Mountain Lions stalking hunters---your take on it

[jec2thdk]

OK boys: several years ago while hunting in Idaho (Hells Canyon area) my buddy was stalked by a mountain lion---turned around and there he was about to spring---10 feet away. Once my partner turned, the little kitty bounded off. Partner had a pack on and I know these lions like to attack from the back so he MAY have been protected ; still gives one pause about what COULD have transpired. As a possible solution I've heard that a big set of plastic doll eyes glued to the back of your cap acts as "somewhat of a deterrant" . Anyone have any experience with that precaution?

JC

[blkdia]

OK boys: several years ago while hunting in Idaho (Hells Canyon area) my buddy was stalked by a mountain lion---turned around and there he was about to spring---10 feet away. Once my partner turned, the little kitty bounded off. Partner had a pack on and I know these lions like to attack from the back so he MAY have been protected ; still gives one pause about what COULD have transpired. As a possible solution I've heard that a big set of plastic doll eyes glued to the back of your cap acts as "somewhat of a deterrant" . Anyone have any experience with that precaution?

JC

I think that's the money you could be saving with Geico! lol

[j270wsm]

I have never been in that situation. A good friend was out elk hunting about 5 yrs ago and had a large female cougar stalk in to about 15yds of him and lay down in the trail, she started to raise her hind end and wagging her tail(just like a cat does when it is going to pounce), so my friend leveled her with his
.338 mag. In the end the game wardens let him keep the cat.

[pre6422hornet]

No different than a pack of wolves zeroing in or a grizzly bear coming in after a hunter kills an elk....

I personally don't worry about it when I am in the Upper Penninsula with the wolves. My philosophy is if the good Lord opens the calendar and I am supposed to go that day..... there is nothing in the world I can do to stop it. Whether that is staying in bed all day, or carrying 5 guns in case I get attacked while walking back to the truck in the pitch black.

[lone eagle]

OK boys: several years ago while hunting in Idaho (Hells Canyon area) my buddy was stalked by a mountain lion---turned around and there he was about to spring---10 feet away. Once my partner turned, the little kitty bounded off. Partner had a pack on and I know these lions like to attack from the back so he MAY have been protected ; still gives one pause about what COULD have transpired. As a possible solution I've heard that a big set of plastic doll eyes glued to the back of your cap acts as "somewhat of a deterrant" . Anyone have any experience with that precaution?

JC

I have never heard of this sir--doesnt mean it hasnt happen I just have never heard of or seen it.

Wouldnt you need a camera in the glued on eyes recording what is going on behind you to know if it worked. If you walked out alive perhaps it worked or perhaps no lion was stalking you, until they saw the eyes on your cap.

However having said all that I have seen some VERY superstitious hunters, that do things before, and during a hunt,that amazed me, but that is probably an entirely different thread

[hunman]

I have never heard of this sir--doesnt mean it hasnt happen I just have never heard of or seen it.

Wouldnt you need a camera in the glued on eyes recording what is going on behind you to know if it worked. If you walked out alive perhaps it worked or perhaps no lion was stalking you, until they saw the eyes on your cap.

However having said all that I have seen some VERY superstitious hunters, that do things before, and during a hunt,that amazed me, but that is probably an entirely different thread

That would be an interesting thread to start IMO.

[blkdia]

It would be my guess that this happens far more than people realize. A few years back, while hunting the Swan Lake area of NW MT. I was sitting on the edge of a shear drop-off, actually, I was about 8' from the shear drop-off (scared of heights). My hunting buddy Jason had gone farther down the mining road a few minutes earlier. All was quiet when I noticed birds flying from the brush that was between me and the road. I didn't hear a thing, but it is griz country, so I trained my .350 handcannon in that direction. Whatever it was, it was coming my direction, the birds were letting me know that. I used to smoke, figured I would light one up, and whatever it was would high tail it out of there, so I did. Nothing! So I took the safety off and slowly stood up, there not 4-5 yards from me, was a small mountain lion, scraggly looking and thin, maybe 60lbs. He never even acknowledged my presence as he crawled forward on his belly, eyes fixed up in front of me. As he got to about 15 yards from me, I followed his stare (before then I was scared to alarm him as I was too close to the cliff edge) He was stalking my friend Jason, who was still hunting down the road. When he got a little farther away, I scared the cat and he went over the edge, don't know what he grabbed onto, but he didn't fall. I can't say the cat would have carried out the attack once he found out what he was stalking, but in his poor condition, he may have. If I wouldn't have been there, Jason would have never known the lion was there, unless...........

