[Gullars]

Good day gentlemen!

Im a bit dyslextic and english isnt my first language so please excuse errors!

I was hoping to go hiking in the western part of the US sometime in the future. As a norwegian I think I`m fairly ok how to handle bears.

Mountain Lion = Not at all confident about!

I`v been reading on wikipedia about the Cougar. I`v only seen 2 of them in a Zoo in Spain, and it was huge and I have no problem understanding how it can kill a human! Seems like trying scare it away doesnt always work, from what I read it may pursue you instead until it charges.

Has anyone experience encountering the big cat? How do you handle it around your camp day and night?

 

[MrMorden]

Draw and fire.

 

[Flex]

The thing is, a cougar will see you before you see it. It will study you to figure out if you are a potential food source or a threat. Having said that, the actual cougar sigtings and especially attacks are very rare.

The things you should do while in the cougar's country:

1. Arm yourself with a pepper spray (you can easily get it at any sporting goods store here), a whistle and a walking stick.

2. DON'T RUN. If you do, the hunter's instict will kick in and you instantly become considered its pray.

3. Make yourself look bigger. Make noise. Wave your arms and swing a walking stick.

4. Gougars always attack from behide or the side and go for the neck. Try to confuse it by wearing a bandana and the sunglasses on the back of your head.

5. Stay calm and DON'T RUN, again. :thumb:

 

[haha49]

The thing is, a cougar will see you before you see it. It will study you to figure out if you are a potential food source or a threat. Having said that, the actual cougar sigtings and especially attacks are very rare.

The things you should do while in the cougar's country:

1. Arm yourself with a pepper spray (you can easily get it at any sporting goods store here), a whistle and a walking stick.

2. DON'T RUN. If you do, the hunter's instict will kick in and you instantly become considered its pray.

3. Make yourself look bigger. Make noise. Wave your arms and swing a walking stick.

4. Gougars always attack from behide or the side and go for the neck. Try to confuse it by wearing a bandana and the sunglasses on the back of your head.

5. Stay calm and DON'T RUN, again. :thumb:

Ok what I was taught in school had 1 around every year and they killed 1 or 2 every year around my area...

First make your self big... jacket over your head don’t bend over the pick up little kids move them behind you... Don’t break eye contact... That’s a big one... you do that’s its chance to attack so watch it till it moves on... I had 1 stock me when I was little I did that it was hunting the horse and I happened to run into it (young one) I made my self bigger had my friend walk backwards and guide me while looking at the cat in the eyes.. It was stocking the horse so we were getting out of there quick... (That and it stocked little kids at the school 25 miles away) So it disappears in the tall grass and we go grandma grandma we saw the mountain lion... at wich point it came out of the tall grass and started stocking us... We did what we were told to do in school made our self bigger joined hands and walked backwards slowly... it was getting closer and closer while crawling on its belly.. Now I was about 7 or 8 at the time but I still remember my grandmother grabbing the gun trying to shoot then it didn’t go bang had to work the bolt then fire... but she shot it in the head right above the eyes... I still remember the mountain lions eyes looking at me to this day... Animal control was called and they ended up taking the animal away because it was dead... She shot it with a .22 short non hollow point bullet... out of a rifle... It dropped right on the spot and when animal control came I got to see it closer... It was young and a deer or something must have kicked it in 1 of its eyes it was about 1 or 2 years old fresh away from its mother so it was in trouble and that’s why it was stocking little kids...

Rule 1
Don't bend over for any reason

Rule 2
Don't break eye contact if you do thats its chance if it wants to get you

Rule 3
If you have 2 people join hands and make your self as big as possable..

Rule 4
Put kids behind you they like small targets and are know to skip the old person near them and run to the kid way behind them (Lots of attacks on kids)

Rule 5
If it attacks your friend kid ect dont worry it wont turn and attack you they fixate on a target so you can help someone thats being attacked..

Rule 6
Never ever Run... Run means dinner is getting away..


You can carry bear/couger spray

and if it disappears into the bush it could be circling around so be aware that its in the area and might still be watching you...

I've had friends that bumped into mountain lions and most of the time they don’t even care that your there if they low down they are stocking/danger if they just looking at you they not sure what to do its all about the body language

There are only a few animals I don't like/want to meet in the bush...

1) Mountain Lion (dont like them at all)
2) Wolf (They kill for sport sometimes)

I'm ok with bears they just want food that you have and most of the time don't even care that your around as long as you give them lots of space..


And if your really conserned about animals.. Go in a group of 3 or more people bears dont like them same with mountain lions... Its like a big house cat..

Some bears dont care about people others do they all have diffrent personalitys if it snaps its teeth or grunts at you it doesnt like that your around.. Most cases standing your ground is the best possablity.. also makeing noise as you walk helps keep things away too..

