Mountain Lions

[bigbcustom]

Here in Colorado we've had an increase in Mountain Lion incidents. Even near populated areas such as Boulder, although what's a few hippies more or less.

When I hike I do carry at the bare minimum a fixed blade survival knife, currently a Spec Plus Air Force and a Ruger GP100 .357. Every few minutes I do a 360 just to see what's behind me. Most cats and bears stay away, but if a cat stalks you, the attack will come from behind.

Ditto sir, with me it's usually a small psk, Fallkniven F1 or A1, and a S&W 686 .357. I check my backtrail quite regularly especially when I am doing night hikes (I enjoy hiking at night as you see lots more wildlife and, especially here in Colorado, you don't have to share the trail with lots of other people). I always have at least a day pack (kelty redwing) with a few items including a hydration reservoir on my back which would provide at least minimal protection from an attack from the rear (emphasis on "minimal"). As has been stated previously, the gun probably wouldn't help much if you don't know the cat is there until it hits you, and you probably couldn't hit a charging cat, but I figure if I can see him before he hits, I might be able to get a contact shot as he hits me, and if I am attacked and it's not an instakill, I would hope I could get hold of either my knife or gun and do something. All that being said, the chances of me getting attacked by a cat, even while hiking at night, are pretty slim, and even if, as some people on this thread have postulated, the knife and gun are totally worthless in the event of an attack (a fact that I will continue to dispute), they sure as hell make me feel better.

 

[bigbcustom]

edited.....

 

[Mountainman38]

I have a general question to ask, and it seems like this thread is a good place to do it. I firmly believe in carrying tools that I may need, whether it's the tool chest in the back of my truck, the diaper bag loaded with wipes and snacks for my two little boys, or 15 rounds of 10mm in my Glock. I have a CPL (bless this state!), and can carry legally most anywhere I want. The problem I have is when I'm hiking, mountain biking, or most especially, when I'm out walking in the woods with my wife and two boys (1 and 5 years old). I keep my gun in my pack, but it's hard to get to. Unfortunately, I don't have any good options for getting to my gun when I've got the baby carrier on, or even when I'm enjoying some mountain trail at high speed on my bike.

How do you guys carry when you're in the woods? I prefer to keep my gun out of sight (makes people nervous to think someone may actually be prepared for trouble), and it's not always possible to fit a holster under a pack belt.

I've thought about this a lot, and it seems like what is needed is some sort of chest mounted holster (like the Sahara Strider), that could be securely attached to the chest straps of any kind of backpack, day pack, or baby carrier. It could have an obvious place for a cell phone, two-way radio, and/or pepper spray, so others could easily miss the fact that I had a full-sized Glock inside of it. Does such a thing exist? If so, I'd love to hear about it. I know it would take far too long to unsling my pack, unzip it, reach in, grab my gun, pull it out, line it up, and then from a position of authority sternly reprimand any naughty cougars attacking me.

Please help!

Thanks, and sorry for the long post. I've really enjoyed reading posts on this forum, and am very impressed at how civil you guys are!

 

[bigbcustom]

At night (when I don't think I will run into anybody on the trail) holstered on the belt....during the day (and I really hate to say this because it's going to add to the "you would never be able to get it into action" argument) side pocket of pack accessible in 5-7 seconds. I do need to figure something quicker for that, but it still makes me feel better knowing it's there. My knife I carry in a chest rig right underneath my sternum strap along with a folder in the front pocket of pants.....haven't had any comments yet, but have had one or two funny looks since I have started doing that. (just recently, and I wonder how I ever did without the chest rig as it's so much easier and more comfortable (when carrying a pack anyway) than carrying on the belt.)

 

[Rainmaker870]

How do you guys carry when you're in the woods? I prefer to keep my gun out of sight (makes people nervous to think someone may actually be prepared for trouble), and it's not always possible to fit a holster under a pack belt.

I've thought about this a lot, and it seems like what is needed is some sort of chest mounted holster (like the Sahara Strider), that could be securely attached to the chest straps of any kind of backpack, day pack, or baby carrier........

Welcome! That 10mm Glock is a great outdoor sidearm. They're a little big to conceal though.

