Rural Newkirk Woman
Victim Of Cougar Attack
By Wayne White
A rural Newkirk woman had an unwelcome wild animal
in her backyard last week, leaving her recovering from lacerations
to her arm.
Karina Jackson, 35, reported being attacked by a cougar last
Wednesday evening at her home about seven miles east of Newkirk
near the Arkansas River.
As explained by Jackson, she had gone outside just as it was
beginning to get dark to check on a litter of American Staffordshire
Terriers in a pen located about 75 feet from her house.
She realized one of the puppies was out of the pen and as she
went into a neighboring hay field to retrieve him, she noticed
something rustling in some tall weeds at the edge of the field.
Not seeing anything in the weeds, she continued toward the puppy
and suddenly felt something hit her in the upper part of her
left arm.
"Something hit me and knocked me down," Jackson said
last Friday. "It felt like I got kicked by a horse or a
cow."
 CAT SCRATCH Karina Jackson of rural Newkirk shows four lacerations
she received when a large cat attacked her Wednesday last week
near her home. The wounds required 29 stitches. (Photo by Wayne White)
Picking herself up off the ground, she saw a large
cat running away from her. Frightened and stunned, she grabbed
the puppy and "threw him into the pen" and ran to the
house. She said as she was heading toward the house, she noticed
that the upper part of her arm was wet and realized she had been
wounded in the attack.
Once inside, Jackson immediately called her husband, Brian, who
was at his parents' home in Ponca City. With Brian en route to
the scene, his mother, Doretta Jackson, called the Kay County
Sheriff's office to report the incident.
Kaw Nation Officer Tex Golay was nearby when the call came in
and was first to arrive on the scene.
Karina said that Golay checked the area, and checked to see if
the puppies were all right.
Newkirk EMTs Chuck Winborne and Justin Beard arrived on the scene
and bandaged Jackson's wounds. She was then transported to Via
Christi Oklahoma Regional Medical Center at Ponca City.
Kay County Deputy Michael Kent, the investigating officer, reported
that he later met with Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation
(ODWC) Game Warden Tracy Daniel at the hospital where they observed
Jackson's wounds.
According to Kent's report, the two "concurred (the wound)
to be a medium size cat scratch on her arm." Jackson said
that it took 29 stitches to close the four gashes on her arm.
She is expected to recover fully from the injury, except that
she will have quite a story to tell in the future, with scars
to prove it.
Jackson's close encounter with the mountain lion last week was
not the first time she had seen the animal in the area. She said
that two weeks ago, she saw the same animal running across the
road in front of her as she was driving home.
"I had to lock it up to keep from hitting him," she
said. Earlier that same day, she had noticed the large cat in
a nearby field.
Those sightings had prompted her to contact Daniel, who in turn
contacted some trappers to try to catch the animal.
A week before last Wednesday's incident, Jackson had seen the
cougar in her yard, drinking from a water bucket by an old windmill.
During that sighting, the cat ran a short distance and jumped
a fence and then stood and looked at her.
 PERILOUS PUPS Jackson, shown with her Rottweiller, Bull, and
puppies, was trying to retrieve an escaped puppy in a nearby
field when the mountain lion sprang from some weeds and knocked
her to the ground. (Photo by Wayne White)
"I picked up a bunch of apples and threw them
at him," Jackson said.
Last Friday, Kay County Undersheriff Buddy Thomas said that his
uncle, Carl Clapp, of Cedar Vale, KS, had come to the scene with
his hunting dogs. Clapp regularly hunts lions as a hobby in New
Mexico and Colorado, Thomas said.
"We're not going to take any chances if there's an animal
out there," Thomas said. "If he sees any sign of the
cat, maybe we can do something about it."
Thomas said that the sheriff's office has received reports of
big cats in the Arkansas River valley east of Newkirk, but the
reports have never been substantiated.
Despite the previous reports, Thomas said the cougar encounter
was an "unusual happening, not common around these parts."
Kay County's game warden said that the wildlife department regularly
receives reports of mountain lions. "We just haven't been
able to substantiate them," Daniel said Monday.
