Mountain Lions, I have a new respect.

[MustardMan]

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.

Yeah, I've done plenty in bear country both here in the southeast and in the northeast when I was a youngster and it honestly never scared me that much. But mountain lions give me the heeby-jeebys.

Now that I'm moving to CO, it's the first time I've really seriously thought about what to do to protect myself from predators in the woods in a number of years. With bears it was fairly easy - avoid established campsites, cook far from camp, hang your food away from camp, and you probably don't have to worry. Knowing the way cats will stalk you and attack from behind just freaks me the heck out.

 

[MustardMan]

If it is a lone hiker...... I'm pretty sure your toast if it is stalking you.

(snip)

You wouldn't have time to shoot until after your hit and you wouldn't know what hit you.

That's one of many reasons I want to find something that my fiance can shoot, so we can both carry something similar and be familiar enough with each others' firearms if the need to use either of them comes up. Lucky for us, we never go hiking without one another - helps both with the companionship and the likelihood of surviving a nasty, unexpected situation.

And lucky for me, she's very interested in learning these types of skills. I found me a keeper :thumbup:

 

[Zombie Zeke]

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.

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.

No disrespect my brother but those are not cat tracks, those are most definitely canine of some kind, not saying wolf but the size is right 150lbs plus judging by that zippo. Nails out when in doubt, its not a cat.


As for the OP, that is a sad story, I am pretty sure I would of found a way to kill that cat or myself in the process, see I don't have many friends and the ones I do have are of the four legged variety.

It doesn't hurt to keep a loaded M&P45 in the nightstand either.

 

[333rm]

Having lived in California my whole life I've seen my fair share of mountain lions. They are ablolutely no joke and can take out any person within no time at all. I hear people say thry aren't very dangerous or they are so scared of people, those two toughts couldn't be more further from the truth. You would more than likely never even see them coming until it's to late. The Sierra's have quite a few and everytime I go camping or hiking I always carry a gun, also because of bears.

 

[LMT66]

That's one of many reasons I want to find something that my fiance can shoot, so we can both carry something similar and be familiar enough with each others' firearms if the need to use either of them comes up. Lucky for us, we never go hiking without one another - helps both with the companionship and the likelihood of surviving a nasty, unexpected situation.

And lucky for me, she's very interested in learning these types of skills. I found me a keeper :thumbup:

And that is the very good advice...... try to go with someone else who can give you a fighting chance.

Your a lucky guy to have a woman like that!

 

[sodak]

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.

I agree with BlackHills also! Cats scare the crap out of me. At least with bears, half the time, they'll huff and puff and make noise. Cats make as much noise as smoke.

One thing that I do, when I'm hiking, is that I have a "Lawrence of Arabia" type hat. Baseball cap with a cloth on the sides and back to protect the neck from the sun. I had an artistic friend paint a very vivid and angry face on it. Hopefully the cat won't be able to tell if that's my face or not, and they do like to sneak up from behind. They do it in India for tigers, but I don't know how effective it is.

Since I've been doing it, I've never been attacked by a cougar! It must work!

 

[dougo83]

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.

It totally depends on the dog. Max and Leonidas have killed one before. Then again, they were bred to hunt lions. Gotta love Rhodsians

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

They are some scary Mf-ers. I have come up close to one before and they are much bigger than I expected. That is why I specifically purchased the dogs I did for when I am at the farm and such.

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.

Wow...reading is key. He lives in Scotland. Guns are verboten.

 

[squishware]

Getting pounced by a cougar seems like a good death, surely better than a slow lingering western medical one.

 

[PayetteRucker]

Wow...reading is key. He lives in Scotland. Guns are verboten.

Do they even have lion issues in Scotland?

 

[shunsui]

Thats pretty bad. But worse still is jaguars. ...a jaguar or as local people around here call them a Black Panther, although they are not always black.

There's an outdoors writer for the paper here who claims a lot of people are sighting black mountain lions in the Bay Area foothils and parks. Sounds like jaguars might be getting out and about these days.

 

[PayetteRucker]

Getting pounced by a cougar seems like a good death, surely better than a slow lingering western medical one.

rule of thumb is 100 stitches for every second of contact

 

[grunt soldier]

#33
Yesterday, 08:54 PM
PayetteRucker
Registered User

Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Boise, Idaho
Posts: 1,399

Quote:
Originally Posted by grunt soldier
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


"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..."


you sir aren't thinking clearly. you find those because wolves hunt in packs. usually 6-8 or more. i am sure they can kill a lion w/ that type of odds but who knows how many wolves get the business in the process. everyone here keeps saying well these dog's (plural) are bred for this and that and whatnot. yeah dogs plural are much better off but straight up 1 v1 any dog vs a cougar the dog will lose at least 95 percent of the time because it is far less equipped than big cats that have evolved to destroy prey. Also i agree with most posters a cat is what's to be feared. cats stalk and follow you for awhile and they pick the time and place to attack. everything is usually on their terms unless your hunting them w/ a pack of dogs. how many lion hunters do you know who go out with just one dog ( i know a couple and they all have multiple dogs that run and bay)

sorry folks not trying to argue here but you just have to look at this logically based on the weapons god gave them and there very great ability to stalk quietly and attack their prey before they even know what happens on the lions terms.

