would you shoot the lion? When?

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Lengthy video of mountain lion stalking a guy down a jeep trail.

Had you been in his position and armed, would you have shot the lion? When?

After all, the guy made his way out without shooting.

[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ktRhBcHza4[/ame]
 
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It appears to me the mountain lion was trying scare the hiker into turning and running away. Then he would have attacked from behind as is pretty normal behavior.

I don't think I would have shot at it yet, as I would prefer to know where it was as opposed to maybe hunting me hidden.

Curious how close to his car he was.
 
The short answer is yes, I would have given it my best shot.

A month or so, while riding my bicycle with my dog running along beside me, I was threatened by a coyote. This has never happened before. It chased my dog and tried to lure him away. I kept riding and making sure my dog didn’t do something stupid.
The next time it happened I stopped the bicycle to see what the coyote would do. The coyote came up with his teeth bared and started to make threatening advances. With my Ruger sp101 .38 special I put a round over his back and he turned tail and ran. I was hoping to put one in his chest but with the dog pulling on me and me holding my bicycle I muffed the shot. Oh well.
Sorry for the long winded response, but I would not hesitate shooting a cat that was that aggressive.
Ken
 
The cat seems only moderately aggressive until it charges in a flash.

You’d have to be uncommonly quick and quite good with your gun to have a decent chance of shooting the cat when it’s on its hind legs rushing you. I’d have to shoot before that to do any good.
 
Only watched the first two minutes or so. If armed — and being me, I would be — I would stop and face the lion, gun likely extended in a two hand stance. Or, at least at a low ready. And I'd give the lion a choice:

Approach and be shot. Retreat and let bygones be bygones.

Curious lion? Could be, I suppose. But no way I'd let one get close to me.

Normal behavior, I believe, is the lion would/should avoid people. If it approaches, I think, obviously, dangerous. Heck ya I'd shoot it.

Will add I know less than you experienced outdoorsmen here, being mostly couch or desk bound, but that's how I would deal with it.
 
I bet he didn't even have a knife with him!!!:mad::mad: He should have picked up some of the thousands of nice throwing sized rocks he was walking over and thrown them at the cat. :mad::mad::(

I don't know about any of you, but aside from my EDC I don't go anywhere without some type of knife. He had plenty of time to draw even a pocket knife from his pocket, open it and be ready instead of yelling "get the F away" repeatedly at the cat!:D I don't recall that cougars speak English! If the cat ever charged I didn't see it! The only time I saw him moving fast was running away at the end!

I have carried a knife since I was 4 years old, provided by my father. More than once I have had it out and ready when threatened by an aggressive dog! When I was "On the job" I carried at least three and sometimes four knives. A pocket knife, a folding lock back hunting knife on the gun belt, and boot knife. You would be amazed how often a police officer has need of a knife!

In this case, first I would have had a gun! All conjecture is worthless if the basic tool is absent! And, No I would not shoot the cat unless I felt it was necessary. In this situation it wouldn't have been necessary. First I would have thrown rocks at it, then, if it had been overtly aggressive would have considered shooting it!
 
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At about the 45-second mark, I'd have let him have it!

Occasionally, I have to work where there are cougars. I have still yet to see one. But, Plan A is to scare them away. If that doesn't look like it's going to work, I'll go to Plan B, which includes 180 gr. JHP's from my Ruger SRH.
 
DWalt said:
Do mountain lions usually stalk humans?
Click to expand...

Google says 126 attacks and 27 deaths in US in last 100 years.

I was in Glacier National Park in the 1990's with my family. The park rangers were notified that a mountain lion was stalking a young boy. The rangers responded and dispatched the lion. Upon inspection, they found it was an older lion who had lost most of its teeth. It was basically hungry and desperate but still dangerous.

The same year, we were in a private zoo in Red Lodge MT. A young mountain lion fixated on my youngest son and charged at him twice. The barrier stopped him, of course. That lion was well fed, so why did he charge?

I don't trust them. I would have shot him.
 
Dead.

JLy3m1mh.png
 
Imissedagain said:
That kid needs a gun or a treadmill.
Click to expand...

I assure you that if he ran, he'd have gnarffled the garthock.
Kitty was trying to force a chase. For a fair stretch, that cat was evaluating coexistence as an option.

If I'm reading that cat right, someone could have a brutal pet food bill while having home security ADT couldn't touch.
 
Rocks, warning shot, shoot to kill. In that order. Letting the cat 'chase' you only emboldens it and the next person may not be so lucky. Guy in the video is an idiot. I take no joy in killing animals, but have no interest in becoming their lunch either.
 
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