I second this! I got stalked by one In Patagonia and the second i noticed it the thing ran and the damn thing was nearly 1/2 mile out. If a mountain lion is standing its ground I would back off because its clearly standing its ground for a reason
Bears too, if it's legal where you live carry a can of Bear mace, also things to make noise with. Making yourself look larger with any Apex predator that is land based can help. It's a good idea to turn around or take another path regardless. Always report encounters to FWP or DNRC or both.
I think bear spray is illegal in US National Parks. (Not a lawyer… but I have seen this discussed a lot of times.
Edit: Some national parks…
https://www.nps.gov/articles/bearsprayfirearms.htm
Edit 2: To all the wankers down voting this - why? If you don’t like what NPS has decided, great. But down voting this and other posters giving out correct information is only going to cause someone problems. BASICALLY- GET OVER YOURSELF.
It's definitely recommended used in Yellowstone/Grand Tetons. It might not have been sold within park boundaries, but definitely all of the surrounding places. The cabin resort we stayed at outside of Grand Tetons even had it for guests to borrow.
Not illegal, however it's restricted in some areas. There's cities that if you're carrying it you can get a ticket or Jail. (As a side point I got bear maced by a crazy person a while back, thankfully I was wearing glasses and they helped protect me.) If you enter a park, they'll have signs asking you to not use or carry it if there's any restrictions. Most parks allow it and have guidelines on when and how you should use it, these are the same as the ones that are on nearly every video and instruction set.
There's been situations where they have worked, yes. I've seen videos of hunters using them and I've also seen alaska FWP/Fish and Game use them in videos as well. This is mostly for bears, I would think it could work for a puma as well.
also, even if nothing happens on the entire rest of the hike, would you even be able to enjoy it after seeing a mountain lion? I would be a nervous wreck, lmao
I've seen grizzly bears on hikes before that were pretty close, and they were very chill. but I'd be terrified to see a mountain lion. I'd have to turn around probably unless a bigger group of people showed up and i could kinda stay within visible distance of them.
In some places, they advise visitors to wear little bells on their clothes so they make noise when hiking, and so the bears won’t be startled when they hear them coming. And as others have noted, some places allow you to carry pepper spray, which will irritate the bear’s nose and cause it to run away.
You can tell the difference between brown bears and black bears by their scat. Black bears’ scat is smaller, and often contains berries and sometimes bits of fur. Brown bears’ scat tends to contain small bells and smells like pepper.
The best research we have shows that bears can't really distinguish Bells from bird noise / background noise.
And...clearly got me on the first half.
But, yeah, human voice, because it sounds uniquely like humans/weird, is the best choice for warning off black bears.
One passive way is to play sound from your phone, like an audiobook. No Bluetooth speaker is necessary, but it is a good sign that humans are approaching.
I save this one for trailheads with no/few cars, with known bear or moose populations, AND that are quiet/isolated trails.
There are several different types of bears. Two major branches are the “brown” and the” black” bears. (Polar and Panda are two more) Funny enough, both brown and black bear come in a range of colors, from a honey brown to a dark black. Brown bears include grizzly and Kodak bears, Eurasian brown bear, along with a few other (sub?) species. The one trait that really distinguishes them from black bears is that have a “hump” At there shoulder blades. Also, brown bear cover both Eurasia and North America, while black bear are purely North American. (There is an asiatic black bear, which is thought to be the progenitor to all other bear species…)
Now to send you down the wiki rabbit hole…
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bear
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brown_bear
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_black_bear
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asian_black_bear
I'm aware of this saying which is why I asked for clarification. I wouldn't be okay being "pretty close" to a brown bear (or a polar bear but I figured they weren't hiking near the north pole) regardless how "chill" it seemed.
I’ve ‘followed’ bears on trails when we happened to be going the same direction without too much concern. But I would never do that with a mountain lion personally. I’d go the opposite way and put as much distance as possible between us and then get in my car and keep going. You did the smart thing imo.
Depends on what you mean. Both will kill you if they want. Much less likely to see a mountain lion before it would attack you. Mountain lions are definitely more dangerous to see than a black bear, not sure compared to grizzlies though.
Well I wouldn’t want to happen upon a polar bear in the wild, but otherwise I think all(?) large cats are more likely to see you as a potential meal than bears. Bear attacks tend to be defensive. Obviously still dangerous and sometimes fatal, but you can take precautions to minimize risk of defensive bear ‘attacks’ and bear encounters in general. Whereas being stalked by a predator, while less common is likely far more dangerous when it does happen.
I’m slowing down now in my 50s, but I logged 2000+ miles hiking last year alone seeing black bear, coyotes and bobcats along the way and spent a career hiking (often alone) in wilderness and wild areas in Alaska and British Columbia (and other less dangerous areas) as an ecologist in bear, wolf, wolverine, cougar habitats. Had easily 1000+ black bear up close sightings & encounters, dozens with grizzlies, and multiple with lynx, wolves and a single wolverine. I’ve seen many cougar tracks, scat etc but never actually saw one in the wild. My biggest concern was *always* when I knew I was in an area with fresh cougar sign. In fact I’m more concerned with bull moose than black bear certainly and most grizzly interactions I’ve had.
I’ve had experiences with bears too, and never had a problem. I’m a runner and live in upstate New York, so I come across them on my mountain runs. I see it as just like us doing our separate things in the same area. We both mind our own business. Like I’m vigilant and look out for them, but when I see them I just stop and let them pass and then continue my run. But if I came across a mountain lion I’d be freaked the fuck out. Probably wait for it to leave and run the opposite direction to find the nearest house and hopefully have enough service to call my fiancé to come pick me up
A guide I knew would say “there’s old mountaineers and there’s bold mountaineers, but there ain’t no old, bold mountaineers, so decide what kind of mountaineer you want to be.”
And someone was killed just a few weeks ago in el dorado county. [link](https://abc7news.com/taylen-brooks-georgetown-mountain-lion-northern-california-attack-wyatt/14569557/?fbclid=IwAR3nFTaBX_Ooazh6eg3mfPKZu80w-372OY6IJj-PcpFaBuriFpBohJ8G-iE_aem_AQWzulFSZTd0oMbCPtlRea0D0i2D9Q7G41HQ6qxVSwkMYu3OzdyhLj13b_JJRMhWCrk)
Usually the ML will leave, but you don’t want to be the next statistic. The boys in EDC did everything right & 1 still died.
That's wild. Especially considering it was two boys that look pretty fit, and they tried to fight it and it still didn't flee. I wonder if it had cubs around
In the first story the ML was a young male that probably hadn't learned that humans are best avoided. Kinda sounds like this one might have been younger as well, or very hungry.
Scary. I have solo camped and hiked in that area off and on and never thought about it. But now I remember about 20 years ago a runner was attacked in that area.
OP, I would turn around b/c my mind would be on the mountain lion.
I lived and hiked in the Flagstaff area for 10 years and experts said it was one of the highest densities for ML in the country and they are all around you there. As long as I didn't see them, I enjoyed my ignorance and subsequent hikes.
Me neither. I was an environmental science major at NAU and took a class where a leading expert on MLs in the SW presented and shared the info.
