Mountain Lions, I have a new respect.

I applaud the dog owner for going out and beating the lion but if it were my dog being attacked i'd kill the lion. Why no ammo for the gun? That's a mistake that will haunt that family I reckon. Maybe if they had shot the lion straight off then the dog would have lived maybe not but the question is still a hard one to bare.

As for me taking a mountain lion on i'm under no illusions of any Tarzan like animal mastery. I'd get my biggest and most deadly weapon and just start swinging. One of these I'd be using I reckon (as I have zero firearms), it's either that or the pointy end of a spike hawk. I love my dog as much as any family member so reason, caution and thoughts of self preservation would be straight out the window.
RodentWaki.jpg
 
Poor dog, Great Pyrs are some of the coolest dogs I've been around.

I'm not gonna lie, big cats scare the begeezus out of me...I saw one up a hill in deep Eastern KY once, and I ran like a little girl. Granted, I was 9 at the time, so little girl wasn't a stretch...but I'd do the same now and be out of excuses. :)

Very very capable animals.
 
Toucan Oasis said:
One dog stands zero chance against a big cat.
A big cat stands no chance against 3 or four big dogs.
Click to expand...

if you ever see a cougar in person i think you would change your mind, the ones ive seen are almost as big as a lion or tiger and could take out the biggest dogs ive ever seen with a swipe or two
 
This past weekend I was out enjoying a hike and looking for geocaches on Antoine Peak, near Spokane. There was about an inch of snow on the ground, that had been there for awhile. It was fun looking at all the tracks that had been left in the snow -- including the footprints of the cachers who had beaten me to a couple of new caches. :grumpy:

After hiking for about 1/4 mile, I started seeing some very large tracks in the snow. Just for future reference I took some pictures.

tracks1.jpg


tracks2.jpg


I wasn't sure what it was, but suspected lion. The snow had melted in the tracks a little, so they weren't brand new. Still gave me a creepy feeling to know they were definitely around, though!

The rest of the time on the mountain I kept the holster snap on my Glock 20 open, and my hand near my gun. I'm not going to stop enjoying the great outdoors because there are cougars around, but I'm sure going to be wary!

When I got home I looked up mountain lion tracks in the snow, and that's definitely what these were.
 
Mannlicher said:
yuppy broad with zero gun skills.........0

Puma.............. 10

Dog vs Puma will always result in fido being dog food. I don't care how bad you THINK your dog is.
Click to expand...

There's a 180lb wolf that lives down the block that will shred any 150 pound cat... and I know a rediculously beautiful and capable border collie/aussie shepherd mix that I think would hold her own... either way I pack a .357 mag just about everywhere in Idaho and have decent situational awareness, so I'm not overly concerned about being eaten by a mountain lion.
 
RoyalM said:
I applaud the dog owner for going out and beating the lion but if it were my dog being attacked i'd kill the lion. Why no ammo for the gun? That's a mistake that will haunt that family I reckon. Maybe if they had shot the lion straight off then the dog would have lived maybe not but the question is still a hard one to bare.

As for me taking a mountain lion on i'm under no illusions of any Tarzan like animal mastery. I'd get my biggest and most deadly weapon and just start swinging. One of these I'd be using I reckon (as I have zero firearms), it's either that or the pointy end of a spike hawk. I love my dog as much as any family member so reason, caution and thoughts of self preservation would be straight out the window.
RodentWaki.jpg
Click to expand...

you have a wannabe Japanese duelling sword but no firearms? maybe you should re-evaluate your budget and needs, one can get a quality Taurus .357 revolver for less than half of what you paid for that Waki.
 
PayetteRucker said:
you have a wannabe Japanese duelling sword but no firearms? maybe you should re-evaluate your budget and needs, one can get a quality Taurus .357 revolver for less than half of what you paid for that Waki.
Click to expand...

Living in Scotland may have something to do with his weapon options....
 
