I always recommend that you don’t have your ear buds on while in the woods. The sounds of the woods is it’s own music. If it goes silent, it’s the woods giving you warning. Stay safe out there and enjoy. T.J. from north Idaho.
I just bought a pair of isotunes BT EARPRO.. They have the capability of enhancing sounds. I use it while hunting and hiking so I won't blow my eardrums out if I have to take a shot.
Well said T.J. Your ears might be the only thing that saves you out there. Hard to believe people would cover their ears in a landscape filled with predators. Might as well go in blindfolded. Take care brother.
@@994pt4 I would say walking the streets of L.A., etc, with headphones on is far more dangerous. There have been fewer than 30 fatal mountain lion attacks in North America since 1890 (just ask chat gpt). Most of those are in the western U.S./Canada so it depends where you are at. Meanwhile, there have been over 9,000 fatal lightning strikes in North America since 1890 - and if you included Canada and Mexico the number would be much higher (over 10,000). You're literally more likely to die (not just be struck) by lightning than be fatally attacked by a mountain lion. While I'm sure there's people who went missing who were eaten by mountain lions, it's an astronomical difference, because there's surely more who died by lightning, also. You should be more afraid of storm clouds than mountain lions. And you should probably be more afraid of getting mugged by people than either. It's valid to say it's better to listen to natural sounds but the reality is the risk is very low to wear headphones outside in nature. P.S.: I used to listen to my headphones walking the streets (day and night) in L.A., but I looked poor and homeless people would act like I was homeless, too, lol. No one bugged me cause I didn't cause problems. I'd say trust your instincts above all else. I'd still say that's irresponsible and wouldn't recommend it to others, but I knew my hood. It's all about where you're at.
I’ve seen 2 mountain lions in my times hiking in the Shenandoah National Park. First one was from the car at night time, so it really wasn’t an encounter. My second was an encounter. I was hiking the trail past a huge rock ledge when I saw a big crevice and when I looked inside, there it was, staring right at me. I was maybe 10-15 yards away and it was just watching me. I slowly walked backwards raising my hiking poles and waving them to make myself look bigger. It freaked me out so much that I ended my hike after a quick loop rather than going for a long day hike that I planned. I returned to my campsite and talked to a ranger about it. It was scary but an unforgettable experience.
The situations you're describing are as sketchy as you describe them because your life is overseen by an authority that INTENTIONALLY tells you that you have to expose yourself to a greater chance of dying because they've decided to broadcast _rules_ at you that ignore you maximizing your survival. It AMAZES me that the bulk of the population accepts this. ANY entity/authority that says you have to expose yourself to death while tools exist that could very-well save your life otherwise (guns, knives, sprays, etc), simply because that entity/authority says so, is 1) NOT under any circumstances your ally 2) Has invalidated its validity by demanding that you die just to serve its authority
In the summer of 2021 a beautiful mountain lion gave birth to two cubs on my property. She walked within 100 yards of my deck 3 or 4 times a week late in the evening along the tree line. She never killed any of my pets. I always carry bear spray and a long fixed blade knife when cutting the grass. It was a blessing to have the big cat family living here in 2021.😺😺😺
Last week I was walking out to my truck in the dark, 6am with my headlamp on, in the mountains near Brookings Oregon. No neighbors, no outside lights. Truck door was 50 feet away. I was halfway there when my lamp picked up two big glowing yellow eyes and the silhouette of a full grown mountain lion rising up through the tall grass on a slope, 30 feet away. I kept the light on the cat and began stepping away smoothly, back toward the building. As I approach the door there was a large bush between the cat and I, at which point I had to find my key and get it into the lock, open the door, jump in and slam that sucker. I now leave the house with a very bright flashlight and a .40 caliber Glock with hollow points. The light may have deterred the cat but I can't be sure, all I know is that I was very fortunate. As it got light outside and Decided it was safer to come out, there were deer in the driveway and I felt pretty stupid at that point but they were calm and we're not sensing any danger. I examined the place where the cat was laying and realized that was a regular path for the deer. I'm assuming that he was waiting for the deer and not for me, hopefully anyway! Getting an electric garage door opener and exterior lights installed asap.
My sister was killed by a cougar on Vancouver Island 1977 and she was 7yrs old. She was found hrs. Later and was eaten. I asked stepfather what happened to her a couple of months ago. It took me all these years to ask what happened to her. I am in my 50s and still scared to go camping or hiking to this day. This is just part of the cougar attack story on my baby sister.
I broke down about 8 miles from the nearest highway near the eastern Arizona border. I could not raise anyone on my CB radio and this was before cellphones. I realized I would have to hike out. I never even thought about wildlife. I grabbed three bottles of water and a cold burger and fries and headed out, pacing myself for the trip. I realized this was a survival situation and cussed myself for not telling anyone where I was going. I sat down when I guess I was about 2/3’s of the way to the road, looked back where I came from behind me and then I saw it, my first and only encounter with a mountain lion. It had been following me, for how long who knows. It was not afraid of me, and that scared the hell out of me because I know cat behavior. I own cats and even played with two leopard cubs as a young man. Even worse, this cat was huge. My mind flashed back to playing with those cubs and I thought about this mountain lions claws and teeth. I immediately stood up, held my coat open with my hands, and put up my hood to make myself look at huge as possible. I ran through the things I could do to protect myself. I had no gun, or even a damn knife. I was scared shitless. I realized this may be a moment of truth in my life. When he/she realized I was aware of it I started to walk straight at it and threw rocks, yelling and screaming like a stupid nutcase. Cats hate noise. I watched it look away for a potential escape route and this gave me hope. I advanced straight at it and thank god it backed off, at least as far as I could determine. It took me awhile to write this but the entire incident was probably less than half a minute, perhaps less, even though it felt like eternity. I left my burger and fries spreading them out as a diversion, grabbed my water and picked up my fastest hiking pace, walking backwards every so often. I finally got to a deserted, but paved road. I was still very worried. Was it still following me? Was it circling? A woman drove by and didn’t stop even with me waving my hands. What a jerk! Finally a huge semi came by and stopped. A sign said “Strictly no riders” on the right door, but the driver took one look at my terrified face and told me to hop in thank god. I told him my story and he took me to town. I noticed my hand were shaking when he offered me a Coke. When I returned with a tow truck the burger and fries were gone, and there were big cat tracks where I left the food. We did not see that cat again which was fine with me. As much as I would hate to shoot a big cat, or a bear since that day I never go off road or into a desolate area without a firearm and a big knife. I shot over some coyotes heads who were trailing me one day, but never felt the need to shoot anything even though I have been close to bears. Funny thing. Looking back and remembering this I recall thinking how amazingly beautiful that cat was, even though I was terrified. I enjoyed your video. Now you know my story. I think the advice you gave here is valid. Now, at my age I do my hiking in a truck, and always have a weapon. To be honest, I worry more about people. lol
Most of what ya say is pretty good advice. Ive been hiking in the southwest and rockies for 20 years now myself. Ran across multiple "signs" of cats, prints, claw marks, a few dead deers or small mammals in trees. SEEING an actual cougar was a LOT more rare. They are masters of stealth. Seen them in like, 2 seconds at a time. Im a BIG man, 6'2 250. 90% of the time, they either run off. They are also "scardey cats in that they dont like human contact. Ive only had 2 look at me as potiental meals 1. I cam across in the snow. I had seen lots of differnt tracks that day, deer, elk, a bear, lots of coyotes, rabbits, and 1-2 possible cougars. Turns out one was following me. I was backpacking in the San Pedro WIlderness. I had no idea it had been follwing me till i came across some cruchny snow, and i heard it. I turned around , didnt see it. Was super still, even holding my breath. I heard it again. I saw its eyes up from a log. I shouted at it. Normally if they know you see them, they run. This one didnt, but it did come out from cover. It looked to be a "teenager" or juvinile, not quite a full adult yet. It kept getting closer and slowly closer. I had a knife , but also bear spray. I immedialty got out the bear spray. Now i started to yell, stand on my tip toes and slowly walk backwards, i held one hand way high to appear taller, and YELLED very loud, HEY LEAVE! HEY YOU LEAVE NOW! I kept yelling, walking backwards slowly, and had the spray in my hand the whole time . It neveer got closer than 20 feet, which was a relief. After about 20 minutes of this, it decided i was too weird or unknown to consider me a meal and left. I kept an eye on it and walked about 2 more miles, stopping every 20seconds or mintue to listen and watch. That was intense. THe other time i accidenlty came up Over a small ridge, and spurised a mountain lion. Perhaps it had been eating or was napping (not common on the groud, but this was in a meadow). It growled very loudly (not a sound i ever want to hear, and i again, almost walking away backwards quickly, got out my bear spray. It very agressively started to charge, then stop short. Charge, then stop short, not stalking but more like trying to attack and size me up. I hit it after about a minute , it got wayyyy to close, and i hit it 2x witht the spray, it started making like, coughing sounds? ANd trying to rub its face on the ground , and i walked slowly backwards away, then once out of sight i kinda walked/jogged till i was close to a mile away. PErhaps it had cubs nearby, or a kill, i have no idea. I almost pooped myself, that was the most intense wildlife encounter i ever had, and i have been bluff charged by black bears. Bear spray works better than a knife, and its 100% legal in all 50 US states, even in states that dont allow pepper spray. If i ever hike alone, or with a couple of people in remote or bear areas, (usually areas with cougars as well) i carry it. Plus you can be a short distance away. If it gets close enough for you to use a knife you might have already lost. Just a thought there. Looking forward to more videos dude! Like your channel
Seconded on that mountain lion growl being a one and done for life, had one yell at me while night hiking a few miles away from a trailhead. Sounded about 20 ft away, up an incline and im walking on a trail by a stream. Walk 30ish paces, stop, scan the trees and brush with my headlamp, repeat all the way out of the forest. Knowing that a mountain lion is around is one thing, but having one pissed at you for God knows what when alone and unarmed, well that's something different entirely. I hike armed these days, have never had to use it only drew once on a wild boar that thankfully didn't charge. I actually prefer bear encounters, less stalking and stealth
@@gradonhuss2410 I think I'd rather be alive to explain myself in jail if authorities happened to see me use it. Bear spray being illegal is just plain stupid. Wake up NJ.
My son's Scout troop was doing a 20-mile hike through desert mountains. My dad and I went up to drive a vehicle down and stage it, so the boys could make a one-way hike. Less than a mile down the mountain dirt road/trail, I passed a large mountain lion crouched on an embankment above the road. It didn't even flinch. I turned around (a ways ahead, where I could) to head back and warn the troop. By then the lion had moved. The Scoutmaster and I went over mountain lion safety, including much of what was covered in this video. One key is that a mountain lion will rarely attack a large man, usually instead going for smaller men, women, and kids. Look large by raising your arms -- even better if you can pull up the bottom of a sweater or jacket to spread between upraised arms to look massive. A lion normally will not attack you head on. Usually, it won't even advance on you while you stare at it -- just like a housecat playing, it will wait until you look away. If you run, you can be as big as the hulk and it won't matter, you've become prey and it will hunt you for sport even if it isn't hungry. Lions have excellent hearing and dislike loud noises. Scream, whistle, discharge a firearm into the air... whatever it takes. In a group, all should scream and make noise. Don't panic! Again, don't run. If you've spotted a mountain lion, _you will survive the encounter!_ You just have to be smart and heed all the good advice you've received in this video and comments. Those who don't survive an encounter are those who didn't see the cat before being attacked.
@Sims 3 Forever Dude bite force of animals is almost a non factor. Whats the difference between a 400psi bite compared to a 1000psi if its on your throat. Lions are far scarier than bears. Well small black bears that is.
All large wild predators are concerning creatures in the wilderness, but being aware that that is their home and you are the foreign presence out there will do you very well. Always be aware of everything going around you, sounds or absence of sound, that will give you indication of how peaceful nature is nature is accepting your presence. Listen to the birds and squirrels, they will alert you to movement of other large animals through your area. If you use the small animals to extend your senses, then you can know more about what's going on in your larger area. Just saying.
they are all dangerous, yes it's easier to get away from a bear, you can just run up a hill and most of the time you can get away because they can't carry all their weight all that fast up a hill, this is your best chance if it charges you if there is a hill near by.. A bear even with out using it's claws can knock your head off with one swing, a brown bear adult can weigh as much as 1,300 LBS just their arm can weight over 80 LBS just think of how much force that can land on your head if it takes a swing at you.. If a brown bear weighing over 1,000 lbs knocks you and and just lays on you, they can kill you just by crushing you with it's weight.
I’ve hiked a lot on the Appalachian Trail at night also, and never saw more than deer and raccoons. I currently live in Idaho, which is Mountain Lion territory. I’ve hiked solo many many times... and again, have never seen one single Mountain Lion... but I can’t let my guard down! Thanks a ton for this video... it’s always a good reminder so we don’t get slack.
I appreciate that you make these videos. When I lived in Ukiah CA we had an older mountain lion that lived back in the hills with us. I only saw him once, but we could hear it's cry fairly often. It sounds a little like a woman screaming, yet not quite human. We found deer carcasses half buried too. I think it was older and slower, and it is why it lived so close to us and our neighbors. We had a manmade pond about half a mile from our house, and I think that contributed to it's choice of territory. Thanks for sharing your knowledge
wish people wuld stop saying it refereing to animals soo fkin sick of human disrespect toward nature// stop putting humans above nature all the fkin time// they keep going ectinct and fat humans make loads of fat babies// n dumbasses r more protected then fkin nature sick of seeing meat eaters deforesting our fkin planet corn soy for your fkin taste buds
I use to live in Cloverdale and we use to own the little feed store right as you come in to town across the street from the grocery store _and we lived on the Russian river bye the kOA and I use to see them from time to time on my way [back and forth from the feed store to were we lived they use to freak me out but the wild pigs were more dangerous then the cats
About 1 1/2 years ago at night, I heard my dog barking in my back yard, then yelp. I ran out with a bright flashlight and there was a mountain lion standing over my dog. I didn't have any weapons so kept the light in his eyes and started screaming like an angry predator while I approached him. He looked at me, picked my dog up, dropped the dog, then casually turned and went over the fence. He stood on the other side of the fence for a while then strolled off. He was definitely not afraid of me, just uncertain of what I was, I think. He hung out for a while - I saw him 30 feet from my front door, watching, as I came out to take my dog to the vet. I put up trail cams and catch him on them approximately 4 times a month. Now when it's dark my dogs are only allowed in the front yard, with me, my headlamp and gun. Last week I saw the lion at night again. He came out of the rocks above my house, sat in plain view for a while, then turned and headed towards my neighbor's house. My house is next to what serves as a wildlife corridor into town, but I'm only 2 blocks from Main St, so it's not wild country. Living in CA means the lion is allowed to hunt here. He took my dog and I'm sure many of local house cats that have disappeared in the last year. He hunts below my house, which means he is going right into town. CA Fish & Wildlife apparently wants him to take a kid before doing anything about it. They are impressive animals but this one I'd rather see as a rug.
I’m from FL and moved to Reno almost 5 years ago. I love to hike and this is a great place for it! October 2 years ago, I went up towards the meadow with a view of Lake Tahoe and found a trail into the woods. About a half mile in, I realized how quiet it was and it felt like I was being watched. I started checking my pockets as I scanned my full surroundings and found I had forgotten my bear spray in the car. I picked up some rocks for my pockets and a heavier one for skull cracking (just in case). I didn’t see any big animals but that gut feeling of being watched didn’t leave me. I returned to my car safely with a lesson learned: even for a short hike in the woods, take your spray. In an odd note, I live in a mobile home park and saw a small bobcat in my backyard last year 😂
Thank you for this great video! Because of all the wildfires we have had in Santa Cruz and other places in California, mountain lions (and coyotes) have moved into urban areas. They are hungry. My son in law was riding his bike on a mountain road, well traveled, paved and with houses scattered along it, so not expecting anything. All of a sudden out of the corner of his eye he saw a movement. A huge mountain lion was stalking him. He got off his bike so he could put the bike between him and it, and threw rocks and yelled while walking down the street towards town. It kept following and would charge him, gnarling, every once in a while. Then all of a sudden it disappeared. Scary!
@@KARIS1961 I just moved to Santa Cruz and my friends and family kept expressing concern about mountain lions when I solo hike. I didn't realize researching what to do about mountain lions would be required with moving here! haha
@@cecilialopez8344 Welcome to Santa Cruz! It’s like Natural Geographic here. 😃 Took me a while to get used to all of the animals. If you have a dog or cat, you’ll want to keep them inside at night. I hope you’re enjoying yourself here.
Mountian lions are pretty scary. They are unpredictable at best. They'll stalk people, sometimes out of curiosity but they have been known eat humans on rare occasions. In New Mexico where I lived there was s moratorium for a number of years on hunting them and all of a sudden there was a glut of them and people were encountering them often. Once I was living in Sulphur Springs in the Jamez Mountians in New Mexico at about 9,000 ft.. it was in the dead of winter and I and a couple of friends ran out of coffee, tobacco and other necessities and I ended up snowshouing about three miles down the mountian with an empty pack to the store. The road had cliffs on one side and Sulphur Creak was on the other. The snow was about three feet deep and I started seeing places where something was plowing through the powdery snow. The tracks were too deep in the snow but I could see the tail swishes on the surface so I knew what it was. Further along at one piont I noticed snow in a fine mist, so to speak comming down from above and when I looked up there he was. He was about twenty feet above me on the rocky cliff ot the road cut looking over the edge. I couldnt run, I was armed with a buck 110 pocket knife abd that was it. i saw him three or four more times in the next mile or more before I reached thr highway and I didn't feel safe until I hit that road (NM Route 4) and when I got to the store I wondered if I had skid marks in my Carhartt bibs. I wonered if he'd been following me since I left the house. He never got after me or I'd say I'd been dead. I told my buddy who ran the store and he loaned me a model 700 Remington bolt rifle chambered in .308 and on the way back up I met a neighbor my buddy from the store had called and he gave me a ride back up on his snowmobile, thank God! It'd gotten sort of late and I'd have been doing the last leg in very low light. I really didn't want to be snowshoeing up that mountian anyway. Often mountain lions have a hard time hunting in deep snow. Under those circumstances a lion might do something it might not do ordinarily. He might have been curious but I'll never know. On the way back up we didn't see him once but that didn't mean he wasnt there. We stopped to check out his tracks and found some we could clearly see and they indicated that he was a good sized one. The next few days we kept an eye out but we never saw him again.