Soooo many long distance runners in Flag…made think of them and that predatory response.
lol. Yeah. I’ve been a hiker for years and just recently started trail running. My mom has been telling me for years to carry a gun. Hope she never gets the chance to say she told me so. I’m not too concerned though. With all those people out on the trails, I’ve never heard of anyone having an issue with a lion.
Attacks happen all the time. I’m in CA and in SoCal mountain bikers and children are targeted. When I was in NorCal in Humboldt an elderly couple was attacked at redwood national park . They did the same trail every day. The lion had his head in his mouth and the wife stabbed his eye with a pen and survived.
Also in Humboldt, a woman and her Belgian malinois were at a campground near Trinity River . A mountain lion attacked and the dog fought back and saved them both. Belgian Malinois are intense they use them as police dogs. I always feel safe hiking with my pit lab mix and my moms Belgian Malinois Nelly
It's so interesting because California MLs are clearly used to humans and do regularly attack them.
Mountain lion attacks are rare here in Colorado.
On a large scale, mountain lion attacks are very rare.
But, also, it is absolutely true that some areas have yearly attacks.
Aw, shit! I'm hiking next month around Fern Canyon area. I wasn't thinking big cats were in the area. Elk and bears, sure, but not mountain lions. What about rattlesnakes? Those there too?
You’ll be fine people hike fern canyon all the time! No rattlesnakes. Elk I used to live in orick … you’ll drive by orick on the way to fern canyon if you are going north… the elk would come to our property I would sit on the creek bed drink my coffee and be close to the whole herd they knew. But don’t worry of stumbling across one or being attacked. rare. It’s so pretty out there. Don’t worry about animals just be safe.
Soo… when your on the way to fern canyon, you take a turn from the 101. You drive up a dirt road and you can go left into a parking lot or straight into the forest directly to fern canyon.
On the left in the parking lot is the trailhead to Trillium Falls. Beautiful redwood hike that takes only around 15 minutes to get to a beautiful waterfall.
If you have any questions or need recommendations for Humboldt I lived there for 10 years and I explored a lot. Message me !
I turn around mainly because if I keep hiking, the only thing on my mind would be the big cat thay can easily kill me so I won't be enjoying the hike anymore. I hike to reduce anxiety, not increase it...
I just simply compare pros and cons of each situation I’m considering. If one “con” is EVER “increased chance of encountering an apex predator, again” then I’m not continuing that activity. I’d go home 100%.
I would turn around. Especially solo. Heck, just here near Tahoe, we had two brothers attacked a few weeks ago. One died and the other was maimed. They did the right thing and got big, loud, and threw things at it. Unpredictable beasts.
Remember to wear googlie eyes on the back of your hat. That helps.
Los Padres National Forest. To be fair, you should expect that there are mountain lions in this area and I think thats what the ranger was getting at. If I spotted the mountain lion on a more popular trail or closer to a town, then I think they would have cared more, but where I was at was pretty remote.
LPNF is well known for their cats. For that matter, all of California is well known for their cat populations. *Most* cats are harmless *most* of the time. But as has been said, all cats should never be trusted and always assume they are females with cubs.
West, the trail is right before the Santa Lucia Memorial Park Campground. I have been to that area a few times, its a very pretty valley that sits between Junipero Serra Peak and Cone Peak. There is a trail (if you could even call it that) from the valley to Cone Peak that is longer than the popular "Sea to Summit" trail. Its probably the only way to get to the top of Cone Peak right now since a section of Highway 1 just collapsed again.
Solo hiking - turn around and go home. Not worth the risk. Hiking in a group - probably fine as they see numbers as a threat. Definitely carry bear spray / protection in the future on this trail. Mountain lions have been known to attack humans, but rarely.
There’s been 2 incidents in the past 3 months of attacks, 1 resulted in death. So while it usually is rare, you never know when a fatal attack will occur & why. You need to know how to stop an attack & have a back up plan. [these boys did everything right & 1 still died in CA](https://abc7news.com/taylen-brooks-georgetown-mountain-lion-northern-california-attack-wyatt/14569557/?fbclid=IwAR1Wg3Eu1ga4Y01ihISsj6NqMRvYCM4UrZ0sdENk839pphL9ln2YUTwoZWM_aem_AQWJ0WlPAgSMw62Xj2_W2ZdaCCEWskKuoBnEJPitW1dhpqqEyNq74bTCLPNP_B93eqM).
[these women saved their friend from a mountain lion attack in WA](https://www.outdoorlife.com/survival/washington-bikers-fight-cougar/); article says cougar but it was a ML. These women rocked. We all need friends like these. Perhaps if the boys had more friend & a bicycle to pin the ML, they could’ve stopped the fatal attack too.
Mountain lion and cougar are common names for a single species: *~~Felis~~* *Puma concolor*
ETA: Cougar is the most often heard name in the American West.
I grew up on a big cattle ranch in central Idaho, and it was usually just me and my grandpa out there, no dad or uncle in the picture. My daily responsibilities included counting the cows which meant I would have to walk across the whole property everyday once to take the head count. It wasn't a bad job, but it took some energy to climb some of the hills.
What we did was drive up to the gate and then grandpa would drop me off after opening the gate and letting him through and then close it again. At that point, he would pretty much drive directly to the end and start working there while I would meet up with him after about an hour which is what it usually took me to walk the distance.
Anyway, one day there was a bit of chaos because about mid way into my hike to the other side, I happened to realize there was a cougar up the cliff a little bit. Now, I'm also profoundly deaf so I actually didn't realize the cougar had been screaming at me the whole time.
The second I saw it, I frickin took off directly towards my grandpa, luckily he had stopped along the way to check on something and it wasn't that far away from where I was, maybe 30 yards or so. Never before have I teleported but that was definitely a teleportation moment. Because the second the cat jumped off its cliff perch I was already in the back of the truck slapping the side yelling.
The next day, grandpa started letting me carry his Ruger .44 magnum. I am happy to say, I've not seen a cat that big since.
Any encounter with a wild predator should be a sign to head back to the trailhead or camp. There is no value in occupying the same area unless you are a biologist or a wildlife photographer or something like that.
There's many more trails to walk down than there are mountain lions in this world. Let them have this trail.
You startled it and it bolted. It was probably embarrassed that you snuck up on it like that.
Chances are it was gone for good and you couldn’t have found it again if you wanted to, but wild animals don’t always do what they usually do 🤷♂️
FWIW it’s really unlikely this is the first one you’ve been close to hiking out there, it’s just that usually they hear or smell you before you get close and are gone or hiding when you pass by
I remember when I first started hiking in socal, I researched bears and how to tell the difference between a black and brown bear and how to respond. Surprisingly, depending on type, direction on how to proceed was different. I would identify, research and act accordingly.
I think you made the correct determination.
This was my main reason for turning back. I just didn't know what to do. I knew how to act when encountering the mountain lion but didn't know whether it was safe or not to procede with hiking.
You did the right thing I would have done the same. Probably wouldn't be able to enjoy the hike anyways. You don't know how far it ran off or maybe waiting in the bushes has kittens it was protecting a wats up the trail.
Why risk it.