If Jackson's report can be substantiated, it will be the first
recorded human attack by a cougar in Oklahoma history, said Daniel.
But the presence of cougars in Oklahoma has been verified, with
two cougar kills in recent years in Cimarron County. One cougar
was hit by a vehicle three years ago, and another was shot by
a landowner in his yard last spring.
Daniel said, "We know we have an established lion population
out there (Cimarron County)."
In 1982, a deer hunter shot a cougar in Roger Mills County.
With news of the cougar attack spreading, rumors are also being
spread.
Some have accused the ODWC of releasing mountain lions in the
wild to control the deer population.
When asked about the rumor, Daniel said, "We get accused
of that all the time. We have never done that, that rumor is
completely false. It persists statewide, but I can assure you
that has never happened and never will." He said that the
wildlife department sells hunting licenses to control the deer
population, which also raises revenue for the state.
Daniel said the investigation is ongoing in the attack on Jackson.
A live trap has been set near the Jackson residence, baited with
a rooster. Dogs were used last Friday and again on Sunday to
try to track the animal.
"We're just trying to back up her story with other evidence
and facts," Daniel said. But, he said, "Something obviously
caused her severe lacerations."
The game warden said that cougars are a protected species in
Oklahoma, with no open season, and anyone who shoots a cougar
is subject to prosecution.
"But if a person is threatened, or a human life is endangered,
we probably wouldn't prosecute," he said.
Daniel asks that if anyone sees a sign of the mountain lion,
they contact him. Specifically, if landowners see any sign of
a livestock kill or a deer kill, they should let him know. He
said that cougars regularly try to conceal their kills, covering
the carcass with dirt and leaves.
Cougar tracks can be distinguished from large dog tracks by the
absence of toenail imprints. Cats retract their claws while walking
or running, while dogs always leave toenail marks, he said.
Deer are the "chief food source" of cougars, Daniel
said.
Until the big cat is found, "the investigation continues,"
he said. He noted that cougars generally have a large territory,
and "are quite capable of traveling long distances in a
short amount of time."
Daniel said, "We just want to caution people don't
panic. This is an extremely rare situation. People don't have
to quit or curtail their outdoor activities."
Thomas said that as of Tuesday morning there had been no sign
of the big cat found in the area. Clapp's dogs "have been
unable to track any cat of any type," he said. "We
have been unable to locate any tracks that resemble a mountain
lion."
The undersheriff said the sheriff's office will investigate any
sightings of cougars in Kay County, "but for now it seems
that it has moved on."
As for the Jacksons, they say they will be more cautious when
taking care of their animals, especially at night. And if the
cat is brave enough to come close to the house again, there'll
be more than apples waiting for him. Brian Jackson said a shotgun
and ammunition will be close at hand if needed.
Daniel may be contacted at 580-761-6565, and the Kay County Sheriff's
Office at 580-362-2517.
Newkirk Resident Receives
Weather Service Award
NEWKIRK Charles Eisenhauer of Newkirk was
recognized Tuesday by the National Weather Service for 10 years
of service as the official cooperative weather observer for Newkirk.
Eisenhauer was presented a plaque, denoting his 10 years of service,
a commemorative pin, and a letter of appreciation. Forrest Mitchell,
representing the Norman forecast office, presented the award
at Eisenhauer's home.
Mitchell said that, "For ten years, Mr. Eisenhauer has provided
a tremendous public service to the citizens of Newkirk, the state
of Oklahoma, and the nation, by providing accurate and timely
weather data that is critical to the success of the National
Weather Service mission. He is to be commended for a decade of
excellence."
Eisenhauer has also provided the weekly weather review for the
Newkirk Herald Journal, and has served as referee in numerous
weather related discussions at the coffee shop over the years.
Mitchell noted that Eisenhauer has been assisted in recording
the weather data by his wife, Mary Jo, and son, Larry.
WEATHER OR
NOT? Charles Eisenhauer,
left, with wife, Mary Jo, and son, Larry, was recognized Tuesday
for 10 years as an official National Weather Service cooperative
weather observer. (Photo
by Forrest Mitchell, NWS)
The cooperative weather station at Newkirk was
established in September of 1897. Over 20 local residents have
served as observers, providing daily reports of temperature and
precipitation, during the station's 105 year history. During
that time there has only been 15 months that the weather data
was not recorded, including a three-month period during World
War II.