The smell of fear coming off of me would probably be like salad dressing to a wild animal. Hey, you gotta know yourself, right? Guess I'll stick to the wilds of TJ Maxx. ( little joke there.)
TJ Maxx? You just try to pick up the last one of an item, in there, during a sale! You'll wish you were in the deep woods, at night, alone, with peanut butter and beef sticks hanging off your shoulder. 🤣
I was hiking on a very remote trail in the Cleveland National Forest about 30 years ago when I noticed a mountain lion walking parallel to me and about 50 feet to my left. The cat was just following me and was not threatening me in any way. I kept walking for another few minutes and then decided I better head back to my car. As I turned around the cat disappeared. I then spent the next hour walking back to my car while constantly turning around to make sure it wasn't sneaking up on me. By the time I got back to my car, I had a throbbing stress headache. From then on I carried a backpack (for back protection) and a .380 on subsequent hikes to that area.
I met a female adult mountain lion in my yard in Oklahoma. She was huge and stood appx. 6 ft in front of me. My catahoula was to her side barking. I had no weapon. Fear left almost immediately. I mostly felt in awe of her power and beauty. Muscles rippled. Silent footsteps on dried leaves. Incredible. I guess she did not like the odds, 2 to 1. She left after about 5 minutes, silently.
They are all muscle man. Imagine their capabilities if they chose to attack you. Have you seen their jumping distance FUCK.. They really are fascinating. We saw one take a bald eagle out of the air once in Montana. Also saw a video of ot bit I think in that one the eagle was perched
What an awesome sight. She showed wisdom, animals in the Wild are good at that. They won't seek a fight if it looks like they would be injured; they won't take the risk. People aren't like that, they take foolish risks in engaging wild animals without cause, and end up paying for it. All these commenters talk about aggressing against cougars or bear, instead of using wisdom. They talk of fear, running, or hand-to-hand combat, when all they need is peace and wisdom, as wisdom can't be accessed from a state of fear. Their thoughts run to violence, when violence isn't needed. They don't know how to be at peace around animals, and that's unfortunate. If someone reads this and they think I have no experience, or that my words are those of wishful thinking, they don't know my good history, which I have shared in other threads on this page, for I know of what I speak. It was more than "not your time." It is not in the nature of Cougars to hunt Man; if it was, they would have done it from the beginning of time. Wildlife, most often, doesn't want trouble, and certainly not from Man. It is the fear inside people that imposes *their fear on animals.
Yes, as experience living w Feline Friends at home. Hate their dragging or carrying in teeth Chipmunks- after I snap open Can of Food. I scold them, or shake Chippy out of their savage Jaw-sometimes with success if Chipmunk survives. 'Trying more cheese and breakfast cereal/milk we share.
I live in Gilroy, Ca next to Mt Madonna and we’ve had several mountain lion sightings in our neighborhoods and because of our dry weather, they’re looking for water. I’ve also had a couple of small pets disappear. I had one encounter with a mountain lion when my neighbor, my medium size dog and I went for a short hike late afternoon up a trail in Mt Madonna. As we walked further up the trail, my dog started to get nervous and I felt like we were being followed or watched. I told my neighbor to stop, I picked up my dog and then we spotted the lion on the same trail ahead of us. My neighbor thought it was a dog but I could tell it was a mountain lion by its long tail and face. It looked back at us, I told my neighbor to pick up a large branch to wave around and we stood together to appear large since we’re both petite women. We stood together, waving the branch around, shaking our house keys and watched it disappear up the trail in front of us. We cautiously headed back down the trail and thanked God that we weren’t attacked….maybe it was looking for water 😅.
I know this is kind of an older video. But I just had to share. I have seen 3 cougars but the one that tried to get my door open was the worst. It was the middle of nowhere western Oregon, end of fall. I was moving out of a small trailer that had a little porch out front. My car was parked approx 15 feet away (with my cat inside) and it was 10pm. As i walked in to grab my keys i heard the porch creak loudly. I turned to slam the door shut right as a giant paw grabbed at the edge of the door! I managed to pull the door closed after a struggle. The growl it let out went through the door and into my whole body. I watched him pace back and forth, circling my car and checking out my poor cat on occasion. I had literally nothing except my keys. I waited forever until I saw it round the corner and I got into my car so fast! Then realized my friends dog was walking around outisde. I ended up driving through her back yard, pulling the dog into the car and driving him to her front door lol. She was so drunk she tried to go get a look at it. Thankfully I was able to stop her. Scared the crap outta me! We have very large cougars here and this guy was massive! Im sure an angel helped me get that door closed cause the power on that animal was incredible. I'll never forget the feeling of that growl as long as I live. Talk about an amazing animal
*Native American here. Whether you walk, run, bike, WHATEVER..these cats will go after you if they are hungry enough. And they are ALWAYS hungry..and even if they aren't hungry will kill food to eat later. Ever find toys, shoes, hats, camping gear or bikes just left in the woods? There's your proof. Many pets, children and adults are killed and dragged off never to be seen again by these big cats. If they can catch it and eat it..they will. My people learned NEVER to go into the woods alone if possible..and NEVER without a weapon of some kind. Even a knife may be all that saves you if you know where to stab an animal. And the woods today are also filled with human predators as well. I'm NEVER in the woods without my big dog, bear spray and a gun..and that STILL doesn't guarantee I'll make it home. Better safe than sorry my grandma always said. Be safe out there!*
I've noticed hiking in northern New Mexico that we never see native Americans out on the trails except one of my friends is native and she loves hiking and backpacking.
Well I seen one very up close and it didn't attack me. They're not ALL ALWAYS hungry. And if there's smaller, easier prey, they'll prefer that to a big person.
@@1ACL One cat not attacking you isn't a big enough number to justify what you are saying about them. Cats don't just kill for food. They also do it to protect their territory and some just because you are there. Have you not ever seen a house cat play with a dead mouse it caught and has no intention on eating?
@@Nightbird. My brother and I literally almost ran into one about 50 years ago when we were kids.- we were about 10 feet away from it. We both froze and stared at it. I was 9 and my brother was 7. It stared at us, we stared at it, and then it made an exasperated sound, and then it slowly turned around, and went back into the woods.
I had a cougar encounter recently on Sauvie Island, in Oregon. Never saw it, but I heard it. It definitely heard us coming (because we knew they were around and were making lots of noise), and it let out a loud snarl (it instantly registered with both myself and my hiking partner what this was), and took off into the treeline. We made a lot of noise, stomped all around, made ourselves big, and made our way over to confirm what we'd heard. Sure enough, big cat tracks there in the sand. It had been waiting near the brush for some kind of prey (deer or rabbits), but it got two loud humans and three big dogs instead. We were probably within 8 yards of the cat when it snarled at us and ran off. We didn't hang around there, of course, but it was an awesome encounter, and really made our day. We did lots of cat-checks throughout our hike, and continued making noise, but I never got the sense that it was stalking us. It took off and avoided us as soon as it knew we were there. We did see older tracks along the beach though, so it had definitely been active in that whole area.
greetings from Brazil. here depending on the region in which you live there are sightings of both pumas (which are known here as suçuaranas) and jaguars. in short, I live in São Roque, state of SP, in a neighborhood far from the city center, with few residents. Anyway, when I was 16, I studied in the morning, and I needed to walk around 200 meters to reach the bus stop, which was on a road far from the neighborhood. one day, when i was going to the bus stop (around 6:30 am) i noticed a pair of eyes in the undergrowth watching the street. when I approached, whatever it was ran into the woods through the undergrowth. at the time I thought it was a dog or something, at night people were talking about a puma hanging around the plantations. now i see how lucky i was.
I live in Northern California where mountain lions are seen often and even recently seen in a neighborhood in town. I live in the mountains north of Redding and they are seen a lot. A neighbor friend saw one about one month ago and she turned back home to hide inside put her dog a German Shepard went after it and attacked it. The dog got hurt and was walking with a limp the next day by the dog survived and I believe saved her owner.
How come dog safed owner when she hid in house? Poor dog! Instead of letting him after cat, she could have waited til next mornig! By then cat most probably would have been gone!
I carry a really loud Noise maker.....push the button and the noise is so loud it would frighten them. We live on a Mountain. Last night took my dog out for potty. Heard a Mountain Lion Screaming down the mountain. I knew it was a Cat...and not a Coyote. The UPS Truck Driver came to our door last year, and he was panicked...he Saw one not far from our property. GREAT VIDEO...THANK YOU !!
This is the second video of yours I have watched and both of them are nicely done and full of excellent information. Thank you for sharing your expertise and experience with the rest of us.
In Tucson, Arizona while running y dog in a mountainous neighborhood on the street while passing a home, ( I ran this area every day) I looked a noticed a mountain lion laying on the welcome matt at the front door porch door! It was watching us! I immediately stopped and secured my dog, luckily my dog did not notice the M.L. We slowly walked away, looking back several times to see if we were being followed. The mountain lion just continued to lay on the porch watching us . My heart was pounding out of my chest and I was glad that My Airedale did not see the M.L. as I know she would have bolted for it. I continued to say her name so she would focus on me. It was an adult full grown M.L, first I had ever seen in 8 years of my every morning runs. Holly Shit! I felt very lucky to have not had things go bad. Maybe it had just finished eating and was relaxing on a nice front porch! Hope it left before someone left for work and opened the front door to that big boy saying good morning! Less than a mile from downtown Tucson! At least 25 homes on that street! Be aware of where your at! I thanked god several times that day!
Wow that is just crazy, a mountain lion lying on a front door welcome mat. Did you call the wildlife people? I live in Green Valley. I was going to go hiking in Madeira Canyon this weekend by myself with my Lab. I have only been hiking a couple times up there with my dog. I have always gone with a friend. Guess I am going to need to get bear spray and take a knife (I don’t own a gun). I am glad I watched this video.
Thank you for the tips. I was outside this afternoon on my porch in the South Texas countryside when I heard a woman scream two times. Than I heard the neighbors cows mooing . I thought to myself why is someone screaming like a nut out there. Than a lightbulb came on. I quickly got my dogs inside and went in myself. Your video helped teach me what to do if I encounter one. Very grateful.
very informative thanks for covering every bit. appearing big, noise, not turning your back, not running away etc. safeguarding youngers and weak and use of any melee weapon including blade or a blunt weapon to fight back in case you dont have a firearm on you.
I didn't know I had a tick for 3 days. I had to go to the hospital because of lymph node pain in abdomen. It hurt so freaking bad it was hard to lift, bend, walk. Ticks aren't a joke.
Pro tip: If you see a tick, you should wave your arms, yell, and then throw some sticks or rocks at it. If that doesn't work, you should stop, drop and roll. And if that doesn't work, you must punch it in the nose like a shark. And if that doesn't work, just scream like a 5 year old. That's what I do.
I live in mountain lion territory in Oregon statistically you have a higher chance of a branch falling down knocking you over the head and killing you than being killed by a mountain lion.. but the population of mountain lions has increased quite a bit since they outlawed hunting on horseback here. The population of deer has decreased due to the increase in mountain lions but this is still good information it's good to be cautious.
Thank you for your content, I saw I saw videos of people suggesting putting big eyes, like a sticker or something on the top of your backpack, because they like to jump down from trees on your back, and they see the eyes and are deterred.
I have only ever heard that applying to tigers, nonother cat. They wore masks that looked like faces on back of head in India which often works with tigers, but apparently they started to learn and it doesn't work as well now.
Great video. I grew up in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado and have never seen a mountain lion, but encountered a huge bobcat/lynx looking cat in Moab, Utah. He just crossed the trail nonchalant af. It was amazing.
Never seen one but on a bike trail there was a lynx and not far from me on same trail someone say a baby Mt Lion that they thought was separated from its mother
I live in Forks Washington and we have so many mountain lions here just wanted to let you know they do fallow people on trails for miles sometimes and if you hear sounds like birds at night it’s usually them communicating with each other they make a lot of different sounds
Good info. Last week while mountain biking in the Santa Monica Mountains in Los Angeles at the end of the ride and very close to houses etc ..I came up over a rise for a final descent and standing in the middle of the trail facing me was a large mountain lion. I yelled purely out of shock and came to a stop because seeing it in this location was the last thing I expected. I’ve seen children hiking this part of the trail by themselves. Scary. Anyway we looked at each other for a maybe 5 seconds and he took off, effortlessly scaling the rock and brush covered mountain side. Looking back I realized if the lion had decided to come after me I was in an extremely bad position. Straight drop off to my right, lion in front of me, sheer mountain wall to my left and a fairly steep incline behind me. I guess it was my lucky day.
No lions, but I was lucky enough to see a grizzly in the wild. He was so far away he never knew I was there. My dad got the spotting scope out and we watched it walk across the field. Yellowstone is a beautiful place. Also new sub here. I wish you all the success in the world.
Living in Ahwahnee California; near Yosemite. We have a 1/2 mile long driveway and frequently encounter black bears and mountain lions. I honk at the lions and they flee. My 12-year-old grandson walks down the driveway to catch his school bus in the morning. Twice he encountered a black bear. He just slowly walks back to the house as the bear walks the other way--he knows never to run.
Cool video with great advice! I lived in the Lincoln National Forest in New Mexico at 8,000' a long time ago. Seeing bear, deer & elk was a daily occurence. In town ppl were saying they spotted a mountainn lion; it was coming down to a lower elevation to hunt for food. I worked nights back then. Where I lived it was pitch dark at night, no neighbors, no lights except the ones on my house. I got home one night, got out of my truck and started up the 30 steps to my front door and heard a twig snap. I stopped and turned and just caught sight briefly of a mountain lion as it passed through a lit area. It was walking towards my house and I didn't stand still long. I've never been so scared. Once it was out of the light, I couldn't see which way it went.
During the Civil War in Illinois my great great grandmother was coming home at night from her day volunteering at a hospital. A panther followed her home.
We now have them in nw lower Michigan, sleeping bear national park area. Many people have sighted them, and the park (finally) put up signs. I had an episode with the one in the park with my dog in early spring a few years back. I heard it “ scream “ at us , huge growl, my lab freaked a little, I picked up a lg branch to make myself look bigger and we walked QUICKLY, without running back to the van. Scary. They’re beautiful but… a little scary!
I find these videos very informative. I am a Florida native and never thought twice about a panther or black bear and never saw one even when camping. Gators are much more frequent down there than any other wild creature and hell they live in the lakes and ponds in our neighborhoods. Ever since I moved to Helena, Montana I won't even go walking around here at night, because I know these animals sometimes wander into even the cities. Of course most of Montana is rural no matter what area you are in. I didn't know the first thing about encountering a bear or a mountain lion, but I'm learning fast. I would like to start hiking this summer and honestly I am a little scared to go venturing any further than my backyard. lol
It's natural to feel intimidated when one has no knowledge, mentoring or experience with new things like that. I trust you've been wearing "bear-bells" on your belt-loop or daypack, just 3-4 bells that will jingle every time you move or walk, so that they hear you coming and avoid you. This is the long-known method of preventing bear-encounters. I would not count on any close-contact methods as that is already too close. Bear-spray can blow back on you by a breeze, it can also anger a bear. To me, the whole idea is to keep distance, especially from grizzlies, black bear mothers with cubs, bison, cougars, and wolves. Though I have seen grizzlies in real life (Glacier National Park), I have no firsthand experience in dealing with them, while my experiences (in Arizona) have been with a cougar (stalked by one), a sizeable pack of coyotes encircling me and my dogs on a dark night, and black bear. But I have been on extended backpacking trips in bear country in other states where we used bear-bells, and we didn't see them at all: they stayed away from us, per their natural desire to avoid man. The primary cause of negative bear encounters occurs when people surprize them: bear don't like to be surprized: it frightens them to the point of their reacting defensively, so giving them a heads-up is all important, to which they'll leave the area. Some people say that they just talk loudly all the time instead of wearing bear-bells, but who wants to talk constantly, especially in beautiful, serene forests, when they should be paying attention? If you're in grizzly country, I'd suggest having a good conversation with a lifelong local hiker, and hiking *_with_* those that are trustworthy and experienced. I'd encourage you to learn how to handle your mind, mouth, and being, and your ways of hiking in ways that do not need to involve the mindset of lethality. So many fearful people easily speak of killing large predators, but that is how grizzlies and wolves have largely been extirpated from the West, and they are species with a purpose in Nature; they need to be respected and preserved. Wise self-handling, like learning where, when and how to hike, like wearing bear-bells (and maybe carrying a terribly loud handheld airhorn, the kind that are used on boats, as they can be heard for miles, and all animals hate or fear huge noise), can prevent contact so these events are nonissues. The whole point is to learn and use wisdom, which is the principal thing. Though I've had many contacts with the species I've named, I don't have fear of them, and walking in fear is no way to live, neither is having a lethal-mindset. The way of knowledge, wisdom, respect and peace is the way to live, and I encourage you in that. Greetings from Tucson. (You can read the details of that cougar-stalking, 2 hours in the Tucson Mountains, in other threads here, where I already shared it. )
@Sims 3 Forever Dude Regardless of that statement, we have often heard numerous coyotes vocalizing together from the same location, obviously all adults, and the night a pack encircled us, they were all adult-size, there was one big male among them, there were no "pups," though some, I'm sure, were offspring. They were not few, they encircled me and my leashed dogs closely and fully, at about 6 feet away from us, a full circle of them, about 15 of them. I won't repeat the story here; you can read it where I posted it on this page. I would be reticent to believe the statement you posted, as I've seen differently. I lived for 14 years at the edge of Tucson Mountain Park SSE of Old Tucson, about 2 minutes walk from BLM land that bordered the park. There was a great deal of wildlife all around, and I was a big hiker in those days, knowing that area very well. Coyotes will work cooperatively for big prey, and both my dogs were bigger than them, even bigger than the male. It was my dogs that they wanted. It was an event of a lifetime, but we went home that night untouched.
@Sims 3 Forever Dude A pack of 5 or 6 had encircled me and my large dog but appearing only in flashes at Lake Mead NV. They were non threatening but a good sized fish one had dropped was still thrashing about as we backed off from a stream alongside a large run of water.
Aren’t there wolves in Montana too to worry about? Heard stories of Wolf packs killing and eating peoples dogs but very rare of Wolf attacks on humans. I’m sure they have happened though.
