Cats

[elk_horn]

Waht Justifies killing a mountain lion... do you wait till it pounces on you or when it crouches?????????????????

 

[RabidRattleSnake1]

When you feel that "warm" feeling spread across your pants, I think you are justified especially if you have to explain to a jury.

 

[SLIVER]

If the cat is not leaving, and is close enough that it could bolt and get me, maybe i'd give it a warning shot. If it doesn't leave after that, then it is a dead kitty!

}}-SLIVER-->

 

[elk_horn]

I was told you have to proove it was self defense .. butif you have a bow in your hand and the cat is crouched at 12 yards what do ya do?

 

[springbear]

What state would you be hunting in that does not have an open cat season during bow season?

If I felt that the cat was acting funny, meaning not running like heck away from me the instant it saw me it would catch some arrows..
In my experience, you never see a normal "well behaving" cat. Those cats get the heck out of your way without you ever seeing them.... Exceptions would be calling one in while hunting, or walking up on a kill. Either of those situations, I would make it obvious what I was and give that cat about one second to get the heck out of the way or it is dead. end of story. I apply that to any critter with tooth and claw.

 

[NMHUNTNUTT1]

springbear well said...

 

[elk_horn]

Utah does not have an open season .. you have to draw a license...

 

[Kevin D]

An aquaintance once shot a cougar he claimed was about to pounce on a friend and was cited for it. The judge as he fined the dude told him that he or his buddy better have teeth marks on them if they ever expect to be successfull in a self defense claim.

 

[JakeH]

Kevin, what state was that in, that is bullsh!t right there.




Jake H. MM Member since 1999.

 

[Kevin D]

The state was Utah, Jake.

What the judge and most law enforcement officials realize of course, is that just about every hunter that kills a lion out of season or without a tag pleads self defense whether it is justified or not. Cougar attacks on humans are extremely rare when one examines the number of cougars roaming the west and the number of possible encounters they have with humans. Cougars are timid animals by nature so when one does turn on a human, it always makes the news, whether it is in California, British Columbia, Colorado, or Utah. I think the judge took that into consideration when he was dishing out his sentence.

I've been a houndsman since the early 80's and the number of cougars I've been in close proximity with would number into the hundreds. But I've also had several encounters with lions when I was out deer or elk hunting when I didn't have my dogs around. These encounters I could put into 2 catagories; those that were running when I seen them, and those that were running after they seen me.

I reponded to this thread to let readers know that judges and law enforcement officials tend to view self defense claims rather suspiciously, so use your judgment guys.

 

[canhunter]

Any time I was able to see one. SSS

 

[Willametteriveroutlaw]

>Any time I was able to
>see one. SSS

What he said

 

[whtelk]

as soon as it reaches 50 yards. or as soon as I can get back to my truck and grab the rifle. Dead cat = good cat.

 

[BeardBuster]

If I make eye contact and it doesn't run, I'm unloading on it.

 

[Wiszard]

Season or not...running away or not....I'm shooting!! There are more cats around than everyone knows. They've been coming into our local neighborhoods and killing deer in our neighborhoods. Over the last 4 years here in Santa Maria, Ca. there have been at least 6 kills and at least 3 sightings in a 3 square mile area. That is pretty scary. I'm not talking a rural area either. This is in an actual neighborhood. I hunt just south of the neighborhood and if I see one, it's getting lead, arrowsm, sticks or my boots thrown it's way! I'm scared of 'em. Nothing will be done to control them in my area until a kid in one of these neighborhoods gets mauled. It's a shame.

Steve