If you do some searching here at BFC you'll find at least one or two sheath/holster makers who should be able to accommodate you. There are also some commercial rigs out there - google "chest holster" for starters.

I generally use a high-riding hydration pack for day hiking, or a maxpedition shoulder-slung bag - neither interferes with my belt holster; concealment's not an issue for me whether I run into anyone else or not. If I'm wearing a long heavy coat outdoors I've used an Uncle Mike's (??) Guide Holster, which is sort of a cheap chest-holster. It works, that's all I can say good about it; straps around the chest. Tried a thigh holster once - it works too, but it throws my stride off.

 

[the possum]

Don't have any real substance to add here, but I used to regard these threads as little more than entertaining reading since I live in southern Illinois.

However, in the past year there have been several mountain lion sightings in the area. I've spoken first hand with at least a half dozen people who saw one (at least 3 of those also had another witness along with them at the time), including a gentleman who encountered one while turkey hunting this spring only 2 miles away from the farm. Then, two days ago our hired hand saw one run into our corn field right next to the farm as he was pulling out of the driveway. That's getting a little close for comfort...

 

[Copis]

I live at 9200ft and i've seen a lion twice while driving...big animal

Had a close encounter a few years back...While on our favorite snowy hike, I noticed a HUGE pee stain on the snow...imediately I noticed that the huge paw prints were there as well!! I got the big golden retriever on the leash and my wife and I got out of there quietly and quickly. I never walk/hike w/out a G27.

Bill

 

[dawg]

Hello again, checked as I was curious regarding my posting of a week ago and wanted to say a couple of things.One, I wish to make this very clear so as not to confuse anyone...a sidearm or knife of any type is most certainly a better situation than bare hands, a mountain bike as a shield etc...should one be in that rarest of situations where one is actually stalked or attacked, ANYTHING is better than nothing AS LONG AS YOU HAVE IT IN YOUR HAND(S) and can deploy it with at least a minimal level of competence. My point is that if it's (sorry BIGBCUSTOM ;-) in your pack or if it's not something you've practiced with, than while still better than nothing, it's not doing you much good and you're probably done. We responded to a farm a few months ago where the foreman had been checking irrigation ditches. He was packing a Ruger .357 in his daypack-more of a confidence thing than a real level threat situation-and had been walking along the creekbed when he had a funny feeling. Turning, he saw a cat running at him along the edge of the creek. He tried to get his pack off but failing that, he started to jump and yell as loud as he could while trying to make himself as big as possible. At near the last second, the cougar veered off and dissappeared into the brush.The hunter I mentioned gutting the elk would in all probability not survived had he not had the knife in his hand when he was struck.In my old army unit, we practiced a LOT clearing rooms, firing from awkward positions ,running and firing etc..I'm rusty but even with all my training, I seriously doubt I could hit a bounding cat coming head on to me at close range without warning. As an aside, there's a show on recently -I believe it's called the best and worst of Tred something- where the host was up in B.C and a cougar attack is related where the cat attacked a man and his dog walking along the fishing boat piers. The man beat off the cougar with a stick long enough for a guide to run up and shoot the cat.Nice cougar too, showed him layed out.I happened to be watching it as he was hunting griz with a longbow and homemade arrows and I spent 20 years hunting black bear with same. I'm not looney enough to hunt griz with anything short of a airstrike... For some reason that totally escapes us, we meet a larger number of people who seem to think a cougar is roughly the size of a large bobcat. Not the cat that can sometimes reach 7' stretched out and 200 pounds of sinew and muscle.

 

[braddy]

Good response , but if you can Break it into paragraphs and such it would be easier to read.

 

[bigbcustom]

Dawg,

I totally agree with you about carrying "in the pack" being not a good thing...I tend to worry about the sensibilities of people freaking out if they see a gun on my hip...maybe I shouldn't. Good post

 

[Rainmaker870]

Dawg,
I tend to worry about the sensibilities of people freaking out if they see a gun on my hip...maybe I shouldn't. Good post

I never do.

+1 on the good post, Dawg.

 

[Mountainman38]

"Welcome! That 10mm Glock is a great outdoor sidearm. They're a little big to conceal though."

