SAN DIEGO COUNTY
HIGH POINT
Cleveland National Forest
T9S-R1E-25
T9S-R1E-25
November 25, 1938: "Outdoor oddities interest even the most disinterested persons. Being associated with the out-of-doors so constantly, we see many things that may be out of the ordinary for most folks, but even old-timer Lookoutman Ben Moore on Palomar Mountain saw something the other night that was unusual to him.
Ben was restless one night and deciding he would take some exercise, started down the trail towards Sourdough Springs. Just as he rounded the last bend of the rough trail to the spring he came into view of a full-fledged Bobcat "pussy-footin" around a 3 1/2 foot rattler. The indignant buzzing of the rattler's war drums had caused Ben to slow down almost to a standstill, thereby not detracting the cat's attention at the moment. He was audience for about one minute to a "Nature Play" that may never be seen again by that individual. The Bobcat was staying about one foot away from the snake and tantalizing it by hissing and spitting at it and feigning occasionally with his left or right paw, thus causing the maddened reptile to strike with lightning-like moves. As fast as the snake was, the cat was faster and would seemingly make clearance by the skin of his teeth. After about one minute, the cat's intuition told him to look around, so backing away from the snake he looked in Ben's direction and then hit for the brush.
Ben is elated upon being given a chance to observe this unusual occurrence among Nature's children. - Fred Varney - Cleveland -" (California Ranger)
Ben was restless one night and deciding he would take some exercise, started down the trail towards Sourdough Springs. Just as he rounded the last bend of the rough trail to the spring he came into view of a full-fledged Bobcat "pussy-footin" around a 3 1/2 foot rattler. The indignant buzzing of the rattler's war drums had caused Ben to slow down almost to a standstill, thereby not detracting the cat's attention at the moment. He was audience for about one minute to a "Nature Play" that may never be seen again by that individual. The Bobcat was staying about one foot away from the snake and tantalizing it by hissing and spitting at it and feigning occasionally with his left or right paw, thus causing the maddened reptile to strike with lightning-like moves. As fast as the snake was, the cat was faster and would seemingly make clearance by the skin of his teeth. After about one minute, the cat's intuition told him to look around, so backing away from the snake he looked in Ben's direction and then hit for the brush.
Ben is elated upon being given a chance to observe this unusual occurrence among Nature's children. - Fred Varney - Cleveland -" (California Ranger)