First expericence with a courgar. scared the living sh** out of me

[BlackwaterHunter]

Me and my friend were talking around a bon fire at my house, and earlier I had already heard animals behind my fire pit and just thought it was deer. all of a sudden I heard a growl and I turned around and it was 10 yards behind me, needless to say I grab a knife while walking her home!

[laredo318]

MAJOR Pucker Factor:shock:

[scottwh]

Cool! Did it stick around or take off rite away?

[pnbrock]

was the knife to keep others away from your couger?

[Bow Walker]

I was up on the Upper Goose Trail - outside of Sooke - last year when my youngest dog brought back a cougar from the bush. My dog was in there just nosing around when she ran back onto the main trail - with a cougar right behind her.

I think the cougar was just "protecting" her recent kill and had no real interest in attacking my dog. Good thing too, because i doubt that there was anything that could've been done to prevent disaster - if that's what the cat had in mind.

Although i did pull out my hunting knife and yell and wave my arms and sorta bluff charge her.......she wasn't much interested in what I was doing - just wanted to make sure the dog knew the boundaries. The cougar retreated and we proceeded on our way - albeit a lot more warily than before.

[Big Lew]

"Although I did pull out my hunting knife and yell and wave my arms and sorta bluff charge her.......she wasn't much interested in what I was doing"

"Bow Walker," it's an interesting comment that I also have noticed, especially since it's well documented that cougars seem cowardly and don't like confrontation.
I've come upon such cats twice while backpacking and horse riding far enough away from civilization that the cats wouldn't be accustomed to human interaction, and it took a huge effort of showing loud aggression to get the cats to run. It seems they have 'tunnel vision' when focusing on potential prey, and aren't easily distracted. In the first situation, the cat was just standing in the middle of the creek, and it too hesitated before leaving. My Brother and I (we were still school kids) found a fresh front shoulder of a deer it had left in the water, so we probably were lucky it decided to leave. On most encounters, they slip away at first sight. The second occasion was with my horse, who noticed the cat first. It was crouched on an old stump along the side of our path. I spurred her at it while yelling like a mad man, and the cat took off only just before we got to it. (good thing to, because there wasn't a backup plan) During the many years I've traveled in the woods, of course grizzlies demand respect, but cougars are the only animal that worry me, especially in the coastal mountains, mostly because they are sneaky, and try to ambush or come up from behind.

[Spokerider]

Me and my friend were talking around a bon fire at my house, and earlier I had already heard animals behind my fire pit and just thought it was deer. all of a sudden I heard a growl and I turned around and it was 10 yards behind me, needless to say I grab a knife while walking her home!


Sorry for my scrutiny.........but that sounds like very uncharacteristic lion behavoir.
Bon fire, two adults, growling, and the cougar still approached and let itself be seen. Hardly the behavoir of felis concolor, the predator I am somewhat familiar with.

[elkdom]

sometimes it is defiantly a struggle to hold your cougar at bay,,,,,,,,,,

wile unsheathing your weapon,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

[BlackwaterHunter]

Well we werent two adults, were teens and shes hardly over 100 pounds soaking wet, and yes it did run away when i turned around

[BlackwaterHunter]

And this cat has been around my house, my dogs went chasing after it around 2 weeks ago, dont know much about cougar tracks so Im not sure if its a big one or just a curious youngster

[weatherby_man]

sometimes it is defiantly a struggle to hold your cougar at bay,,,,,,,,,,

wile unsheathing your weapon,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Thats a good one,,,,hahahahaha.

[horshur]

Sorry for my scrutiny.........but that sounds like very uncharacteristic lion behavoir.
Bon fire, two adults, growling, and the cougar still approached and let itself be seen. Hardly the behavoir of felis concolor, the predator I am somewhat familiar with.

No.....a cougar is a great big house cat and this sort of thing happens every year. They live in back of peoples old wrecked cars or vans next to the chicken coop.they scope out the wood shed every so often for mice and rats. they hide under the deck to pick off the family pet. Jeez the authrorities have killed 40 or so this year for problems such as this. In William Hillens book "Blackwater River" he (a predator control officer) is sleeping with his dog by a campfire and the dog blows up baying and takes off...he finds a female had come in out of curiosity or whatever to his camp while sleeping. This is normal cougar behavior!!!