Thanks, for the welcome and the props on my choice. I wanted the 10mm because it is, in my opinion, the best compromise between power and carry-ability. A Ruger 480 would certainly be more comforting when I start hearing that chuffing sound coming from a thicket, but as was stated before, the Glock is realistically what I'm going to have with me. Plus, it's a great comfort to have those 15 hollow points behind my belt in certain parts of the jungle where the predators walk on their hind legs..... Along with pepper spray, which would be the preferred first response.

"If you do some searching here at BFC you'll find at least one or two sheath/holster makers who should be able to accommodate you. There are also some commercial rigs out there - google "chest holster" for starters." Thanks for the advice. I've been doing that, but there just isn't anything out there like I want. I'm kinda surprised, as this isn't a new problem, or unique to me. I may just have to get a stand-alone chest holster, then put my pack on over it.

 

[hwyhobo]

I never do.

In an area I occasionally hike where it is legal to carry, and where I did see a mountain lion in the past, I carry openly. A while ago I met two guys with a kid hiking. One of them had a .357 on his hip. Apparantly I am not the only one.

 

[Bumppo]

Making yourself "bigger" might have something to do with getting through a animal attack. I work alone many nights on airfields, and when in California one night I was approached by a few coyotes. I had my EDC knife with me, and a surefire flash light. I work on an airship crew, and somebody had left an umbrella inside the ship. I picked it up and was returning to the trailer we use as an office about 300 feet from the ship. Coyotes are always on the airfield, and a crew had been there for three months, I had just been transferred there from an east coast crew. I had been in cali off and on for the past few years but with no problems from the coyotes until now.

It was about 02:00 am, and a coyote was blocking my way to the trailer, another was off to one side, and I could not see any others but know here they usually are in groups of four or five. I didn't even think of my knife, my first reaction was to open the umbrella fast, to make a shield. it "popped" open and I pointed it at the Coyote and flapped it open and closed at him while walking to the trailer. he jumped and backed up, I have no Idea what the other Coyote was doing as it dissappeared, I thought I was being surrounded. I backed into the door and set the open ubrella in the doorway and then got my knife out, incase they were going to try to enter. they did not.

The next day, I found out that the crew routinely saved scraps of food during the day and the night watchman was feeding the coyotes. We switch working nights every seven days and I was not aware the idiots were doing this, So in the minds of the coyotes they were just reacting to the five day break in their past three month free meal program. But I do think the added apparent "largeness" of the umbrella confused the coyotes enough so I could get into the office.

 

[jhansman]

I live and hike in an area that has human/big cat encounters increasing. Now I only carry large folders I can open one-handed. I have no illusions about besting a mountain lion in a fair fight, but I figure I might as well up my odds if I can. What I want to know is how did this guy get a SAK open in time to stab the cat in the neck?

 

[Rainmaker870]

Thanks, for the welcome and the props on my choice. I wanted the 10mm because it is, in my opinion, the best compromise between power and carry-ability. A Ruger 480 would certainly be more comforting when I start hearing that chuffing sound coming from a thicket, but as was stated before, the Glock is realistically what I'm going to have with me. Plus, it's a great comfort to have those 15 hollow points behind my belt in certain parts of the jungle where the predators walk on their hind legs..... Along with pepper spray, which would be the preferred first response.

....there just isn't anything out there like I want. I'm kinda surprised, as this isn't a new problem, or unique to me. I may just have to get a stand-alone chest holster, then put my pack on over it.

I carry either a S&W .44mag Mountain Gun or a Glock 10mm, depending on where I'm going. If it's to areas frequented by big-city-sh*theads, I usually carry the Glock. As you say - a 15 shot .41mag (my handloads will about match it) has a lot to be said for it, and as long as we can do our part I'm confident it's the equal of any predator in the lower 48. I still feel better in bear country with the .44, though.

As far as chest holsters go... look at the Uncle Mike's rig. Mine's packed away in my winter box, but I think the straps are attached with D rings. You could probably remove the straps and attach it to your own pack straps if you wanted to. My only complaint about it is that it's a little flimsy. You could also check out the Safepacker from The Wilderness - with a little effort I think it might be modified to meet your needs.