Help getting over my fear of mountain lions?

[armedoldhippy]

I have found their tracks before, & friends have stumbled across kills in the mountains along the NC border while deer hunting, trout fishing, and uh..."hiking"...during the summer & fall. of course, the state insists that there are NO mountain lions, and even if there are, they were released pets & cannot breed. but, they admit that a female with two kittens with her were seen outside of Chattanooga a few years ago, & tracks were found there by a warden. "nothing to see here folks, move along..."

 

[stoned-trout]

haven't seen one recently.....still looking tho....

 

[redlaser]

There was an interesting sighting near Los Angeles in Norwalk where they have video of a cat at night walking in the neighborhood. It looks like a lion to me, hard to say what kind though. I've heard African lion as a possibility. There was also another mountain lion recently captured in LA that was somewhat well known around freeways that was poisoned but alive, he kind of had that dopey slow walk like the unknown lion in the following link: http://www.nbclosangeles.com/local/...ossible-Mountain-Lion-Sighting-269493361.html

 

[norcal_sourD]

Just had one not 40 yds from me tonight. They make a sound like a female screaming. Was right in my neighbor's yard calling for cubs or calling another mountain lion. Went out to see if a neighbor's gf was screaming, and caught the big cat walking across my street like it was the thing to do.
Thing's head was as big as my male blue nose's, if not bigger. We are close to a small creek with plenty of deer and other nite life so ML's are a usual visitor here. The drought and local fires however, are driving them down from them thar hills. Lookout flatlanders!! lol

 

[Infinitesimal]

what's to be afeared of?

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[Eltiburón]

On a calm day my brother and I were walking down a dirt road in the middle of a nature reserve , there was a puddle of water to more than two hundred meters from us , I spotted two mountain lions .Slowly I took my backpack and I grabbed a knife. After the face a little one ran towards us , ran for about 50 meters on the road then looked startled and jumped in jungle.
maybe he thought we was smaller by far , when nearly got scared.
He is not too big Montain lions are smaller in tropical latitudes.
I do not know what would be my reaction if a jaguar.

 

[_tessarecting]

This summer I climbed down some rocks in the middle of a national forest and followed a small trail to a muddy crick and smoked some hash. Hair raised on end. I knew I was being watched. I tapped my knife on my metal water bottle. I could hear a few mouths making sucking noises..but I couldn't see them. I didn't hang around much longer. I'm sure they followed me the whole way back. I'm sure it wasn't the first time I'd been stalked either.

Couple weeks later I was near there chatting with a hunter who says one night he hiked in sniped a deer and was up all night guarding the kill as two lions circled him all night.

Massive respect for them. Walk tall. Carry big stick. I remember the story of the woman who was stalked by one so she never turned her back to it just sang opera at the top of her lungs til she got back to her car. Followed her the whole way.

 

[armedoldhippy]

they attack from behind so you won't see them, better odds on a kill. natives in India where tigers are a problem frequently walk around with a Halloween mask or something similar on the back of their head to give the tigers the impression that you are facing that way. seems to work for them...

 

[Cannacamper]

Like medmaker420 said, take a slower friend.
Then you don't have to outrun the Cougar, you just have to outrun your friend. LOL

 

[gardener60]

fear of mountain lions

fear of mountain lions

I live where the occasional bear can be spotted in the park where the kids play on the swings and slides. Where mountain lions hunt in a 200 mile radius. Did you know that the Jaguar is coming into the USA from mexico through Arizona. I read that Mountain Lions have been spotted downtown San Diego. Never ever not fear the Mountain Lion or any other wild animal. Oh yes we have Bob Cats too they will attack small children if given the opportunity. You better keep that fear especially if they are your neighbor.

 

[St. Phatty]

I think it's a sort of Jedi Mind Trick that somehow, in my mind, also relates to the manufacturing of lesser meats like Spam.

In the case of a wild animal, you have a short amount of time to communicate, "These are not the Droids you're looking for."

Or, in the case of a Great White or mountain lion, you have up to about a second to communicate that you are not food.

Especially in a place like California, where real estate development means habitat is shrinking, the end result is wild animals that are suddenly without food and/or water.

I would expect much more aggressive behavior about 2 days after the last rain of the season. All of a sudden Fido looks much more tempting.

That was when a fox killed one of my chickens last year. All it did was drink the blood, didn't eat it. Sort of like a voodoo ritual. Must have been desperately thirsty.

Once I realized what was going on with the fox, I put a concrete mixing tub full of water on the corner of the driveway, where wild animals sort of over-lap with my own pets.


As far as the mountain lion face to face meeting, I would try to hit it with a stick. If I was in habitat where it was a genuine concern, I would just walk with a walking stick.

Hitting it with a stick is like the Jedi mind trick - you are not food.

Cougars are used to animals fighting back (talking about animals not older women).

 

[mean mr.mustard]

Dogs (MULTIPLE) are really the only option if you're going to hike without any firearm or actual defense.

If a mountain lion wants you it can have you at that point.

