What wildlife is in the Santa Ynez Mountains?

Answer 1

Well my friend and I got lost up on a front country hike near Montecito the other day. The sun set and I realized I had forgot my maglite. After an hour or so of wandering aimlessly we found the correct trail again (we were supposed to cross a stream but we didn't). I was lighting the way with my phone's backlight, and I suddenly became conscious of a sound that I had been tuning out because I was focused on finding our way back. Something was in the brush by the trail, stepping on leaves, and it sounded fairly large. The sound had been following us.

So I started waving my arms and yelling at the brush, and we slowly made our escape from the source of the noise.

We came back the next day and found a mountain lion pawprint in the mud where we crossed the stream, and some more in the underbrush where the noise was coming from.

So... mountain lions live there. I also saw a lizard before the sun set. And a bird.