Cougar kills one in Washington

[Rpg]

Keep your eyes open folks:

Cougar kills mountain biker, injures another in Washington state - CNN

 

[Rpg]

Fleeing from a preditor is a bad idea.

Bicycles aren’t ideal defensive devices.

A can of bear spray would have made a big difference.

 

[Shark Bait]

I've heard of them attacking cyclists in California. Perhaps a person on a bike looks like fleeing game and triggers their pursuit instinct. As they say, never run from a predator.

 

[walkinghorse]

Interesting Verbage Used

The report says the mountain biker was killed, and the suspected cougar was euthanized. Interesting difference in verbage.

 

[Watchdog]

Humans have a major shortcoming when it comes to being outside in wild or semi-wild areas. Most city dwellers are happily oblivious of their surroundings.

If someone's made a path or a trail for mountain bikers, well, it must be safe to ride there, right? Ditto for hikers. Walking along with their backpacks and hiking sticks, looking all around at the beautiful trees and overlooks, never thinking about what might be waiting behind those rocks over there or hiding in that copse of bushes off to the right, or what that strange smell might be.

Man's ego often won't let him admit that once he's off in the wild, unarmed, he is no longer the apex predator. He's just another meal

Mountain bike or hike in cougar or grizzly territory? Fish in those rivers where bears are taking advantage of the salmon run? Hike in the smokies or the blue ridge in spring when Mama Black Bear and cubs are foraging and learning about life? "Oh, lookit the cute little baby bear out here all alone. Let's rescue it." A mother moose can stomp a man to death in a minute or two. A bull elk can kill you with his hooves or his antlers. I know everyone's seen those films of dumb tourists or townspeople teasing buffalo or elk or moose. Do stupid stuff, you may die a stupid death. I can't come up with much sympathy for people like that.

 

[Watchdog]

Fleeing from a preditor is a bad idea.

Bicycles aren’t ideal defensive devices.

A can of bear spray would have made a big difference.

I'm not sure bear spray would be effective against an ambush predator like a cougar. They don't usually charge like a bear or even an African lion. A person might see or hear a bear coming...not so much with a cougar I don't think. A person would pretty much have to have the spray container already in hand maybe? Have to be awful fast with it.

 

[Shark Bait]

I agree with Watchdog. Just because we are supposedly on the top of the food chain doesn't mean we aren't on the menu. To a predator a person can be either a threat or prey (and not much else). I choose to be a threat, and prepared to back it up if necessary.

 

[ColbyBruce]

“I can't come up with much sympathy for people like that”

While many of us might feel this way about people who bring about their own demise through foolishness, consider that ignorance is bliss. There are many people who are new to the outdoors and simply do not know what to expect. Watch the movie “Deliverance”, which highlights the dangers of swift water and local wildlife.

 

[ParadiseRoad]

I'm not sure bear spray would be effective against an ambush predator like a cougar. They don't usually charge like a bear or even an African lion. A person might see or hear a bear coming...not so much with a cougar I don't think. A person would pretty much have to have the spray container already in hand maybe? Have to be awful fast with it.

...cougars tend to attack from above and behind...very quietly...

 

[Inusuit]

I agree that the victims probably didn't see the attack coming. I am somewhat disturbed by the report, if true, that the second man "ran away" from the scene of the attack.

While I understand the reluctance to confront a 100 pound cat while unarmed, I want to believe I would have tried to the get the animal off my friend. Of course I would have been carrying. Cougars are not that hard to kill. Those who run them with hounds often shoot them out of the tree with a .22 Magnum. My PMR 30 would have done the job.

Yes, I readily admit that this written from the safety of my keyboard and I really don't know what I would have done in the situation without a firearm.

 

[Skwirl]

Increased my awareness after this.

A friend sent me this pic in March. It was taken a few miles from me. I was working on my firewood yet. It made me change how I did a few things. I'm not exactly in bear country.

 

[2ffat]

I think Mountain Lions are magnificent cats but I see a pattern. As their prey move out of the mountains into communities where they aren't hunted (even protected) and well fed on lawns and gardens, the cougars follow their prey. We are caught in between and become easy prey, too.

