that will surely re-populate as it’s discovered by travelling lions.

What is evident in the video is that first, it is a Male cat’s scent station. Males mark their territories for several reasons…first to keep other males out. Second – to advertise to females that he is here, and always ready to mate. (In warmer climates, lions will mate year-round) As the male continues to scent mark the area, (every time he comes through)other predators wandering through will also leave their scent. It’s natural for predators to “trump” one another. That’s why all the other scent posts and predator activity. But ultimately, the Tom is advertising to the ladies. (Males exclude all other males from their territories, but “several” female lion territories commonly enter into one belonging to a dominant male)

The video then, shows a female, obviously in heat, advertising to the dominant male whose territory she is in, that she is ready and willing to mate, and the readiness will be evident in the urine she deposits.

thanks!

I hope another couple guys chime in and then Steve Craig can give us the scoop.

Maybe when I get back into the hills and pull the video, something additional will come to light.

Mark

It’s a spot that gets marked, so she marked it.

“Everybody” (Lions, foxes, coyotes, bobcats, etc) knows thats just a spot you mark. Weather it’s an intersection, or ??? it’s just a known spot for some topographical reason.

I don’t think she had to be in season. The Tom could tell if she was, but I don’t think that’s her motivation to mark. It’s simpler than that.

If you get right on top around here and walk the ridgelines, every little pass you walk through will have scratches, and/or deer hair in the shape of turds. Every time a hillside funnels itself over a main ridge, you’ll find the same thing at that intersection. As the crow flies, there’s spots like this probably every 1.5 miles. I think if they happen to be near one they’ll usually go check it out.

Theory: It’s just the spot to mark, and they all know it, often go to it, check it, and then leave their deposit for that pass.

How close am I?!?!