Did she stay in your home with you? Or was she spayed? How did you feed her? I am not doubting that she was very affectionate but they also have instinctive qualities that can be easily triggered under the right circumstance. Cats are one of the most majestic animals to form a bond with if you respect their cues and needs they will adore you.
They make excellent friends along with bobcats. See the couple with a pet cougar in Russia in multiple videos. Also a Texas couple with bobcats. Cougars are actually nicer than Bobcats.
@@jerrypolverino6025 I’ve seen the guy in Russia. His pet cougar loves him! Still, I wouldn’t mess around with the wild ones. Attacks are rare, but not that rare!
I saw a mountain lion as a teen in Colorado. It was quite exciting! Instinctively I knew to keep my distance. I was above a small canyon and it was below. I'm thankful I had the experience.
Over here in California , most trails have snakes and mountain lion warnings, it’s hard to go to a trail with your family where you don’t see one of this signs
If you're a long distance hiker....and can do so..... I recommend carrying a small ultralight revolver... .38 or a 22 mag.....chest rig on your sternum strap.... Half a pound of protection... If you can't pack it as a means of defense....get stronger. There's 4 and 2 legged animals that don't GAF at all....out roaming looking for prey.
Great advice 👍I've just subscribed I've a story about a Pacific Crest Trail female thru hiker in 2018 that had an encounter with a mountain lion north of the Tahoe rim Trail area. She actually challenged a mountain lion that was stalking her tent, she mistook it to be a dear. She was fortunate, luckily she lived to tell the story.. I've also heard a fog horn can be very effective if a mountain lion is stalking your camping area. Safe hiking 👍
i am a California native. bears rattlesnakes, tarantulas, coyotes do not bother me at all, but spooking a mountain lion, having it menace me and snarl before running away left me worried for a couple of nights. they are rare to sight in the wild. I have only seen two in over 40-50 years of hunting, fishing, backpacking and trail running here in California. they are there, they are on the news snatching poodles every year but they usually hear humans way before you come across them. my favorite animal encounter was seeing a small dark object coming out of brush work it's way across some huge talus above a tarn I was camped at. as it got closer I realized it was a little bluish grey fox. it hunted several of the many pika's that inhabited it was so animated eating them. relishing each little chomp. licking it's lips and smiling like a content dog. it was amazing. it ignored me the whole time but I'm pretty sure it was aware I was there.
All of my Colorado and Montana mountain lion encounters have been on RR tracks and utility easements. They seemed interested in other prey they were guarding. In each case a large branch was available to me, and they let me back out of the situation. There was one time however, when I got 'cold pricklies' up my spine, stopped and turned around, and on my way back down the trail, there were now paw prints that had been following me up the trail. I walked back down to civilization with many rocks in hand and a wary eye.
I had an encounter with a cougar when I was a teenage boy. It was in the Santa Monica mountains. The Santa Monica mountains are next to the Pacific Ocean in southern California. I can tell you are going to find this experience unusual. It was by no means a frightening experience. My Father & I were hiking. The cougar with his tail was 7ft long. He showed no fear or hostility. He slowly disappeared behind an abandoned cabin. In hindsight I think he was following the scent of a deer. I think he disappeared to follow his own business. He was by no means annoyed or afraid of us.
I had my first cougar encounter today. That’s why I looked up this video. I did not run away from us. It followed us from the tree line 25 yards away. We are 2 adult males. We talked at it. Then talked louder at it as it followed. Then it stopped finally and watched up hike away as we kept backing away.
I ran into one last year in Central WI. Riding my bike on a rail trail. Crossed the path 20-30 yds in front of me chasing a deer and one of its 2 fawns. Amazing! No mistaking it was a cat. When it crossed the trail, it was laser focused. Never saw me approaching. Never looked at me. It was in a running crouch, like the last few steps before a cat jumps.
I live in Colorado - the Rocky Mountains and beyond :o) I do land and water blessings and usually go where my 4 wheel drive takes me. Thanks for these tips. I have hiked here for 5 decades & have had a few bear encounters but not out on the trail. Around human garbage or garbage night to be real honest. A whole other topic what a plastic bag can do in the stomach of a bear, elk, deer or any other living mammal etc . . . This is a great service you are doing to people. You have to be wildlife smart in our world. We are in their homeland - not vice versa.
I live in SC and at the time of my sighting of these beautiful creatures, I was working at a plantation directing guest into the property early one evening with my sweet dog, Angelica. Well we were in a little booth enjoying the evening with the door open, and this beautiful creature comes trotting down the entrance road. At first I thought was a pit bull with a long tail but it was much bigger and it had taller back legs. Angelica was very interested, and took off after the mountain lion into the median separating the entrance and exits roads. I could not see anything and ran after Angelica screaming the worst sound a mother could scream. Then the mountain lion let out the scariest loudest scream. At that time, Angelica came from the brush in the median, terribly scared, crouch down to the ground coming towards me, peeing herself. Thank God she was not hurt, but that mountain lion sure did scare the pee out of her and me.
Trust me!! In desert AZ, lots of folks shoot em, they don't become a statistic.. if they didn't however have a gun, they would have. Can you believe they hang out in top of saguaro cactuses waiting for prey
We live in PA where the mountain lion population is increasing quickly. We have never seen one on the trails but always conscious of the potential. Love this “just in case” video. Ty.
@@yelenaaronson9735 The "great source" has much inaccurate "information," keep that in mind regarding other subjects as well. To depend on or trust that source or any like it is a great mistake.
VERY much appreciate your voice of experience !! The continual left right up down scan…. let’s you see more of the wonderful surroundings while out there. It’s just a habit of mine over the years that I don’t even realize I’m doing. I see things most other people miss. The wildlife can smell us, we need to see them. Keep up your excellent work.
I live in a small city and one day walking down a hilly road work (near a residential area) next to a mountain that people do hike up, not that I ever hike, really.There was really no one around but an occasional car going by. I noticed as I was walking down that hilly road that a cougar was running up across the street. I just ignored him and kept walking as before. I didn't stare at him or act scared and he just quick as can be ran up into the mountains, almost like he didn't want to be seen. But I think it was good that I was facing straight ahead, as I was going down and he was going up even though he was on the other side of the road, so didn't have my back to him, and I didn't try to turn around or back away. He didn't try to get nearer to me he just ran up the mountain at lightening speed the first chance he got. He didn't want to get anywhere near me...and I'm only 5 ft. 5 inch woman.
I live in British Columbia Canada, we have alot of big cats up here. I go fishing alot, and the only time I ever seen one was when it ran across the road in front of my truck going up a mountain road. It was gone and up a 15ft bank in about 3 seconds flat. Thing was way bigger than expected. I fear them much more than bears. I've probably encountered many more but just never noticed them. Gives me the creeps sometimes when I'm out in the middle of nowhere alone.
He’s right about them staying clear of people. I have seen many footprints on my patio, in my yard and on the trail behind our house in Montana but I have never caught even a glimpse of one. I was told there’s three known cats in the area but I have yet to see one. The deer and turkeys are usually everywhere you look but when they disappear for a few days you know a lion has pushed them out of the area. I live in Florida most of the year and a friend of mine was stalked by a panther while we were turkey hunting in the Everglades. He was sitting in the scrub under a tree and had the sense to look over his shoulder and there it was like a barn cat sneaking up on a mouse. It took off as soon as he stood up. My only sighting was spotting the rear ended of one stepping into an orange grove as I was crossing Florida on a narrow country road. They’re like smoke.
I saw one in Southeast Kansas. I was going into the woods to chop some dead trees, and saw what I first thought was a dog then saw the long tail. I immediately turned around and walked back to the road. I can't think of a more awe-inspiring animal.
Here in the Flint Hills of Kansas in November of 2018 a starving baby mountain lion crossed the road about 80 feet in front of me as I was returning home from a walk. It was well past the cute and cuddly stage, but still had its spots, which they keep up to 1.5 years. It looked to be about 30 pounds; filled out, would have been about forty. I was shocked and just stopped and stared. It stopped also, and looked over at me for a few seconds, then just kept on walking. I sensed it was too weak to be a threat, but it certainly wasn't afraid of me. Really felt sorry for it but also started to wonder where mom might be.
Always wanted to visit National Parks and even my local PA State Parks but I have crazy fears of snakes and bears. Even when I was a hunter I hated being in the woods alone and now I just don't go at all. They say it's a good idea to try things you're afraid of so I'm hoping one day I get to visit the parks with my kids without being afraid of wildlife 🤞
While you can still come across animals, many parks have boardwalks, traveled trails, etc. areas that are easier access with less chance of larger animals you might be scared if.
I wear snake guards when going through brush. Never been bit by a snake yet but they can't penetrate the shin guard. They aren't that expensive and very useful. I metal detect, going through brush is a need for me. Bear spray does work well. Just keep your distance and don't walk up on ones cubs. Don't be scared to enjoy the beautiful wilderness.
I know this is not a Mountain lion experience am sharing, but I would like to share it anyway. A couple of years ago I was having a hike in forest and encounters a wolf(there where most likely more, but only saw one). I fellt like I was being followed and turned around and had it behind me about 50 meters. Eyecontact and everything and the wolf did show any interest of leaving. It walked towards me slowly, like it wanted to explore me. My first reaction was to run, but realised that would most likely trigger a response. I dont know where I got this idea from, but I took out my blade and put it towards my mouth and placed it like it was a teeth and made sure I flashed it to the wolf. It stoped looked at me and took of. I dont know what it thought and what it wanted but it sure was scary
Wish the dads in my family had heard you decades ago. There is nothing like hiking a mtn top trail in Kilarney Prov Pk, with a group of people older then yourself, being the youngest, with the food pack, the last one in the group positions. On every Beech tree I saw, I saw the (bear) claws markings through the bark. I think I looked back with every other step. Thank goodness nothing happened, but alot of training for me. Wishing that adults, especially those with more knowledge or who should have more knowledge, are careful. Sometimes I wonder if this is what happens to people who seem to vanish. Peace out.
I have only seen two mountain lions in the 57 years I have lived here in Colorado. A male and female heading down to the watering hole. They walked on by me about 100 feet away took a look and kept on going. Lynx and bobcats, I see all the time out on the trails.
I mostly hike alone and im very aware of my surroundings , in 25 years i have only seen 2 cougars of the 4 legged variety , one was at a very popular site quite close to a town that has a huge rabbit population so the cats stay close to town easy food. so they are well fed, I saw track so knew it was in the area, knife in hand and bear spray ready to go just in case, no idea how affective spray would be on a cougar but its better than nothing. a few hundred feet up the trail in the low branches of a large pine there was the cat. as soon as i made eye contact the cats behaviour changed, way more skittish, I picked up some good sized rocks and started throwing them in the cats direction and just kept doing it, making lots of noise and moving towards it, that cat was out the tree and off up the rocks as fast as you could blink. much to my relief. I was taught to let the cat know you mean business and are not an easy meal, second cougar sighting, it was sitting way up on some rock shelves just watching me along the trail , I think it was more curious than anything then pow off it went up the side of the mountain and vanished. 2 very cool sightings, and I still think i was lucky to even see them as im certain they just vanish as soon as they know people are there. I would like to make a quick note here about people and dogs. keep your dog on a leash at all times, because cougars are masters at luring the dog to chase them. then ambush. bang 2 seconds later your dog is dead, and you wont even know until you try and call it back by that time the cat is long gone with fido.
I had a friend who was looking for her cat on an abandoned property next to her house. She said she heard a cat noise coming out of the bush by the house, and, thinking it was her cat, pushed the bush aside at which point she realized she was 4ft away from a Mountain Lion. She said it just looked at her, and she thought "oh hell no" and started backing away. The Mountain Lion never followed her, but later she found her housecat's tail. :( - in California
Puma will not tolerate another cat in their territory unless it's a female puma. Males fight other males. Males will tolerate a breeding female. Female territory overlaps male's but male pumas territory is usually separate with females in between. A breeding male may kill another male's cubs in order to breed with the female. Bobcats and puma can mate and produce a pumabob. Both my friend and I have seen one. It's large like a puma with a bobbed tail. I have seen a black puma twice driving in the Santa Cruz Mountains.
Lived in southwest Florida since 1971 and only ever saw a panther in the wild once. Then I went to Mexico a few years ago. Staying in a home with 3 big GSDs, and I was in a bed up in a loft and couldn't sleep one night. Was staring down and out through a big open window into a garden, after midnight. Motion detector lights come on, and I'm suddenly looking at...one of the dogs. Of course it's one of the dogs, right? SLOWLY dawns on me that that is definitely NOT one of the dogs, and I am, in fact, staring at a mountain lion. Stared for a few more minutes just assuring myself that, yep, uh huh, that's..a FREAKING MOUNTAIN LION. It's still, the light coming on hasn't bothered it a bit. And then I hear a door opening in the main house, and wham--here come the dogs and that cat shot out of the garden, and now all the lights are coming on, and I'm trying to pull on pants while also trying to hustle down the stupid loft ladder and calling the other members of the house on my cell phone to tell them to NOT come outside, and by the time I hit the floor, the dogs and cat are obviously tangling. I get to the window just fast enough to watch this thing jump from the ground onto the top of a stone wall, taller than me, so 6' at least, like it was nothing, and then s/he was gone. Crazy, amazing, weird, and beautiful experience all at the same time.
Thank you for letting people know that they need to be looking up in the trees. Mountain Lions/Cougars are ambush predators and this is one way they hunt for food. As you walk under a tree they will jump down in a surprise attack, unsuspectingly on their prey...which could be you and they love to attack from behind. And here's my tip..but only use this in a dire situation...fire crackers,yep, black cats they are loud and the majority of wild dangerous animals do not like the sound and it does tend to scare them enough for you to sceedaddle out of there. Just remember only to use this in a dire situation because within any state or National park they are penalties for setting off any type of fireworks. That's my best advice. Again, thank you for pointing this out. You now have my respect! 👍👊😏😉👌
I recently did a loop in Kings Canyon in California on July 15th. It was 10:15 PM, and I was nearing mile 40 of my trail run. At 10 PM, I had thought to myself and mentioned in my video blog that I had never come across a mountain lion, and that thought worried me. Well, at 10:15 PM, I looked up the hillside and saw two mountain lions 50 yards away. One was sitting down, flicking its ears and licking its fur, while the other was lying down behind the base of a tree. I looked right at them, and they looked right at me. I pointed an additional spot beam flashlight at them. I didn't say anything but continued to slowly walk down the trail, making sure not to look away from the two. Once I turned the corner and was out of sight, I ran for 30 minutes to the trailhead. It was very scary considering I was alone, but I look back on the situation and am grateful to have seen such amazing animals up close while they were in a relaxed state.
Wow, that’s an amazing story and you know what I feel the same exact way after I see a magnificent animal like that but then later on it starts to reflect wow I was in the wild with a dangerous animal that could’ve taken me out but what a wonderful experience my friend thank you for sharing.
Two stories, one when I got out of the USMC I was in Montana deer hunting in the snow. I hiked up a hill and circled around it to drive the dear out to the other hunters. When I circled the mountain / hill and found my old tracks. I saw that a mountain lion was following me, because his tracks in the snow was on top of mine. I took the rifle off safety, and quickly backed down the hill. If he would of jumped me from behind even being in shape with a rifle I think I'd of been toast. The 2nd. time was with El Dorado Search and Rescue in CA on a missing runner search. A mountain lion attacked and killed her from behind and she fought it rolling down a hill. After that a lot of the search and rescue guys and gals bought the cheap bat kites and put the eye stickers on the back of their helmets to lesson the chances of getting attacked from behind. At least if you see them in front of you you can get ready for the possible fight, grab a gun or a knife and make your self look big. But if they surprise you from the back and they have your neck, I think you are screwed. At that point the pain would keep you from retrieving a gun or knife and using it.
Southern AZ Cowboy here and have had 3 lion encounters. 1 on foot, 1 horseback and 1 sitting at my barn at sundown. On foot I was walking my Heeler dog. Young cat was surprised by our presence and he took off. On horseback I was riding in a deep carved out wash with banks taller than my head. Saw ears gliding on an escalator and my horse was snorting and nervous. Kept going and came upon a deer carcass. That cat heard us coming and moved away as we rode on by. 3rd encounter at my barn at sundown a large male lion came down a hill heading for an evening drink from my half acre pond during an extended drought. My Heeler dog took off like a rocket right for it. I thought initially my dog was chasing a coyote. I ran after my dog and there was a large male lion standing 30 yards away. My dog never stopped so I ran straight for it and acted loco screaming and flapping my arms. The lion paused and decided both of us were loco and he turned and shot back up the hill. Acting crazy is a solid strategy when you’re that close to an adult lion. They’re beautiful creatures and deserve our respect but you have to be very aware of their presence. 9 times out of 10 they see us long before we ever see them.
Never goin the woods without the basics - a means to make fire, a sharp serviceable heavy bladed knife, some paracord and a good hand gun that's carried at the ready. You got that and you will survive a night or two. I didn't mention food but do I really need to? Idea: bring a whole rotisserie chicken. You can survive off it or throw it at a mountain lion. That lion ain't going to pass up an easy chicken to go after you. Then, just boogie on out.
Hiking in South Fork Colorado with my dog (Border Collie/Aussie mix) came across a cougar hiking across the side of a foothill in tge San Juan mountains. Brushy area. Very rocky. She went around a low brushy tree one way and I went around the other. Strong persistent headwind. I saw her completely frozen looking ahead at a cougar maybe 10 yards away. I was a little further. The cat was walking off. Very freaky. I motioned her to come to me. I always carry a pistol and a knife but this time the pistol was in the pack. Lesson learned. Now I have a Glock 21 in a tactical leg holster at all times. Lucky we were not killed.
This channel has the best comment section stories ever :) I enjoy reading all of them. We will never know if any of them are real or just made up but still fun to believe there true.
I and my border collie meant a large 200lb female. She came up from the river bottom tracking deer and walked right into us. She sized us up for 10 seconds turned and went back to the river bottom. Game Warden told me carry a flare hand gun. Their terrified of the flare. Watch your flare and make sure your flare goes out. Do not burn down the Forrest.🤗🇺🇸 Michigan flare hand gun with 5 shells cost $68. Supposed to work on grizzlies.
