Mountain Lion Shot in "self defense"

[OpeningDay]

I just saw this on KSL.com It may be old news. I am not sure...
Here is the link to the story

http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=8404242

 

[mozey]

I assume you're putting "self defense" in quotes because you have some doubts about it. What in that story gives you cause to doubt it was in "self defense"? F&G looked at it and gave the guy a pass; be happy for him that he had the ability to protect himself in an unfortunate situation.

I don't understand why, without any evidence to the contrary, hunters are so quick to assume the worst about their fellow hunters, unless it's because they're projecting their own misdeeds or potential misdeeds on to everyone else, similar to how liberals pretend to be able to read all our minds and "know" that we're all racists... ;-)

 

[swbuckmaster]

I see more and more of these incidents happening every year.

A. are they starving?

B. are there more of them?

C. are hunters now days more feminine and just pulling the trigger to soon?

I don't want to say anyone who has shot one of these cats or bears in self defense shouldn't have until I walk in their footsteps. But I hope the answer is C


I had an encounter with a cat one time while hiking in. I had my headlamp off and was by myself. I heard a noise and turned on my head lamp to see a cat staring back at me at less then 10 yards. It turned and ran in a split second.

I believe as fast as a cat moves if it truly wants to attack something I highly doubt you would have a chance to even look over your shoulder, see the cat, then pull your rifle out and shoot it in self defense. Unless you are one quick mother. Those cats are lightning fast!

Archery is a year round commitment!!

 

[swbuckmaster]

Like I said Im not accusing anyone.

Archery is a year round commitment!!

 

[TreedUp]

So i guess everytime we see a lion we can just blast it and call it self-defense, what's the world coming to

 

[OpeningDay]

LAST EDITED ON Oct-22-09 AT 01:49PM (MST)[p]Mozey,
I am not making any assumptions on "self defense" or not. I was simply posting up a story I hadn't seen on MM before that I thought you may want to read. The thread needed a title and thats what I came up with. No Assumptions intended..

 

[Boskee]

LAST EDITED ON Oct-22-09 AT 01:55PM (MST)[p]In many states if you have a tag they're legal during quite a bit of the year unless they hve kittens in some areas in others it doesn't matter. You have to control predators just like all species. By the way for the record there actually are very few mountain lion sightings, before you go into cardiac arrest at the thought that somebody killed a lion. In some places we could kill a few hundred of them to help our wildlife! Our deer, elk and sheep would most certainly thank you!

 

[HoundDawgJr]

Swbuckmaster said: "I believe as fast as a cat moves if it truly wants to attack something I highly doubt you would have a chance to even look over your shoulder, see the cat, then pull your rifle out and shoot it in self defense. Unless you are one quick mother. Those cats are lightning fast!"

You are a wise man Buckmaster!! ;-)

I better not say anything on this one, besides still laughing my butt off after reading that KSL story.

Probably the only thing funnier would be to hear this guy tell the story at work around the water cooler.

"The devil cat came for me, with fire in his eyes and blood lust on his mind. I tell ya he was 10 feet long, as he leaped for me my instincts took over..." LOL!!!

Needed a good laugh today and that story did the trick. Gracias.

 

[mozey]

Cool. Sorry for my false assumption.

 

[mozey]

LAST EDITED ON Oct-22-09 AT 04:15PM (MST)[p]Treedup: please feel free to go try that out and then get back to us on how it worked out for you... ;-)

 

[firemedic56]

Funny story I agree. I'm curious about something though...I'm not a cat hunter since I live in the East....but isn't a 150lb. kinda big for a female? I know a big Tom can get to 200lbs., just wondering about that.

 

[nickman]

Treedup..........that's pretty much my approach.

 

[Kevin D]

Nice shooting Tex!! ;-)

I think the DWR needs to commission a study. Cougars that seem to behave themselves most of the year suddenly become super aggressive and start stalking humans during hunting season.......happens every year. It is a pattern I've seen over and over again. Hunters from the suburbs seem to be the ones most at risk from this agressive behavoir too I've noticed. I dunno, but this needs looking into!

 

[Ike]

I think the public killed nearly a dozen bears this summer while defending themselves as well, must have been a bad year!

ike

 

[gleninaz]

I would shoot it too but I carry a year round tag. Elk hunting 2 years ago my buddy was ready to stick a cow from a group 30 yards from him when the lead cow stomped the ground. A big tom was 20 yards away stalking them. The elk ran off and the tom just looked and walked away. I usually don't call the young ones pups but whatever turns yer crank.