PayetteRucker said:
There's a 180lb wolf that lives down the block that will shred any 150 pound cat... and I know a rediculously beautiful and capable border collie/aussie shepherd mix that I think would hold her own... either way I pack a .357 mag just about everywhere in Idaho and have decent situational awareness, so I'm not overly concerned about being eaten by a mountain lion.
Click to expand...

try 200-250 pound cat but they rarely attack humans they go for dogs because they are easier targets most cougar sightings involve other animals
 
MustardMan said:
So any thoughts on what would make a good pistol to carry for defense against mountain lions? Most advice I've been given says .45acp as a bare minimum, and it seems like a caliber I'd be comfortable carrying in one of the compact versions. I never hike alone, so I'd like to think if one of us was attacked, the other would hopefully be able to defend him, although at that point it might be too late already.

I realize I'm probably more likely to be struck by lighting than attacked by a cougar, but I can do something about the cougar while lighting is pretty much out of my control.
Click to expand...

I agree with Sodak, anything in a decent caliber that you're comfortable with would be fine. You should also realize that you'll probably never get the chance to use it as mountain lions almost always attack from behind. I've spent years living where lions are very common and have only seen two....both while driving.
 
Calebklyne said:
try 200-250 pound cat but they rarely attack humans they go for dogs because they are easier targets most cougar sightings involve other animals
Click to expand...

yup there are thousands of "lost fluffy" ads all over Boise for pets that get eaten by foxes, wolves and lions....
 
cats are crazy strong and very scary. i would always be w/ a gun and solid knife. i have a monstrous dog who is crazy strong and i don't think he would stand much of a chance. even a very big wolf/dog doesn't stand much of a chance against the mountain lions. one swipe w/ those powerful paws and big ass claws is pretty much game over. and those cats are just playing or joking around they are doing it to live. 1v1 any dog vs a good size mountain lion....the mountain lion wins
 
grunt soldier said:
cats are crazy strong and very scary. i would always be w/ a gun and solid knife. i have a monstrous dog who is crazy strong and i don't think he would stand much of a chance. even a very big wolf/dog doesn't stand much of a chance against the mountain lions. one swipe w/ those powerful paws and big ass claws is pretty much game over. and those cats are just playing or joking around they are doing it to live. 1v1 any dog vs a good size mountain lion....the mountain lion wins
Click to expand...

that's why we find carcasses of lions that have been shredded by wolves near known lion dens and elk bedding areas all over Idaho...
 
also keep in mind that wolves hunt in packs of 6 and more and wolves are also scavengers as well as hunters

the thing about cats is that they are very advanced compared to dogs with body articulation, a cats first strike will always be with its paws/claws and then it will follow with its teeth a dog will always bite first putting its most vulnerable part close to its foe

im not trying to say one is better than the other but id rather be up against a dog over a big cat
 
Keep in mind how strong a house cat is... If you don't think so, try giving one a bath. Then multiply by the size of the lion, and add in some extra for being a wild animal.
 
I'm not trying to say that lions are not ridiculously strong, quiet, fast or amazing hunters. I'm just saying they aren't invulnerable, plenty have been killed by dogs and bears around here.
 
i think we need to send our topic into that show on animal planet that puts animals against each other using computers and robots to decide the one true victor:p:D
 
PayetteRucker said:
that's why we find carcasses of lions that have been shredded by wolves near known lion dens and elk bedding areas all over Idaho...
Click to expand...

Yes by wolves...not by a wolf. Big difference. I go up to camp outside of Boulder Co. 9000 feet of beauty. The locals have a lot more fear and respect for the cats then the bears. Its what I worry about out there.
 
PayetteRucker said:
you have a wannabe Japanese duelling sword but no firearms? maybe you should re-evaluate your budget and needs, one can get a quality Taurus .357 revolver for less than half of what you paid for that Waki.
Click to expand...

eeh, RoyalM lives in Scotland. I suspect having no guns is not by choice.
 
I'm pretty sure a pack of wolves or domestic dogs could easily corner a big cat but it certainly has better Escape and Evade skills than any canine. A big cat can run up a sheer 15+ foot rock face in a second, climb a tree and go over and under anything better than any canine. If cornered out come the claws that can do serious damage.

If it is a lone hiker...... I'm pretty sure your toast if it is stalking you.
This scene from Six Feet Under would be a likely scenario. Yes it's a HBO show and staged but it is something that very well could happen just as it's played out here.
You wouldn't have time to shoot until after your hit and you wouldn't know what hit you.
[youtube]noIJyY2KxRA&feature[/youtube]
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top