Denny

[citori]

The waring of a mask on the backside of the head has been used a a deterrant against tigers in Asia for at least 150 years that I know of, Samuel Baker has written of the practice in his books detailing his expereinces in India, Ceylon, and other places. I believe it has also been used in Africa against lions and I may have read about it being done in South America against jaguars. As these places all had/have tremendous problems with maneating feline predators, I don't think it works very well.

I have no doubt that people are followed regularly by wild cats, just watch the neighborhood housecats in their interactions with people. Cats follow people all around without the person ever realizing it and I haven't seen it being any different in the wilds. I have seen bobcats follow human tracks and it is a very common practice to find that lynx have spent a day following around a hiker or hunter. It is also not uncommon to see any cat act as if it is going to pounce on the object it is following, even if that object is an adult human and the cat is an 8 pound tabby. One always runs the risk of being prey and that is the breaks of the game when in large predator country. If one thinks so highly of themselves, they should not go to places that have these low potential risks. There is no certainty in life other than death and that form can come under any number of guises, most of which are not fellow animals.

[dubyam]

There is no certainty in life other than death and that form can come under any number of guises, most of which are not fellow animals.

Well, there's always taxes, too. And they, too, come in any number of guises...

[blkdia]

Well, there's always taxes, too. And they, too, come in any number of guises...

If everyone would just BUY A WEATHERBY! the lions would leave them alone!

[.300weatherby15]

It's true... if everyone did buy a Weatherby, this thread would have closed out already. (=

Anyways guys I'm still Elk hunting this weekend so I will not let down my Elk, or Deer hunting teams. (=

But, in all reality, Mountain Lions IS one of the reasons I did buy my .300 Weatherby.

Sorry I haven't been talking lately, but thats because I don't think that there's one mountain up here that my butt hasn't been up already this hunting season, LOL!!! AND IT'S ONLY ARCHERY!!! When rifle comes around... I'll be talking this spring, LOL!!! (=

[mstarbird2000]

If everyone would just BUY A WEATHERBY! the lions would leave them alone!

Thats because they know enough to never mess with someone toteing a Weatherby!!!!

[dubyam]

The solution is so simple...

[mstarbird2000]

I have a feeling youd never know a mountain lion was stalking you until its to late!!!!

[all_about _the_chase]

We have had 3 incidents in the last 10 years at work. One on my crew, one on another crew for our company and one other consulting firm. For the thousands of man-hours worked in that time cougars are a pretty small safety hazard, but all it takes is once...

I was digging a soil pit and was reaching down into the bottom of the pit to get a sample. I was crouched on my knees, with my head right on the ground to reach the bottom of the hole. I heard a twig snap, as I slowly rose up to my knees under the brim of my hat I could see tan colored feet about a foot from the hole, and a little further up there was a face. At a short arms length! I quickly stood up with a planting shovel in one hand and the cat sprung about 20 feet away and slowly pranced away like an arrogant house cat.... Think I was lucky to be dressed in black jacket and pants, and have a solid hundred pounds on the cat, I am still convinced as soon as I stood up it thought bear.

Our other crew was walking back down a guide trail to the truck at the end of the day. Janet heard a branch break and turned around, the cat was already mid-air. It tried to turn away in mid flight and knocked her off her feet but bounded away without giving her even a scratch. I think once it saw her looking at it, the fight was over.

A competing consultant was stalked for several hours by a cougar. It tracked the crew around in the cutblock they were laying out. It was seen several times in a full crouch, slowly crawling in on them. They got back to the truck and were never charged, but the cat followed them right to the truck. Jeff was rather unlucky with wildlife and was mauled by a grizzly later that year, you can read about that one in readers digest.

[DinkKiller]

I've never encountered a lion problem before but always had a sixth sense that I was being watched while hunting solo in some remote areas. It has happened out here on several occassions with the cat usually getting the business end.
About 10 yearsd ago, I was archery hunting for elk with my little brother about an hour outside of town. We came back later that afternoon and noticed large cat tracks around our vehilce. We've seen a few lions in the past and have always wondered how many times when walking through the woods if we we're the subject of something's curiousity.