 

[carbonnation]

It seems that most of the hunters who don't think that a Lion in close proximity is a big deal, have lion hunting roots. Let's be honest.....houndsman are nuts. I've seen you guys climb in trees with those things and poke them with a stick, I've talked to guys who crawl into a hole with a bear just to get a picture. You guys are far from the average sane hunter. Unique breed that is for sure.

Me, ....a group of us jumped a Tom out of a creek botton while bowhunting. When he finally ran, he was only 30 yards. It shook me up so bad, I spent the rest of the day looking over my shoulder. I've hunted Lions, even taken one, but there is still nothing that makes the hair on the back of my neck stand up faster than to see a fresh track. Those things are killing machines and I thank the lord that most of them have an innate fear of humans, because if they ever figure out how helpless we are, we would be easy pickins.

 

[cathorn]

I was wondering why the DWR did not weight the thing... granted... as a houndsman myself and researcher, I have heard more than my share of houndsman throw out female weights around 130... but in years of research the average mature female weighs around 85 -90 lbs... 130... my butt. It cracks me up to hear people talk about these "evil" cats. One had smack on the nose with a stick usually does the trick.

 

[LuckyShot]

I was hunting the wasatch....saw some granola hikers coming up the trail behind me...as if to sneek and pounce......i could see it in their liberal eyes!!!!!! I let three arrows fly in what I knew was self defense....Had to, y'know!!! No Choice!! DWR was cool. No worries....'cept i kinda made a bad hit on one of 'em.....questionable angle....but oh well.....

 

[Kevin D]

LOL LuckyShot

 

[JakeH]

LAST EDITED ON Oct-24-09 AT 01:47PM (MST)[p]Hey guys, I had planed on just putting this up on my own but saw this post and thought it suited it.

Was out hunting with the family opening weekend and because we could'nt hunt in are normal area due to the 5 day season we were out looking for some new spots.

I had a archery tag so I was just along for the ride, anyways we went up white rocks canyon in the NE area, and my dad sister and brother decided to cross the bridge and hunt up the other side of the river.

I had stayed out late the night before so I decided it would be a good time to catch up on some sleep.

Well sleep wasnt comeing so I started playing a game on my cell phone while listening to the radio in the truck.

Then something caught my eye over by the bridge about 10 yards away.

I looked up and saw this, so I grabed my camera and started snaping photos, the first couple photos are not to good cause I was looking through the window.

It stood there for about 10 to 20 seconds and then turned and walked down the bridge.

I then jumped out and thought it was going to hear the beeping of the open door on the truck but he kept going, I dont think he could hear it over the sound of the river.

I made a nose with my mouth to try and get it to look at me but when it did it was out of there so fast I couldnt get a pic of it looking at me.

Here is a pic from the bridge looking at the truck, he was only about 10-12 yards away and couldnt hear the radio going and never looked at the truck the whole time I could see him.

This is only the 5th lion I have ever seen one was while hunting with some guys who had dogs the rest were all just being in the right place at the right time.

How big do some of you experts think it is, it looked pretty big to me and I figured it was a Tom but dont know for sure.


Jake H. MM Member since 1999.

 

[goofyelk]

Judging from the first two pics of the head and shoulders,,,and especially the 4th pic, tail in the air and no black spot,,female.

 

[NVBighorn]

"We found his spent cartridge on the ground." Right next to a puddle of what appeared to be human urine.

"He believes the cougar may have had pups nearby... " ??? pups???

"After the DWR officials left with the cat, I had some breakfast and went back out," Garcia said. Insert "changed my underwear" between "I" and "had some..."

"Garcia said the incident spooked him so badly, he doesn't think he'll hunt again for a while." And I believe the hunting world is a better place without him.




I'm sure in his mind it was self defense. Also pretty sure he could have avoided killing her.

 

[cathorn]

Appears to me a average looking female. Nice pics, that is cool you were ableto get those.

 

[fish4evr]

My buddy and I were in a blind and had a lion come in, we videoed it until it disappeared 20 yd's. in front of us. By then I had my 9mm out and ready. It reappeared 15 feet to our right. I stood up and raised the gun. (as I nearly crap my self). I could see it was not crouched or any thing so I held off. It looked at us for a second and walked away. I think I could have shot it and got away with it, but why? It is very rear to see them with out dogs. And makes for a grate story. It comes down to reading the animal just like deer, elk, and any other critter. I am sure it shook him up, but I didn't let it stop me from hunting. (with a side arm).

Fish4evr