I used to hike a lot and always carried when I went into the woods, I never saw cougars (the 4 legged kind at any rate) but encountered bears, coyotes and people who gave me a bad vibe on plenty of occasions.

I found that the places where you had to be on your guard the most where areas that were frequented just enough to make you hesitate bringing an adequate means of protection along with you.

Then the animals would be shot for a mistake they didnt commit,i can't believe we are in 2018 and people still believe this #%&*$# that if you let an animal kill a human he will continue to do that.......not dumb numb.....they like easier meal and humans are not appealing to wild animals, not enough fat or meat and i saw some researcher said we dont taste good either.

I'm still far more concerned about the 2 legged predators when I go in the forest for a walk than the 4 legged kind. This cougar attack was an exception. I won't judge the guy that ran away because I haven't walked in his shoes (and hopefully never will) but I would hope I would have stood my ground and helped a friend defend themselves against an attack like that. Now if it was a co-worker outing...there are some I might have deliberately tripped. Heck, I might even have sprinkled some blood or Meow-Mix on a few of them.

I've mentioned this before but I had a bear cub suddenly emerge from the brush and plop itself in the grass right beside a fairly busy forested park trail that I was jogging along. It freaked me out not in the least because for a few moments my vision looked EXACTLY like you'd see with stutter framerates in a video game.

I tried to warn people off further up the trail, but of course a bunch of random idiots had to go and try to film the bear with their phones, and of course they soon bolted back in a panic when another cub and momma bear turned up.

Pepper spray is a very good thing to carry while in wilderness areas that have populations of cougar and bear plus a firearm in your backpack as last resort.

Jim ...."Heading for the Tetons on vacation this next month. More then likely will encounter many tourists doing stupid things to the wildlife. Last trip to Yellowstone was a circus with idiots"

a 23 yr old in the 1980's .... jumped into one of the scalding ponds of Yellowstone because his dog had jumped in to get something. People saw him about to jump in to rescue his dog and yelled at him not to. He replied, "like hell i won't"....... he jumped in and swam out and grabbed his dog ..... then let go of his dog and swam back. His friend got him on dry land. His eyes were completely white ...he was blind. He said...."that was a stupid thing to do - how do i look?" His flesh was coming off his body. He died the next day at the hospital.

A 24 yr old in 2016 ..... went to look for a warm thermal pool to soak in with his younger sister. He fell in not realizing the extreme temperature and acidity of the water. His sister went for help. When park rangers got there they couldn't find any trace of him except a few articles of clothing...his body had been completely dissolved by the acidic waters. Nothing left for his family to bury ....no goodbyes.

Really sad stories you posted there Haggart but also stories that should serve as a lesson that mother nature and the universe do not forgive sheer stupidity.

NSFW



Written about this incident.

I live in the Pacific Northwest and I've had exactly one encounter with a Mt Lion...

I had no clue it was sitting on a tree limb 20ft in front of me and about 10ft above me. You ever have a funny feeling that something isn't right? I had that feeling, stopped, looked up, and he/she was looking right at me, tail swinging back and forth below it.

I stood there for a second and thought "what now?". I do carry when I'm out in the woods, but the thought to kill it never entered my mind. I simply stay composed, kept my eye on him (and my hand on my gun) a walked backwards away from it. It was not a very good feeling, and I had a few extra drinks with the folks back at camp.

... was actually expecting some mature pictures in here. But... wrong forum, right?

i dont know if it was here or reddit, but i read that pepper spray doesnt really work on bears

Those were mountain bikers? Riding bloody street bikes it would seem. Mountain lions do not like bikes unless they are mountain bikes

Well, bear spray is not your run of the mill in the girls purse "pepper spray".

If ya squirt em in the arm to try and wound them it is probably not very effective.

As I have said a gazillion times before, those cellar dwellers at reddit should ask mom to fund a trip outside once in a while, to back up their expert opinions.

Just a very recent example:

Kornak was able to grab her Mace-like bear spray while being mauled and blasted the grizzly, ending the attack.

One of very many incidents where Bear Spray saved a life

If I lived in an inner city I would have Bear Spray, not that pussy mace crap.