[scopey58]

My closest lion encounter happened two years ago. I was coyote calling from a rocky bluff. Had a great view of the canyon below so I satyed with the calling for about 35 minutes. Heard the cat growl at me and looked over my right shoulder and he was right there, about 15 feet away. As soon as I moved he was back into the rocks and vanished. Really shook me but I'm going calling again this Saturday.
John

[Oldtrader3]

Lions have been getting into some situations of direct contact with humans in towns that border the North Cascades Wilderness areas especially. My number 2 son encountered a female lion that stalked him and at fifteen feet distance up the trail, crouched, started jerking tail, looking like it was going to attack. The lion growled at my son and as he drew a pistol, jumped off the trail and disappeared onto the thick undergrowth. This was on Whitehorse Mountain in the Cascades, near Darrington.

The state os Washington outlawed hunting lions with dogs. Hunting cougar in the heavily forested mountains of Washington without dogs is a waste of time. Every year, there are more lions getting closer to people and civilization. Each year there are more human and lion incidents and interactions. Recently a lion was killed in a woman's kitchen, in her house in Washington. The lion strode into her house and tried to attack her in her own kitchen.

A couple of woman hikers were killed in Californa recently by lions.

[yoteslayer]

i've never been stalked by a lion but two years ago i was stalked by a lynx

i was duck hunting at a slough with my grammas dog and my little brother...this slough was completely surrounded by thick trees with two openings in them...perfect for duck hunting...when all of a sudden we heard a twig snap and my little brother said...whats that?...i just assumed it was the dog wandering around and told him thats what it was....then all of a sudden we hear the dog start barking and growling further back from the snap, i said"that wasnt the dog" and closed the barrel on the shotgun (its an old single shot break open barrel and i always carry it with a shell in it but with the barrel open for safety reasons) then we heard the dog start running our way but beneath us (we were on top of a small hill) so i pointed the gun at the right side of the opening and a lynx came flying out with the dog right behind it...i could have shot the lynx but the gun had no choke and i was too scared to hit the dog so i let it go and the dog ran it past the trees and straight into the bush (the slough was right on the bushline with maybe 15 yards of space between it and the bush) then maybe 5 mins later the dog came back out and i had no intention to walk into that jungle and look for the lynx so we cut our trip short and went home

[Oldtrader3]

Almost all of the lion/human encounters that have ended with a dead lion in Washington, were adolecent cats about 18-20 months old. These young animals do not have established territories yet, plus they are not fully accomplished hunters. They have been weaned by mom and are strictly on their own. I have read that many young cats do not survive until their third year when they are are fully grown and have their own territory.

[.300weatherby15]

A friend of mine, that I've been Elk hunting with recently, had a friend hunting in Canada, or southern Alaska... SOMEWHERE, LOL, and he was stalking up on a herd of talking Cow Elk (he was talking to them with the, "Hootchie Momma,"), and as he was hustling through an open wooded part, had an adolescent Cougar jump out of a tree onto his back. He was hustling along, so it got his paws into his fleece, and didn't land directly on him... luckily he got his bow in front of his face, and the Cougar didn't get to him. When the Cougar tried to get another angle on him, he switched out his .357, in Ruger Alaskan, and hit it 4 times... killed it there.

I just learned of this story talking with my buddy though, so before the pistol thread, LOL!!!

[New Brunswick Bam]

Must have been in Alaska
Hand guns here in Canada are restricted weapons and can not be hunted with- allot of BS to own a hand gun here
Bam

[bearbacker]

It's true... if everyone did buy a Weatherby, this thread would have closed out already. (=

Anyways guys I'm still Elk hunting this weekend so I will not let down my Elk, or Deer hunting teams. (=

But, in all reality, Mountain Lions IS one of the reasons I did buy my .300 Weatherby.

Sorry I haven't been talking lately, but thats because I don't think that there's one mountain up here that my butt hasn't been up already this hunting season, LOL!!! AND IT'S ONLY ARCHERY!!! When rifle comes around... I'll be talking this spring, LOL!!! (=

Oh, WOW! weatherby makes archery equipment?!?!?! I didn't know that! Best of luck in the hunt, sir!