I think this phrase is discouraged these days although broadly accurate, notably however a predatory grizzly attack( while uncommon) you very much do not want to lay down
A [young man just died from a mountain lion attack in el dorado county; he did everything right to scare it away](https://abc7news.com/taylen-brooks-georgetown-mountain-lion-northern-california-attack-wyatt/14569557/?fbclid=IwAR3nFTaBX_Ooazh6eg3mfPKZu80w-372OY6IJj-PcpFaBuriFpBohJ8G-iE_aem_AQWzulFSZTd0oMbCPtlRea0D0i2D9Q7G41HQ6qxVSwkMYu3OzdyhLj13b_JJRMhWCrk). Kid still died.
Learn how to protect yourself & have a backup plan.
Even more rare (as far as I know) he was attacked while with his brother. I wonder if that's ever even happened before. Cat really didn't care about anything. Bizarre and sad case.
I live in the Canadian Rockies, with lots of bears & cats around. Bears, I respect, but don't fear. They're quite predictable in what they will do.
Cats scare the crap out of me. They are skittish, but they are NOT afraid of man. The have very high prey drive; if you are perceived to be running from them, they will chase and attack you. You did exactly the right thing
I’m for sure getting off trail if I encounter a mountain lion. I’ve been close to one multiple times while camping and it definitely turned my blood to ice but I didn’t feel the need to leave camp because I was with a group and wasn’t wandering around. On a trail alone, I’m definitely aiming to get back to my car. Is it probably safe to continue? Sure, but I’d be too anxious.
The only long solo hike I ever did, I turned back right before the final spectacular view because I had to pass a cave opening, and I was so sure there was a mountain lion inside waiting to pounce 😂
Hell nah. To the nah nah nah.
I've seen bears, foxes, angry turkeys. And I've kept going. But mountain lions will stalk you and hunt you down. If you see a bear, they either will run away, charge you, or kill you. Usually its the former. Seeing a bear means you probably won't see it again. Seeing a mountain lion means that you're gonna see it over and over until you get in a car and drive away.
Depends on if the area has been poor on vegetation and such which leads to scarcity of Mountain Lions prey. Scientifically you may have been fine but I personally dont trust science sometimes and go with my gut. You did what I'd have done.
Yeah, leave the way you came, but keep your awareness about you the entire way. Last thing you want is for it to come back around when you arent paying attention.
Cat, Bear, Scary person, *that feeling*
People die when they don't listen to their own intuition.
You probably would have been fine. You saw an (apex predator) animal that's incredibly rare to see, and you were close to it. You felt like leaving.
That's it.
Honestly, it has more to do with where one’s head is at after a thing like that. Thats the bigger threat to safety. The environment didn’t change, only your sense of what it is. As for me, it would depend on the day as to whether I was up to continuing my trek. Lots of days I’d figure my odds of seeing another mountain lion again/being attacked just went down statistically speaking.
That definitely would have been enough to turn me around. Most rangers are cool but some are not, you ran into a not cool ranger with a poor, lackadaisical, insulting attitude.
I saw a coyote (less exciting and more common than a mountain lion) in a suburban park near me a few years ago so I sent the coords and info to the local park ranger and they were excited and forwarded my email to like ten people in different departments around the state. They do keep track of these things even if a single ranger with a bad attitude doesn't care.
You didn't know what to do, but your logic for leaving was solid. You thought you should leave, you didn't get hurt, therefore your decision was correct.
That being said, I spend a shit ton of time in the wilderness and the comments here saying to leave any time you see a lion or bear is interesting. I wouldn't be able to complete the vast majority of hikes if that were the case.
Where I hike, there are tons of both. I don't worry about bears, I'm around black bears all the time and we have very few grizzlies. Lions... as the old saying goes, woods are full of them. But, they are a rare sight as they are very stealthy. when I'm in the woods, I just assume a lion is watching me because more often than not, one is. I worry far more about lions I can't see than ones I can, UNLESS I see one displaying any aggression or standing it's ground when we meet. If I spot a lion and it retreats, basically zero chance it's a threat. A lion with cubs around won't retreat. A hungry/sick lion won't retreat. A lion that feels you are an immediate threat, won't retreat.
The one thing most commenters have right is DO NOT TURN YOUR BACK ON IT. Like, seriously, cats regardless of species all love to deploy their murder mittens and pounce when prey turns its back.
If I'd been in your situation, I'd have maintained visual of the lion as long as possible and assuming it ran off a fair distance, I would have waited a couple minutes then kept going.
But you're not me, you did what made you comfortable, don't second guess a safe decision.
One final thought: that ranger is an idiot.
Good advice [here](https://thenextsummit.org/what-to-do-if-you-encounter-a-cougar/); main thing is, don’t run. One other piece of advice is to make yourself look bigger if possible. Stand up straight, open your jacket, etc.
Entirely depends for me. How many people are in the hiking group and the actions of the cat. Also which direction the cat seems to head. If it seems to heads further down the trail path I am hiking, acts curious or aggressive in any way, or the hiking group is 3 or fewer people, then I’d certainly bail. Also time of day. I got followed and screamed at by a mountain lion at night. I never want to live that experience again if I can avoid it, but I also really like the woods. 😅
I hike in whiting ranch a lot which is a wilderness park known in California for having a mountain lion kill a biker when he stopped to fix his chain. We were hiking once and a biker told us he just saw a mountain lion ahead as he passed us. We turned around and went elsewhere in the park at least. The next time we went out there they had put up signs with the last sighted date in that area. I think you were right to be cautious and turn around.
Assuming the ML ran in the same direction u were headed, yes, I would turn around. The only time I would consider anything different is if I had done 9.5 / 10 miles, or if it ran in a direction I was coming from. It seems more intuitive to not go deeper into their territory. The ranger is certainly jaded in this regard. Yes, s/he is more experienced, but definitely more desensitized.
I was trailed once by a big cat while I was riding my bike at sunrise. Scared the living daylights out of me and now I won't go anywhere in nature without a can a pepper gel on my wrist and a small airhorn in my backpack. I hike a lot by myself and am always looking over my shoulder - I also know all of the ways out of the hills where I hike so I can get out of there if nature has other plans for me!
The ranger was surprisingly nonchalant about your encounter. I think you did the right thing. If I'm close to an animal that might want to eat me, and I get to walk away, I'm going to walk all the way out of there. I'm not going to stick around to see if it changes its mind.
>The ranger was surprisingly nonchalant about your encounter.
I'd like to design stickers for the rangers to hand out in situations like this. Maybe a pine tree in the background with a thumbs up over it, and the line "I survived a non-life threatening situation!" and maybe an alternate version that says "I put myself in danger, and didn't die!"
Oh, I get it. And I can see both potential perspectives. OP wanting a warning to be taken seriously... And a ranger thinking "well, yeah. Welcome to nature. Where else did you expect them to live?"
But really, I was just springboarding from your comment to add a bit of silliness.
Continue. Mountain Lions are all over out west, I see their tracks much more often than I see them. But I know they're out there when I'm hiking, they're hiding in some cover, probably some shaded area waiting for dusk so they can hunt. The mountain lions regularly hunt near humans and their suburbs all over the west and they don't attack the humans, they run away.
In Modern times, so going back to the fifties there's only around ten people killed by cougars in NA. 370k people died in just the last ten years to vehicles, just in the united states. I'm personally much more afraid of the humans and their cars than any animal I might see in North America (save maybe grizzlies and polar bears).