 

[lukus]

My aunt and uncle have exotics on their place. A few years ago they had a couple of young fallow deer go missing over a few weeks. They ended up finding the second one half eaten and buried under leaves - a cat's stash/hide. The deer had been about 30 lbs when killed, and they found it on the OTHER side of a 10' gameproof fence. The cat had taken it OVER the fence. They set a few snares and caught it coming back to the kill. The cat was a 40 lb bobcat. Gives you an idea of how crazy strong they can be.

Do they even have lion issues in Scotland?

..........Maybe the Beast of Exmoor could do a little road trip.

 

[PayetteRucker]

#33
Yesterday, 08:54 PM
PayetteRucker
Registered User

Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Boise, Idaho
Posts: 1,399

Quote:
Originally Posted by grunt soldier
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


"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..."


you sir aren't thinking clearly. you find those because wolves hunt in packs. usually 6-8 or more. i am sure they can kill a lion w/ that type of odds but who knows how many wolves get the business in the process. everyone here keeps saying well these dog's (plural) are bred for this and that and whatnot. yeah dogs plural are much better off but straight up 1 v1 any dog vs a cougar the dog will lose at least 95 percent of the time because it is far less equipped than big cats that have evolved to destroy prey. Also i agree with most posters a cat is what's to be feared. cats stalk and follow you for awhile and they pick the time and place to attack. everything is usually on their terms unless your hunting them w/ a pack of dogs. how many lion hunters do you know who go out with just one dog ( i know a couple and they all have multiple dogs that run and bay)

sorry folks not trying to argue here but you just have to look at this logically based on the weapons god gave them and there very great ability to stalk quietly and attack their prey before they even know what happens on the lions terms.

I know wolves hunt in packs, and they are exceptionally strategic and canny about it as well. However it is still a viable point to the discussion, lions are not unchallenged.

 

[PayetteRucker]

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'll even quote myself... again, for the second time, I am not saying they aren't amazing predators in nearly every aspect-I'm saying it doesn't go without contest.

 

[Helle]

They've been popping up around Minnesota the past few years. Last Sept. someone killed one with there car in Bemidji.

I personally don't worry about them much, just be aware and have something handy in case they mess up and you live through the initial attack, odds are you won't see it coming.

I just saw a show about some mountain bikers that were attacked, male was killed, female survived only because her friend and other people intervened in the attack, lucky lady. The Cougar was shoot by authorities, I want to say it happened in Southern California but it escapes me know.

 

[PayetteRucker]

They've been popping up around Minnesota the past few years. Last Sept. someone killed one with there car in Bemidji.

I personally don't worry about them much, just be aware and have something handy in case they mess up and you live through the initial attack, odds are you won't see it coming.

I just saw a show about some mountain bikers that were attacked, male was killed, female survived only because her friend and other people intervened in the attack, lucky lady. The Cougar was shoot by authorities, I want to say it happened in Southern California but it escapes me know.

A biker was killed in Boulder as well, every time this topic comes up I refer The Beast in the Garden but apparently noone reads it, even though there seems to be a very interested group digging into it. They say the speed and general motion of a mountain biker is similar to a running deer, which is a prime target for a lion. Or you could call it coincidence, two of the 9 recorded mountain lion kills in the last 150 years were due to wrong-place, wrong-time instances involving starving lions...

 

[TXscout]

Late at night on Christmas Eve, my wife and I saw a large cougar/panther cross in front of us on I-20, here in East Texas.

ETA: It was a BIG cat. I've heard of sightings around here, and heard what I thought was one while out in the woods(sounded like a woman's bloodcurdling scream), but have never seen one in person, until last week.

 

[DOC-CANADA]

A biker was killed in Boulder as well, every time this topic comes up I refer The Beast in the Garden but apparently noone reads it, even though there seems to be a very interested group digging into it. They say the speed and general motion of a mountain biker is similar to a running deer, which is a prime target for a lion. Or you could call it coincidence, two of the 9 recorded mountain lion kills in the last 150 years were due to wrong-place, wrong-time instances involving starving lions...

It is absolutely on my wish list at Amazon. (I only order when I have enough for free shipping ).

Doc

 

[stevomiller]

There's an outdoors writer for the paper here who claims a lot of people are sighting black mountain lions in the Bay Area foothils and parks. Sounds like jaguars might be getting out and about these days.

If you mean the SF Bay Area, yes there have been black lions here for years up in the Oakland hills. A friend of mine that used to hunt lions has seen them ~ the ones he has seen were black phase mtn lions and not jaguars.