[Agunner]

I once encountered a mountain lion whilst bow hunting. It gave me a weird "ibby" sence, but what Really creeped me out, was how quickly it covered the ground on its departure.
It cover 3 times the distance we had between us. As in ... If I'd tried to draw my bow, he'd have had me all day. if I had a rifle, in my hands, chambered w/ safety on it may have been close. slung? no chance. if I had a pistol in a fast draw rig,(which I don't) same thing,= no chance. these buggers are so much quicker than Bruin it astounds me.
Using that experience as a basis for considering this point, I'd say "try not to think about it" as the odds are, you'll never get off a shot... If you even ever knew he was around (B-cause they don't usually stalk in -to the side you face)...
If you can't do anything about it ... don't worry about it.

[nickmarx]

Just got my first Cougar opening day of deer season. Was hunting Mule deer in a steep ravine, it got way to thick so I was heading out. About 40 yards back uphill was a 130lb Female stalking down on me. One shot with the 30-06 and the show was over. Dont think Ive ever been that excited. Glad I saw it coming when I did!!!

Anyone no why its putting that thumbs down pic nest to my quote.

[Oldtrader3]

Congratualations, most hunters never see a cougar, let alone shoot one. What state was this in?

[Athabasca]

My take on Cougars for what its worth.

Alberta has a system in place that allows a quota of cats to be taken out of each WMU (wildlife management unit)
Alllowing that 12 male cats are killed per WMU(example) the quota drops 2 every time a female is taken. ( all kills have to be registered with Fish and Willife)

Mature male cougars are natural predetors for their own young.
That is to say that the mature males kill off their own kittens if the chance comes. As mature males are taken though hunting it allows more young cats to populate any given WMU.

During the winter months Cougar have to maintain fresh kllls almost on a daily basis in order to feed.
Cats do not have the same tooth structure as wolves or coyotes and thus can not eat frozen meat.
A cougars kill is only good to the cat as long as it remains fresh and unfrozen. Once it freezes its left for the other scavangers and the cat must pull down fresh prey.

I believe our system of targeting mature male cats allows the population of cats in any given area to expand because it removes the natural preditation of the young by the mature males.

Human /Cougar encounters are becoming more and more common because of increased populations of younger cats in areas where mature males are taken out of the general population.

[OSUTracker]

I think the idea of putting fake eyes on the back of a pack or a hat would go a long way in order to make a large cat second guess a stalk, become confused, or at least make it hesitate long enough to allow us to become aware of it's presence and confront or react to the animal. Mother Nature has been using the "fake eye" deterrent against predators for millenia, and we all know mother knows best...lol. If we think about the process behind a successful stalk into closest range. The goal is to get in close to the prey animal without they prey item becoming aware of our presence. A large cat has been bread for millenia as well to do this as well. If the cat thinks the prey animal is aware of it's presence it has been bread to know that it's chances of a successful attack and kill are much smaller. Most if not all large cats are ambush predators and hunt this way. If i were walking through the woods and had eyes on the back of my pack it MIGHT cause the cat to abort it's stalk, become confused, or at least hesitate long enough for me to become aware of the cat and react to it in some way. Weather that way be confronting the cat, or running away screaming like a little girl, it's still a reaction. I have never had any experience with large cats. I am however planning some elk, mulie, and turkey hunts out west in the next few years.

[moose]

Me and a friend of mine were out in his woods a couple weeks ago, and we found what appeared to be a cougar track. Now we live in southeren minnesota. It is behond rare to have them around here, but I tell you it creeps me out thinking that they could be out in the woods with me. The DNR said we were wrong until we showed em a picture of the track. Then they said we can't shoot it if we see it. To confusing.

[Oldtrader3]

Cougar in Washington and California have adapted to rural population levels just fine. Don't accept the DNR's explanation of the tracks that you saw not being a cougar. We have cougar in Washington that live on the fringes of small towns and farms. There was one in a lady's kitchen here a few months ago. It was warm and she left her door open while she went to the store. When she came home there it was, in her house. She locked the door and called the local cops, who shot it. It was a displaced, adolescent male.

Blaine is a town of 4000 people and they live on the edge of town, in woodlots. Cougars can kill an occasional sheep and deer here, but mainly eat house cats and dogs. They are nearly nocturnal when around populations. It will be purely an accident to actually see one. Sometimes a teenager wanders into contact with people because they get hungry.