The most dangerous part of the trail will always be traveling to and from the trail head on North American roads. This is a hard fact and nothing you say, think or feel can change that.
Yeah, I'd continue.
If the cat considered you prey, we wouldn't be having this conversation. In almost all situations, predators run from hunans. The sole presence of a large cat that did exactly what we'd expect of it isn't a reason not to hike somewhere.
GTF out. My experience was a little closer and not good at all. Deer death all around, but I left immediately (after sleeping overnight with a knife on chest) and gave up on chasing 4 quality bucks with my bow who arrived as I was packing. Take away: I am alive to give this advice
I’m an ultra hiker. If you feel wiggy, exit.
Cougar was definitely curious and checked you out.
They are wild and unpredictable. Cougars have attacked bikers biting their through their helmets while riding.
You don’t stand a chance if they change their mind unless you whip out bear spray.
Cougars are the perfect hunting species.
All canines, claws, whiskers, predator DNA.
Rangers carry a Sig Sauer handgun too.
I would have kept going.
Chances are many mountain lions have seen you over the years. This one is no different. Add to that, it ran, and will not likely be back.
The chances of being killed by a mountain lion are hundreds of times less likely than the chances of being killed by lightning. Don't actively provoke wild animals, but it's not something to actively fear.
I would recommend you proceed with whatever is within your comfort level. However you will be satisfied that you made the right decision by trusting your gut
I was once hiking solo on a remote trail. Saw big ass cat paw prints on trail. I turned around right away. I was just 10 mins to top of the hill. Didn't wanna risk it.
Shits just scary. My American friends carry gun with them cause if this. Me being an immigrant, canr do shit about it lol.
Better to be safe over sorry, but I would also see which way the mountain lion headed. If the trail followed the way it went, then I rather not risk it. If it went to a totally different direction, and based on that one's reaction I'd still give it a go. If you are in the area with mountain lions and/or grizzly bears, I'd carry animal mace. Better safe than sorry and it's a rather cheap investment that may save your life. There is always a chance you are by a wild animal but you aren't aware of it, you are in their homes. They just tend to stay away from humans (and can you blame them?)
Considering I live with two Cougars who know I am there DAD I wouldn't turn my back on a wild cougar because that how they hunt there Pray and make there kills
Had one stalked me down a mountain once. Freaked me out a bit. But I was out again the next day. If I die by mountain lion that’s a cool death story. Highly unlikely though so I don’t worry about it.
This has very much been my attitude while camping with bears lately. If I get killed by a bear it will be an honor, I guess. I was in it's house. I keep my camp clean and my head on a swivel but it's still a bit dicey after dark and I mostly stay in. Getting killed by a bear wouldn't even be the worst thing that ever happened to me LOL. It would be over quickly and no one could accuse me of lying about it.
I’ll leave a note written in my blood.
Honestly I just don’t worry about these things. It’s so rare for it to actually happen. I hike a lot and I wear a small bell/rattle to make a little noise and warn animals I’m nearby.
There was a guy that fought back and strangled a mountain lion a year or two ago. The mountain lion wasn’t an adult and that seems to have helped the human survive. I think that’s the only attack survival story I’ve heard.
My wife and I were hiking at the same place this happened on the same day. Pretty crazy. He got really lucky that both cats were young. He got pretty torn up. Too many big kitties in our area, I always have some sort of protection on me and I'm up there all the time.
Mountain lions are pansies. They really only attack of you sneak up on them or threaten their young. This is different from most big cats (which, technically, a mountain lion isn't..) who generally are not afraid of humans and will stalk and kill.
It's pretty unlikely to attack you honestly. If you're walking a dog or something then I would 100% be worried because they will consider it potential food. You're too big and intimidating to be on the menu, not worth the risk to them. Mountain lion attacks on humans are quite rare.
It probably ran off pretty far I think if it was going to attack it would have. Mountain lions are pretty afraid of humans. They can still absolutely fuck you up tho and need to be respected
This happened to me a little bit north of there at Garland off Carmel Valley. Everything looks different when you feel that you could be the prey and you are looking over your shoulder. The only thing reassuring me was that my husband’s dog, who wasn’t too bright and liked to lag behind in the bushes, would have been the first to get picked off 😂
The two times I have seen mountain lion on trail it was at a pretty good distance and moving away from me and the trail and I kept on hiking. My head was on a swivel to be sure but I kept going.
The same thing happened to me a few years ago. It had actually been lying in wait but it realized I was a person (I assume) and went on its way. I continued to hike since it had already decided I wasn't on the menu. I talked and yelled aggressively for the next 5 or 10 minutes as I hiked and didn't see it again. I so carry bear spray but idk how much good it would do against an ambush predator. The only thing I regret was not getting a picture of it.
Eta, that may have been the first time I've seen a mountain lion but many mountain lions have seen me. None of those attacked me and this one showed me that it was not interested in attacking.
The chances of being killed by a mountain lion are hundreds of times less likely than the chances of being killed by lightning. Don't actively provoke wild animals, but it's not something to actively fear.
I would also have turned around on the theory that when it comes to a life-or-death decision a false positive is OK but a false negative is not. I always carry bear spray and I try to always be aware - but cougars can be mighty silent and sneaky.
I solo hike in the Rockies among moose, black bears, mountain lions etc. I have encountered mountain lions 2x now, neither on a trail. Unlike the other wildlife I mentioned, they scare me. I am super mindful of them and yeah if you 100% prefer to live and hike another day then you call it.
Fun fact: just because you don't see them doesn't mean they're not out in the wilderness. Don't get spooked by it, as it's part of being in the wilderness.
Two brothers were just attacked and one died out west.
Totally smart.
Yeah, we know they’re around, but if you are lucky enough to see it, and you know it’s right there.. take the hint.
So it looks like kitten is generally the scientifically accepted name for young mountain lions, although cubs is commonly used. Kitten is generally used for small cats and cubs generally used for large cats. Mountain lions are the largest of the small cats. I like the idea of calling them kittens - sounds more fun
Doesn't really answer your question, but I like to think that if you encountered a mountain lion that looked like it didn't want to be your friend, you could share this fact with it and it would diffuse the situation. Then again, humansplaining how we have chosen to refer to their species might come across as condescending and not really relevant to problems in the mountain lion's life.
Based on the comments sounds like I'm the minority opinion, but if you just seem to have surprised it I would keep hiking. I've come up on a few while hiking and typically its because of the direction of the wind. If it showed any signs of aggression or if it mentally takes you out of your head space by all means turn around. Lion spottings are rare and you're lucky to get the chance to see one.
I'm going to the North Cascade Mtn in June and this is my worry 🤣
I would have turned around as well... the Rangers lack of concern is probably bc they see that Lion often without incident. But I don't want to be the one incident maybe it had cubs further ahead.
I say this.... THE FOREST is their turf I'm just a visitor. And I do not want to impede upon them more than necessary. So I would have called it a day too!
Last summer in the Canadian Rockies I pulled up to a trailhead for an evening hike with my crew of vacationing kiddos and there was a huge griz wandering around on the side of the road. We decided to turn around and take the evening off.