Even though these bikers were on a mountain trail, the cat was hunting for its favorite meal and hungry. The bikers were there and the deer were not.

Animal control needs to be more proactive in running the deer out of towns and back into the hills or this will happen more and more. (My two cents worth)

 

[rwsmith]

Maybe it's.......

Maybe it would be a good idea to carry even when mountain biking. Of course that won't help if one person is already dead and the other is running away. I wonder how long it took the cougar to kill or fatally wound the first person? Could the running person have made a difference with the person that was killed if he stuck around and had a gun? As it was it was very close to being two dead because the second guy is in very serious condition.

 

[rwsmith]

There are probably.....

I think Mountain Lions are magnificent cats but I see a pattern. As their prey move out of the mountains into communities where they aren't hunted (even protected) and well fed on lawns and gardens, the cougars follow their prey. We are caught in between and become easy prey, too.

Even though these bikers were on a mountain trail, the cat was hunting for its favorite meal and hungry. The bikers were there and the deer were not.

Animal control needs to be more proactive in running the deer out of towns and back into the hills or this will happen more and more. (My two cents worth)

Probably there are more things that can be done to preserve habitat Nobody is going to stop 'progress' but there may be ways to make their habitat more 'habitable'.

 

[Absalom]

Here is the phrase from the article one should probably focus on:

“Authorities said this is the second cougar attack death in Washington state in the past 100 years.”

Now let’s look at how many bicyclists have been killed by drivers, drunk or not, during the same time span, and that should put things in perspective.

Cougar attacks are rare anyways, but an attack pressed home repeatedly against multiple adults is a freak event. Yes, in this situation a gun would have definitely saved them. I always carried when I rode my bike in earlier decades. But if you are prone to worry about cougar attacks, you’re not going to enjoy the Western outdoors.

 

[BC38]

...Watch the movie “Deliverance”, which highlights the dangers of swift water and local wildlife.

...and 2-legged predators.

Here is the phrase from the article one should probably focus on:

“Authorities said this is the second cougar attack death in Washington state in the past 100 years.”

Now let’s look at how many bicyclists have been killed by drivers, drunk or not, during the same time span, and that should put things in perspective.

Cougar attacks are rare anyways, but an attack pressed home repeatedly against multiple adults is a freak event. Yes, in this situation a gun would have definitely saved them. I always carried when I rode my bike in earlier decades. But if you are prone to worry about cougar attacks, you’re not going to enjoy the Western outdoors.

My first thought as well. Second cougar attack death in 100 years - and Washington State has hundreds of thousands of acres of mountainous forested land perfect for cougar habitat. And a couple of million outdoorsmen roaming around in it.

As slim as we all know the odds to be, I know I am far more likely to have to defend myself from an attack by a criminal (even in the wilderness) than from an attack by a cougar.

The good news is that my preparations for one type of attack will likely stand me in good stead in the event of the other type attack.

 

[klondike]

A friend of mine in Eastern Oregon when he plants trees on his property, wears a pair of boxer shorts with a happy face on the back. When he is bent over, the face is guarding his six from any big cats stalking him.

 

[bullmack]

I posted this image about a year ago. It was taken by my neighbor about 40 miles south of Tacoma in prime cougar country. My 20 acres is undeveloped but we go out there often - and I now carry.

 

[Baggy Wrinkle]

Thousands of people, including my wife and me, hike and bike in this forest corridor boardering I-90 each weekend. The trailhead to Mt Si, a short distance from the attack site, can have several hundred users per day. As BC38 alluded, car prowls are usually the biggest concern. Ironically, a couple friends heavily hunted cougar in the area of the attack and after two unsuccessful years finally gave up. These two guys who were attacked had unbelievable bad luck that day. It will be interesting to see how recreational use patterns might now change.

 

[LVSteve]

A friend of mine in Eastern Oregon when he plants trees on his property, wears a pair of boxer shorts with a happy face on the back. When he is bent over, the face is guarding his six from any big cats stalking him.

For Pete's sake don't post pictures. I already need Eye Bleach just thinking about what you wrote.