 

[zengunfighter]

Look for cat prints to see if they are around.

check behind you frequently.

Look up.

Carry a knife capable of killing a lion. 5" blade minimum. Be able to reach it with either hand, even if you are on the ground with it on you.

Carry a stout walking stick to be used as a spear/club.

Don't run (everyone agrees with this one)

Cats are cats. Study/play with house cats to understand them.

 

[Highlander]

Cats are cats. Study/play with house cats to understand them.

So, are you saying not the play with string, move your eyes while you sleep, scratch it's belly, make scratching sounds on a blanket or wiggle your toes under the bed sheets?

Perhaps then a super soaker or rattling some change in a coffee can will scare it off.

 

[Enscheff]

I would be 100x more afraid of rattlesnakes than lions. Chances are you will never even see one, and if you do, it will take off before you can even get your camera turned on to take a picture.

Having said that, I would never go backpacking in anything resembling wilderness unarmed for this exact reason.

 

[Gullars]

I have a silly question. In Norway I have a hunting licens. Is there any chance to borrow/rent a firearm from let say Park Rangers etc if you are going into areas with high population of mountain lions?

 

[Flex]

I would be 100x more afraid of rattlesnakes than lions. Chances are you will never even see one, and if you do, it will take off before you can even get your camera turned on to take a picture.

Having said that, I would never go backpacking in anything resembling wilderness unarmed for this exact reason.

I pack a 9mm when hiking in the national forrest but it's my last line of defense and honestly it never came even close to it.

 

[Flex]

I have a silly question. In Norway I have a hunting licens. Is there any chance to borrow/rent a firearm from let say Park Rangers etc if you are going into areas with high population of mountain lions?

I don't think so.

 

[Gullars]

Thats what I thought aswell! US is so firearms friendly that I figured it wouldnt hurt to ask! :upsidedown:

 

[EdD270]

USA is generally firerms friendly, but the Park authorities won't supply one. You have to provide your own.
I wouldn't go into the backcountry without at a minimum a .357 mag revolver or .40 S&W semi-auto. When quail or rabbit hunting in the deserts and hills here in AZ we always carry a few 00 buckshot and slugs just in case. We've had encounters with bears and lions when quail hunting on several occassions.
Lions are very subtle stalkers. One may follow you and study you for hours without you knowing it's there. Bears may happen upon you, or you on them, and they make a snap decision to charge you or not. Lions will study you, decide whether or not you're worth the effort, then pick the time and place they think is most advantageious to them to attack you.
However, attacks on humans are relatively rare. You should be much more concerned with, in the desert areas, snakes, scorpions, spiders, bees and wasps, centipedes, and javelina, among other things.
Enjoy your outdoors experience here in the USA.

 

[AKpredator]

Get a Glock 29 w/light and night sights.

Walk on trails, be watchful and aware. Don't compromise your gun hand. I like a walking stick but I like my Benelli or 376 Steyr better.

I walk almost every day and take a disposable camera with me because I love critters but never forget what they are.

 

[Gullars]

How would I be able to get a weapon if Im only a tourist!

 

[Flex]

Get a Glock 29 w/light and night sights.

Walk on trails, be watchful and aware. Don't compromise your gun hand. I like a walking stick but I like my Benelli or 376 Steyr better.

I walk almost every day and take a disposable camera with me because I love critters but never forget what they are.

AKpredator, I am just wondering, would you get a comparable firepower out of Glock 22 considering that the barrel is significantly longer in the G22. What is it 4.4 in vs 3.7 in?

 

[Flex]

How would I be able to get a weapon if Im only a tourist!

Use your imagination. :

 

[GrizzlyMI]

Yeah, that^^^^^^.

My advice would be to get to know someone that is going to be in the area you will travel and have them show you the ropes and possible accompany you if possible. It may be a long shot but that would be your best option imo for firearm access.

 

[TMcArthur]

This keeps coming up like a bad penny. Cougar attacks are much rarer than bear attacks and they are far rarer than snakebite and Africanized honeybee attacks. And most cougar attacks are on people who tried to keep them as pets. You can count the number of people attacked in the US wild by the big cat in the course of a typical year on one hand. To count the typical number killed in one year you have to chop a finger in half because a whole finger is too much. However humans have a penchant for worrying themselves frantic over extreme low probability events while ignoring the more common killers.

The very few cougar attacks that take place are generally immature or feeble cats and fairly close to civilization. And you'll never see an attack coming, so there is really no preventative action to be taken. (They don't charge. They pounce from the rear in total silence and at 40 miles per hour.) If you do see a cougar in the distance, you have little to worry about. (If it had any interest in eating you, you'd never see it.) Keep your distance, don't run away and enjoy the view.

 

[TMcArthur]

Forget the pepper spray. Carry catnip spray

 

[TMcArthur]

They'd probably arrest you on the spot for even asking.