Elk Hunter Charged by Mountain Lion

Status
Not open for further replies.
I’m not 100% convinced he didn’t just wing the cat. That second shot looked like dirt popped up from below-behind the cats back.
 
Last edited:
That is really surprising. I hunt in cougar infested mountains, and except for one I called in, and one I shot, I've never even seen any, let alone get stalked by one. (that I knew of) I'm way more concerned about the wolves, and then the bears...never paid much mind to the cougars. However, my wolf repellent would work equally well on a cougar. (sprays lead)

I'm so glad I never joined the cult of the cell phone. Don't got one. I don't suppose he had a good two handed hold on that pistol with a cell phone in his other hand. The cell phone addiction, so glad I don't have that. Sorry, the whole cell-phone "thing" is weird to me. If I ever have a wolf or cougar get too friendly with me I'll have a good two handed hold on the pistola, or better yet just drop it with the rifle. Cell phone? I don't got no stinking cell phone!!!

Anyhow, unusual for sure, normally they (cougars) recognize predator behavior in hunters and avoid them, unlike joggers and bicycle riders that sometimes get attacked as they display more of a prey or prey animal behavior of running away. A cat with kits will sometimes bluff-charge and get agressive, but that is rare. ? That cat did seem to be more in stalking mode. Maybe never saw a human before? That would be my guess.

Yeah, I don't think he could hit a 4'X8' sheet of plywood with that pistol, let alone that cougar. He wasn't "firing shots over it's head", he was just plain spraying bullets in random directions. And they weren't "warning shots", when people do that they aim more up in the air. Those were "too scared to use the sights" shots.
 
Last edited:
As an aside, mountain lion sightings in my neighborhood are quite common over the past decade or two. We are on a cliff overlooking a wilderness area, and it is closed several times per year due to lions scaring people. Attacks also are relatively common now, seemingly every few years. A small boy was bitten just a few months ago, and another one was carried up a tree back in '21. A grown man was killed and eaten there in 2004, and a woman who intervened was badly mauled. I've heard all I need about the "rarity" of such attacks - I carry any time I am in the area, even when trail running.
 
.38 Special said:
As an aside, mountain lion sightings in my neighborhood are quite common over the past decade or two. We are on a cliff overlooking a wilderness area, and it is closed several times per year due to lions scaring people. Attacks also are relatively common now, seemingly every few years. A small boy was bitten just a few months ago, and another one was carried up a tree back in '21. A grown man was killed and eaten there in 2004, and a woman who intervened was badly mauled. I've heard all I need about the "rarity" of such attacks - I carry any time I am in the area, even when trail running.
Click to expand...

Absolutely. I'll probably take cougars a bit more seriously now, although I'm always aware and ready when in the wilderness. Children are at risk, we recently had a cougar attack a little girl in a campground, but there was a guy with a pistol nearby who shot the cat. The girl survived and was doing well. For sure, why anyone enters the woods/forest/wilderness without a good weapon is beyond me.

When they first introduced wolves here :)cuss:) sometimes non-hunter friends would ask: "aren't you worried about the wolves"? And I'd laugh and tell them there hasn't been a wolf attack in 100 years. Since then, there's been two or three, just that I know of. But, always being a "gun-guy", heading into the mountains un-armed and un-prepared has never been my style. But some do, and I see berry-pickers in cougar, wolf, and grizz country every year totally un-armed and oblivious.
 
CoalCrackerAl said:
Good to see the hunter chased it off. There is rumors of cougars in my area. I have not saw one yet. My son claims to have. But he stretches the truth often. Camping i did hear screaming from something. And the dogs were going crazy. Maybe it was a cougar???
Click to expand...

Them cats are not easy to see. Do some hiking after a fresh snow! I'm always amazed at the amount of cat-tracks I come across, and I pretty much never see them, except calling them in.
 
.38 Special said:
Exciting. I wonder if he was missing on purpose. I don't think I would be very accurate, shooting one-handed while trying to film it, and under considerable stress.
Click to expand...

Poor shooting on his part, plain and simple. Stupid use of cell phone to video event in that situation.

WrongHanded said:
Wow! That cat really didn't seem intimidated in the slightest.
Click to expand...

Intimidated by what? The loud noise made by the hunter multiple times?

In guiding hunts and talking to many other hunters, one thing I have come to realize is that hunters often do not understand animal behavior. They commonly assume that animals understand firearms and ballistics despite the fact that prior to encountering humans, most animals have never dealt with standoff projectile weapons firing projectiles that the animals cannot even see. For example, I have shot at hogs before, killing some, that were startled by the noise, maybe ran a short distance, and then stopped and went back to eating. Why? They don't understand projectile weapons, ballistics, or the danger I posed.

The first hunt on this video is a good example. We fired at hogs multiple times over several minutes without ever changing position and before we ran out of hogs. Most were killed and 3 or so made it to safety.


People think that animals have a "natural fear" of humans and there really isn't anything natural about it. In the few accounts of scientists and explorers on islands and truly isolated parts of the world where there are no humans, animals encountering humans generally were not fearful of them.