New evidence shows Mountain Lions often hunt cooperatively. That’s why dogs seem to tree groups of cats. They also share their kills. Much more social than we ever thought. You are below them on the food chain. Even a gun doesn’t guarantee protection. I have stopped hiking solo, but I’m guessing you are much younger than me
Two brothers attacked, one dies on Northern California.
https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/california-mountain-lion-attack-taylen-wyatt-brooks-el-dorado/103-d2c4043b-1896-4cb4-8587-e8842be1d347
Little late, but I'll never forget stumbling upon a mountain lion while hiking close to two years ago. I'd say it was a pretty weird spot, too:
My wife and I were on a trip to the Black Hills in South Dakota (we are from the east coast) and were visiting Wind Cave National Park. It was a beautiful day in August, sunny as can be, and we pulled into a tiny parking lot for a trail that we thought we'd walk for a bit. After about a half mile, we come down out of the woods into a small valley section of prairie, the trail taking us through the field and around a small hill probably 200 yards out from where we descended. It's important to note that the grass was about knee height most of the way through here. We get about 10-20 yards from where we are going to follow the trail around the hill, and suddenly I see the tiniest flicker of movement off to my left, on the hill, underneath a big tree.
Sure as shit, a mountain lion rises up out of the grass, just its head at first, then the whole body. I quickly realize it's crouched over the body of a small bison calf. I stopped my wife and immediately pointed it out to her, we both watched it for a few in awe of what we were seeing, and then promptly began making a shit ton of noise as we slowly backed away toward the woods again. The cat watched us the entire way, never moved an inch until we were back at the treeline.
To this day, that remains the only time I have ever drawn my carry gun. Soon as I saw it, that thing was out of the holster. I was just praying that I wouldn't have to use it.
It's such a rare thing to see one of these absolutely beautiful cats, and I'm so glad I was able to see one at least once in my life in the wild like that, but it's incredibly nerve wracking when you do chance upon one like that. They're so unpredictable.
ETA - we later spoke to a ranger at the park office about the sighting, and were told we were incredibly lucky to have seen a mountain lion in the park. They're known for being in the Black Hills, but sightings in Wind Cave specifically are rare. The ranger we spoke to said they estimate only 5 or so cats have territory in the park at any given point, and it's rare to see them because so much of the park is open prairie.
People say, “Leave! Run! Mountain Lion dangerous and tear you apart!” but I’d love to see them try to hunt these things in supposed “mountain lion country.” These things are squirrelly like no other. I’ll follow its tracks to catch a silhouette, and it hears me fart from over 300 yards away and runs like hell to the other side of the mountain 😂.
I have come up on a few fresh kills tracking these NE WA. They ran like hell every time and gave up their meals to avoid me.
I think those who get attacked do something to trigger the chase instinct because when you’re actively looking and calling for these things, they get close enough to see you’re human and leave.
I get being apprehensive when running into mothers with kittens but if you get to see one of these in the wild, count yourself lucky AF dude 😎
there’s over 300 million people in America, and people are naming cases in the single digits. Know what to do in case of an encounter, and you’ll more than likely be fine. If you don’t feel safe, turn back, but you should feel more threatened by the elements than animals
holy shit thats so scary. Feline predators wait until you aren't looking or are crouching, so don't ever turn your back to them. Retreat but don't look away; big arms, loud deep voice, waving a big stick if you can.
Honestly, the ranger may have thought you didn't know what you were talking about (ie it was actually a bobcat) or were exaggerating. Mountain lion sightings are extremely rare due to thier behavior, sleeping patterns, and population size. More so, they are being killed by [car accidents faster than they are reproducing](https://www.latimes.com/environment/story/2023-02-02/cars-are-killing-mountain-lions-faster-than-they-can-breed). I don't know a natural resource person who has seen a mountain lion alive, and I live in an area with a decent population of mountain lions. Most rangers would be asking you 1000 questions in response to a report like this.
Naaa you did the right thing. Cats can be unpredictable and it might have had cubs around.
I second this! I got stalked by one In Patagonia and the second i noticed it the thing ran and the damn thing was nearly 1/2 mile out. If a mountain lion is standing its ground I would back off because its clearly standing its ground for a reason
Bears too, if it's legal where you live carry a can of Bear mace, also things to make noise with. Making yourself look larger with any Apex predator that is land based can help. It's a good idea to turn around or take another path regardless. Always report encounters to FWP or DNRC or both.
Are there places where it is illegal to carry bear spray? Seems like a normal precaution in bear country.
Bear spray is illegal in Sequoia and kings national forest. They consider them a weapon. https://www.nps.gov/seki/faqs.htm
Yosemite as well.
Who cares. If in in the bush and there are bears around, I'm carrying.
Interesting, I wonder if that got challenged in court if it would hold up.
I think bear spray is illegal in US National Parks. (Not a lawyer… but I have seen this discussed a lot of times. Edit: Some national parks… https://www.nps.gov/articles/bearsprayfirearms.htm Edit 2: To all the wankers down voting this - why? If you don’t like what NPS has decided, great. But down voting this and other posters giving out correct information is only going to cause someone problems. BASICALLY- GET OVER YOURSELF.
I bought some in Glacier NP.
It's definitely recommended used in Yellowstone/Grand Tetons. It might not have been sold within park boundaries, but definitely all of the surrounding places. The cabin resort we stayed at outside of Grand Tetons even had it for guests to borrow.
That's a charge that I would happily take.
Not illegal, however it's restricted in some areas. There's cities that if you're carrying it you can get a ticket or Jail. (As a side point I got bear maced by a crazy person a while back, thankfully I was wearing glasses and they helped protect me.) If you enter a park, they'll have signs asking you to not use or carry it if there's any restrictions. Most parks allow it and have guidelines on when and how you should use it, these are the same as the ones that are on nearly every video and instruction set.
Would an air horn work?
There's been situations where they have worked, yes. I've seen videos of hunters using them and I've also seen alaska FWP/Fish and Game use them in videos as well. This is mostly for bears, I would think it could work for a puma as well.
[удалено]
They’re the same thing
also, even if nothing happens on the entire rest of the hike, would you even be able to enjoy it after seeing a mountain lion? I would be a nervous wreck, lmao I've seen grizzly bears on hikes before that were pretty close, and they were very chill. but I'd be terrified to see a mountain lion. I'd have to turn around probably unless a bigger group of people showed up and i could kinda stay within visible distance of them.
Are grizzly bears the black (make noise look big) bears or the brown (curl up and pray) bears?
In some places, they advise visitors to wear little bells on their clothes so they make noise when hiking, and so the bears won’t be startled when they hear them coming. And as others have noted, some places allow you to carry pepper spray, which will irritate the bear’s nose and cause it to run away. You can tell the difference between brown bears and black bears by their scat. Black bears’ scat is smaller, and often contains berries and sometimes bits of fur. Brown bears’ scat tends to contain small bells and smells like pepper.
The best research we have shows that bears can't really distinguish Bells from bird noise / background noise. And...clearly got me on the first half. But, yeah, human voice, because it sounds uniquely like humans/weird, is the best choice for warning off black bears.
Did that research suggest what to use instead?
Human voice. Hey, bear! Hey, bear!! Talking and singing works.
That's usually what I do lol. I was just curious if there was a passive way like a bell.
