Cougar encounter on pack out - shots fired

[Steelpulse]

Continued from my opening days alpine 4 point thread

So got the 4 point packed up fully boned out and with a rough trim and started to head back to camp. a rough 600m walk through a rough cut to the trail to camp. I get to camp and it is now pitch black but it’s only 8 and the trail home is an old logging road so its open, pretty flat and best of all it’s mostly downhill all the way back to car a roughly 6km walk, no problem done it before with a buck in previous years.

Start walking, all good 120# pack just trucking along and then I see two big eyes staring right back at me 11-12 yards to my left and off the road a few feet. Immediately I assess the situation as dangerous animal encounter. Draw my rifle from my pack in about 1 second and then chamber a round.

I have hiking poles in one hand. .308 savage mode 11 in the other and I immediately go on the offensive kicking dirt, yehawwin and then fire a shot in front of it into the ground.

Doesnt blink

Now I’m taking it to next level and rushing through my brain is a couple options.
Shooting what I assume is a cougar and then dealing with that situation. Continuing to the car Turning around and getting the cat then back home and I work the next day and then taking To a CO and sorting that whole situation out.
Really not what I wanted to do 2 days into the deer season. But ofcourse this does not trump option 2 which is
I don’t shoot and then maybe the cougar makes the attack and then I have to shoot into darkness and make a low odd shot and have to deal with a cougar attacking me.

I want to buy some more time to assess the situation further and still try and scare the cat away
So i shoot at it again into the dirt and it turns its head

complete darkness now and complete silence.........

couple seconds go by and it is half the distance closer and you know Im staring straight back right into two big eyes again.

So now all I’m thinking is I’m going home tonight and I’m taking this f*kin deer with me. And if that’s a problem for this cougar then bring it on

i know it’s either shoot now or remove myself from the situation immediately. I point the gun right at its face and full beast mode just kicking and yehawwwin right at it walk by. Continue to check my 360 degree every 20 seconds for a good hour

The reason I didn’t shoot was because even though I know it was a cougar I couldn’t actually see it to make that ID even though without a doubt in my mind it was a cougar scoping me out as a Wounded deer. I even looked the part with antlers on top on my pack Smelled like fresh meat. It’s eyes were huge. it was completely silent and it’s mannerisms the whole situation say cougar to me

So with all that I think this is a safe assumption to make that this was ofcourse a 100% official confirmed fact evidence of Sasquatch.

Stay safe out there

[Redthies]

Nah. If it was a Squatch it’s eyes would have been glowing red!

[blu-nsr]

I made that ‘mistake’ once before as well.

You fired a warning shot. Then you were standing there with an empty rifle. Humans are not as fast as cougars and you don’t have the physical capability to rack another round, shoulder, and acquire target before that cat is on you if he wants to be.

Food for thought, but I’ll never fire a warning shot again.

[cptnoblivious]

Glad you made it out without an actual attack!

[45freezer]

That would get the heart going, good job staying level headed in the heat of the moment. No head lamp?

[swampthing]

Exciting stuff! Cougars don't generally go after grown men but it has happened! Cats seem to get a bit braver at night. I just got in a scrape with a lynx in my yard a couple nights back on my small acreage. The wife let our Lab and Airedale out of the house for a pee break about 8pm. She immediately starts screaming at the Airedale to come back, and for me to come out. I see the Airedale returning down one of our trails in the flashlight beam she is holding and also see a set of eyes just past the dog. I take the flashlight and approach thinking its a coyote. I get to 5 yards and see a crouched lynx. I yell at it to chase it off and it has the nerve to just sit there!! I throw a big stick at it and it runs 5 yards and sits down! Wow I think to myself! It only took a few minutes to return with the 45/70. Now the cat is closer to the house. I do my best to aim at its feet and shoot. It doesn't even run!! Its on!, I think to myself. I decide I need to kill this cat. About then it starts to walk circling my house with me after it. I got another shot at about 10 yards missing it. I couldn't find it after that. Just chasing that little lynx around in the dark had me on full alert so I can imagine how you felt with a cougar eyeballing you!

[Redthies]

Does the expression “overkill” apply to .45/70 and lynx?! I guess being in PG area you keep out what works for any potential uninvited guests.

OP- Way to go getting out of there in one piece and without having to kill the cat!

[Wild one]

Experiences like that helps remind you you’re alive and to stay on your toes

[Ron.C]

in 1995 i had a cougar stalk me. when I noticed it, it was approximately 7 feet from me. I fired a single "warning shot" from my 30-06 into a tree right beside it. The cat laid its ears back and crouched. I immediately fired a second shot was in his head. In hindsight, that warning shot was a bad idea with the animal being that close. I never carried spray in those days but would have used it if I had it.

And Yes, I called and reported it to the CO service

I'm not saying I'll never take a warning shot again, I'd like to think each situation is unique and needs to be treated as such, but never again will I take one that close.

I've had two other cougar encounters since, one requiring bear spray and a handful of griz encounters. Need to stay alert and on your toes!!!!

[Harvest the Land]

Wow now that's an intense story and a really f_cking sketchy situation. Glad you made it out Steelpulse. Just curious, do you not carry or use a small headlamp while walking to/from your hunting spots in the dark? Not saying that would or wouldn't have made the situation better or easier to deal with, but I wonder if you would have been able to identify the cat with a headlamp?