So if this mountain lion hasn't been shot at previously and likely had the dirt kicked up around it or wounded previously from those shots to associate the loud noise with danger, then it may not understand that the loud noise from the gun equates with danger or that the human may be truly dangerous to it.
 
Mountain lion in incidents are "rare" when you factor in all of the human population who live nowhere near a cougar concentration.They are bit less rare when you live in prime cat country, have a family who has experienced multiple encounters, including one firearms discharge event and several near discharges. Our immediate next door neighbor's dog was attacked earlier this year when they put her out to go potty. Defensive "experts" who only recognize the urban bipedal threat, and dismiss others as "fanciful" get a professional grade eye roll from me. This includes the only carry "one type of gun" crowd.
 
.38 Special said:
Exciting. I wonder if he was missing on purpose. I don't think I would be very accurate, shooting one-handed while trying to film it, and under considerable stress.
Click to expand...

Yeah, it’s hard to keep a charging animal in the frame, certainly can’t be looking at any sights….
 
Buzznrose said:
Only thing I saw wrong was the guy didn’t put the phone down on the ground and then the animal down for a dirt nap.

Hope the next person that comes along fares well…
Click to expand...

That crossed my mind. Methinks it may have been best to eliminate that cat from the gene pool. It's next attack might be more stealthy so as to avoid that bang-bang noise. As Double-Naught mentions, it's probably not going to associate it with pain, danger, or any real deterrent.
 
So...why didn't he put it down with his rifle? Too close, scope set on high power? (I prefer open sights) Slung on his pack? Phone more important? (the phone has become the universal woobie) In that situation I think I'd use my rifle first, pistola if I was using a ML, which I normally would be, and needed a follow up shot, or...??? With even a single shot cartridge rifle I think I would reload instead of going to the pistol, and of course with a lever gun or bolt gun I wouldn't consider the pistol at all, other than a jammed cartridge or rifle malfunction, which would be more rare than the attack. ?
 
Ugly Sauce said:
So...why didn't he put it down with his rifle? Too close, scope set on high power? (I prefer open sights) Slung on his pack? Phone more important? (the phone has become the universal woobie) In that situation I think I'd use my rifle first, pistola if I was using a ML, which I normally would be, and needed a follow up shot, or...??? With even a single shot cartridge rifle I think I would reload instead of going to the pistol, and of course with a lever gun or bolt gun I wouldn't consider the pistol at all, other than a jammed cartridge or rifle malfunction, which would be more rare than the attack. ?
Click to expand...
It's archery elk season in Idaho at the moment. I presume the guy was archery hunting and carrying the pistol for issues like this (legal to do in Idaho).

Edited on 10/16/22 to say - I made an error in posting this was an archery hunt. While it is archery elk season in most of Idaho this time of year, the video article states that it happened during an early season rifle hunt. Just want to clarify for people.
 
Last edited:
Oh...I didn't thunk of that. But...when I bow-hunt, bow is in hand, arrow knocked (nocked?) at all times. I would have slung an arrow at it, throw down the bow, and THEN pull the pistol. (or whistle Dixie)
 
Well, that guy caught good footage of himself in condition black (uncontrolled adrenaline dump accompanied by hyperventilating and poor decision making) lol.

I shouldn’t laugh I guess, perhaps he was understandably worried about justifying a self defense “shooting” to the game warden and decided to video it.

Anyhow, good deal he’s ok but it’s not great that cat is still out there given it’s aggressive behavior.
 
Yeah, I probably shouldn't be too hard on the guy, but hey my expertise is multiplied by the keyboard by ten at least. !!!! Generally, if you shoot an animal from the front the game department will rule in your favor. It's those rear-entry gut-shots (or broadside butt-shots) that gets one in trouble. So even though the video would have cleared him for sure, I'll still say that phone should have been in the bottom of the pack, and a good two hand hold on the pistol and a well aimed shot would have been better than grabbing the woobie. Yes, keyboard quarter-backing, but there's a lot to be learned from the analysis, debate and discussion.

I understand that most Elk hunters would have their bows strapped on the pack, as the method is to set up and call them in, unlike deer hunting where you sneak around and hope to encounter one at close range, one way or the other and usually unexpectedly. Still, when I'm out and about in the woods with my bow, it's in hand and ready to go. A sharp broadhead from a powerful bow would have got that cat's attention and adjusted it's attitude.

Then again...if his archery skills are on par with his pistol shooting....Do'H!
 
Last edited:
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

D
  • Locked
Mountain lions in Kansas
Replies
6
Views
915
jmr40
jmr40
S
  • Locked
Mountain Lion ate the pigs!
2
Replies
32
Views
3K
elrowe
E
D
  • Locked
(CO) Hunter says he killed cougar in self-defense
2
Replies
40
Views
2K
Azrael256
A
4
  • Locked
Hunter kills hunter in fight over elk
Replies
14
Views
951
Byron Quick
B
S
  • Locked
Mountain Lion hunting advice
Replies
23
Views
2K
slabuda
S
Back
Top