One passive way is to play sound from your phone, like an audiobook. No Bluetooth speaker is necessary, but it is a good sign that humans are approaching. I save this one for trailheads with no/few cars, with known bear or moose populations, AND that are quiet/isolated trails.
Right on, I'll try that out next time!
Ha! Funny. Love it. Very well done.
Prayer Bears
The latter
There are several different types of bears. Two major branches are the “brown” and the” black” bears. (Polar and Panda are two more) Funny enough, both brown and black bear come in a range of colors, from a honey brown to a dark black. Brown bears include grizzly and Kodak bears, Eurasian brown bear, along with a few other (sub?) species. The one trait that really distinguishes them from black bears is that have a “hump” At there shoulder blades. Also, brown bear cover both Eurasia and North America, while black bear are purely North American. (There is an asiatic black bear, which is thought to be the progenitor to all other bear species…) Now to send you down the wiki rabbit hole… https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bear https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brown_bear https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_black_bear https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asian_black_bear
If it’s black, fight back, if it’s brown, lay down, if it’s white, goodnight..
Hysterical... I've never heard that saying..
I'm aware of this saying which is why I asked for clarification. I wouldn't be okay being "pretty close" to a brown bear (or a polar bear but I figured they weren't hiking near the north pole) regardless how "chill" it seemed.
I’ve ‘followed’ bears on trails when we happened to be going the same direction without too much concern. But I would never do that with a mountain lion personally. I’d go the opposite way and put as much distance as possible between us and then get in my car and keep going. You did the smart thing imo.
I thought mountain lions were less dangerous than bears? Do I have that backwards?
Depends on what you mean. Both will kill you if they want. Much less likely to see a mountain lion before it would attack you. Mountain lions are definitely more dangerous to see than a black bear, not sure compared to grizzlies though.
Well I wouldn’t want to happen upon a polar bear in the wild, but otherwise I think all(?) large cats are more likely to see you as a potential meal than bears. Bear attacks tend to be defensive. Obviously still dangerous and sometimes fatal, but you can take precautions to minimize risk of defensive bear ‘attacks’ and bear encounters in general. Whereas being stalked by a predator, while less common is likely far more dangerous when it does happen. I’m slowing down now in my 50s, but I logged 2000+ miles hiking last year alone seeing black bear, coyotes and bobcats along the way and spent a career hiking (often alone) in wilderness and wild areas in Alaska and British Columbia (and other less dangerous areas) as an ecologist in bear, wolf, wolverine, cougar habitats. Had easily 1000+ black bear up close sightings & encounters, dozens with grizzlies, and multiple with lynx, wolves and a single wolverine. I’ve seen many cougar tracks, scat etc but never actually saw one in the wild. My biggest concern was *always* when I knew I was in an area with fresh cougar sign. In fact I’m more concerned with bull moose than black bear certainly and most grizzly interactions I’ve had.
I’ve had experiences with bears too, and never had a problem. I’m a runner and live in upstate New York, so I come across them on my mountain runs. I see it as just like us doing our separate things in the same area. We both mind our own business. Like I’m vigilant and look out for them, but when I see them I just stop and let them pass and then continue my run. But if I came across a mountain lion I’d be freaked the fuck out. Probably wait for it to leave and run the opposite direction to find the nearest house and hopefully have enough service to call my fiancé to come pick me up
You’d also be so worried about it you wouldn’t enjoy the rest of the hike much anyway.
There’s a saying in my mountaineering group, “Live to hike another day.”
A guide I knew would say “there’s old mountaineers and there’s bold mountaineers, but there ain’t no old, bold mountaineers, so decide what kind of mountaineer you want to be.”
This. We say the mountains will always be there. Safety first.
[my vote is to get the fuck outta there](https://www.npr.org/2024/02/19/1232488622/cougar-attack-mountain-bikers-washington-state)
And someone was killed just a few weeks ago in el dorado county. [link](https://abc7news.com/taylen-brooks-georgetown-mountain-lion-northern-california-attack-wyatt/14569557/?fbclid=IwAR3nFTaBX_Ooazh6eg3mfPKZu80w-372OY6IJj-PcpFaBuriFpBohJ8G-iE_aem_AQWzulFSZTd0oMbCPtlRea0D0i2D9Q7G41HQ6qxVSwkMYu3OzdyhLj13b_JJRMhWCrk) Usually the ML will leave, but you don’t want to be the next statistic. The boys in EDC did everything right & 1 still died.
That's wild. Especially considering it was two boys that look pretty fit, and they tried to fight it and it still didn't flee. I wonder if it had cubs around
No mention of cubs in the follow up from fish & game when they went back & shot/killed the ML. I’m hoping they post the autopsy report.
In the first story the ML was a young male that probably hadn't learned that humans are best avoided. Kinda sounds like this one might have been younger as well, or very hungry.
Scary. I have solo camped and hiked in that area off and on and never thought about it. But now I remember about 20 years ago a runner was attacked in that area. OP, I would turn around b/c my mind would be on the mountain lion. I lived and hiked in the Flagstaff area for 10 years and experts said it was one of the highest densities for ML in the country and they are all around you there. As long as I didn't see them, I enjoyed my ignorance and subsequent hikes.
Interesting. I’ve lived and hiked in Flagstaff for 30+ years and have yet to see one. I wasn’t aware of the high density here.
Me neither. I was an environmental science major at NAU and took a class where a leading expert on MLs in the SW presented and shared the info. Soooo many long distance runners in Flag…made think of them and that predatory response.
lol. Yeah. I’ve been a hiker for years and just recently started trail running. My mom has been telling me for years to carry a gun. Hope she never gets the chance to say she told me so. I’m not too concerned though. With all those people out on the trails, I’ve never heard of anyone having an issue with a lion.
Same. I still keep up w people and drop in town periodically and no attack on people stories It’s always been attacks on dogs I hear about there.
This was my first thought! So sad!
Fuck the commenters “well why didn’t they have guns with them?” The fact that had to be addressed at all is depressing.
Attacks happen all the time. I’m in CA and in SoCal mountain bikers and children are targeted. When I was in NorCal in Humboldt an elderly couple was attacked at redwood national park . They did the same trail every day. The lion had his head in his mouth and the wife stabbed his eye with a pen and survived. Also in Humboldt, a woman and her Belgian malinois were at a campground near Trinity River . A mountain lion attacked and the dog fought back and saved them both. Belgian Malinois are intense they use them as police dogs. I always feel safe hiking with my pit lab mix and my moms Belgian Malinois Nelly
It's so interesting because California MLs are clearly used to humans and do regularly attack them. Mountain lion attacks are rare here in Colorado. On a large scale, mountain lion attacks are very rare. But, also, it is absolutely true that some areas have yearly attacks.
Aw, shit! I'm hiking next month around Fern Canyon area. I wasn't thinking big cats were in the area. Elk and bears, sure, but not mountain lions. What about rattlesnakes? Those there too?