[IronNoggin]

Seems this year "normal behavior" has been somewhat redefined in many areas, and noticeably so on the Island. I am personally aware of 4 "attacks" on people, and 5 cats that have been destroyed for being "problem animals". May have something to do with their natural prey moving in increasing numbers into our back yards...

Once locked on to "prey" they do become extremely determined and focused. Case in point from two years ago:

I was fishing a local river for steelhead in the company of my aging wolf cross. Although he was 15 years at the time, he was still able to wander along on the easier hikes with me. In his prime, he would have given any cat a good run for the money, but at 15, he was kinda like an arthritic old Grandpa, but at least he was aware of his limitations...

Rounding a turn in the trail, all the hair on my dog's back suddenly rose, and a low growl began to rumble. He was focused above us into the underbrush. I looked hard, and saw a cat crouched about 25 feet from us, staring fixedly at my dog. I drew a knife, collected up a large club, and ran right at the cat. It held ground until I was less than 6 feet from it before it hissed and bolted. Man, I was literally Sweating Bullets! Decided we had best extract, so started to head back up river at a trot...

There were a couple of Ladz I knew fishing one pool a fair ways above us, and I figured if we could get to them, we would be alright (saftey in numbers thing). Made it to about 75 yards from that area, and suddenly the cat is right smack mid-trail, again 25 feet away, again looking poised to jump. My dog inherently KNEW he was the target, and although growling, made no attempt to close the gap. Again up with the club and YELLING (you can likely figure out what) while walking aggressively towards the cat. No response! CRAP! The Ladz above heard me, and shouted a question as to whether I needed help. YES. For ChrisSakes YES!!! All four of them came at a run. The cat held until they were less than 20 feet on one side, and me at 15 on the other before choosing to bolt. The walk out was tense, but the situation was over.

I went back several times in the next week, with another (much younger) dog in tow, as well as a tag and a rifle. Never did see that bugger again. Wish I had... :twisted:

Cheers,
Nog

[dana]

I just had a very very close encounter yesterday while doing forestry work. I was measuring the diameters of some trees in my plot and turned around to find a big tom crouched less than 10 yards from me and ready to pounce. I raised my arms and started yelling at him and he didn't shy away but rather made a movement closer. He had the look in his eyes that was not curiosity, but rather that I was prey. I've seen this same look before in a few bear encounters that I've had in the past. Yelling didn't seem to snap him out of that look. I had to get aggressive and charge him while I yelled and I almost treed him but he chose to run instead. Called my work partner on the two way radio that we better get out of the area and started working my way back towards the truck. I was making lots of noise and watching my backtrail constantly. I stopped several times to listen for any snapping twigs behind me. About 200 yards from the first encounter I glanced behind me to see nothing but I did a quick second glance and there was the big tom again 5 yards away. I yelled at him and waved my arms to no avail. He was staring at me just waiting for me to run. I instead ran towards him and bayed like a hound and that got his attention. I chased after him for a good 50 yards with him high tailing it and then I worked the opposite dirrection back to the truck, baying as I went. This isn't what I would call normal activity of a mature lion. This kind of behavior is what you would expect from juvinelles and subs. This tom was 150+ pounds and 7 foot plus in length. Having a good look at his face he wasn't ripped up with scars and torn ears so I'd estimate him to be about a 4 year old. Needless to say my partner and I vacated the area and went to another block to work several kms away.