Dogs will do much better than your friend who pledges their devotion to jumping in front of a bullet or mountain lion or Mack truck heading your way.

Dogs actually do it.

Don't count on bringing all of them back with you should you encounter a big cat. Cats are sharp and if you can't give stitches and stop arterial bleeding a la EMT don't plan on getting them all home in one piece.

Nature can shit on you just like you shit on her.

Hunting dogs could stave off an Ozark lion. Don't count on it in the Northwest.

Nature is almost as shitty as we are.

Almost.

PS This thread still lives for a reason... even though I'm amazed it does, I'm relieved.

EDIT Hey wait a tick.... why is a picture of a dead cow being eaten okay while my dead mountain lion (not being eaten) got yanked?

Does somebody own a cat and eat cheeseburgers??? \EDIT

 

[rykus]

Only sick, injured or young cougars are even a remote threat to people, being cats they are very dangerous and curious and often fallow people for many miles(whether you notice or not is usually the only difference) but. Are not use to attacking animals that walk upright and will absolutely not attack if there is any chance of injury of a fight because even a broken toe could be death for a creature that hunts and is dependant on 100% physical health.

I grew outdoor for years, camped out, ran water lines up old blasted out roads with scary ledges and many cougar resting site..... The one time my buddy was dropping me off and started poking through a cougar scat, proclaiming it the biggest he ever saw and found an elk tooth!.... I camped there for weeks and it followed me often but I never saw it.... Slept in the bracken ferns though with the 12g so I could hear everything lol, but yeah they re just curious...

Had a few friends rushed by young Cougars... But they don't know how to attack proper so look big and be loud. Our ability to fire projectiles is quite unnerving for wild creature s too so throw rocks and wield sticks if confronted...


Grizzlies are no joke, and big ungelets are the highest threat(most common) so if ya see a moose in rut run like fuck!

 

[corky1968]

I never saw a mountain lion.

But I see cougars at the mall and walking down the streets all the time.

 

[rykus]

Those are the man eater that have mauled most of my friends out of mind and money, lol, no one seems too afraid though...

 

[Top_shelf_farms]

I had a cougar keep moving forward on my dogs last fall...it was in a down low stalking position. I could tell shit was about to hit the fan as the dogs wouldn't back down so I just charged it with my mag light in its eyes yelling... I got to about 100ft of it before it ran off. At that time I saw a smaller lion on the hill behind it.... glad it didn't call my bluff as I didn't have my pistol on me, only a hunting knife. ..

 

[mean mr.mustard]

You had your dogs.

 

[St. Phatty]

Had a few friends rushed by young Cougars

I was rushed by some dolphins once, 2 of them.

Their way of warning humans away, that day, was to swim at me top speed and then turn at the last minute.

Net result is a boil of water 3 feet high.

At the time I was swimming very slowly towards a dolphin with a baby about 50 yards away.

A few seconds after the boil, the fins of 2 adults rose about 20 yards away.

 

[Tynehead Tom]

where I live, the cougars, wolves ,coyotes, bears (mostly blackies but there are grizz here too), lynx, bobcat, wolverine, even the endangered badger..... could be right in my yard pretty much any time LOL along with the deer and moose.
I always know there is a predator around when I let my two rottweillers out at night and they won't leave the deck haha. smart dogs.

unfortunately in Canada we aren't allowed to carry a handgun nor any firearm for the "purpose of protecting life". There are some occupations that in rare cases permits are issued for wilderness carry, but those who run our firearms center here in Canada make acquiring such a permit almost impossible. Those who make most of their income from prospecting or trapping seem to be the only ones with a snowballs chance in hell of getting such a permit.

now as far as going out into the woods in Canada armed with a firearm..... for hunting and for target shooting, non restricted (hunting type firearms) are allowed during lawful seasons or in lawful areas but you are not allowed to carry a firearm for the purpose of protection of life.... it's such bullshit.
I won't get into details as it was a public event and I don't want to be identified but I was attacked a few years ago, while hunting, by a large pack of wolves. Killing more than the provincial bag limit for the area I was hunting deer in. The fuckers wanted to charge me for killing too many wolves!!! it's not like I wanted to shoot them but it was shoot or be eaten believe me. Witness statements saved my ass from charges but geebus let me tell ya, exciting stuff.

as far as cats go..... a wise person does not ever get over the fear of the big cats. They are apex predators and opportunistic. They see food and don't care if you are human or a deer. They evaluate with precision and if they can take you by surprise, a man is not something a healthy cat fears if you are in their element. Be aware, at all times when you are in the bush. look over your shoulders lots.
In hunting deer, much like the cats, I walk several yards and stop, taking in the surroundings each time and move on. If a cat thinks it's been seen, you chances of a safe journey go up dramatically.
one thing for sure, if a big cat is upon you or about to attack, you sure as shit better clear your head and get in fight mode as flight or play dead does not work with cats. I have a lot of insight here as one of my best friends runs problem cats with dogs here whenever they are spotted in and around the rural communities up here.

 

[Midwest sticky]

And this is why you don't go strolling through the woods without a high powered pistol.
Common sense people.