I’ve been hiking and roaming around in the mountains in Page County, VA, for years. I’d always wondered about mountain lions, but had always heard there were none around here. A few people had said they’d seen them, but I figured they were probably lying. Anyway, a few years back a guy my dad worked with who had land near Rt. 522 between Winchester Va and Berkley Springs WV caught one on a game cam. Then last year someone I know said he saw two in an area that I hike/camp frequently (it could have been the same cat both times though because the sightings were within about 10 miles of each other). Now I assume there is one in the area and I was concerned because I didn’t know what to do if I encounter one in the woods. So thank you for posting this video because all the things you discuss have given me a comprehensive understanding of how mountain lions act and of what to do if I happen to encounter one. I was actually feeling afraid to go hiking, but now I can see that it was really my ignorance of these animals that was causing the fear.
LOL I was raised in the Appalachian Mountains in East Tn since the year, omg, lol 1953. So, I was raised to hunt we loved to hike the trail and it wasn't as used as it is now. Now several times in the past we heard screams and had never heard a recording of mountain lions for years now we knew, and we saw foot prints of big cats knowing bears and even coyotes then now we know what we heard. Only a sighting in 1982 and IT took my breath and then as you said jut a cat shape with a long tail but again, we knew. The sad part we were lied to or just ignorance of the Wildlife people or wanting to hide the fact that these cats were NOT here well Sir I saw and heard them since i guess around the early 60's OMG we camped in these mountain for as I am old eons lol! Love the quietness and views. So yes my grandparents saw them and called them 'panters and they knew them in the 20"s! BUT never was i afraid because good or bad we hunted there and were armed. WE WERE TAUGHT the use of guns since 8 years old! Still, I encourage people to at least walk and camp in these mountains! AND PLEASEW dont party and do drugs I have seen drug paraphernalia on the trail awhile back we that live here see the parties they have OMG WHY just enjoy nature! Yep still ake a few SLOW trips there LOL! God Bless America
I encountered a mountain lion on the Los Liones trail in Los Angeles. A bunch of women in front of me were acting scared of it and cringing... I just walked right by it but kept facing it the whole time. I never got closer than 50 feet or so. If it got closer, I was prepared to raise my hands in the air and start yelling. Generally they only attack from behind and will back off if you make a lot of noise or make yourself look bigger. On the whole though they are pretty reluctant to get too close to people.
I am in northern BC. A cougar trotted across in front of me. It stopped in the trees and watched me as I drove by. I was very glad to be in my car. Another time I heard very very loud purring that chilled my blood. I froze, I felt watched. I calmly left the area and went home..... Right now we have three cougars on our neighbours webcam. They are all fully grown. We are being vigilant
Great vid William! Unfortunatelly, we don't have that type of problem in Europe! Here the most aggressive thing that you can encounter is a rabbit...I'm kidding there are wild pigs, wolves or bears but really rare to encounter them. Thanks for sharing your experience in Appalachian trail, that's in my bucket list! I hope to do part of it one day!
I’ve been camping, hiking coming up on 40 years now. I’ve never seen a mountain lion or bear while out in the forest but I know they are out there. I’ve walked right up on deer, both at day and night, and was literally right on top of them when they jumped up and scared the heck out of me. I’ve also encountered bobcats on 3 separate occasions while hiking. In all 3 instances once they realized I was there they took off into the forest. As you described in your video there was total silence, not a footstep to be heard, and they were gone.
If law allows a pistol,or shotgun for self defense(which they should in a free country),then carry one when in bear/cat country.If one see's you as prey and moves in,and all you have is a blade...good luck!.I got very lucky with a bear once. A handgun or packable shotgun on a sling weigh very little for the added security they provide.The noise factor alone can ward off disaster.They( guns) are far less a burden than horrific injury,suffering or death by predation.
My friend and I were backpacking and in the morning she yelled there was a bear at her tent, she had no food in it but the bear was getting water bottles and bags from just outside her tent so I jumped out of my tent and grabbed my hiking poles and told the bear to go away, but the bear walked up to me and stood six feet away just looking at me and I just stood looking back and telling it to go away for about ten minutes and then the bear left. I take that as a warning because we had no self defense other than hiking poles. I wasn't afraid because the bear didn't seem aggressive but I was thinking how if it started attacking my friend, I should have more than a hiking pole. From now on I will and I'm very glad it was just a bear and not a lion.
I watched full video and I am definitely subscribing to your channel. You know exactly what your are talking about. You covered everything. THANK YOU!!!!!
@William 180 A couple of yrs ago I would have answered that question of what's the best way with; the noise and the knife with the inclusion of a pointed fairly thick 6 to 7' walking stick. Nowadays the stick might not be necessary with the little Panic Alarm or whatever they call it. It appears to be less than half the size of an egg, and makes a siren alarm type sound(like an ambulance) at ear piercing dB levels. It was invented as a personal protection device, against person to person violation, however, predatorial wildlife I am quite sure would exit stage left, or stage right or whatever direction would allow them hi gear, kickin' up dust quicker than Yogi Bear with a pic-i-nic basket getting away from the Ranger.
We have a hiking area nearby that has always spooked me. Only place I've been that gives me that feeling. There are mountain lions there. It's dark and narrow with large oak tree overhanging the trail. I never thought about them being in the trees. Now I'm really spooked. I did one morning go hiking there. At one point I looked to my right and there was a bobcat laying in grass just watching me from about ten feet away. I said, 'Hi Bobcat' and kept walking. Ran into him on my return trip. Saw him hunting rabbits. Pretty cool.
My partner and I were hiking, we kept seeing these big cat tracks. We no more than got back to the truck and this big cat walked right across the road in the direction we just came. Couldn't believe it. Lol They're not supposed to be here in Ohio but they certainly are.
People underestimate these animals. They are very powerful, extremely fast, and silent. They have to be. They can grab a 250 lb deer in their mouth and climb a tree. I've never met a human that could do that. They are ambush predators and will circle around their prey. I've been stalked by one, and it did that very thing. They can kill a dog in seconds. The best case scenario in an attack is you come out with some pretty horrendous wounds - if you survive. This video is good advice. Stay "big," make noise, don't run, back up slowly, and fight back if attacked. I carry a 150 dB alarm, bear spray, and a quick-deploy 5-inch blade. Even so, I am very wary, especially when I'm alone. When I camp in cougar country, I set up a trip alarm around camp (probably overkill, but I sleep better.) Females become very aggressive when they have cubs. They want you away from the area and will attack. Overall, cougars (mountain lions) are becoming bolder as their food sources become more scarce. We're encroaching on their territory more than ever, and they're not being hunted as much as in the prior centuries. Their predator mode is to jump onto your back and sever your spinal column. A backpack can save your life in such an attack.
Amazing video. You’re the first “how to survive a mountain lion” person on UA-cam that I can easily tell has had real life encounters with them. It’s in you descriptions, demeanor, your detailed knowledge, and your voice. I have been working over 20 years outdoors and hiking the southern Arizona mountains within the Coronado National Forest and adjacent areas. I’ve encountered all kinds of wildlife during my daily adventures, including 12 mountain lions. A few weeks ago while hiking alone at night in a remote area near Chiminea Peak and Bartolo Canyon, I encountered one of the largest cats I’ve ever seen. Exactly like you described in your recollection of your own encounters. Heard an odd noise in the bushes off the trail. Shined my flashlight toward the sound and saw its head and reflective eyes. However, unlike my other 11 encounters, this one didn’t bound or trot away. It totally exceeded the “five second” time that you mentioned. Was closer to ten minutes. I faced off with it at 15 or so yards distance and talked at it with my 9mm pistol and stinger flashlight aimed on it. I never showed my back or ran away. I visually stared at this thing into its eyes and was prepared to fight it with everything that I am. After several stare downs and moments of walking backwards as this cat paralleled me along the hillside above the trail, it stopped walking and looking at me. I continued another mile out of the tight and tree-filled canyon to my truck on Forest Service Road 4131. For about 20 seconds, I was able to capture video of its eyes staring me down through the bushes as I talked at it. I’d love to share this video, but my UA-cam skills are nonexistent. Thank you for sharing your knowledge and experiences with your video. It provided affirmation to me for how I positively handled my own encounter. Really cool and very much appreciated.
1st video watching of you and i had to sub. i like the way u talk. alot good info. not too dry, straight to the point. some hidden gems, not just on topic but kinda can be used off topic if u look at it that way. thanx
Very good advice. I had my own encounter with a mountain lion while elk hunting in 1987. I came around a tree and it was crouched on the ground about 50 feet away looking at me intently. I had the impression that he heard me and thought I was a deer or an elk and had intercepted me.I whistled and waved my hat, but he didn't move. I wasn't too worried because I had a rifle, although I didn't want to shoot him. I stood there for maybe 10 minutes looking at him, until I decided to go. He was still looking at me very intently, so I spoke and whistled and waved my hat again, with no effect. I started to sidle away from him and he immediately tensed. I thought there was no way I was going to turn my back on him, so I shot into the ground next to his side to scare him. With one fluid motion he leapt about 6 feet up and 10 feet sideways. He landed on his belly facing me and started creeping toward me, apparently to begin a charge. I shot him then. I didn't want to mess up the head so I shot next to his head into the front of his shoulder, creasing his cheek in the process. He turned around and ran downhill a little ways, thrashed around some, and then died. I skinned him out (definitely a he), and carried the head and hide out in my pack. I measured it at home and it was right at 8' from nose to tail. I called the game warden and told him about it, and he came out and took it back to town. About 2 weeks later I got a call from the county attorneys office, They wanted me to take a polygraph test. I didn't have a permit for mountain lion. I was a little perturbed about it, because if I was trying to hide something why would I call the game warden?? Anyway, I passed the test. They had sent the cat off for study at the university, and determined it was a healthy male about 4-6 years old. This was the third time I'd seen a mountain lion, but the other times the cats were very shy. The warden said he had never seen a mountain lion even though he'd been working in lion territory many years. I should have told the warden maybe he needs to get out of his truck more often. :)
It amazes me that they didn't logically deduce/perceive/see the honorable spirit of your phone call, and that they had never seen a cougar before, that's shocking. You're right, normally cougars are shy and illusive. Having had my own cougar-encounter, up close and personal, I can see the hinge-point in the series of events you've shared, that being your making yourself a threat to the cougar; that's when his forward movement towards you began. It's unfortunate that it went the way it did, though I'm glad to read you had a heart to not shoot the cougar when the encounter began. Yes, the males can be sizeable, such was the one that stalked me. Both he and I came away from the 2-hour encounter untouched. I'm glad I had no weapon; man needs to learn how to deal with things nonlethally in the ways of wisdom; it's important. It's also great, because that makes me self-contained, not dependent on externals. Thank you for sharing your story. Your clear language skills are also appreciated. :)
@@cacatr4495 Wow, thanks for the great reply! I will say I don't know how it would have gone if I didn't have a rifle. I really think he was stalking me and was not intimidated at all. But maybe I could have handled it differently. I forgot to mention that when I first called the Game and FIsh they didn't believe me. I had to call them back the next day, as I remember. It's been 34 years since this happened.
@@Randall974 They didn't believe you?? (What? That's remarkable! I can't understand that. How odd. Rhetorical question, did they think it was a prank call? Very odd. That simply doesn't compute, how illogical. Worse, you had to call TWICE to report the incident and they still doubted your veracity. It defied all logic. I used to think that people had a decent hold on logic in the 1980's; I guess I'll have to rethink that!) Just because the Cougar was crouched a ways away, doesn't mean he was stalking you; he was making himself small, low to the ground, not to be seen, for one of 3 reasons: because he was thinking of aggressing, or because he wanted to be safe, or because he was curious yet unsure, which they are a lot of the time. As you may realize from being around kitty cats, they can be curious, yet unsure. Wisdom is to not tip the scale in his felt-need to defend himself. We see this with dysregulated humans, that by not presenting a perceived-provocation, one can go their way without escalation. Any time an animal feels he needs to defend himself, that is not good. Normally, I think your decision to scare off the cougar would have worked, but it seems you provoked him into defense. They watch everything, so that he was intently watching you doesn't surprise me in the least. Not judging you at all, but in reading your post, it seemed you didn't want to wait around for him to lose interest, you didn't want to turn your back on him (Wisely), but you didn't want to burn daylight either, yet you ended up spending the time skinning the cougar, so you used that time regardless, with one less cougar in the Wild. I think people need to realize that cats are curious creatures, that they spend a great deal of time watching, that (of course) one should never turn their back on them, but that the cat will tire of their watching in due time, especially if one stands still facing them and with big authoritive speak. Cats are generally peaceful creatures that like serene conditions, and big authoritive speak is fairly unpleasant for them to hear, it disrupts their serene environment. Nonetheless, it took several minutes of my big authoritive speak for the cougar to get bored and walk away, at which time I began making my way down to my car, then apparently having no other entertainment, he returned, at which time I faced him and again "preached" at him (Psalm 91, in a loop) and in maybe 5 minutes, he again departed, which allowed me to make more progress toward my car, and this cycle went on and on. I had only hiked about 20-25 minutes from my car up a foothills trail, but it took me 2 hours to get back down. So yes, patience can be required. The time of day wasn't prudent, it was dark by the time I reached my car. Given you were looking for elk, I would imagine it was around first light or dawn when you first encountered him, eh? I've heard people talk about how quiet they are, suggesting that a cougar could come right up on them unawares, but it's amazing the noise that a big cat's footsteps make on loose rocks knocking against each other, or snapping twigs, especially in dry conditions in a quiet area. He was on the side-to-top of a group of conjoined hills, and the trail I was on was on the side of those hills, so he was in prime ambush position only 6' off my shoulder. There are also lots of rock outcroppings that are prime for them, so people need to *think* about where they are walking, and next to what, and under what, before they mindlessly walk on. There is this one spot in the Tucson Mountains where the trail passes between boulders for a significant bit of time, and hikers commonly walk through there mindlessly, not paying any attention to what's above and around them. That's so unwise.
@@cacatr4495 As I said, this was the third mountain lion I've seen and all three behaved differently. I saw him in the middle of the day, I was in an area I didn't want to hunt so I wasn't trying to be quiet and was walking noisily. When I saw him he was down on his belly but wasn't trying to conceal himself, and was obviously not afraid of me. My shot into the ground should have scared him away, but it didn't. I'm not tryiing to be rude or anything, but he didn't really fit your cookie cutter. As I noted, this was my third cat encounter. I also have spent many years in the mountains in Wyoming and Montana, where we not only have mountain lions but also other large predators including grizzlies and wolves, and I am by no means a neophyte.
@@Randall974 Got it. I did say 1 of 3 possibilities, not just one, and I noted he didn't head your way until you tried to scare him. I agreed that normally would have worked. It sounds like I offended you and that wasn't my intention. I certainly shared more than that, apparently foolishly. One of these days, I am going to learn not to post any comments, as offenses are so prevalent, when none were intended. I offered thoughts and considerations, observations; they were not meant to step on toes. When I use the word "people," it's a general reference to *people, it's not a reference to the person I'm writing. Perhaps you thought it was. It wasn't. When I mean 'red,' I say 'red,' not 'pink.' If I had meant you, I would have said that. I'm not a passive-aggressive communicator. It was nice chatting with you, brief though it was. So long.
I was stalked by a mountain lion on a nighttime hike to a camp site. I could see it's eyes shining through the trees when I turned my head lamp to the side. Luckily I was with another person and it kept its distance.
I always recommend that you don’t have your ear buds on while in the woods. The sounds of the woods is it’s own music. If it goes silent, it’s the woods giving you warning. Stay safe out there and enjoy. T.J. from north Idaho.
I just bought a pair of isotunes BT EARPRO.. They have the capability of enhancing sounds. I use it while hunting and hiking so I won't blow my eardrums out if I have to take a shot.
Well said T.J. Your ears might be the only thing that saves you out there. Hard to believe people would cover their ears in a landscape filled with predators. Might as well go in blindfolded. Take care brother.
I would NEVER hike with headphones in.
Irresponsible and defeats a huge part of WHY I go into the natural world.
But that's just me.
@@994pt4 I would say walking the streets of L.A., etc, with headphones on is far more dangerous. There have been fewer than 30 fatal mountain lion attacks in North America since 1890 (just ask chat gpt). Most of those are in the western U.S./Canada so it depends where you are at. Meanwhile, there have been over 9,000 fatal lightning strikes in North America since 1890 - and if you included Canada and Mexico the number would be much higher (over 10,000).
You're literally more likely to die (not just be struck) by lightning than be fatally attacked by a mountain lion.
While I'm sure there's people who went missing who were eaten by mountain lions, it's an astronomical difference, because there's surely more who died by lightning, also. You should be more afraid of storm clouds than mountain lions. And you should probably be more afraid of getting mugged by people than either.
It's valid to say it's better to listen to natural sounds but the reality is the risk is very low to wear headphones outside in nature.
P.S.: I used to listen to my headphones walking the streets (day and night) in L.A., but I looked poor and homeless people would act like I was homeless, too, lol. No one bugged me cause I didn't cause problems. I'd say trust your instincts above all else. I'd still say that's irresponsible and wouldn't recommend it to others, but I knew my hood. It's all about where you're at.
I’ve seen 2 mountain lions in my times hiking in the Shenandoah National Park. First one was from the car at night time, so it really wasn’t an encounter. My second was an encounter. I was hiking the trail past a huge rock ledge when I saw a big crevice and when I looked inside, there it was, staring right at me. I was maybe 10-15 yards away and it was just watching me. I slowly walked backwards raising my hiking poles and waving them to make myself look bigger. It freaked me out so much that I ended my hike after a quick loop rather than going for a long day hike that I planned. I returned to my campsite and talked to a ranger about it. It was scary but an unforgettable experience.
The situations you're describing are as sketchy as you describe them because your life is overseen by an authority that INTENTIONALLY tells you that you have to expose yourself to a greater chance of dying because they've decided to broadcast _rules_ at you that ignore you maximizing your survival.
It AMAZES me that the bulk of the population accepts this. ANY entity/authority that says you have to expose yourself to death while tools exist that could very-well save your life otherwise (guns, knives, sprays, etc), simply because that entity/authority says so, is 1) NOT under any circumstances your ally 2) Has invalidated its validity by demanding that you die just to serve its authority
Having encountered polar bears in my years of dog sledding in the arctic, I understand how you felt. You did the right thing, given your circumstance.
I wouldn’t have continued my hike either…😂… hikes over…
In the summer of 2021 a beautiful mountain lion gave birth to two cubs on my property.
She walked within 100 yards of my deck 3 or 4 times a week late in the evening along the tree line.
