How dangerous are mountain lions?

golok

golok

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Oct 20, 2000
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I have seen documentaries on these big cats and they look pretty docile to me. Of course, I wouldn't want one to be prowling around my backyard.

Say if I am out hiking out there in the mountains, far away from civilisation and I hear a growl. What do I do?

I want to know how dangerous are these cats? If they are hungry, will I feature prominently in their menu?

And how can I scare them away?
 
These cats are all around where I live,The only thing I can say is do NOT run they will catch you and place there nice big teeth on the back of your neck and snap it.Then you are lunch.You need to stand your ground hopefully you will have a big stick to use as a club or a large blade to defend yourself.
Yell at it scream if you have to but dont walk towards it as it my get defensive and attack out of fear.
 
Mountain lions can be very dangerous. In Northern California, people are on occasion attacked, usually children. I would assume this is because of their small size. Your best bet is probably to be aware and avoid them in the first place. Mountain lions generally attack from behind in a sort of ambush, so watch your back. Unless mountain lions are very hungry, they are shy and solitary animals. If you do encounter one, stand as tall to make yourself look as large as possible. You can also open and flare your jacket or shirt to increase your apparent size. Raise your arms, yell, make eye contact with the lion. Don't crouch down, and DO NOT RUN! This can stimulate the predatory reflexes of the lion. If attacked, fight back with whatever you have available. Children are particularly vulnerable. If possible, pick children up, or get them behind you, again without crouching or bending over if possible.
--Josh
 
A lot of good advice. When confronting a 'cowardly lion' remember that YOU are a 200 lb predatory primate and act accordingly. Thrash branches, wave your arms, shout, beat your chest like a male gorilla. If you've got a good walking stick & a belt knife...the cat won't have a chance, so let him know it. The alternative can be

kinda messy
 
Consider that the cougar's favorite meal is venison, and that a full-grown man is just about deer-sized (maybe a little larger). And even better, we are corn-fed!

If a mountain lion is going to attack you from a hidden position it will not be growling. It will be totally silent. One of the tribes in the Mojave called them "spirit cats" because they were so quiet and stealthy - like spirits. Sometimes you will hear a cougar scream, which sounds like a woman being knifed in the gut. Not a pretty image, but it's the best description I've ever heard. One of the best "warnings" that I know of is a prickly, hair-standing-on-end feeling. It's a full-body feeling that says that you're being watched. I've never heard an explanation for it, but it seems to be a universal experience.

If you're in cougar country carry a side-arm and stay out of the brush. Try not to be alone, as a cougar will readily avoid two people whereas it might attack a lone, juicy hiker.
 
A few years back a jogger was killed by a mountain lion in Denver the capital of the state of Colorado. It jumped on him as he ran by. They hunt by stealth and are dangerous when hungry. We don't see them much in my neighborhood, just bears that like to eat pet llamas.
 
I live on Vancouver Island BC in a rural area. It is said that Vancouver Island has the highest density of cougars in the world. During my 20 years of rural residence and working in the bush only once did I see a cougar. Every few months a cougar is spotted in my neighbourhood. Since they are usually secretive it is no wonder they are rarely seen.

Cougars have attacked and killed people in my home Province of British Colulmbia usually children are attacked but not always. Last month a child from the US was attacked while camping on a beach in the Telegraph Cove area, the victim was quickly rescued and though bitten will be OK. There has been an increase in attacks in BC in the last 10 years , with a few fatalities in that time. Those that survive an attack often have very bad scars as the cougar likes to peel back the scalp of their victims ( I kid you not ) and tend to chew/scratch up the face area. Cougars peel back the skin on deer as a matter of course to avoid the hair.

Wherever there are deer in BC there can be cougars and that includes urban parks in large cities, such as Victoria BC. Most cougar attacks are from old , young or somehow unfit cats , they are often starving. Rarely attacks are from adult healthy animals and they are from 80-130 lbs on average , rarely they approach 200 lbs.

I'd say while you should be aware of the danger adults are quite safe, children however should be supervised especially in playgrounds next to forested areas. Carry a walking staff and/or blade for a protection and if the one in a million happens FIGHT BACK ALWAYS and NEVER RUN OR TURN YOUR BACK ON A COUGAR ;)

Cougars do not always attack from behind , often they approach from the front and don't care if you see them or not.

I don't claim to be an expert but have read many accounts of cougar attacks and talked with cougar hunters, conservartion officers and others who have their cougar experiences to tell.
 
One thing to note is that the original question was, "I hear a growl. What do I do?" Cats do not growl when they hunt; they are silent. It's likely you won't be hearing a growl.

The other impression I have is that children and joggers by far have the most to fear. I've read about other attacks too, though even some of these had some other attack-tripping event. For example, as the lion stood looking at one woman, apparently making up its mind, she tripped, which precipitated an immediate attack.

By and large, I stay aware but am not "worried" about mountain lions, even here where there are plenty, unless I'm with my kids.

Joe
 
A relatively minor injury (like a twisted ankle) to a big cat can be fatal. If they are not fast and agile enough to hunt, they may get too weak from hunger before the injury mends. Game over. For this reason, they try pretty hard to avoid situations in which they will be injured. As noted above, if you present them with a threat of serious resistance and injury, they are far less inclined to attack. They will probably look for an easier target.

I've spent about 40 years hiking in mountain lion country and seen only two. They were both headed off at high speed. Nonetheless, I carry a firearm where legal. Otherwise, griz spray, knife, walking stick or the like. I even loaned a large Cold Steel spear to a hiking buddy to use as an extra-sharp walking stick.
 
