Another cougar attack...

[Codger_64]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16817149/

"Jim was talking to me all through this, and he said, 'I've got a pen in my pocket and get the pen and jab him in the eye,'" she said. "So I got the pen and tried to put it in his eye, but it didn't want to go in as easy as I thought it would."

When the pen bent and became useless, Nell Hamm went back to using the log. The lion eventually let go and, with blood on its snout, stood staring at the woman. She screamed and waved the log until the animal walked away.


Hmmm...

 

[Coldwood]

I'm surprised these two "experienced hikers" had nothing more than a pen to use and a poor one at that...not even a SAK...but I guess that's California. Now if they each had a Mora Clipper...

I will give Nell credit for guts.

As a side anecdote, in the summer of 2005, we had a good sized coyote show up in our back yard. We watched him through the window as he went up the hill and disappeared. Two hours later, my wife is in the garden and the coyote shows up again, standing about 20 feet away from her. She had a potato rake in her hand and started waving it and yelling at him to "Git." He trotted off about 15 feet, stopped, turned and looked at her again. She brandished the potato rake and "Git"ed him some more. He left the scene.

"If he got any closer I would have taken the sucker out," she said. That's my girl.

Nothing scarier than a mad woman with a potato rake

 

[mog555]

My girlfriend carries the Norron I bought her when we go hiking, I bet you dollars to doughnuts it would have gone into its eye with little effort.

 

[mewolf1]

I'm surprised these two "experienced hikers" had nothing more than a pen to use and a poor one at that...not even a SAK...but I guess that's California. Now if they each had a Mora Clipper...

I will give Nell credit for guts.

As a side anecdote, in the summer of 2005, we had a good sized coyote show up in our back yard. We watched him through the window as he went up the hill and disappeared. Two hours later, my wife is in the garden and the coyote shows up again, standing about 20 feet away from her. She had a potato rake in her hand and started waving it and yelling at him to "Git." He trotted off about 15 feet, stopped, turned and looked at her again. She brandished the potato rake and "Git"ed him some more. He left the scene.

"If he got any closer I would have taken the sucker out," she said. That's my girl.

Nothing scarier than a mad woman with a potato rake

Now we're talkin!

 

[Rich_S]

If they had a decent sized fixed blade on them, they'd have dispatched the cat with a whole lot less fuss.

 

[mr_wilson]

One of the best turkey hunts I ever experienced involved a 35-40# bobcat that, not recognizing I was a human, (due to the Advantage scent-lok cammo), snuck up on me from behind the tree I was setting against, leapt up and tried to bite me in the back of the neck.

It was just before daybreak on April 28th, 2006, ya might recall being woke up that morning by a blood curdling scream; that would have been me - as I turned around at a odd rustle of leaves behind me to find him in mid-air about 18" from my face......(I was hand-rolling a Prince Albert smoke at the time)

Managed to get my elbow in his mouth, (preventing him from getting to my throat) and although he clawed my left chest seems the scream and the fact that I happened to bash his own head into the tree I was resting against resulting in us laying side by side flat on the ground for a few seconds, all of which made for a rather surreal morning.

I managed eventually to realize I had instinctively drawn my G30 and after rolling over to get away from him, (bashing my head again on the shotgun which happened to be laying across my lap at the moment of attack, which had popped me in the chops initially) got off one shot which hit him in the derriere giving him a close shave and the initiative to exit the premises post haste. As the first shot was abit rushed, (due to the high anxiety circumstances) I got off another, which missed him entirely as he leapt a fallen log, which I hit.

Hour later I shot the biggest tom I’ve ever taken.

Stupid doc wanted me to take rabies shots but as the cat acted fairly sane, obviously had no clue what he was initially attacking and exited the area post haste with minor encouragement; a quick chat with the local health board of Goliad county and I settled for a simple tetanus and let it go at that.

 

[stevetexas]

You all better be carefull......the Internet bad asses gonna be all over you.....french kissin and everything.

 

[Jeff Clark]

That couple makes a hell of a team. He could call for help and she would swing right into action with a weapon. That weapon wasn't working so he could direct her to his pen. She would walk right up to a mountain lion and wear out the pen trying to stick it in his eye. She would go right back to her log when that didn't work. That team has been together for 50 years, and it shows. Some marriages (and people) are really made to go the distance.

 

[anythingsharp]

I adore cats and would never kill one unless my life or someone else`s was in danger,but for the love of God,carry some knives!PS>PRrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

 

[Rat Finkenstein]

Knives for sure, but they should have also been carrying a firearm.