The precipitation and temperature data provided daily by Eisenhauer
is used extensively by the National Weather Service and other
agencies in weather forecasting, river flow analysis, storm water
management, and long terrn climate studies.
Eisenhauer is part of a national network of nearly 11,000 cooperative
weather observers. The network provides daily air and soil temperature
data, hourly and daily precipitation amounts, pan evaporation,
and river height readings. Some cooperative observers have given
more than 50 years of service to the program.
The temperature and precipitation data from the Cooperative Program
is the official source for climatological normals nationwide.
The weather data supports a variety of users, such as public
utilities, agribusiness, insurance companies, the construction
industry, and the legal profession.
Newkirk and the rest of Kay county are served by the National
Weather Service Forecast Office in Norman. The Norman office
provides for the weather needs of 56 counties in Oklahoma and
western north Texas.
For more information about the National Weather Service Cooperative
Program, contact Mitchell at 405-360-5928, or e-mail forrest.mitchell
@noaa.gov.
Meteorologist:
Weather Radio Saves Lives
When the wind blows and storm clouds cover Oklahoma,
residents can keep ahead of severe weather by tuning in to NOAA
Weather Radio, a 24-hour source of weather forecasts, watches
and warnings provided by the National Weather Service (NWS),
part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
For countless people throughout Oklahoma, Weather Radio has meant
the difference between life and death and has given its listeners
confidence to react when severe, potentially life-threatening
weather approaches. To highlight the importance of this service,
National Weather Service offices serving Oklahoma are for the
first time sponsoring a statewide Radio Awareness Week this week.
"A weather radio with an alarm and battery backup is one
of the best ways to protect your family from tornadoes, especially
at night when the alarm feature can wake you up," said Mike
Foster, meteorologist-in-charge of the National Weather Service
Norman Forecast Office. "The severe weather information
on Weather Radio can prompt you to take life saving action. It
can also alert you to tune to television or radio if you're asleep
or not watching television, or if the power is knocked out."
With new digital technology called Specific Area Message Encoding
(SAME), the alarm on a weather radio can be programmed to only
alert for counties you select. However, this alarm function requires
specific settings to work properly. Staff from NWS forecast offices
in Norman and Tulsa can provide information about setting weather
radios.
"Weather Radio saves lives," Foster said. "We
encourage everyone to equip their homes, schools, businesses,
and public places with this lifesaving device. In Oklahoma, weather
radios should be as common as smoke detectors."
Weather radios come in many sizes, with a variety of functions
and costs. Most receivers are either battery operated portables
or AC-powered desktop models with battery backup. Most scanners,
amateur radios, CB radios, short wave receivers, and some AM/FM
radios are capable of receiving Weather Radio transmissions.
Oklahoma is served by a total of 19 Weather Radio transmissions,
13 of which are located in the state. Information about Weather
Radio is online at www.nws.noaa.gov/nwr
Be A Newkirk Library Friend
A meeting to officially charter the Newkirk Friends
of the Library has been set for Sunday at 2:00 p.m. at the Newkirk
Heritage Center, 116 N. Main.
During the meeting, officers and directors will be elected and
committees selected. Richard Winterrowd, architect with Lewis
Associates Architects of Ponca City will present preliminary
plans and drawings for Newkirk's new library.
Those members who join before Sunday's meeting will be considered
charter members and will be eligible to vote during the meeting.
Friends' organizers plan to open the Newkirk Heritage Center
at 1:30 p.m. Sunday to allow last-minute registration in the
organization for those who wish to be charter members.
Eastman National Bank has reported that 100% of the bank's employees
have joined the organization, and has challenged all area businesses
to reach the same goal.
Anyone wishing to join the Newkirk Friends of the Library may
do so at the Newkirk Public Library, Bank of Oklahoma, or Eastman
National Bank. For more information, contact Librarian Carol
Kaspar at 362-3934.
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