Chopper/ Defense Blade?

Agreed, Bear spray would be ideal.

In other news, a good knife for what you are looking for could be the BK7, or BK9. They're pretty affordable, and are super useful for woods work. The BK9 is the chopper that you're wanting, but the 7 is a sweet all around knife. Its large enough to chop and baton, but also lighter than its siblings (the BK2 and the BK9), so it won't weight you down as much when out and about.
 
Let's face it, a full grown cougar is as big as you are...only much stronger. I second the firearm idea if you spend a lot of time in their habitat.

You may find this link interesting "List of Confirmed Cougar Attacks In the United States and Canada 1890 - 1990" ...

http://www.cougarinfo.org/attacks.htm
 
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I'll tell you what to do, as I'm an expert at Internet cougar fighting scenarios. First off, carry the bear spray in your strong hand. Carry a Cold Steel boar spear in your other hand. It doubles as a walking stick. When the cougar jumps you, spin around (he'll get ya from behind) and blast him with the spray. That'll stop him. Drop the spray and rush in with the spear to finish him off, a la the great Sasha Siemel. Now, this is not without risk. About the worst that can happen is you'll end up with 350 stitches. Girls don't mind guys with scars though. Ok, that's my advice and I'm stickin' to it.

Joe
 
Thanks Fellas for your input, suggestions and concerns. I am definitely investing in some spray if I venture into their territory again.

-TechExec
Thank you for that link, it is a very interesting read indeed. I'm bookmarking it for sure.:thumbup:

-Ankerson
I hoped that you would realize that I am not aiming to valiantly fight off a cougar attack and save the day similar to that of a mall ninja's dream that one day they can use their Dark Ops brand blade to fight off some thugs. I created this post to accept honest opinions from members here on a recommendation on an item of gear (knife or not) that would suit me best since I cannot carry a firearm legally. I left the knife aspect open because I did not want to cut off all avenues of discussion; apparently I did not make myself clear enough.

-Frisky
I am glad to have such an accredited internet cougar-fighting expert on deck to aide me in my dilemma.
Now, before I go in for the kill, should I scream 'THIS IS SPARTA!' and kick it first??? :D
 
Bear spray.

Having mock wrestled with a fully declawed and defanged cougar that was raised in captivity.... A knife is only better than say... fighting back with your teeth... or peeing yourself. Even a 120ish pound cat can hit you (with claws attached) hard enough to crack a rib just from impact.

As far as a usable trail knife goes, I'll definitely second the khukuri option, good chopping, fast and still able to be used as a stabbing weapon.
 
Deadfall27... If you get a chance, do a search for Sasha Siemel. He hunted jaguars with a spear and lived to write about it. Fun stuff!

Joe
 
Aside from Bear Spray and a rifle I'm not sure what else would help against large wild animals. I suppose if you dropped a molotov cocktail on the ground it might distract the animal enough for you to run away, though the problem would be trying to light it while it's charging at you. I've heard a tennis ball stuffed full of match heads works well, but it seems like a fire hazard if you ever tripped with one on you:eek:. Maybe hair spray and a zippo lighter(make sure it's freshly filled, the lighter fluid loves to evaporate)? I suspect animals are easily distracted by many things, so you could try some fireworks or those stink bombs that were quite famous in Junior High. I did hear something about skunk essence that's suppose to keep animals away.

You could try an ESEE Lite Machete, but I suspect trying to cut off anything of consequence(say, the head) while the animal is charging at you is a bit more difficult than hitting a baseball, especially since you'd be doing it with one hand. But perhaps if you're more comfortable with it, an aluminum bat might work too.
Law of Thirds said:
Bear spray.

Having mock wrestled with a fully declawed and defanged cougar that was raised in captivity.... A knife is only better than say... fighting back with your teeth... or peeing yourself. Even a 120ish pound cat can hit you (with claws attached) hard enough to crack a rib just from impact.

As far as a usable trail knife goes, I'll definitely second the khukuri option, good chopping, fast and still able to be used as a stabbing weapon.
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Now that's the perfect pet to have:D. Who needs a dog then?
 
If a gun is not an option, how about the good old American Bowie knife.




Church&Son Big Bowie
 
I agree that a gun is the way to go--preferably a revolver as they can be point-blanked and a cougar is most likely to be on top of you before you know it's even there. Choose a camping knife that can be drawn quickly in an icepick grip with the edge facing towards you. In the event that you're able to make use of something pointy while a big cat is on top of you, a downward stab and pull will get the most done and be the easiest and most instinctual to perform. For something of a general use/defensive chopper, I suggest the Condor Combat Machete. It's a nice compact utility chopper with a gladius-like form. I've had one for years and it does a fine job in a utility role, is long enough to give reasonable reach, but short enough that it could be used in a situation where your assailant is on top of you. You're still unlikely to even see it coming, though.
 
I read through that whole link last night, and to be completely honest I was surprised how many people survived based on the fact that they got ahold of a knife (including the one where a 5foot 6in 120lb teen was attacked by a mountain lion while snowshowing, which sounds like something you might do). All of the other stories seemed to have had the person being attacked trying to use a makeshift weapon, or just wrestling with the thing until someone else could come help.