She never killed any of my pets.
I always carry bear spray and a long fixed blade knife when cutting the grass.
It was a blessing to have the big cat family living here in 2021.😺😺😺
That's truly amazing...❤
Last week I was walking out to my truck in the dark, 6am with my headlamp on, in the mountains near Brookings Oregon. No neighbors, no outside lights. Truck door was 50 feet away. I was halfway there when my lamp picked up two big glowing yellow eyes and the silhouette of a full grown mountain lion rising up through the tall grass on a slope, 30 feet away. I kept the light on the cat and began stepping away smoothly, back toward the building. As I approach the door there was a large bush between the cat and I, at which point I had to find my key and get it into the lock, open the door, jump in and slam that sucker. I now leave the house with a very bright flashlight and a .40 caliber Glock with hollow points. The light may have deterred the cat but I can't be sure, all I know is that I was very fortunate. As it got light outside and Decided it was safer to come out, there were deer in the driveway and I felt pretty stupid at that point but they were calm and we're not sensing any danger. I examined the place where the cat was laying and realized that was a regular path for the deer. I'm assuming that he was waiting for the deer and not for me, hopefully anyway! Getting an electric garage door opener and exterior lights installed asap.
That is an amazing encounter I am willing to bet your heart was pumping hard......thank you for sharing *keep in touch..*
God was with you
Big cats eyes glow yellow? I guess not. May be they are different according to location.
@@essardaudinett6934 all cats have reflective counting in their eyes for better night vision. You will only notice by putting light on them at night.
sound like a smart guy b safe
My sister was killed by a cougar on Vancouver Island 1977 and she was 7yrs old. She was found hrs. Later and was eaten. I asked stepfather what happened to her a couple of months ago. It took me all these years to ask what happened to her. I am in my 50s and still scared to go camping or hiking to this day.
This is just part of the cougar attack story on my baby sister.
💔🌹🙏🏻
😢
I broke down about 8 miles from the nearest highway near the eastern Arizona border. I could not raise anyone on my CB radio and this was before cellphones. I realized I would have to hike out. I never even thought about wildlife. I grabbed three bottles of water and a cold burger and fries and headed out, pacing myself for the trip. I realized this was a survival situation and cussed myself for not telling anyone where I was going.
I sat down when I guess I was about 2/3’s of the way to the road, looked back where I came from behind me and then I saw it, my first and only encounter with a mountain lion. It had been following me, for how long who knows. It was not afraid of me, and that scared the hell out of me because I know cat behavior. I own cats and even played with two leopard cubs as a young man. Even worse, this cat was huge. My mind flashed back to playing with those cubs and I thought about this mountain lions claws and teeth.
I immediately stood up, held my coat open with my hands, and put up my hood to make myself look at huge as possible. I ran through the things I could do to protect myself. I had no gun, or even a damn knife. I was scared shitless.
I realized this may be a moment of truth in my life. When he/she realized I was aware of it I started to walk straight at it and threw rocks, yelling and screaming like a stupid nutcase. Cats hate noise. I watched it look away for a potential escape route and this gave me hope. I advanced straight at it and thank god it backed off, at least as far as I could determine. It took me awhile to write this but the entire incident was probably less than half a minute, perhaps less, even though it felt like eternity.
I left my burger and fries spreading them out as a diversion, grabbed my water and picked up my fastest hiking pace, walking backwards every so often. I finally got to a deserted, but paved road. I was still very worried. Was it still following me? Was it circling?
A woman drove by and didn’t stop even with me waving my hands. What a jerk! Finally a huge semi came by and stopped. A sign said “Strictly no riders” on the right door, but the driver took one look at my terrified face and told me to hop in thank god.
I told him my story and he took me to town. I noticed my hand were shaking when he offered me a Coke. When I returned with a tow truck the burger and fries were gone, and there were big cat tracks where I left the food. We did not see that cat again which was fine with me.
As much as I would hate to shoot a big cat, or a bear since that day I never go off road or into a desolate area without a firearm and a big knife. I shot over some coyotes heads who were trailing me one day, but never felt the need to shoot anything even though I have been close to bears.
Funny thing. Looking back and remembering this I recall thinking how amazingly beautiful that cat was, even though I was terrified.
I enjoyed your video. Now you know my story. I think the advice you gave here is valid. Now, at my age I do my hiking in a truck, and always have a weapon. To be honest, I worry more about people. lol
Most of what ya say is pretty good advice. Ive been hiking in the southwest and rockies for 20 years now myself. Ran across multiple "signs" of cats, prints, claw marks, a few dead deers or small mammals in trees. SEEING an actual cougar was a LOT more rare. They are masters of stealth. Seen them in like, 2 seconds at a time. Im a BIG man, 6'2 250. 90% of the time, they either run off. They are also "scardey cats in that they dont like human contact. Ive only had 2 look at me as potiental meals
1. I cam across in the snow. I had seen lots of differnt tracks that day, deer, elk, a bear, lots of coyotes, rabbits, and 1-2 possible cougars. Turns out one was following me. I was backpacking in the San Pedro WIlderness. I had no idea it had been follwing me till i came across some cruchny snow, and i heard it. I turned around , didnt see it. Was super still, even holding my breath. I heard it again. I saw its eyes up from a log. I shouted at it. Normally if they know you see them, they run. This one didnt, but it did come out from cover. It looked to be a "teenager" or juvinile, not quite a full adult yet. It kept getting closer and slowly closer. I had a knife , but also bear spray. I immedialty got out the bear spray. Now i started to yell, stand on my tip toes and slowly walk backwards, i held one hand way high to appear taller, and YELLED very loud, HEY LEAVE! HEY YOU LEAVE NOW! I kept yelling, walking backwards slowly, and had the spray in my hand the whole time . It neveer got closer than 20 feet, which was a relief. After about 20 minutes of this, it decided i was too weird or unknown to consider me a meal and left. I kept an eye on it and walked about 2 more miles, stopping every 20seconds or mintue to listen and watch. That was intense.
THe other time i accidenlty came up Over a small ridge, and spurised a mountain lion. Perhaps it had been eating or was napping (not common on the groud, but this was in a meadow). It growled very loudly (not a sound i ever want to hear, and i again, almost walking away backwards quickly, got out my bear spray. It very agressively started to charge, then stop short. Charge, then stop short, not stalking but more like trying to attack and size me up. I hit it after about a minute , it got wayyyy to close, and i hit it 2x witht the spray, it started making like, coughing sounds? ANd trying to rub its face on the ground , and i walked slowly backwards away, then once out of sight i kinda walked/jogged till i was close to a mile away. PErhaps it had cubs nearby, or a kill, i have no idea. I almost pooped myself, that was the most intense wildlife encounter i ever had, and i have been bluff charged by black bears.
Bear spray works better than a knife, and its 100% legal in all 50 US states, even in states that dont allow pepper spray. If i ever hike alone, or with a couple of people in remote or bear areas, (usually areas with cougars as well) i carry it. Plus you can be a short distance away. If it gets close enough for you to use a knife you might have already lost. Just a thought there. Looking forward to more videos dude! Like your channel
bear spray is illegal in NJ. Densest population of black bears but we’re not allowed to protect ourselves against them.
Thank you for sharing your experiences! Those encounters definitely must have been nerve-wracking, to say the least. So glad you made it out safely!
Seconded on that mountain lion growl being a one and done for life, had one yell at me while night hiking a few miles away from a trailhead. Sounded about 20 ft away, up an incline and im walking on a trail by a stream. Walk 30ish paces, stop, scan the trees and brush with my headlamp, repeat all the way out of the forest. Knowing that a mountain lion is around is one thing, but having one pissed at you for God knows what when alone and unarmed, well that's something different entirely. I hike armed these days, have never had to use it only drew once on a wild boar that thankfully didn't charge. I actually prefer bear encounters, less stalking and stealth
Wow, Thank you for sharing. Good job, you did it well.
@@gradonhuss2410 I think I'd rather be alive to explain myself in jail if authorities happened to see me use it. Bear spray being illegal is just plain stupid. Wake up NJ.
My son's Scout troop was doing a 20-mile hike through desert mountains. My dad and I went up to drive a vehicle down and stage it, so the boys could make a one-way hike. Less than a mile down the mountain dirt road/trail, I passed a large mountain lion crouched on an embankment above the road. It didn't even flinch. I turned around (a ways ahead, where I could) to head back and warn the troop. By then the lion had moved.
The Scoutmaster and I went over mountain lion safety, including much of what was covered in this video. One key is that a mountain lion will rarely attack a large man, usually instead going for smaller men, women, and kids. Look large by raising your arms -- even better if you can pull up the bottom of a sweater or jacket to spread between upraised arms to look massive.
A lion normally will not attack you head on. Usually, it won't even advance on you while you stare at it -- just like a housecat playing, it will wait until you look away. If you run, you can be as big as the hulk and it won't matter, you've become prey and it will hunt you for sport even if it isn't hungry.
Lions have excellent hearing and dislike loud noises. Scream, whistle, discharge a firearm into the air... whatever it takes. In a group, all should scream and make noise.
Don't panic! Again, don't run. If you've spotted a mountain lion, _you will survive the encounter!_ You just have to be smart and heed all the good advice you've received in this video and comments. Those who don't survive an encounter are those who didn't see the cat before being attacked.
In my opinion mountain lions are far more scary than black bears they are faster, more agile, and have a fearsome bite
Absolutely.... keep in touch
@@William180 can you do a moose video too
@Sims 3 Forever Dude bite force of animals is almost a non factor. Whats the difference between a 400psi bite compared to a 1000psi if its on your throat. Lions are far scarier than bears. Well small black bears that is.
All large wild predators are concerning creatures in the wilderness, but being aware that that is their home and you are the foreign presence out there will do you very well. Always be aware of everything going around you, sounds or absence of sound, that will give you indication of how peaceful nature is nature is accepting your presence. Listen to the birds and squirrels, they will alert you to movement of other large animals through your area. If you use the small animals to extend your senses, then you can know more about what's going on in your larger area. Just saying.
they are all dangerous, yes it's easier to get away from a bear, you can just run up a hill and most of the time you can get away because they can't carry all their weight all that fast up a hill, this is your best chance if it charges you if there is a hill near by..
A bear even with out using it's claws can knock your head off with one swing, a brown bear adult can weigh as much as 1,300 LBS just their arm can weight over 80 LBS
just think of how much force that can land on your head if it takes a swing at you..
If a brown bear weighing over 1,000 lbs knocks you and and just lays on you, they can kill you just by crushing you with it's weight.
I’ve hiked a lot on the Appalachian Trail at night also, and never saw more than deer and raccoons.
I currently live in Idaho, which is Mountain Lion territory. I’ve hiked solo many many times... and again, have never seen one single Mountain Lion... but I can’t let my guard down! Thanks a ton for this video... it’s always a good reminder so we don’t get slack.
I admire anyone who is brave enough to hike alone at night, let alone the Appalachiachian trail! You guys are hardcore!!!
I bet they’ve seen you!
Cougars are masters of concealment. They can be ten feet away and you will never see them. Always carry a heavy staff and a pistol when hiking.
I appreciate that you make these videos. When I lived in Ukiah CA we had an older mountain lion that lived back in the hills with us. I only saw him once, but we could hear it's cry fairly often. It sounds a little like a woman screaming, yet not quite human. We found deer carcasses half buried too. I think it was older and slower, and it is why it lived so close to us and our neighbors. We had a manmade pond about half a mile from our house, and I think that contributed to it's choice of territory. Thanks for sharing your knowledge
wish people wuld stop saying it refereing to animals soo fkin sick of human disrespect toward nature// stop putting humans above nature all the fkin time// they keep going ectinct and fat humans make loads of fat babies// n dumbasses r more protected then fkin nature sick of seeing meat eaters deforesting our fkin planet corn soy for your fkin taste buds
I use to live in Cloverdale and we use to own the little feed store right as you come in to town across the street from the grocery store _and we lived on the Russian river bye the kOA and I use to see them from time to time on my way [back and forth from the feed store to were we lived they use to freak me out but the wild pigs were more dangerous then the cats
@@beauostoj6295 that's true, they usually won't even attempt to prey on an adult male wild boar.
Florida panthers have never harmed a human
About 1 1/2 years ago at night, I heard my dog barking in my back yard, then yelp. I ran out with a bright flashlight and there was a mountain lion standing over my dog. I didn't have any weapons so kept the light in his eyes and started screaming like an angry predator while I approached him. He looked at me, picked my dog up, dropped the dog, then casually turned and went over the fence. He stood on the other side of the fence for a while then strolled off. He was definitely not afraid of me, just uncertain of what I was, I think. He hung out for a while - I saw him 30 feet from my front door, watching, as I came out to take my dog to the vet. I put up trail cams and catch him on them approximately 4 times a month. Now when it's dark my dogs are only allowed in the front yard, with me, my headlamp and gun. Last week I saw the lion at night again. He came out of the rocks above my house, sat in plain view for a while, then turned and headed towards my neighbor's house. My house is next to what serves as a wildlife corridor into town, but I'm only 2 blocks from Main St, so it's not wild country. Living in CA means the lion is allowed to hunt here. He took my dog and I'm sure many of local house cats that have disappeared in the last year. He hunts below my house, which means he is going right into town. CA Fish & Wildlife apparently wants him to take a kid before doing anything about it. They are impressive animals but this one I'd rather see as a rug.
definitely a bad cat!
I’m from FL and moved to Reno almost 5 years ago. I love to hike and this is a great place for it! October 2 years ago, I went up towards the meadow with a view of Lake Tahoe and found a trail into the woods. About a half mile in, I realized how quiet it was and it felt like I was being watched. I started checking my pockets as I scanned my full surroundings and found I had forgotten my bear spray in the car. I picked up some rocks for my pockets and a heavier one for skull cracking (just in case). I didn’t see any big animals but that gut feeling of being watched didn’t leave me. I returned to my car safely with a lesson learned: even for a short hike in the woods, take your spray. In an odd note, I live in a mobile home park and saw a small bobcat in my backyard last year 😂
Thank you for this great video! Because of all the wildfires we have had in Santa Cruz and other places in California, mountain lions (and coyotes) have moved into urban areas. They are hungry. My son in law was riding his bike on a mountain road, well traveled, paved and with houses scattered along it, so not expecting anything. All of a sudden out of the corner of his eye he saw a movement. A huge mountain lion was stalking him. He got off his bike so he could put the bike between him and it, and threw rocks and yelled while walking down the street towards town. It kept following and would charge him, gnarling, every once in a while. Then all of a sudden it disappeared. Scary!
That is wild, thank you for watching my video
Santa Cruz here too. Drought brings them right down into the neighborhood.
I'd be TERRIFIED to get off my bike. I'd have just pedaled faster. ...But maybe I'd have been Meow Mix.
@@KARIS1961 I just moved to Santa Cruz and my friends and family kept expressing concern about mountain lions when I solo hike. I didn't realize researching what to do about mountain lions would be required with moving here! haha
@@cecilialopez8344 Welcome to Santa Cruz! It’s like Natural Geographic here. 😃 Took me a while to get used to all of the animals. If you have a dog or cat, you’ll want to keep them inside at night. I hope you’re enjoying yourself here.
Mountian lions are pretty scary. They are unpredictable at best. They'll stalk people, sometimes out of curiosity but they have been known eat humans on rare occasions. In New Mexico where I lived there was s moratorium for a number of years on hunting them and all of a sudden there was a glut of them and people were encountering them often.
Once I was living in Sulphur Springs in the Jamez Mountians in New Mexico at about 9,000 ft.. it was in the dead of winter and I and a couple of friends ran out of coffee, tobacco and other necessities and I ended up snowshouing about three miles down the mountian with an empty pack to the store. The road had cliffs on one side and Sulphur Creak was on the other. The snow was about three feet deep and I started seeing places where something was plowing through the powdery snow. The tracks were too deep in the snow but I could see the tail swishes on the surface so I knew what it was. Further along at one piont I noticed snow in a fine mist, so to speak comming down from above and when I looked up there he was. He was about twenty feet above me on the rocky cliff ot the road cut looking over the edge. I couldnt run, I was armed with a buck 110 pocket knife abd that was it. i saw him three or four more times in the next mile or more before I reached thr highway and I didn't feel safe until I hit that road (NM Route 4) and when I got to the store I wondered if I had skid marks in my Carhartt bibs. I wonered if he'd been following me since I left the house. He never got after me or I'd say I'd been dead. I told my buddy who ran the store and he loaned me a model 700 Remington bolt rifle chambered in .308 and on the way back up I met a neighbor my buddy from the store had called and he gave me a ride back up on his snowmobile, thank God! It'd gotten sort of late and I'd have been doing the last leg in very low light. I really didn't want to be snowshoeing up that mountian anyway.
Often mountain lions have a hard time hunting in deep snow. Under those circumstances a lion might do something it might not do ordinarily. He might have been curious but I'll never know. On the way back up we didn't see him once but that didn't mean he wasnt there. We stopped to check out his tracks and found some we could clearly see and they indicated that he was a good sized one. The next few days we kept an eye out but we never saw him again.
The smell of fear coming off of me would probably be like salad dressing to a wild animal. Hey, you gotta know yourself, right? Guess I'll stick to the wilds of TJ Maxx. ( little joke there.)
lmmfao, call the cornoner, Im dead
Lmaoo
😂🤣😂🤣 hey
TJ Maxx? You just try to pick up the last one of an item, in there, during a sale! You'll wish you were in the deep woods, at night, alone, with peanut butter and beef sticks hanging off your shoulder. 🤣
Hardee's....Sex Novelties...Bars
I was hiking on a very remote trail in the Cleveland National Forest about 30 years ago when I noticed a mountain lion walking parallel to me and about 50 feet to my left. The cat was just following me and was not threatening me in any way. I kept walking for another few minutes and then decided I better head back to my car. As I turned around the cat disappeared. I then spent the next hour walking back to my car while constantly turning around to make sure it wasn't sneaking up on me. By the time I got back to my car, I had a throbbing stress headache. From then on I carried a backpack (for back protection) and a .380 on subsequent hikes to that area.
Yikes!
I met a female adult mountain lion in my yard in Oklahoma. She was huge and stood appx. 6 ft in front of me. My catahoula was to her side barking. I had no weapon. Fear left almost immediately. I mostly felt in awe of her power and beauty. Muscles rippled. Silent footsteps on dried leaves. Incredible. I guess she did not like the odds, 2 to 1. She left after about 5 minutes, silently.
