The Cat’s Meow

A few summers ago, my hiking friends and I decided to go to Elliot Lake, Ont., for the weekend to camp and enjoy the deer trails we heard were nice. One early morning, we drove to a trail where visitors parked at a nearby boat launch, and we happened to notice a young couple with a small child drive away as we arrived. My friends decided they would use the bathroom first, so I waited at the beginning of the trail. Standing there quietly by myself, I thought I heard a cat meowing and meowing, as if in distress. Looking into the nearby bushes, I did not see an animal of any kind. When my friends joined me, I told them about the cat I had heard; sure enough, the meowing started up again and they heard it, too.

Worried that the young couple who had just left might have lost their cat, we kept looking as we walked forward. As the sound got closer, a partridge came into sight, acting funny: It would jump right in front of us, walk ahead a few paces and stop abruptly; then, we’d hear that meowing sound. It did this repeatedly: jump in front, wait for us to follow, “meow” and then move forward.

A partridge meowing? We all come from hunting families and this was unbelievable to see—and hear! I decided to take a video but realized I had left my camera in the vehicle, so I ran back to get it. When I returned, the partridge had left. We think possibly it had young in the area and was luring us away, then it flew off. We have never encountered another meowing partridge since!

Linda Derkacz, Capreol, Ont.