• Quick note - the problem with Youtube videos not embedding on the forum appears to have been fixed, thanks to ZiprHead. If you do still see problems let me know.

Seeing Cryptids: The Problems

Jodie said:
I Know what a coyote looks like, I don't see any resemblance to a cougar. You'er simply rejecting the research I linked for the sake of your argument and applying whatever you've read inappropriately.
Click to expand...

Since you edited:
You'er simply rejecting the research I linked for the sake of your argument and applying whatever you've read inappropriately
Click to expand...
No, that's what you're doing.
 
Dinwar said:
THose are successful kills, though. Predators CAN miss, or make unconventional attacks unlikely to succeed. From a purely biological perspective, how would one find data for failed attacks of this nature? By definition, the organisms would still be running around (at least for a while).
Click to expand...
So Dinwar, do the cougars in South Carolina make unsuccessful attacks on deer?
 
William Parcher said:
So Dinwar, do the cougars in South Carolina make unsuccessful attacks on deer?
Click to expand...

I am merely asking for clarification on a partiuclar line of argument. The fact that you immediately assume I'm taking a particular side is pretty telling.

If someone has info on how to estimate failed attacks, it'd be useful information. The data we do have is quite obviously biased; that fact needs to be addressed before this line of argument can be accepted as valid.
 
Dinwar said:
I am merely asking for clarification on a partiuclar line of argument. The fact that you immediately assume I'm taking a particular side is pretty telling.

If someone has info on how to estimate failed attacks, it'd be useful information. The data we do have is quite obviously biased; that fact needs to be addressed before this line of argument can be accepted as valid.
Click to expand...
You didn't even answer my question. It was asked to bring topical relevance to what you already said.
 
William Parcher said:
You didn't even answer my question. It was asked to bring topical relevance to what you already said.
Click to expand...

No. It was a leading question, one that assumed a specific answer; as such, it is inherently dishonest.

If you have any data on hwo attacks occur in failed attacks, please present it. As I am not arguing in favor of the existence of cougars in this particular area, but rather am attempting to address an obvious bias that touches on areas of interest of mine, I am under no obligation to play your silly games.
 
William Parcher said:
So then what do you have to say about cougars in South Carolina? This is not a silly game.
Click to expand...

I can only conclude you are not reading my posts. If you were, you would know that I'm not talking about cougars in South Carolina. Someone made a specific claim. I am pointing out a flaw in that claim. THAT'S IT. That you assume that I must therefore be in favor of one conclusion or another (don't pretend you're not, it's obvious you think I'm on Jodie's side) tells me that you're not approaching this discussion from a rational perspective, but rather one of bashing the other side.

I will, however, give it one final shot: What data is there regarding failed attacks? If there isn't any, this specific line of evidence cannot be used, as we obviously are working from a very small and highly biased subset of the actual data. If there is, it should be presented to allow us to determine the validity of this line of argument. I'd also know to know it for personal reasons having nothing to do with cryptids.
 
Resume said:
I know what a fisher looks like; I know what a red fox looks like, as does my wife. Yet, yet, we misidentified a red fox as a giant red fisher. We were mistaken, as you very well could have been.
Click to expand...

How far away were you from it? I honestly don't know enough about Nebraska to figure out how you could make a fox look like a giant weasel so I haven't really commented on it.
 
Jodie said:
How far away were you from it? I honestly don't know enough about Nebraska to figure out how you could make a fox look like a giant weasel so I haven't really commented on it.
Click to expand...

I don't think distance had a thing to do with it. It was perspective, and the length of the sighting, the suprise of it.
 
I'm waiting on that sin of omission to kick in.:)

I don't understand why a fox or fisher cat would be surprising to see. I had a fox walk right past my porch stairs while I was sitting on the steps smoking a cigarette and act like I wasn't even there.
 
Last edited:
Dinwar said:
I can only conclude you are not reading my posts. If you were, you would know that I'm not talking about cougars in South Carolina. Someone made a specific claim. I am pointing out a flaw in that claim. THAT'S IT. That you assume that I must therefore be in favor of one conclusion or another (don't pretend you're not, it's obvious you think I'm on Jodie's side) tells me that you're not approaching this discussion from a rational perspective, but rather one of bashing the other side.

I will, however, give it one final shot: What data is there regarding failed attacks? If there isn't any, this specific line of evidence cannot be used, as we obviously are working from a very small and highly biased subset of the actual data. If there is, it should be presented to allow us to determine the validity of this line of argument. I'd also know to know it for personal reasons having nothing to do with cryptids.
Click to expand...
I don't even know what you are correcting. I said that this cougar was stupid. The percentage of failed attacks (of course there are failed attacks) isn't relevant and I never implied that no attacks are unsuccessful.

This cougar was first seen chasing a deer, then went for the butt and tackled it to the ground, then they rolled together, and then the deer broke free and the chase resumed. It's stupid tactics for that to happen when you've already got the deer on the ground and rolling while in your grip.
 
That was the best excuse you could come up with? The cougar was stupid? Well maybe that's how he ended up in Edisto, he turned left instead of right.
 
Um, no. There aren't supposed to be any fishers in Nebraska.

I once had a fisher run over my foot while I was hiking a trail in Maine. It's an experience that I had while I was working, but it happened in an instant and I didn't have a camera.

Fishers are unusual to observe, but they occur in Maine so there was nothing all that unusual about my experience.

What if, however, instead of a fisher I was sure I had seen an ocelot? Now that would be unprecedented but still technically possible as ocelots exist. No matter how sure I was of that sighting, I would have to be open to the fact that I was simply mistaken, i.e., that my memory is not some kind of digital recorder of the things that occur before my eyes. At some point on a scale of unlikelihood, I would be confronted with this: the probability that I had been wrong was greater than the probability that I had been right. In other words, it matters not how sure I am about something I recall. If that something is a really unusual event, I must remain open to the fact that I was simply wrong.
 
The Shrike said:
What if, however, instead of a fisher I was sure I had seen an ocelot? Now that would be unprecedented but still technically possible as ocelots exist.
Click to expand...
An ocelot in Maine will be on the prowl for a juicy agouti. If you sit quietly near a Maine agouti you can watch the ocelot stalk, chase, butt tackle, and then go hungry.
 
Jodie said:
That was the best excuse you could come up with? The cougar was stupid? Well maybe that's how he ended up in Edisto, he turned left instead of right.
Click to expand...
My best excuse was a stupid cougar? No, the best excuse never even dawned on you and now I will hand it to you on a silver platter.

The cougar had an unsuccessful hunt because its claws were surgically removed.
 
Jodie said:
So it's not supposed to be there?
Click to expand...

No, and especially not red and three-feet tall. The most interesting aspect is the conversation went something like this:
"Hey, what was that?"

"Dunno, but it looked like a giant red fisher cat!"

"Yeah, didn't it?

Neither my wife and I remember who said what; I would imagine that's how it often goes with group confabulations.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Back
Top Bottom