They are all muscle man. Imagine their capabilities if they chose to attack you. Have you seen their jumping distance FUCK.. They really are fascinating. We saw one take a bald eagle out of the air once in Montana. Also saw a video of ot bit I think in that one the eagle was perched
@@StarfieldBattlefront I was a goner if she chose to take me out. I could not move. The power in her body was over the top. Just wasn't my time.
@@LL-cs2tr Yep exactly. It just wasn't your time
What an awesome sight. She showed wisdom, animals in the Wild are good at that. They won't seek a fight if it looks like they would be injured; they won't take the risk. People aren't like that, they take foolish risks in engaging wild animals without cause, and end up paying for it. All these commenters talk about aggressing against cougars or bear, instead of using wisdom. They talk of fear, running, or hand-to-hand combat, when all they need is peace and wisdom, as wisdom can't be accessed from a state of fear. Their thoughts run to violence, when violence isn't needed. They don't know how to be at peace around animals, and that's unfortunate. If someone reads this and they think I have no experience, or that my words are those of wishful thinking, they don't know my good history, which I have shared in other threads on this page, for I know of what I speak.
It was more than "not your time." It is not in the nature of Cougars to hunt Man; if it was, they would have done it from the beginning of time. Wildlife, most often, doesn't want trouble, and certainly not from Man. It is the fear inside people that imposes *their fear on animals.
Yes, as experience living w Feline Friends at home. Hate their
dragging or carrying in teeth Chipmunks- after I snap open Can of Food. I scold them, or shake Chippy out of their savage Jaw-sometimes with success if Chipmunk survives. 'Trying more cheese and breakfast cereal/milk we share.
I live in Gilroy, Ca next to Mt Madonna and we’ve had several mountain lion sightings in our neighborhoods and because of our dry weather, they’re looking for water. I’ve also had a couple of small pets disappear. I had one encounter with a mountain lion when my neighbor, my medium size dog and I went for a short hike late afternoon up a trail in Mt Madonna. As we walked further up the trail, my dog started to get nervous and I felt like we were being followed or watched. I told my neighbor to stop, I picked up my dog and then we spotted the lion on the same trail ahead of us. My neighbor thought it was a dog but I could tell it was a mountain lion by its long tail and face. It looked back at us, I told my neighbor to pick up a large branch to wave around and we stood together to appear large since we’re both petite women. We stood together, waving the branch around, shaking our house keys and watched it disappear up the trail in front of us. We cautiously headed back down the trail and thanked God that we weren’t attacked….maybe it was looking for water 😅.
Good instincts and attention to your fur baby there, I'm glad you were all safely home 🌼
I know this is kind of an older video. But I just had to share. I have seen 3 cougars but the one that tried to get my door open was the worst. It was the middle of nowhere western Oregon, end of fall. I was moving out of a small trailer that had a little porch out front. My car was parked approx 15 feet away (with my cat inside) and it was 10pm. As i walked in to grab my keys i heard the porch creak loudly. I turned to slam the door shut right as a giant paw grabbed at the edge of the door! I managed to pull the door closed after a struggle. The growl it let out went through the door and into my whole body. I watched him pace back and forth, circling my car and checking out my poor cat on occasion. I had literally nothing except my keys. I waited forever until I saw it round the corner and I got into my car so fast! Then realized my friends dog was walking around outisde. I ended up driving through her back yard, pulling the dog into the car and driving him to her front door lol. She was so drunk she tried to go get a look at it. Thankfully I was able to stop her. Scared the crap outta me! We have very large cougars here and this guy was massive! Im sure an angel helped me get that door closed cause the power on that animal was incredible. I'll never forget the feeling of that growl as long as I live. Talk about an amazing animal
*Native American here. Whether you walk, run, bike, WHATEVER..these cats will go after you if they are hungry enough. And they are ALWAYS hungry..and even if they aren't hungry will kill food to eat later. Ever find toys, shoes, hats, camping gear or bikes just left in the woods? There's your proof. Many pets, children and adults are killed and dragged off never to be seen again by these big cats. If they can catch it and eat it..they will. My people learned NEVER to go into the woods alone if possible..and NEVER without a weapon of some kind. Even a knife may be all that saves you if you know where to stab an animal. And the woods today are also filled with human predators as well. I'm NEVER in the woods without my big dog, bear spray and a gun..and that STILL doesn't guarantee I'll make it home. Better safe than sorry my grandma always said. Be safe out there!*
I've noticed hiking in northern New Mexico that we never see native Americans out on the trails except one of my friends is native and she loves hiking and backpacking.
Well I seen one very up close and it didn't attack me. They're not ALL ALWAYS hungry. And if there's smaller, easier prey, they'll prefer that to a big person.
@@1ACL One cat not attacking you isn't a big enough number to justify what you are saying about them. Cats don't just kill for food. They also do it to protect their territory and some just because you are there. Have you not ever seen a house cat play with a dead mouse it caught and has no intention on eating?
@@Nightbird. My brother and I literally almost ran into one about 50 years ago when we were kids.- we were about 10 feet away from it. We both froze and stared at it. I was 9 and my brother was 7. It stared at us, we stared at it, and then it made an exasperated sound, and then it slowly turned around, and went back into the woods.
I stay home...no cougars, bears, human psychos, bugs, heat, cold, dirt, etc. etc. 😃👍
I had a cougar encounter recently on Sauvie Island, in Oregon. Never saw it, but I heard it. It definitely heard us coming (because we knew they were around and were making lots of noise), and it let out a loud snarl (it instantly registered with both myself and my hiking partner what this was), and took off into the treeline. We made a lot of noise, stomped all around, made ourselves big, and made our way over to confirm what we'd heard. Sure enough, big cat tracks there in the sand. It had been waiting near the brush for some kind of prey (deer or rabbits), but it got two loud humans and three big dogs instead. We were probably within 8 yards of the cat when it snarled at us and ran off. We didn't hang around there, of course, but it was an awesome encounter, and really made our day. We did lots of cat-checks throughout our hike, and continued making noise, but I never got the sense that it was stalking us. It took off and avoided us as soon as it knew we were there. We did see older tracks along the beach though, so it had definitely been active in that whole area.
Oregon is an open-carry state, so be sure to have a pistol when hiking. Remember that biker who was killed in Washington - also an open-carry state.
greetings from Brazil. here depending on the region in which you live there are sightings of both pumas (which are known here as suçuaranas) and jaguars. in short, I live in São Roque, state of SP, in a neighborhood far from the city center, with few residents. Anyway, when I was 16, I studied in the morning, and I needed to walk around 200 meters to reach the bus stop, which was on a road far from the neighborhood. one day, when i was going to the bus stop (around 6:30 am) i noticed a pair of eyes in the undergrowth watching the street. when I approached, whatever it was ran into the woods through the undergrowth. at the time I thought it was a dog or something, at night people were talking about a puma hanging around the plantations. now i see how lucky i was.
One wonders how many times we have been in eminent danger and either never realized it or found out well after the fact. Glad it didn't attack you.
@@rouxchat6033
Many times in life, we have no idea ever, and that protection is there. :)
@@cacatr4495How bout carrying can of cat food to leave on ground 'tween Cat and ( me ) ? This might allow " exit stage left ," as tv Cartoon say.
Thanks for sharing....
I live in Northern California where mountain lions are seen often and even recently seen in a neighborhood in town. I live in the mountains north of Redding and they are seen a lot. A neighbor friend saw one about one month ago and she turned back home to hide inside put her dog a German Shepard went after it and attacked it. The dog got hurt and was walking with a limp the next day by the dog survived and I believe saved her owner.
How come dog safed owner when she hid in house? Poor dog! Instead of letting him after cat, she could have waited til next mornig! By then cat most probably would have been gone!
I carry a really loud Noise maker.....push the button and the noise is so loud it would frighten them. We live on a Mountain. Last night took my dog out for potty. Heard a Mountain Lion Screaming down the mountain. I knew it was a Cat...and not a Coyote. The UPS Truck Driver came to our door last year, and he was panicked...he Saw one not far from our property. GREAT VIDEO...THANK YOU !!
This is the second video of yours I have watched and both of them are nicely done and full of excellent information. Thank you for sharing your expertise and experience with the rest of us.
Ha, you watched the bear one first like me too, didn't ya? ;)
@@JustinOhio Absolutely!
In Tucson, Arizona while running y dog in a mountainous neighborhood on the street while passing a home, ( I ran this area every day) I looked a noticed a mountain lion laying on the welcome matt at the front door porch door! It was watching us!
I immediately stopped and secured my dog, luckily my dog did not notice the M.L. We slowly walked away, looking back several times to see if we were being followed. The mountain lion just continued to lay on the porch watching us .
My heart was pounding out of my chest and I was glad that My Airedale did not see the M.L. as I know she would have bolted for it. I continued to say her name so she would focus on me.
It was an adult full grown M.L, first I had ever seen in 8 years of my every morning runs.
Holly Shit! I felt very lucky to have not had things go bad.
Maybe it had just finished eating and was relaxing on a nice front porch!
Hope it left before someone left for work and opened the front door to that big boy saying good morning!
Less than a mile from downtown Tucson! At least 25 homes on that street!
Be aware of where your at!
I thanked god several times that day!
Wow that is just crazy, a mountain lion lying on a front door welcome mat. Did you call the wildlife people? I live in Green Valley. I was going to go hiking in Madeira Canyon this weekend by myself with my Lab. I have only been hiking a couple times up there with my dog. I have always gone with a friend. Guess I am going to need to get bear spray and take a knife (I don’t own a gun). I am glad I watched this video.
Thank you for the tips. I was outside this afternoon on my porch in the South Texas countryside when I heard a woman scream two times. Than I heard the neighbors cows mooing . I thought to myself why is someone screaming like a nut out there. Than a lightbulb came on. I quickly got my dogs inside and went in myself. Your video helped teach me what to do if I encounter one. Very grateful.
You should have called police about the scream.
@@ganymeade5151 UA-cam search the sound of cougar screams. There was no woman.
very informative thanks for covering every bit. appearing big, noise, not turning your back, not running away etc.
safeguarding youngers and weak and use of any melee weapon including blade or a blunt weapon to fight back in case you dont have a firearm on you.
The most scary moments of my life were 2 times in the Rockies and with cougar encounters up close. Grizzlies up close don't even match the way I felt.
Funny how we imagine getting eatin by a great white shark or attacked by a cougar but we should fear a tiny tick the most.
Totally agree.
I didn't know I had a tick for 3 days. I had to go to the hospital because of lymph node pain in abdomen. It hurt so freaking bad it was hard to lift, bend, walk. Ticks aren't a joke.
@@frankpaige3026 Oh wow. I hope you get better soon Frank. I live in NJ one of the tickest places in the US.
Pro tip: If you see a tick, you should wave your arms, yell, and then throw some sticks or rocks at it. If that doesn't work, you should stop, drop and roll. And if that doesn't work, you must punch it in the nose like a shark. And if that doesn't work, just scream like a 5 year old. That's what I do.
@@firstylasty9417 Hahaha thx man ... great advice. I typically use bear spray.
I live in mountain lion territory in Oregon statistically you have a higher chance of a branch falling down knocking you over the head and killing you than being killed by a mountain lion.. but the population of mountain lions has increased quite a bit since they outlawed hunting on horseback here. The population of deer has decreased due to the increase in mountain lions but this is still good information it's good to be cautious.
What part of Oregon.
I live in southern Oregon and we have a cougar going through here
Thank you for your content, I saw I saw videos of people suggesting putting big eyes, like a sticker or something on the top of your backpack, because they like to jump down from trees on your back, and they see the eyes and are deterred.
I have never heard of that ....that is wild... Thank you for sharing please keep in touch my friend
Fishermen in the Sundarbans use this tactic to prevent tiger attacks.
The tiger itself has that trick built into its armour. White 'eyes' on the back of its ears.
Cougars are more likely to ambush (jump down) from overhanging rock, or the side of a hill right next to the trail, than from a tree.
I have only ever heard that applying to tigers, nonother cat. They wore masks that looked like faces on back of head in India which often works with tigers, but apparently they started to learn and it doesn't work as well now.
Great video. I grew up in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado and have never seen a mountain lion, but encountered a huge bobcat/lynx looking cat in Moab, Utah. He just crossed the trail nonchalant af. It was amazing.
Thank you very much my friend keep in touch
Never seen one but on a bike trail there was a lynx and not far from me on same trail someone say a baby Mt Lion that they thought was separated from its mother
I live in Forks Washington and we have so many mountain lions here just wanted to let you know they do fallow people on trails for miles sometimes and if you hear sounds like birds at night it’s usually them communicating with each other they make a lot of different sounds
Good info. Last week while mountain biking in the Santa Monica Mountains in Los Angeles at the end of the ride and very close to houses etc ..I came up over a rise for a final descent and standing in the middle of the trail facing me was a large mountain lion. I yelled purely out of shock and came to a stop because seeing it in this location was the last thing I expected. I’ve seen children hiking this part of the trail by themselves. Scary. Anyway we looked at each other for a maybe 5 seconds and he took off, effortlessly scaling the rock and brush covered mountain side. Looking back I realized if the lion had decided to come after me I was in an extremely bad position. Straight drop off to my right, lion in front of me, sheer mountain wall to my left and a fairly steep incline behind me. I guess it was my lucky day.
No lions, but I was lucky enough to see a grizzly in the wild. He was so far away he never knew I was there. My dad got the spotting scope out and we watched it walk across the field. Yellowstone is a beautiful place. Also new sub here. I wish you all the success in the world.
Brother, thank you for the excellent back-up teaching. The knowledge that you're sharing is excellent. God bless and stay safe brother.
Living in Ahwahnee California; near Yosemite. We have a 1/2 mile long driveway and frequently encounter black bears and mountain lions. I honk at the lions and they flee. My 12-year-old grandson walks down the driveway to catch his school bus in the morning. Twice he encountered a black bear. He just slowly walks back to the house as the bear walks the other way--he knows never to run.
Cool video with great advice! I lived in the Lincoln National Forest in New Mexico at 8,000' a long time ago. Seeing bear, deer & elk was a daily occurence. In town ppl were saying they spotted a mountainn lion; it was coming down to a lower elevation to hunt for food. I worked nights back then. Where I lived it was pitch dark at night, no neighbors, no lights except the ones on my house. I got home one night, got out of my truck and started up the 30 steps to my front door and heard a twig snap. I stopped and turned and just caught sight briefly of a mountain lion as it passed through a lit area. It was walking towards my house and I didn't stand still long. I've never been so scared. Once it was out of the light, I couldn't see which way it went.
Amazing on how you feel when you see them....its hard to explain...thank you for watching my video keep in touch.
Pure adrenaline rush , fight or flight instincts kick in unless ur half kitty u just purr at big kitty . .
Hello from Albuquerque! Also used to live in Alamogordo!!
Wow! Yeah my instinct would have been to run up the steps as fast as I could. But now I learned from this video not to run. Crazy stuff
During the Civil War in Illinois my great great grandmother was coming home at night from her day volunteering at a hospital. A panther followed her home.
We now have them in nw lower Michigan, sleeping bear national park area. Many people have sighted them, and the park (finally) put up signs. I had an episode with the one in the park with my dog in early spring a few years back. I heard it “ scream “ at us , huge growl, my lab freaked a little, I picked up a lg branch to make myself look bigger and we walked QUICKLY, without running back to the van. Scary. They’re beautiful but… a little scary!
I find these videos very informative. I am a Florida native and never thought twice about a panther or black bear and never saw one even when camping. Gators are much more frequent down there than any other wild creature and hell they live in the lakes and ponds in our neighborhoods. Ever since I moved to Helena, Montana I won't even go walking around here at night, because I know these animals sometimes wander into even the cities. Of course most of Montana is rural no matter what area you are in. I didn't know the first thing about encountering a bear or a mountain lion, but I'm learning fast. I would like to start hiking this summer and honestly I am a little scared to go venturing any further than my backyard. lol
It's natural to feel intimidated when one has no knowledge, mentoring or experience with new things like that. I trust you've been wearing "bear-bells" on your belt-loop or daypack, just 3-4 bells that will jingle every time you move or walk, so that they hear you coming and avoid you. This is the long-known method of preventing bear-encounters. I would not count on any close-contact methods as that is already too close. Bear-spray can blow back on you by a breeze, it can also anger a bear. To me, the whole idea is to keep distance, especially from grizzlies, black bear mothers with cubs, bison, cougars, and wolves. Though I have seen grizzlies in real life (Glacier National Park), I have no firsthand experience in dealing with them, while my experiences (in Arizona) have been with a cougar (stalked by one), a sizeable pack of coyotes encircling me and my dogs on a dark night, and black bear. But I have been on extended backpacking trips in bear country in other states where we used bear-bells, and we didn't see them at all: they stayed away from us, per their natural desire to avoid man. The primary cause of negative bear encounters occurs when people surprize them: bear don't like to be surprized: it frightens them to the point of their reacting defensively, so giving them a heads-up is all important, to which they'll leave the area. Some people say that they just talk loudly all the time instead of wearing bear-bells, but who wants to talk constantly, especially in beautiful, serene forests, when they should be paying attention? If you're in grizzly country, I'd suggest having a good conversation with a lifelong local hiker, and hiking *_with_* those that are trustworthy and experienced. I'd encourage you to learn how to handle your mind, mouth, and being, and your ways of hiking in ways that do not need to involve the mindset of lethality. So many fearful people easily speak of killing large predators, but that is how grizzlies and wolves have largely been extirpated from the West, and they are species with a purpose in Nature; they need to be respected and preserved. Wise self-handling, like learning where, when and how to hike, like wearing bear-bells (and maybe carrying a terribly loud handheld airhorn, the kind that are used on boats, as they can be heard for miles, and all animals hate or fear huge noise), can prevent contact so these events are nonissues. The whole point is to learn and use wisdom, which is the principal thing. Though I've had many contacts with the species I've named, I don't have fear of them, and walking in fear is no way to live, neither is having a lethal-mindset. The way of knowledge, wisdom, respect and peace is the way to live, and I encourage you in that. Greetings from Tucson. (You can read the details of that cougar-stalking, 2 hours in the Tucson Mountains, in other threads here, where I already shared it. )
@Sims 3 Forever Dude
Regardless of that statement, we have often heard numerous coyotes vocalizing together from the same location, obviously all adults, and the night a pack encircled us, they were all adult-size, there was one big male among them, there were no "pups," though some, I'm sure, were offspring. They were not few, they encircled me and my leashed dogs closely and fully, at about 6 feet away from us, a full circle of them, about 15 of them. I won't repeat the story here; you can read it where I posted it on this page. I would be reticent to believe the statement you posted, as I've seen differently. I lived for 14 years at the edge of Tucson Mountain Park SSE of Old Tucson, about 2 minutes walk from BLM land that bordered the park. There was a great deal of wildlife all around, and I was a big hiker in those days, knowing that area very well. Coyotes will work cooperatively for big prey, and both my dogs were bigger than them, even bigger than the male. It was my dogs that they wanted. It was an event of a lifetime, but we went home that night untouched.