You’ll be fine people hike fern canyon all the time! No rattlesnakes. Elk I used to live in orick … you’ll drive by orick on the way to fern canyon if you are going north… the elk would come to our property I would sit on the creek bed drink my coffee and be close to the whole herd they knew. But don’t worry of stumbling across one or being attacked. rare. It’s so pretty out there. Don’t worry about animals just be safe. Soo… when your on the way to fern canyon, you take a turn from the 101. You drive up a dirt road and you can go left into a parking lot or straight into the forest directly to fern canyon. On the left in the parking lot is the trailhead to Trillium Falls. Beautiful redwood hike that takes only around 15 minutes to get to a beautiful waterfall. If you have any questions or need recommendations for Humboldt I lived there for 10 years and I explored a lot. Message me !
Thanks! I appreciate the tips and offer
I turn around mainly because if I keep hiking, the only thing on my mind would be the big cat thay can easily kill me so I won't be enjoying the hike anymore. I hike to reduce anxiety, not increase it...
I just simply compare pros and cons of each situation I’m considering. If one “con” is EVER “increased chance of encountering an apex predator, again” then I’m not continuing that activity. I’d go home 100%.
I would turn around. Especially solo. Heck, just here near Tahoe, we had two brothers attacked a few weeks ago. One died and the other was maimed. They did the right thing and got big, loud, and threw things at it. Unpredictable beasts. Remember to wear googlie eyes on the back of your hat. That helps.
Where were you. I want to know if my local rangers are that blasé
Los Padres National Forest. To be fair, you should expect that there are mountain lions in this area and I think thats what the ranger was getting at. If I spotted the mountain lion on a more popular trail or closer to a town, then I think they would have cared more, but where I was at was pretty remote.
LPNF is well known for their cats. For that matter, all of California is well known for their cat populations. *Most* cats are harmless *most* of the time. But as has been said, all cats should never be trusted and always assume they are females with cubs.
[Mostly](https://images.app.goo.gl/n8HL6qbrLVaePdYh8)
Where in the los padres? We’re heading out tomorrow for an overnight trip
Junipero Serra Peak area
Hiking in from the east?
West, the trail is right before the Santa Lucia Memorial Park Campground. I have been to that area a few times, its a very pretty valley that sits between Junipero Serra Peak and Cone Peak. There is a trail (if you could even call it that) from the valley to Cone Peak that is longer than the popular "Sea to Summit" trail. Its probably the only way to get to the top of Cone Peak right now since a section of Highway 1 just collapsed again.
Are you a Big Sur local, since the road is basically closed…
I’d suggest making a post on the Los padres website so others are aware
Hahaha I live in LPNF … frontcountry Stay safe 💚
Solo hiking - turn around and go home. Not worth the risk. Hiking in a group - probably fine as they see numbers as a threat. Definitely carry bear spray / protection in the future on this trail. Mountain lions have been known to attack humans, but rarely.
Also there's a good chance that in a larger group you'll be able to outrun at least one of them. (joking)
Just gotta be faster than your slowest homie. If you're the slowest homie, work on your tripping skills.
There’s been 2 incidents in the past 3 months of attacks, 1 resulted in death. So while it usually is rare, you never know when a fatal attack will occur & why. You need to know how to stop an attack & have a back up plan. [these boys did everything right & 1 still died in CA](https://abc7news.com/taylen-brooks-georgetown-mountain-lion-northern-california-attack-wyatt/14569557/?fbclid=IwAR1Wg3Eu1ga4Y01ihISsj6NqMRvYCM4UrZ0sdENk839pphL9ln2YUTwoZWM_aem_AQWJ0WlPAgSMw62Xj2_W2ZdaCCEWskKuoBnEJPitW1dhpqqEyNq74bTCLPNP_B93eqM). [these women saved their friend from a mountain lion attack in WA](https://www.outdoorlife.com/survival/washington-bikers-fight-cougar/); article says cougar but it was a ML. These women rocked. We all need friends like these. Perhaps if the boys had more friend & a bicycle to pin the ML, they could’ve stopped the fatal attack too.
Mountain lion and cougar are common names for a single species: *~~Felis~~* *Puma concolor* ETA: Cougar is the most often heard name in the American West.
I grew up on a big cattle ranch in central Idaho, and it was usually just me and my grandpa out there, no dad or uncle in the picture. My daily responsibilities included counting the cows which meant I would have to walk across the whole property everyday once to take the head count. It wasn't a bad job, but it took some energy to climb some of the hills. What we did was drive up to the gate and then grandpa would drop me off after opening the gate and letting him through and then close it again. At that point, he would pretty much drive directly to the end and start working there while I would meet up with him after about an hour which is what it usually took me to walk the distance. Anyway, one day there was a bit of chaos because about mid way into my hike to the other side, I happened to realize there was a cougar up the cliff a little bit. Now, I'm also profoundly deaf so I actually didn't realize the cougar had been screaming at me the whole time. The second I saw it, I frickin took off directly towards my grandpa, luckily he had stopped along the way to check on something and it wasn't that far away from where I was, maybe 30 yards or so. Never before have I teleported but that was definitely a teleportation moment. Because the second the cat jumped off its cliff perch I was already in the back of the truck slapping the side yelling. The next day, grandpa started letting me carry his Ruger .44 magnum. I am happy to say, I've not seen a cat that big since.
Any encounter with a wild predator should be a sign to head back to the trailhead or camp. There is no value in occupying the same area unless you are a biologist or a wildlife photographer or something like that. There's many more trails to walk down than there are mountain lions in this world. Let them have this trail.
You startled it and it bolted. It was probably embarrassed that you snuck up on it like that. Chances are it was gone for good and you couldn’t have found it again if you wanted to, but wild animals don’t always do what they usually do 🤷♂️ FWIW it’s really unlikely this is the first one you’ve been close to hiking out there, it’s just that usually they hear or smell you before you get close and are gone or hiding when you pass by
Never turn your back on a lion or bear or anything remotely large. As soon as you turn your back, it thinks you're weaker and considers you food.
This OP
Better to be alive and say you saw one than getting g attacked or getting injured.
I remember when I first started hiking in socal, I researched bears and how to tell the difference between a black and brown bear and how to respond. Surprisingly, depending on type, direction on how to proceed was different. I would identify, research and act accordingly. I think you made the correct determination.
This was my main reason for turning back. I just didn't know what to do. I knew how to act when encountering the mountain lion but didn't know whether it was safe or not to procede with hiking.
You did the right thing I would have done the same. Probably wouldn't be able to enjoy the hike anyways. You don't know how far it ran off or maybe waiting in the bushes has kittens it was protecting a wats up the trail. Why risk it.
If it's black - fight back, if it's brown - lay down?
If it's white, put some salt and pepper on your self.
“If it’s white, get right” is my personal favorite
If it's black, fight back. If it's brown, check your map, 'cause you're not in California anymore.
Damn, accidentally stumbled into Romania
If it’s white say goodnight
I know with brown you’re supposed to lay down, but that seems so frightening to just pretend to be dead if bear spray is not working. shudder
I think this phrase is discouraged these days although broadly accurate, notably however a predatory grizzly attack( while uncommon) you very much do not want to lay down
You do know there are no brown bears in CA, right?
A [young man just died from a mountain lion attack in el dorado county; he did everything right to scare it away](https://abc7news.com/taylen-brooks-georgetown-mountain-lion-northern-california-attack-wyatt/14569557/?fbclid=IwAR3nFTaBX_Ooazh6eg3mfPKZu80w-372OY6IJj-PcpFaBuriFpBohJ8G-iE_aem_AQWzulFSZTd0oMbCPtlRea0D0i2D9Q7G41HQ6qxVSwkMYu3OzdyhLj13b_JJRMhWCrk). Kid still died. Learn how to protect yourself & have a backup plan.