 

[hikeeba]

I've been hearing about this story all morning. I tell you what, I am certainly going to re-evaluate which pens I'm going to carry into the wilds from here on out!

Sharpee doesn't necessarily = sharp.


Seriously, it's an amazing story. I feel bad for the cats, but I'm glad the people are ok. Way to keep a cool head. Dang.

 

[featherstone45]

Congrats and god speed to them both, they didnt panic and both came out alive and thats what matters the most.

Makes one wonder, the husband was calm, but couldnt get to his pen, im sure he had his hands on the cat. If he was carrying a large blade, say 9 + inch blade, could he have pulled it out? seems a small fixed blade would be much easier.

Just some thoughts...

 

[TIZWIN]

I just heard the lady's side of the story on MSNBC. She seemed so small and sweet, but she sure did prevail over that cougar!

I must say that a good walking stick and a Spyderco Temperance would have been in my hands, if the law precluded carrying a hefty revolver!

 

[mete]

Football helmet and neck brace are the best defense. A gun followed by a large knife for attack..

 

[ohmyheckinslc]

Maybe folks in the Democratic People's Republic of Kalifornia should resort to wearing masks backwards, like the folks in India. The cat can't figure out how to sneak up on you... Apparently, ANYTHING'S better than carrying guns or knives to protect yourself, even if that means being Cougar food... <sarcasm>

 

[featherstone45]

HA I watched that program about wearing masks backwards. Attacks always coming from behind, these things stalk and are so damn quiet. I saw one once while I was sitting on a large rock in the middle of a river, it was pretty damn big. What spooked me was that it walked past me, along the river and sat there drinking before I even noticed it

I think of those folks on mountain bikes that were attacked years ago, not knowing anything until being knocked down off the bike and there head and neck was in its mouth and being pulled into the bushes like a damn rag doll, soon to be Cougar scat.

Im still amazed at the husband being calm, nothing like having your head neck and face being chewed on by a large cat, and calmy asking your wife to remove the pen in your pocket and stab it.

 

[GibsonFan]

Nothing scarier than a mad woman with a potato rake

That couple makes a hell of a team. He could call for help and she would swing right into action with a weapon. That weapon wasn't working so he could direct her to his pen. She would walk right up to a mountain lion and wear out the pen trying to stick it in his eye. She would go right back to her log when that didn't work. That team has been together for 50 years, and it shows. Some marriages (and people) are really made to go the distance.

I just heard the lady's side of the story on MSNBC. She seemed so small and sweet, but she sure did prevail over that cougar!

Nothing much to add here, just want to raise a toast to good women everywhere Where would we be without 'em?

One of the best turkey hunts I ever experienced involved a 35-40# bobcat that, not recognizing I was a human, (due to the Advantage scent-lok cammo), snuck up on me from behind the tree I was setting against, leapt up and tried to bite me in the back of the neck.

Man if that been me, I think there's a good chance the scent-lok cammies would have been soaked ! Glad you're okay and went on to get a nice turkey that day.

 

[locomike]

One of the best turkey hunts I ever experienced involved a 35-40# bobcat that, not recognizing I was a human, (due to the Advantage scent-lok cammo), snuck up on me from behind the tree I was setting against, leapt up and tried to bite me in the back of the neck.

It was just before daybreak on April 28th, 2006, ya might recall being woke up that morning by a blood curdling scream; that would have been me - as I turned around at a odd rustle of leaves behind me to find him in mid-air about 18" from my face......(I was hand-rolling a Prince Albert smoke at the time)

Managed to get my elbow in his mouth, (preventing him from getting to my throat) and although he clawed my left chest seems the scream and the fact that I happened to bash his own head into the tree I was resting against resulting in us laying side by side flat on the ground for a few seconds, all of which made for a rather surreal morning.

I managed eventually to realize I had instinctively drawn my G30 and after rolling over to get away from him, (bashing my head again on the shotgun which happened to be laying across my lap at the moment of attack, which had popped me in the chops initially) got off one shot which hit him in the derriere giving him a close shave and the initiative to exit the premises post haste. As the first shot was abit rushed, (due to the high anxiety circumstances) I got off another, which missed him entirely as he leapt a fallen log, which I hit.

Hour later I shot the biggest tom I’ve ever taken.

Stupid doc wanted me to take rabies shots but as the cat acted fairly sane, obviously had no clue what he was initially attacking and exited the area post haste with minor encouragement; a quick chat with the local health board of Goliad county and I settled for a simple tetanus and let it go at that.

That's what you get for wearing Catnip pattern camo...