@Sims 3 Forever Dude A pack of 5 or 6 had encircled me and my large dog but appearing only in flashes at Lake Mead NV. They were non threatening but a good sized fish one had dropped was still thrashing about as we backed off from a stream alongside a large run of water.
Aren’t there wolves in Montana too to worry about? Heard stories of Wolf packs killing and eating peoples dogs but very rare of Wolf attacks on humans. I’m sure they have happened though.
This is not true.@Sims3ForeverDude
I had a female mountain lion as a pet for 12 years. She was among the most affectionate pets I've owned
Did she stay in your home with you? Or was she spayed? How did you feed her? I am not doubting that she was very affectionate but they also have instinctive qualities that can be easily triggered under the right circumstance. Cats are one of the most majestic animals to form a bond with if you respect their cues and needs they will adore you.
If you believe that story, I have a bridge to sell u
They make excellent friends along with bobcats. See the couple with a pet cougar in Russia in multiple videos. Also a Texas couple with bobcats. Cougars are actually nicer than Bobcats.
@@jerrypolverino6025 I’ve seen the guy in Russia. His pet cougar loves him! Still, I wouldn’t mess around with the wild ones. Attacks are rare, but not that rare!
@@vkevpe I had a wild cat come to my campfire. It sat there and we watched one another for ten minutes and left. PS: I sleep in my truck.
I saw a mountain lion as a teen in Colorado. It was quite exciting! Instinctively I knew to keep my distance. I was above a small canyon and it was below. I'm thankful I had the experience.
Over here in California , most trails have snakes and mountain lion warnings, it’s hard to go to a trail with your family where you don’t see one of this signs
Yes your correct they are more common
If you're a long distance hiker....and can do so..... I recommend carrying a small ultralight revolver... .38 or a 22 mag.....chest rig on your sternum strap.... Half a pound of protection... If you can't pack it as a means of defense....get stronger. There's 4 and 2 legged animals that don't GAF at all....out roaming looking for prey.
Great advice 👍I've just subscribed
I've a story about a Pacific Crest Trail female thru hiker in 2018 that had an encounter with a mountain lion north of the Tahoe rim Trail area. She actually challenged a mountain lion that was stalking her tent, she mistook it to be a dear. She was fortunate, luckily she lived to tell the story.. I've also heard a fog horn can be very effective if a mountain lion is stalking your camping area. Safe hiking 👍
i am a California native. bears rattlesnakes, tarantulas, coyotes do not bother me at all, but spooking a mountain lion, having it menace me and snarl before running away left me worried for a couple of nights. they are rare to sight in the wild. I have only seen two in over 40-50 years of hunting, fishing, backpacking and trail running here in California. they are there, they are on the news snatching poodles every year but they usually hear humans way before you come across them.
my favorite animal encounter was seeing a small dark object coming out of brush work it's way across some huge talus above a tarn I was camped at. as it got closer I realized it was a little bluish grey fox. it hunted several of the many pika's that inhabited it was so animated eating them. relishing each little chomp. licking it's lips and smiling like a content dog. it was amazing. it ignored me the whole time but I'm pretty sure it was aware I was there.
Amazing thank you
All of my Colorado and Montana mountain lion encounters have been on RR tracks and utility easements. They seemed interested in other prey they were guarding. In each case a large branch was available to me, and they let me back out of the situation. There was one time however, when I got 'cold pricklies' up my spine, stopped and turned around, and on my way back down the trail, there were now paw prints that had been following me up the trail. I walked back down to civilization with many rocks in hand and a wary eye.
Oh. My. Lord. Reading that have me the cold pricklies haha
I had an encounter with a cougar when I was a teenage boy. It was in the Santa Monica mountains. The Santa Monica mountains are next to the Pacific Ocean in southern California. I can tell you are going to find this experience unusual. It was by no means a frightening experience.
My Father & I were hiking. The cougar with his tail was 7ft long. He showed no fear or hostility. He slowly disappeared behind an abandoned cabin. In hindsight I think he was following the scent of a deer.
I think he disappeared to follow his own business. He was by no means annoyed or afraid of us.
Just found your channel and feel so much better about getting more prepared while hiking
I had my first cougar encounter today. That’s why I looked up this video. I did not run away from us. It followed us from the tree line 25 yards away. We are 2 adult males. We talked at it. Then talked louder at it as it followed. Then it stopped finally and watched up hike away as we kept backing away.
Great video, I however would never go into the wilderness without bear spray or my firearm.
Thank you very much
Same here. In fact, since I live in Alaska I carry both. Bear spray for curious bears and .44 mag for aggressive bears.
@@outbackeddie No bear spray, no firearms allowed in California national parks. They handcuff you here, smh...
@@rocketdog4539 California is ridiculous!
@@rocketdog4539 wow
I ran into one last year in Central WI. Riding my bike on a rail trail. Crossed the path 20-30 yds in front of me chasing a deer and one of its 2 fawns. Amazing! No mistaking it was a cat. When it crossed the trail, it was laser focused. Never saw me approaching. Never looked at me. It was in a running crouch, like the last few steps before a cat jumps.
I live in Colorado - the Rocky Mountains and beyond :o) I do land and water blessings and usually go where my 4 wheel drive takes me. Thanks for these tips. I have hiked here for 5 decades & have had a few bear encounters but not out on the trail. Around human garbage or garbage night to be real honest. A whole other topic what a plastic bag can do in the stomach of a bear, elk, deer or any other living mammal etc . . .
This is a great service you are doing to people. You have to be wildlife smart in our world. We are in their homeland - not vice versa.
I live in SC and at the time of my sighting of these beautiful creatures, I was working at a plantation directing guest into the property early one evening with my sweet dog, Angelica. Well we were in a little booth enjoying the evening with the door open, and this beautiful creature comes trotting down the entrance road. At first I thought was a pit bull with a long tail but it was much bigger and it had taller back legs. Angelica was very interested, and took off after the mountain lion into the median separating the entrance and exits roads. I could not see anything and ran after Angelica screaming the worst sound a mother could scream. Then the mountain lion let out the scariest loudest scream. At that time, Angelica came from the brush in the median, terribly scared, crouch down to the ground coming towards me, peeing herself. Thank God she was not hurt, but that mountain lion sure did scare the pee out of her and me.
Trust me!! In desert AZ, lots of folks shoot em, they don't become a statistic.. if they didn't however have a gun, they would have. Can you believe they hang out in top of saguaro cactuses waiting for prey
We live in PA where the mountain lion population is increasing quickly. We have never seen one on the trails but always conscious of the potential. Love this “just in case” video. Ty.
Really? Omg, I google it and it says there is no mountain lions in PA.
@@yelenaaronson9735
The "great source" has much inaccurate "information," keep that in mind regarding other subjects as well. To depend on or trust that source or any like it is a great mistake.
VERY much appreciate your voice of experience !! The continual left right up down scan…. let’s you see more of the wonderful surroundings while out there. It’s just a habit of mine over the years that I don’t even realize I’m doing. I see things most other people miss. The wildlife can smell us, we need to see them. Keep up your excellent work.
I live in a small city and one day walking down a hilly road work (near a residential area) next to a mountain that people do hike up, not that I ever hike, really.There was really no one around but an occasional car going by. I noticed as I was walking down that hilly road that a cougar was running up across the street. I just ignored him and kept walking as before. I didn't stare at him or act scared and he just quick as can be ran up into the mountains, almost like he didn't want to be seen. But I think it was good that I was facing straight ahead, as I was going down and he was going up even though he was on the other side of the road, so didn't have my back to him, and I didn't try to turn around or back away. He didn't try to get nearer to me he just ran up the mountain at lightening speed the first chance he got. He didn't want to get anywhere near me...and I'm only 5 ft. 5 inch woman.
I live in British Columbia Canada, we have alot of big cats up here. I go fishing alot, and the only time I ever seen one was when it ran across the road in front of my truck going up a mountain road. It was gone and up a 15ft bank in about 3 seconds flat. Thing was way bigger than expected. I fear them much more than bears. I've probably encountered many more but just never noticed them. Gives me the creeps sometimes when I'm out in the middle of nowhere alone.
He’s right about them staying clear of people. I have seen many footprints on my patio, in my yard and on the trail behind our house in Montana but I have never caught even a glimpse of one. I was told there’s three known cats in the area but I have yet to see one. The deer and turkeys are usually everywhere you look but when they disappear for a few days you know a lion has pushed them out of the area. I live in Florida most of the year and a friend of mine was stalked by a panther while we were turkey hunting in the Everglades. He was sitting in the scrub under a tree and had the sense to look over his shoulder and there it was like a barn cat sneaking up on a mouse. It took off as soon as he stood up. My only sighting was spotting the rear ended of one stepping into an orange grove as I was crossing Florida on a narrow country road. They’re like smoke.
Thank you for your video. I cannot get enough of Bears, Sharks, Wolfs and Mountain Lion documentaries
I came here from your black bear video. Great videos!
Thank you very much my friend... keep in touch
I saw one in Southeast Kansas. I was going into the woods to chop some dead trees, and saw what I first thought was a dog then saw the long tail. I immediately turned around and walked back to the road. I can't think of a more awe-inspiring animal.
Here in the Flint Hills of Kansas in November of 2018 a starving baby mountain lion crossed the road about 80 feet in front of me as I was returning home from a walk. It was well past the cute and cuddly stage, but still had its spots, which they keep up to 1.5 years. It looked to be about 30 pounds; filled out, would have been about forty. I was shocked and just stopped and stared. It stopped also, and looked over at me for a few seconds, then just kept on walking. I sensed it was too weak to be a threat, but it certainly wasn't afraid of me. Really felt sorry for it but also started to wonder where mom might be.
Always wanted to visit National Parks and even my local PA State Parks but I have crazy fears of snakes and bears. Even when I was a hunter I hated being in the woods alone and now I just don't go at all. They say it's a good idea to try things you're afraid of so I'm hoping one day I get to visit the parks with my kids without being afraid of wildlife 🤞
Thank you very much my friend keep in touch
While you can still come across animals, many parks have boardwalks, traveled trails, etc. areas that are easier access with less chance of larger animals you might be scared if.
I wear snake guards when going through brush. Never been bit by a snake yet but they can't penetrate the shin guard. They aren't that expensive and very useful. I metal detect, going through brush is a need for me.
Bear spray does work well. Just keep your distance and don't walk up on ones cubs. Don't be scared to enjoy the beautiful wilderness.
I know this is not a Mountain lion experience am sharing, but I would like to share it anyway. A couple of years ago I was having a hike in forest and encounters a wolf(there where most likely more, but only saw one). I fellt like I was being followed and turned around and had it behind me about 50 meters. Eyecontact and everything and the wolf did show any interest of leaving. It walked towards me slowly, like it wanted to explore me. My first reaction was to run, but realised that would most likely trigger a response. I dont know where I got this idea from, but I took out my blade and put it towards my mouth and placed it like it was a teeth and made sure I flashed it to the wolf. It stoped looked at me and took of. I dont know what it thought and what it wanted but it sure was scary
Wish the dads in my family had heard you decades ago. There is nothing like hiking a mtn top trail in Kilarney Prov Pk, with a group of people older then yourself, being the youngest, with the food pack, the last one in the group positions. On every Beech tree I saw, I saw the (bear) claws markings through the bark. I think I looked back with every other step. Thank goodness nothing happened, but alot of training for me. Wishing that adults, especially those with more knowledge or who should have more knowledge, are careful. Sometimes I wonder if this is what happens to people who seem to vanish. Peace out.
I have only seen two mountain lions in the 57 years I have lived here in Colorado. A male and female heading down to the watering hole. They walked on by me about 100 feet away took a look and kept on going. Lynx and bobcats, I see all the time out on the trails.
Thank you for sharing your knowledge and experience as well as tips of dos and don’ts. Hiking is one of my favorite things to do!
Thanks for watching and please keep in touch...
Just pretend your walking through the ghetto and do not project fear or weakness they can smell it be crazy 0 percentage of attack.
@@milotorres6894
There's a great similarity between those.
I mostly hike alone and im very aware of my surroundings , in 25 years i have only seen 2 cougars of the 4 legged variety , one was at a very popular site quite close to a town that has a huge rabbit population so the cats stay close to town easy food. so they are well fed, I saw track so knew it was in the area, knife in hand and bear spray ready to go just in case, no idea how affective spray would be on a cougar but its better than nothing. a few hundred feet up the trail in the low branches of a large pine there was the cat. as soon as i made eye contact the cats behaviour changed, way more skittish, I picked up some good sized rocks and started throwing them in the cats direction and just kept doing it, making lots of noise and moving towards it, that cat was out the tree and off up the rocks as fast as you could blink. much to my relief. I was taught to let the cat know you mean business and are not an easy meal, second cougar sighting, it was sitting way up on some rock shelves just watching me along the trail , I think it was more curious than anything then pow off it went up the side of the mountain and vanished. 2 very cool sightings, and I still think i was lucky to even see them as im certain they just vanish as soon as they know people are there. I would like to make a quick note here about people and dogs. keep your dog on a leash at all times, because cougars are masters at luring the dog to chase them. then ambush. bang 2 seconds later your dog is dead, and you wont even know until you try and call it back by that time the cat is long gone with fido.
I had a friend who was looking for her cat on an abandoned property next to her house. She said she heard a cat noise coming out of the bush by the house, and, thinking it was her cat, pushed the bush aside at which point she realized she was 4ft away from a Mountain Lion. She said it just looked at her, and she thought "oh hell no" and started backing away. The Mountain Lion never followed her, but later she found her housecat's tail. :( - in California
Yeah big kitties eat small kitties
Puma will not tolerate another cat in their territory unless it's a female puma. Males fight other males. Males will tolerate a breeding female. Female territory overlaps male's but male pumas territory is usually separate with females in between. A breeding male may kill another male's cubs in order to breed with the female. Bobcats and puma can mate and produce a pumabob. Both my friend and I have seen one. It's large like a puma with a bobbed tail. I have seen a black puma twice driving in the Santa Cruz Mountains.
Lived in southwest Florida since 1971 and only ever saw a panther in the wild once. Then I went to Mexico a few years ago. Staying in a home with 3 big GSDs, and I was in a bed up in a loft and couldn't sleep one night. Was staring down and out through a big open window into a garden, after midnight. Motion detector lights come on, and I'm suddenly looking at...one of the dogs. Of course it's one of the dogs, right? SLOWLY dawns on me that that is definitely NOT one of the dogs, and I am, in fact, staring at a mountain lion. Stared for a few more minutes just assuring myself that, yep, uh huh, that's..a FREAKING MOUNTAIN LION. It's still, the light coming on hasn't bothered it a bit. And then I hear a door opening in the main house, and wham--here come the dogs and that cat shot out of the garden, and now all the lights are coming on, and I'm trying to pull on pants while also trying to hustle down the stupid loft ladder and calling the other members of the house on my cell phone to tell them to NOT come outside, and by the time I hit the floor, the dogs and cat are obviously tangling. I get to the window just fast enough to watch this thing jump from the ground onto the top of a stone wall, taller than me, so 6' at least, like it was nothing, and then s/he was gone. Crazy, amazing, weird, and beautiful experience all at the same time.
Thank you for letting people know that they need to be looking up in the trees. Mountain Lions/Cougars are ambush predators and this is one way they hunt for food. As you walk under a tree they will jump down in a surprise attack, unsuspectingly on their prey...which could be you and they love to attack from behind. And here's my tip..but only use this in a dire situation...fire crackers,yep, black cats they are loud and the majority of wild dangerous animals do not like the sound and it does tend to scare them enough for you to sceedaddle out of there. Just remember only to use this in a dire situation because within any state or National park they are penalties for setting off any type of fireworks. That's my best advice.
Again, thank you for pointing this out. You now have my respect! 👍👊😏😉👌
meow
I recently did a loop in Kings Canyon in California on July 15th. It was 10:15 PM, and I was nearing mile 40 of my trail run. At 10 PM, I had thought to myself and mentioned in my video blog that I had never come across a mountain lion, and that thought worried me. Well, at 10:15 PM, I looked up the hillside and saw two mountain lions 50 yards away. One was sitting down, flicking its ears and licking its fur, while the other was lying down behind the base of a tree. I looked right at them, and they looked right at me. I pointed an additional spot beam flashlight at them. I didn't say anything but continued to slowly walk down the trail, making sure not to look away from the two. Once I turned the corner and was out of sight, I ran for 30 minutes to the trailhead. It was very scary considering I was alone, but I look back on the situation and am grateful to have seen such amazing animals up close while they were in a relaxed state.
Wow, that’s an amazing story and you know what I feel the same exact way after I see a magnificent animal like that but then later on it starts to reflect wow I was in the wild with a dangerous animal that could’ve taken me out but what a wonderful experience my friend thank you for sharing.
Two stories, one when I got out of the USMC I was in Montana deer hunting in the snow. I hiked up a hill and circled around it to drive the dear out to the other hunters. When I circled the mountain / hill and found my old tracks. I saw that a mountain lion was following me, because his tracks in the snow was on top of mine. I took the rifle off safety, and quickly backed down the hill. If he would of jumped me from behind even being in shape with a rifle I think I'd of been toast.
The 2nd. time was with El Dorado Search and Rescue in CA on a missing runner search. A mountain lion attacked and killed her from behind and she fought it rolling down a hill. After that a lot of the search and rescue guys and gals bought the cheap bat kites and put the eye stickers on the back of their helmets to lesson the chances of getting attacked from behind. At least if you see them in front of you you can get ready for the possible fight, grab a gun or a knife and make your self look big. But if they surprise you from the back and they have your neck, I think you are screwed. At that point the pain would keep you from retrieving a gun or knife and using it.