Good info above. Like was said, you will not hear the cat if it's stalking you. I surprised a cat while "still hunting" with my bow in the Sierra Mtns many years ago. I slipped around a deadfall and met the cat. It leaped 18 of my paces uphill to get away from me. Trust me, he had nothing to fear, I thought my heart stopped for a minute lol. A friend was hiking a crest trail in the same area a few years ago and happened to check his back trail and a cat was within 15 paces of him and moving fast from his left on an intercept course. He yelled and made himself look bigger by raising and waving his arms and started pounding his walking staff on the ground in front of the cat and it took off in a hurry. They are usually wary of man and will keep their distance, however there are always exceptions. Be aware of your surroundings, watch your backtrail often, don't aproach a partially buried kill (the cat is nearby and will return), carry a big stick, a sharp knife and you will be fine. Besides injury, other humans, bears, lions, skunks, porcupines and members of P.E.T.A. running around in their deer suits, you got nothin to fear.:D
 
Cougars are dangerous, and can kill you.

But, they're also pusses (pun intended) in that you can fight them off. A punch to the nose is recommended. (Literally) Recommended, that is, if everything else that's recommended fails first.

I've been fortunate to see two over the years out in the field. I hope to see more. Majestic creatures to say the least.
 
LIST OF CONFIRMED MOUNTAIN LION ATTACKS

This is what I was looking for when I found the link:

28-year-old Phil Anderson was attacked by an approximately 80 pound mountain lion in Olympic National Park about 20 miles west of Port Angeles, Washington. The lion moved out of the shadows "smoothly and quickly". A mountain biker and wrestler, Anderson first ran backwards but fought when it leapt on his chest. Anderson fell to his back, locked his legs around the cougar, flipped over and buried his thumbs in the animal's throat and choked the cat in and out of consciousness. He kept the front paws pinned back with his forearms. After about two and a half or three minutes, the cat still wriggling, got Anderson's thumb in its mouth and smashed it. That gave the cat the edge. Anderson lost his grip, and the cat's claws went into a whirl and managed to rip through his thick sweatshirt in a couple of places, giving Anderson puncture wounds to the chest. Not wanting more, the lion then fled. Park Rangers declined to hunt down the lion, stating that having so many lions in that area would make it difficult to know which one it was. Source: (Read his account HERE by Mike Dawson, Peninsula Daily News; Sunday, 05/26/96)

Last summer a buddy and I saw a bunch of LARGE cougar tracks near Malachite Peak in the Cascades. My buddy had his .357, but knowing that Cougars are ambush predators, it was still creepy enough that I was glad I was not solo.

I try to keep my kids reasonably close in known cat country.
 
Another good tip is to have a dog with you. In addition to the companionship, the dog will also warn you and help fight off a puma. And if the cat is bound and determined to have lunch it is more likely to take the dog than you. Having a dog in camp is an excellent idea especially for those of us who take our little-uns camping with us in the wilds.
 
"It doesn't take much of a man to catch a wildcat, but it takes a hell of a man to turn one loose." :)

Okay, two stories and a possible prevention:

An ancestor of a friend of mine was attacked by a wildcat early in the 20th century. He was riding through the forest and it dropped out of a tree onto his back. He wounded it bad enough with his pocket knife that it bled to death, but so did he, if I remember right.

A friend of mine was hiking in Oregon one day and stopped to rest at a small pond. He heard a growl and saw a mountain lion around the curve of the pond. The lion had challenged him for the water hole. He claims that he screamed, charged the lion and it ran off.

There's a region in India where people go to collect honey. Lots of it. Unfortunately, tigers lurk there to eat the honey gatherers, and frequently did so.

What they found out is that, since the tigers attack from behind, if they draw a face on a small cloth and attach it to the back of their hat, the tigers don't attack them. Not as often, anyway. I suppose wearing a believable rubber mask on the back of your head would be even better.

I don't know if this would work for all large cats in all places, but I think it'd be worth the effort.

Oh, yeah. Don't smile at them. Baring your teeth means you're going to attack them.
 
As silly as it sounds, the two-faced approach would be viable. Look at all the animals in nature that use similar deceptions. Many butterflies and moths have "eyes" on thier wings for that exact purpose. I have seen pygmy owls with large "eyes" on their backs. I can't think of them right now, but I know I've seen many other such examples.

Maybe you could paint a face on one of those sun-protector baseball cap thingies that hang down over your neck.
 
I mentioned this same Indian 'two faced' strategy in the 'Lions and Tigers' thread before it turned into a free for all. Actually, I think all you'd need are 2 eye immitations in back, a pair of pin-on political campaign buttons on the back of your ballcap/neckcover? Shimmery Holographs would work great.
 
Maybe I'll glue a couple of THESE on the back of the baseball cap I usually wear backpacking--might keep the kids in line, too ;) Group buy? The 25 mm "eyes" are 8 for $0.59
 
Knife used to cut the throat of the cougar was described as having about a 3 inch blade. After killing the cougar the man walked about half a mile to help. The 61 year old man is in critical but stable condition and underwent surgery today . He needs extensive facial reconstruction .
 
The knife used looked like a Buck 110 folding hunter, according to the picture shown on Seattle area tv newscast of the blade folded up in a ziploc bag. Taking on a clawing cougar with that (or any) knife takes some serious cojones. However, at the moment of need you use what you've got.
 
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