So it seems prudent to actually carry something for this purpose, even in the off chance that you need it. Obviously something like a gun (which you can't carry yet) or Bear Spray would be the first choice, but having something as a backup isn't a bad idea. Also, many people got attacked and had no idea it was coming, so those wouldn't always work either, so once again, a knife is better than nothing. Also, it seems like they attack more often when you're alone, so having a buddy go along also seems like a good idea.

And I would look for something that you can wear on your person, rather than on your pack, but thats just me.

Good luck man.
 
When I go to the woods alone, I take a blow-up doll. She has many talents, she can hold a fishing pole and my beer. A blow-up doll scares off most animals and people, at most camp sites.
The Samuri had it right, as well as the modern warrior. The ranged weapon, then close quarters, then the tanto/knife. I went camping this weekend, with my Brother. I carried my 9mm, my Culberson Bolok (12" blade), and a 4" fixed blade. I also had a smaller fixed blade neck knife. My Brother had a shotgun, kukri, and a few knives.
Get some bear spray, and practice quick draw with it as well as your blades.
Good job on paying attention to your surroundings, that will help the most, plus take a friend.
 
The idea of a using a knife for self defence against a large predator is not so far fetched as people would make it seem. There are plenty of examples where people have survived attacks from mountain lion, black bear, grizzly and even African lion. They've even used folding knives, the Buck 110 has been cited more than once.

No one would WANT to be in a position where they had to defend themselves against a mountain lion or whatever with only a knife, but if that situation ever occurs, I for one would want something that would give me at least a SLIM chance of surviving rather than NONE. Is everyone really so ready to just give up without a fight?

DeadFall27's case is ideal in that he had warning that a threat existed and he had time to prepare himself. In that kind of situation I think a CS Bushman on the belt and a hiking stick with a pre-tapered end would be ideal combo. A tough knife easily accessable on the belt for normal or surprise use and able to convert to a long-reach weapon at a moments notice.
 
Blue Sky said:
In that kind of situation I think a CS Bushman on the belt and a hiking stick with a pre-tapered end would be ideal combo. A tough knife easily accessable on the belt for normal or surprise use and able to convert to a long-reach weapon at a moments notice.
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I would advise against the Bushman as a defensive piece unless carried already converted to spear usage. If forced to press the knife into defensive service without it mounted you run a couple of different risks--one is that the handle is round so edge orientation is impossible to maintain. Second is the tapered handle with a lack of a guard. This makes it highly probably for your hand to slide forward onto the blade.
 
True, the handles are slick. A bit of friction tape or maybe a paracord wrap would be a good idea. I don't think orientaion is a big issue, but with a more secure grip it should stay the way you grip it anyway.
 
I've got a paracord wrap on mine that vastly improves the grip in normal usage. However, in a stressful situation like a cougar attack I'm pretty sure it would still slip badly. The strongest of texturing won't make up for poor ergos for the intended task. The Bushman is intended as a hybrid tool and as a result it has certain deficiencies when it comes to unmounted defensive use. A well-shaped handle should stay locked in the hand even if it's made of polished glass and dunked in oil, because in a high-stress situation it's going to feel much the same. :eek:
 
Given your self description I would go bear spray all the way. Even someone skilled with a sidearm will struggle to draw a gun and get off a stopper shot before the bear/lion/other gets in for the mauling. If you're lucky you'll get a kill shot in and be able to pass into the next life with the smug knowledge that your killer is not too far behind you. My Marlin 45-70 trail guide is a great stopper but not something you're likely to hike/fish with, especially if you're alone. For knife selection I would go with a good solid 4-6" blade that will do all you need to do on your hiking and fishing excursion and work with avoidance with a backup of spray as your critter defense mechanism.
 
if you're walking in mountain lion country, you needn't worry...because there's a 99.9% chance you won't hear/see the lion until he's on your back biting your neck.

that said, if you do have that one in a million chance of seeing it first, i would say that you probably won't get attacked and bear spray would work. Most mountain lion will only attack by surprise not facing you. If it can't surprise attack you, most likely it won't attack you.

So regardless what you have at the ready, once it's on your back, you need to figure out how quick you are with that knife to stab at it while it's slapping and biting at you at 100 miles an hour.
I would say walk in pairs or at least with a sizable dog where at least you will have some warning prior to an attack. A dog MIGHT sense the animal near and help you out by making you aware of it.
 
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/702621-Mountain-Lions-I-have-a-new-respect.?highlight=mountain+lion

Here is this topic being beaten to death...

Just know that mountain lions are stalk hunters, you seeing one is rare, being attacked by one would be alot like getting suckerpunched by a Navy SEAL with a knife in a phone booth and whatever weapon you have on you, is absolutely the best one at the time.

I love the advice on carrying a .40sw while a 12 Gauge is on your back, a lit molotov cocktail in hand though, oh and wrestling techniques too...interwebz at its best. :thumbup:
 
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