Southern AZ Cowboy here and have had 3 lion encounters. 1 on foot, 1 horseback and 1 sitting at my barn at sundown. On foot I was walking my Heeler dog. Young cat was surprised by our presence and he took off. On horseback I was riding in a deep carved out wash with banks taller than my head. Saw ears gliding on an escalator and my horse was snorting and nervous. Kept going and came upon a deer carcass. That cat heard us coming and moved away as we rode on by. 3rd encounter at my barn at sundown a large male lion came down a hill heading for an evening drink from my half acre pond during an extended drought. My Heeler dog took off like a rocket right for it. I thought initially my dog was chasing a coyote. I ran after my dog and there was a large male lion standing 30 yards away. My dog never stopped so I ran straight for it and acted loco screaming and flapping my arms. The lion paused and decided both of us were loco and he turned and shot back up the hill. Acting crazy is a solid strategy when you’re that close to an adult lion. They’re beautiful creatures and deserve our respect but you have to be very aware of their presence. 9 times out of 10 they see us long before we ever see them.
Never goin the woods without the basics - a means to make fire, a sharp serviceable heavy bladed knife, some paracord and a good hand gun that's carried at the ready. You got that and you will survive a night or two. I didn't mention food but do I really need to? Idea: bring a whole rotisserie chicken. You can survive off it or throw it at a mountain lion. That lion ain't going to pass up an easy chicken to go after you. Then, just boogie on out.
Hiking in South Fork Colorado with my dog (Border Collie/Aussie mix) came across a cougar hiking across the side of a foothill in tge San Juan mountains. Brushy area. Very rocky. She went around a low brushy tree one way and I went around the other. Strong persistent headwind. I saw her completely frozen looking ahead at a cougar maybe 10 yards away. I was a little further. The cat was walking off. Very freaky. I motioned her to come to me. I always carry a pistol and a knife but this time the pistol was in the pack. Lesson learned. Now I have a Glock 21 in a tactical leg holster at all times. Lucky we were not killed.
This channel has the best comment section stories ever :) I enjoy reading all of them. We will never know if any of them are real or just made up but still fun to believe there true.
I and my border collie meant a large 200lb female. She came up from the river bottom tracking deer and walked right into us. She sized us up for 10 seconds turned and went back to the river bottom. Game Warden told me carry a flare hand gun. Their terrified of the flare. Watch your flare and make sure your flare goes out. Do not burn down the Forrest.🤗🇺🇸 Michigan flare hand gun with 5 shells cost $68. Supposed to work on grizzlies.
Knowledge helps concur fear. Thanks.
Wsdom dispels fear.
I’ve been hiking and roaming around in the mountains in Page County, VA, for years. I’d always wondered about mountain lions, but had always heard there were none around here. A few people had said they’d seen them, but I figured they were probably lying. Anyway, a few years back a guy my dad worked with who had land near Rt. 522 between Winchester Va and Berkley Springs WV caught one on a game cam. Then last year someone I know said he saw two in an area that I hike/camp frequently (it could have been the same cat both times though because the sightings were within about 10 miles of each other). Now I assume there is one in the area and I was concerned because I didn’t know what to do if I encounter one in the woods. So thank you for posting this video because all the things you discuss have given me a comprehensive understanding of how mountain lions act and of what to do if I happen to encounter one. I was actually feeling afraid to go hiking, but now I can see that it was really my ignorance of these animals that was causing the fear.
Never ran into one, but a pepper gun is great! Very lightweight, shoots 20 ft.
Absolutely thank you
LOL I was raised in the Appalachian Mountains in East Tn since the year, omg, lol 1953. So, I was raised to hunt we loved to hike the trail and it wasn't as used as it is now. Now several times in the past we heard screams and had never heard a recording of mountain lions for years now we knew, and we saw foot prints of big cats knowing bears and even coyotes then now we know what we heard. Only a sighting in 1982 and IT took my breath and then as you said jut a cat shape with a long tail but again, we knew. The sad part we were lied to or just ignorance of the Wildlife people or wanting to hide the fact that these cats were NOT here well Sir I saw and heard them since i guess around the early 60's OMG we camped in these mountain for as I am old eons lol! Love the quietness and views. So yes my grandparents saw them and called them 'panters and they knew them in the 20"s! BUT never was i afraid because good or bad we hunted there and were armed. WE WERE TAUGHT the use of guns since 8 years old! Still, I encourage people to at least walk and camp in these mountains! AND PLEASEW dont party and do drugs I have seen drug paraphernalia on the trail awhile back we that live here see the parties they have OMG WHY just enjoy nature! Yep still ake a few SLOW trips there LOL! God Bless America
I encountered a mountain lion on the Los Liones trail in Los Angeles. A bunch of women in front of me were acting scared of it and cringing... I just walked right by it but kept facing it the whole time. I never got closer than 50 feet or so. If it got closer, I was prepared to raise my hands in the air and start yelling. Generally they only attack from behind and will back off if you make a lot of noise or make yourself look bigger. On the whole though they are pretty reluctant to get too close to people.
You're a typical California dumb shit. See how many times that works out for ya.
@@native82 lol I’m on your side dude - moved to Georgia to get away from all the nonsense politics in California. :D
I am in northern BC. A cougar trotted across in front of me. It stopped in the trees and watched me as I drove by. I was very glad to be in my car. Another time I heard very very loud purring that chilled my blood. I froze, I felt watched. I calmly left the area and went home..... Right now we have three cougars on our neighbours webcam. They are all fully grown. We are being vigilant
Great vid William! Unfortunatelly, we don't have that type of problem in Europe! Here the most aggressive thing that you can encounter is a rabbit...I'm kidding there are wild pigs, wolves or bears but really rare to encounter them. Thanks for sharing your experience in Appalachian trail, that's in my bucket list! I hope to do part of it one day!
I’ve been camping, hiking coming up on 40 years now. I’ve never seen a mountain lion or bear while out in the forest but I know they are out there. I’ve walked right up on deer, both at day and night, and was literally right on top of them when they jumped up and scared the heck out of me. I’ve also encountered bobcats on 3 separate occasions while hiking. In all 3 instances once they realized I was there they took off into the forest. As you described in your video there was total silence, not a footstep to be heard, and they were gone.
If law allows a pistol,or shotgun for self defense(which they should in a free country),then carry one when in bear/cat country.If one see's you as prey and moves in,and all you have is a blade...good luck!.I got very lucky with a bear once.
A handgun or packable shotgun on a sling weigh very little for the added security they provide.The noise factor alone can ward off disaster.They( guns) are far less a burden than horrific injury,suffering or death by predation.
My friend and I were backpacking and in the morning she yelled there was a bear at her tent, she had no food in it but the bear was getting water bottles and bags from just outside her tent so I jumped out of my tent and grabbed my hiking poles and told the bear to go away, but the bear walked up to me and stood six feet away just looking at me and I just stood looking back and telling it to go away for about ten minutes and then the bear left. I take that as a warning because we had no self defense other than hiking poles. I wasn't afraid because the bear didn't seem aggressive but I was thinking how if it started attacking my friend, I should have more than a hiking pole. From now on I will and I'm very glad it was just a bear and not a lion.
I watched full video and I am definitely subscribing to your channel. You know exactly what your are talking about. You covered everything. THANK YOU!!!!!
@William 180 A couple of yrs ago I would have answered that question of what's the best way with; the noise and the knife with the inclusion of a pointed fairly thick 6 to 7' walking stick. Nowadays the stick might not be necessary with the little Panic Alarm or whatever they call it. It appears to be less than half the size of an egg, and makes a siren alarm type sound(like an ambulance) at ear piercing dB levels. It was invented as a personal protection device, against person to person violation, however, predatorial wildlife I am quite sure would exit stage left, or stage right or whatever direction would allow them hi gear, kickin' up dust quicker than Yogi Bear with a pic-i-nic basket getting away from the Ranger.
We have a hiking area nearby that has always spooked me. Only place I've been that gives me that feeling. There are mountain lions there. It's dark and narrow with large oak tree overhanging the trail. I never thought about them being in the trees. Now I'm really spooked.
I did one morning go hiking there. At one point I looked to my right and there was a bobcat laying in grass just watching me from about ten feet away. I said, 'Hi Bobcat' and kept walking. Ran into him on my return trip. Saw him hunting rabbits. Pretty cool.
My partner and I were hiking, we kept seeing these big cat tracks. We no more than got back to the truck and this big cat walked right across the road in the direction we just came. Couldn't believe it. Lol They're not supposed to be here in Ohio but they certainly are.
Where in Ohio?
People underestimate these animals. They are very powerful, extremely fast, and silent. They have to be. They can grab a 250 lb deer in their mouth and climb a tree. I've never met a human that could do that. They are ambush predators and will circle around their prey. I've been stalked by one, and it did that very thing. They can kill a dog in seconds. The best case scenario in an attack is you come out with some pretty horrendous wounds - if you survive. This video is good advice. Stay "big," make noise, don't run, back up slowly, and fight back if attacked. I carry a 150 dB alarm, bear spray, and a quick-deploy 5-inch blade. Even so, I am very wary, especially when I'm alone. When I camp in cougar country, I set up a trip alarm around camp (probably overkill, but I sleep better.)
Females become very aggressive when they have cubs. They want you away from the area and will attack. Overall, cougars (mountain lions) are becoming bolder as their food sources become more scarce. We're encroaching on their territory more than ever, and they're not being hunted as much as in the prior centuries.
Their predator mode is to jump onto your back and sever your spinal column. A backpack can save your life in such an attack.
Amazing video. You’re the first “how to survive a mountain lion” person on UA-cam that I can easily tell has had real life encounters with them. It’s in you descriptions, demeanor, your detailed knowledge, and your voice.
I have been working over 20 years outdoors and hiking the southern Arizona mountains within the Coronado National Forest and adjacent areas. I’ve encountered all kinds of wildlife during my daily adventures, including 12 mountain lions.
A few weeks ago while hiking alone at night in a remote area near Chiminea Peak and Bartolo Canyon, I encountered one of the largest cats I’ve ever seen. Exactly like you described in your recollection of your own encounters. Heard an odd noise in the bushes off the trail. Shined my flashlight toward the sound and saw its head and reflective eyes.
However, unlike my other 11 encounters, this one didn’t bound or trot away. It totally exceeded the “five second” time that you mentioned. Was closer to ten minutes.
I faced off with it at 15 or so yards distance and talked at it with my 9mm pistol and stinger flashlight aimed on it.
I never showed my back or ran away. I visually stared at this thing into its eyes and was prepared to fight it with everything that I am.
After several stare downs and moments of walking backwards as this cat paralleled me along the hillside above the trail, it stopped walking and looking at me. I continued another mile out of the tight and tree-filled canyon to my truck on Forest Service Road 4131.
For about 20 seconds, I was able to capture video of its eyes staring me down through the bushes as I talked at it.
I’d love to share this video, but my UA-cam skills are nonexistent.
Thank you for sharing your knowledge and experiences with your video. It provided affirmation to me for how I positively handled my own encounter. Really cool and very much appreciated.
1st video watching of you and i had to sub. i like the way u talk. alot good info. not too dry, straight to the point. some hidden gems, not just on topic but kinda can be used off topic if u look at it that way. thanx
Very good advice. I had my own encounter with a mountain lion while elk hunting in 1987. I came around a tree and it was crouched on the ground about 50 feet away looking at me intently. I had the impression that he heard me and thought I was a deer or an elk and had intercepted me.I whistled and waved my hat, but he didn't move. I wasn't too worried because I had a rifle, although I didn't want to shoot him. I stood there for maybe 10 minutes looking at him, until I decided to go. He was still looking at me very intently, so I spoke and whistled and waved my hat again, with no effect. I started to sidle away from him and he immediately tensed. I thought there was no way I was going to turn my back on him, so I shot into the ground next to his side to scare him. With one fluid motion he leapt about 6 feet up and 10 feet sideways. He landed on his belly facing me and started creeping toward me, apparently to begin a charge. I shot him then. I didn't want to mess up the head so I shot next to his head into the front of his shoulder, creasing his cheek in the process. He turned around and ran downhill a little ways, thrashed around some, and then died.
I skinned him out (definitely a he), and carried the head and hide out in my pack. I measured it at home and it was right at 8' from nose to tail. I called the game warden and told him about it, and he came out and took it back to town. About 2 weeks later I got a call from the county attorneys office, They wanted me to take a polygraph test. I didn't have a permit for mountain lion. I was a little perturbed about it, because if I was trying to hide something why would I call the game warden?? Anyway, I passed the test. They had sent the cat off for study at the university, and determined it was a healthy male about 4-6 years old. This was the third time I'd seen a mountain lion, but the other times the cats were very shy. The warden said he had never seen a mountain lion even though he'd been working in lion territory many years. I should have told the warden maybe he needs to get out of his truck more often. :)
It amazes me that they didn't logically deduce/perceive/see the honorable spirit of your phone call, and that they had never seen a cougar before, that's shocking. You're right, normally cougars are shy and illusive. Having had my own cougar-encounter, up close and personal, I can see the hinge-point in the series of events you've shared, that being your making yourself a threat to the cougar; that's when his forward movement towards you began. It's unfortunate that it went the way it did, though I'm glad to read you had a heart to not shoot the cougar when the encounter began. Yes, the males can be sizeable, such was the one that stalked me. Both he and I came away from the 2-hour encounter untouched. I'm glad I had no weapon; man needs to learn how to deal with things nonlethally in the ways of wisdom; it's important. It's also great, because that makes me self-contained, not dependent on externals. Thank you for sharing your story. Your clear language skills are also appreciated. :)
@@cacatr4495 Wow, thanks for the great reply! I will say I don't know how it would have gone if I didn't have a rifle. I really think he was stalking me and was not intimidated at all. But maybe I could have handled it differently. I forgot to mention that when I first called the Game and FIsh they didn't believe me. I had to call them back the next day, as I remember. It's been 34 years since this happened.
@@Randall974
They didn't believe you?? (What? That's remarkable! I can't understand that. How odd. Rhetorical question, did they think it was a prank call? Very odd. That simply doesn't compute, how illogical. Worse, you had to call TWICE to report the incident and they still doubted your veracity. It defied all logic. I used to think that people had a decent hold on logic in the 1980's; I guess I'll have to rethink that!) Just because the Cougar was crouched a ways away, doesn't mean he was stalking you; he was making himself small, low to the ground, not to be seen, for one of 3 reasons: because he was thinking of aggressing, or because he wanted to be safe, or because he was curious yet unsure, which they are a lot of the time. As you may realize from being around kitty cats, they can be curious, yet unsure. Wisdom is to not tip the scale in his felt-need to defend himself. We see this with dysregulated humans, that by not presenting a perceived-provocation, one can go their way without escalation. Any time an animal feels he needs to defend himself, that is not good. Normally, I think your decision to scare off the cougar would have worked, but it seems you provoked him into defense. They watch everything, so that he was intently watching you doesn't surprise me in the least. Not judging you at all, but in reading your post, it seemed you didn't want to wait around for him to lose interest, you didn't want to turn your back on him (Wisely), but you didn't want to burn daylight either, yet you ended up spending the time skinning the cougar, so you used that time regardless, with one less cougar in the Wild. I think people need to realize that cats are curious creatures, that they spend a great deal of time watching, that (of course) one should never turn their back on them, but that the cat will tire of their watching in due time, especially if one stands still facing them and with big authoritive speak. Cats are generally peaceful creatures that like serene conditions, and big authoritive speak is fairly unpleasant for them to hear, it disrupts their serene environment. Nonetheless, it took several minutes of my big authoritive speak for the cougar to get bored and walk away, at which time I began making my way down to my car, then apparently having no other entertainment, he returned, at which time I faced him and again "preached" at him (Psalm 91, in a loop) and in maybe 5 minutes, he again departed, which allowed me to make more progress toward my car, and this cycle went on and on. I had only hiked about 20-25 minutes from my car up a foothills trail, but it took me 2 hours to get back down. So yes, patience can be required. The time of day wasn't prudent, it was dark by the time I reached my car. Given you were looking for elk, I would imagine it was around first light or dawn when you first encountered him, eh?
I've heard people talk about how quiet they are, suggesting that a cougar could come right up on them unawares, but it's amazing the noise that a big cat's footsteps make on loose rocks knocking against each other, or snapping twigs, especially in dry conditions in a quiet area. He was on the side-to-top of a group of conjoined hills, and the trail I was on was on the side of those hills, so he was in prime ambush position only 6' off my shoulder. There are also lots of rock outcroppings that are prime for them, so people need to *think* about where they are walking, and next to what, and under what, before they mindlessly walk on. There is this one spot in the Tucson Mountains where the trail passes between boulders for a significant bit of time, and hikers commonly walk through there mindlessly, not paying any attention to what's above and around them. That's so unwise.
@@cacatr4495 As I said, this was the third mountain lion I've seen and all three behaved differently. I saw him in the middle of the day, I was in an area I didn't want to hunt so I wasn't trying to be quiet and was walking noisily. When I saw him he was down on his belly but wasn't trying to conceal himself, and was obviously not afraid of me. My shot into the ground should have scared him away, but it didn't. I'm not tryiing to be rude or anything, but he didn't really fit your cookie cutter. As I noted, this was my third cat encounter. I also have spent many years in the mountains in Wyoming and Montana, where we not only have mountain lions but also other large predators including grizzlies and wolves, and I am by no means a neophyte.
@@Randall974
Got it. I did say 1 of 3 possibilities, not just one, and I noted he didn't head your way until you tried to scare him. I agreed that normally would have worked. It sounds like I offended you and that wasn't my intention. I certainly shared more than that, apparently foolishly. One of these days, I am going to learn not to post any comments, as offenses are so prevalent, when none were intended. I offered thoughts and considerations, observations; they were not meant to step on toes. When I use the word "people," it's a general reference to *people, it's not a reference to the person I'm writing. Perhaps you thought it was. It wasn't. When I mean 'red,' I say 'red,' not 'pink.' If I had meant you, I would have said that. I'm not a passive-aggressive communicator. It was nice chatting with you, brief though it was. So long.
I was stalked by a mountain lion on a nighttime hike to a camp site. I could see it's eyes shining through the trees when I turned my head lamp to the side. Luckily I was with another person and it kept its distance.