[JDR]

I just had a very very close encounter yesterday while doing forestry work. I was measuring the diameters of some trees in my plot and turned around to find a big tom crouched less than 10 yards from me and ready to pounce. I raised my arms and started yelling at him and he didn't shy away but rather made a movement closer. He had the look in his eyes that was not curiosity, but rather that I was prey. I've seen this same look before in a few bear encounters that I've had in the past. Yelling didn't seem to snap him out of that look. I had to get aggressive and charge him while I yelled and I almost treed him but he chose to run instead. Called my work partner on the two way radio that we better get out of the area and started working my way back towards the truck. I was making lots of noise and watching my backtrail constantly. I stopped several times to listen for any snapping twigs behind me. About 200 yards from the first encounter I glanced behind me to see nothing but I did a quick second glance and there was the big tom again 5 yards away. I yelled at him and waved my arms to no avail. He was staring at me just waiting for me to run. I instead ran towards him and bayed like a hound and that got his attention. I chased after him for a good 50 yards with him high tailing it and then I worked the opposite dirrection back to the truck, baying as I went. This isn't what I would call normal activity of a mature lion. This kind of behavior is what you would expect from juvinelles and subs. This tom was 150+ pounds and 7 foot plus in length. Having a good look at his face he wasn't ripped up with scars and torn ears so I'd estimate him to be about a 4 year old. Needless to say my partner and I vacated the area and went to another block to work several kms away.

Wow, that's gotta get the adrenaline going! Good on you for remaining composed, not sure I would've had the fortitude to walk towards him. Sure makes you wanna carry a firearm whenever in the bush. Do you at least carry bear spray or a big knife?

[Allen50]

was this cougar wearing red lipstick ,,,,,,,,,,just woundering,,,,,,

[dana]

Wow, that's gotta get the adrenaline going! Good on you for remaining composed, not sure I would've had the fortitude to walk towards him. Sure makes you wanna carry a firearm whenever in the bush. Do you at least carry bear spray or a big knife?

I stopped backing bear spray after taking several work partners to the hospital due to punctured bear spray cans. More of a risk of hurting yourself with bearspray than actually needing it for a bear. I could get a permit to carry for a sidearm but I've never felt the need. I've known several guys that packed and they scared the living $hit out of me. They would be the type to make a false bluff into a serious attack. I've had a ton of personal encounters with aggressive bears and have always been able to keep my head about me and come out unscathed. This cougar incident was the first in my 20 years of doing forestry work. I've had close encounters with lions before while hunting and of course while hunting behind the hounds.

[hotload]

Sorry for my scrutiny.........but that sounds like very uncharacteristic lion behavoir.
Bon fire, two adults, growling, and the cougar still approached and let itself be seen. Hardly the behavoir of felis concolor, the predator I am somewhat familiar with.

Scrutinize if you will but same thing happened to us on an elk hunt. 6 or 7 people, 4 dogs all around a big campfire and a cougar was snuck up to us and got to within 15 yards before it was seen and scared away. Nothing in the bush can be called characteristic, anything can happen....................

[The Silent Stalker]

I ws out a couple of weeks ago with a buddy, came around a corner and had 2 large cats standing together in the road. I hit the brakes, one jumped the ditch and went up the hill while the other ran across the road in front of us, spun around and followed the other cat. We slowly drove past, turned onto a bridge we were going for and parked on the bridge. We did not have tags, but we got out and walked behind my truck about 10 yrds and started glassing the hill on the other side when we heard what I can only describe as a large, loud house cat sounding meow and we spotted one of the cats in the ditch at 40yrds staring at us. It walked up onto the road and was looking at us but was more checking us out than anything I thought. We could not see the other one so we got back in the truck and laughed about not having tags. Probably never see that again.

[Big Lew]

"Dana," with your extensive exposure while doing forestry work, as well as your normal outdoors activity, you've very likely had more encounters with bears and cougars than even an old man like me. There's no way I can recall or guess at how many bear encounters I've had, but although I've seen a good number of cougars, I've only been concerned the 2 previously related times and one other when I accidentally walked up to active den containing kittens. Before I saw the den, which was amongst large rock slabs at the base of a cliff in virgin forest in the Upper Stave River valley, I had a definite danger feeling with the hair on my neck bristling. I wasn't even thinking about cats and never saw one, but when I saw the den and heard the kittens, I had a really bad feeling one was very near. I had no weapon, other than a large knife, and kept slowly walking out of there, frequently checking all around me. I was packing a large, heavy pack, and I almost took it off and left it there. That was one of the most frightening moments I've ever had in the back country.

