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Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend August 25, 2005 Kelly Coulter said he saw a cougar clear the back fence at his west Medford home �with ease.� It was nowhere to be found when police arrived. Mail Tribune / Jim Craven Another cougar run-in By JACK MORAN Mail Tribune Kelly Coulter says cougars are his favorite animals, but that doesn’t mean he liked seeing one in the backyard of his southwest Medford home early Wednesday. "It made the hair stand up on the back of my neck," said Coulter, a resident of the 1000 block of Ginger Way. "It was kind of scary — the sight of it had my heart racing." The strapping 28-year-old did what any other young man would do after hearing the crunching of gravel in his backyard at about 1:30 a.m. He woke up his dad and called the cops. While waiting for police to arrive, Coulter said he grabbed a flashlight and went outside with his father to conduct their own investigation. Coulter said instead of spotting an intruder, he looked on with amazement as the cougar jumped over his back fence "with ease." It then crept through an adjacent lot and ducked into a row of bushes. Advertisement "It was standing broadside and it looked at me," he recalled. "At that point, I definitely knew it was a cougar. It never growled or made any other noise, other than crunching the gravel and hitting those bushes." Medford police officers never located the big cat, but did find a trail of deep impressions in a gravel section of the Coulters’ back yard which are believed to be cougar paw prints, said police Lt. Mike Moran. The home is situated in a neighborhood near a wooded area where several cougar sightings have been reported in recent years, Moran said. Ginger Way is near the intersection of Garfield Street and Columbus Avenue. "The officer said he didn’t doubt it was there," said Coulter, who believes the cougar was "about the size of a large dog." Coulter said he is a proponent of allowing dogs to hunt for cougars near urban areas. He didn’t mean to imply that his own pet — a mini longhair dachshund — would be up to the task. "Our little ankle-biter knows when she’s overmatched," he said. "My dad said, ‘Don’t let her out, or else she’ll be (cougar) bait.’ " Earlier this month, the state Department of Fish and Wildlife released a draft report outlining its proposal to allow the killing of more cougars in urban neighborhoods adjacent to forested areas. The plan is designed to help reduce public-safety and damage reports to levels not seen since 1994, the year sport hunting with dogs was banned. "I figure it’s dry and (cougars) are looking for food," Coulter said in explaining why he believed the big cat ended up in his backyard. "They’re just trying to survive." Studies show the cougar population in Oregon has risen from about 3,100 in 1994 to 5,100 in 2003, according to the ODFW. The largest populations of cougars are in southwestern and northeastern Oregon. Reach reporter Jack Moran at 776-4459, or e-mail Another cougar run-in ">[email protected] . Mail Tribune Home | Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives | Site Map | Community | Classified Copyright © 1997-2005 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback www.bingo.com Home Security Systems Trunks, Footlocker dvd-r Distance Education Computer Security Ztech Media Hosting Sports Equipment Online Casino Reviews Student Loans tcg student loan consolidation Online Pharmacy online casino Myspace Home Equity Loans Windermere Van Vleet Rogue Valley Travel Reservationstogo Hotel Reservations Southern Oregon Loans Online Casino News Natto Kinase Nattokinase Casino Gambling Sites Budget Website Templates Investments & Loans Advertisement s