[ianwuzhere]

tag up and post pix of him after you killed him ;)

[brazen]

Question, especially to dana - How do you know when you should charge vs back away slowly vs hold ground and maintain your course, when encountering situations? Do people have good instincts for avoiding altercations generally, or will a new, inexperienced hunter be in over their heads in the bush and more likely to make a wrong move? Is it easy to avoid urges to pull out a video camera, during such encounters? I have not ever had any encounter like these, but I'm sure my day will come. All I can imagine while sitting on the couch is 'well, what would the dog whisperer do...'

[Spokerider]

Well, here`s my latest cat encounter. As always, the lion has been RUNNING away from me, or from me and my dog, as has been the case in more than a few encounters over the last 30 years.
I`m not saying that aggressive and uncharacteristic brazzen encounters do not happen, we all know that they do.........but only that such behavior is not *normal*, meaning that such behavior is less likely to occur than is likely to occur.

My filming is the shits, but my mutt was pulling me hither-to and I was running looking up in the trees as I filmed.
This was in a no hunting area.




http://www.youtube.com/user/BCSpokerider#p/a/u/2/98rWgIqavbA

http://www.youtube.com/user/BCSpokerider#p/a/u/1/f7Bp4CkxFKw

http://www.youtube.com/user/BCSpokerider#p/a/u/0/rbVMUbqkyJA

[Big Lew]

You'll notice that "Dana", myself, and others used aggression only because the cats were in advanced predatory mode. I'm not suggesting that everyone encountering cats should charge them. You definitely should not turn your back, or run. If you even actually see a cat, they normally are just curious, or slip away. I had a mother anxiously trotting back and forth about 100 yds. away while her 1/2 grown kitten was peeking at me over the top of a log on the willowed gravel bars in the Upper Stave. She wasn't brave enough to come any closer.

[Foxton Gundogs]

Question, especially to dana - How do you know when you should charge vs back away slowly vs hold ground and maintain your course, when encountering situations? Do people have good instincts for avoiding altercations generally, or will a new, inexperienced hunter be in over their heads in the bush and more likely to make a wrong move? Is it easy to avoid urges to pull out a video camera, during such encounters? I have not ever had any encounter like these, but I'm sure my day will come. All I can imagine while sitting on the couch is 'well, what would the dog whisperer do...'

Shoot first, ask him his inntentions latter lol

[dana]

Question, especially to dana - How do you know when you should charge vs back away slowly vs hold ground and maintain your course, when encountering situations? Do people have good instincts for avoiding altercations generally, or will a new, inexperienced hunter be in over their heads in the bush and more likely to make a wrong move? Is it easy to avoid urges to pull out a video camera, during such encounters? I have not ever had any encounter like these, but I'm sure my day will come. All I can imagine while sitting on the couch is 'well, what would the dog whisperer do...'

When you have had a ton of close encounters with predators, you learn to read the situation as to what is going on in the head of the said predator you are in the current situation with. I've had lions close to me in the past that were just plain curious. One I encountered while still hunting for deer above some rimrock. I caught a flash of a big tail going into the thick brush 20 yards in front of me. Rifle came up and a couple seconds later a monster tom peeked his head out to investigate what spooked him from his nap. He obviously didn't know what I was and I held the rifle on him for several minutes as I talked to him and told him if he made one leap towards me he was going to be dead. He meowed, hissed, and even purred at me. Finally he decided he should get out of there and he bailed. That was one of the coolest close encounters I've ever had. This last encounter was totally different. I could see the intent in his eyes that I was indeed food. You know how a house cat will pat the ground and the tail will twitch before he pounces on a mouse? Well that is exactly what this tom was doing. I had to snap him out of that thought process and running at him was the way to do just that. I've had to do this manouver with bears on numerous occasions. A bear is a tricky creature as they might chose to engage in a fight. A cat, not so much. The one thing to never do with a cat is run. That triggers their predatory reaction of pounce on the back. That is how they kill most deer. Deer runs, cat jumps on the back and breaks their neck.

As for the last part of that question, I'm one of those crazy *******s that would have had the camera out if I had of had one with me. Being so close to such a beautiful tom would have made for an amazing photo session. That habit of mine to grab the camera might just be my downfall. At least they will know what killed me when they find my body. ;)