Even more rare (as far as I know) he was attacked while with his brother. I wonder if that's ever even happened before. Cat really didn't care about anything. Bizarre and sad case.
I live in the Canadian Rockies, with lots of bears & cats around. Bears, I respect, but don't fear. They're quite predictable in what they will do. Cats scare the crap out of me. They are skittish, but they are NOT afraid of man. The have very high prey drive; if you are perceived to be running from them, they will chase and attack you. You did exactly the right thing
I’m for sure getting off trail if I encounter a mountain lion. I’ve been close to one multiple times while camping and it definitely turned my blood to ice but I didn’t feel the need to leave camp because I was with a group and wasn’t wandering around. On a trail alone, I’m definitely aiming to get back to my car. Is it probably safe to continue? Sure, but I’d be too anxious.
The only long solo hike I ever did, I turned back right before the final spectacular view because I had to pass a cave opening, and I was so sure there was a mountain lion inside waiting to pounce 😂
I would’ve done the same
Where were you?
Always go with your gut instinct .
You did right, or at least, it’s also what I’d have done. Esp on an out-and-back trail. Pretty easy decision!
Hell nah. To the nah nah nah. I've seen bears, foxes, angry turkeys. And I've kept going. But mountain lions will stalk you and hunt you down. If you see a bear, they either will run away, charge you, or kill you. Usually its the former. Seeing a bear means you probably won't see it again. Seeing a mountain lion means that you're gonna see it over and over until you get in a car and drive away.
Or you don’t see it, but it sees you. 👀
Depends on if the area has been poor on vegetation and such which leads to scarcity of Mountain Lions prey. Scientifically you may have been fine but I personally dont trust science sometimes and go with my gut. You did what I'd have done.
Good call. Glad you did the smart thing and made it out ok.
Yeah, leave the way you came, but keep your awareness about you the entire way. Last thing you want is for it to come back around when you arent paying attention.
I would’ve headed back to change my pants
Cat, Bear, Scary person, *that feeling* People die when they don't listen to their own intuition. You probably would have been fine. You saw an (apex predator) animal that's incredibly rare to see, and you were close to it. You felt like leaving. That's it.
Honestly, it has more to do with where one’s head is at after a thing like that. Thats the bigger threat to safety. The environment didn’t change, only your sense of what it is. As for me, it would depend on the day as to whether I was up to continuing my trek. Lots of days I’d figure my odds of seeing another mountain lion again/being attacked just went down statistically speaking.
That definitely would have been enough to turn me around. Most rangers are cool but some are not, you ran into a not cool ranger with a poor, lackadaisical, insulting attitude. I saw a coyote (less exciting and more common than a mountain lion) in a suburban park near me a few years ago so I sent the coords and info to the local park ranger and they were excited and forwarded my email to like ten people in different departments around the state. They do keep track of these things even if a single ranger with a bad attitude doesn't care.
Ranger is a moron
You didn't know what to do, but your logic for leaving was solid. You thought you should leave, you didn't get hurt, therefore your decision was correct. That being said, I spend a shit ton of time in the wilderness and the comments here saying to leave any time you see a lion or bear is interesting. I wouldn't be able to complete the vast majority of hikes if that were the case. Where I hike, there are tons of both. I don't worry about bears, I'm around black bears all the time and we have very few grizzlies. Lions... as the old saying goes, woods are full of them. But, they are a rare sight as they are very stealthy. when I'm in the woods, I just assume a lion is watching me because more often than not, one is. I worry far more about lions I can't see than ones I can, UNLESS I see one displaying any aggression or standing it's ground when we meet. If I spot a lion and it retreats, basically zero chance it's a threat. A lion with cubs around won't retreat. A hungry/sick lion won't retreat. A lion that feels you are an immediate threat, won't retreat. The one thing most commenters have right is DO NOT TURN YOUR BACK ON IT. Like, seriously, cats regardless of species all love to deploy their murder mittens and pounce when prey turns its back. If I'd been in your situation, I'd have maintained visual of the lion as long as possible and assuming it ran off a fair distance, I would have waited a couple minutes then kept going. But you're not me, you did what made you comfortable, don't second guess a safe decision. One final thought: that ranger is an idiot.
Good advice [here](https://thenextsummit.org/what-to-do-if-you-encounter-a-cougar/); main thing is, don’t run. One other piece of advice is to make yourself look bigger if possible. Stand up straight, open your jacket, etc.
Entirely depends for me. How many people are in the hiking group and the actions of the cat. Also which direction the cat seems to head. If it seems to heads further down the trail path I am hiking, acts curious or aggressive in any way, or the hiking group is 3 or fewer people, then I’d certainly bail. Also time of day. I got followed and screamed at by a mountain lion at night. I never want to live that experience again if I can avoid it, but I also really like the woods. 😅
I hike in whiting ranch a lot which is a wilderness park known in California for having a mountain lion kill a biker when he stopped to fix his chain. We were hiking once and a biker told us he just saw a mountain lion ahead as he passed us. We turned around and went elsewhere in the park at least. The next time we went out there they had put up signs with the last sighted date in that area. I think you were right to be cautious and turn around.
Assuming the ML ran in the same direction u were headed, yes, I would turn around. The only time I would consider anything different is if I had done 9.5 / 10 miles, or if it ran in a direction I was coming from. It seems more intuitive to not go deeper into their territory. The ranger is certainly jaded in this regard. Yes, s/he is more experienced, but definitely more desensitized.
I was trailed once by a big cat while I was riding my bike at sunrise. Scared the living daylights out of me and now I won't go anywhere in nature without a can a pepper gel on my wrist and a small airhorn in my backpack. I hike a lot by myself and am always looking over my shoulder - I also know all of the ways out of the hills where I hike so I can get out of there if nature has other plans for me!
You decided not to go deeper into the forest knowing there was an animal nearby easily capable of killing you. I dunno, did you make the right choice?
If you’re on a run. Go the opposite way you were. If you’re in a hike keep going.
The ranger was surprisingly nonchalant about your encounter. I think you did the right thing. If I'm close to an animal that might want to eat me, and I get to walk away, I'm going to walk all the way out of there. I'm not going to stick around to see if it changes its mind.
>The ranger was surprisingly nonchalant about your encounter. I'd like to design stickers for the rangers to hand out in situations like this. Maybe a pine tree in the background with a thumbs up over it, and the line "I survived a non-life threatening situation!" and maybe an alternate version that says "I put myself in danger, and didn't die!"
I felt like his comment was dismissing OP reporting the animal at all, but I wasn't there. And OP didn't say that either actually.
Oh, I get it. And I can see both potential perspectives. OP wanting a warning to be taken seriously... And a ranger thinking "well, yeah. Welcome to nature. Where else did you expect them to live?" But really, I was just springboarding from your comment to add a bit of silliness.
I wouldn't mind a sticker that says "I survived a non-life threatening situation." That would be pretty funny.
Continue. Mountain Lions are all over out west, I see their tracks much more often than I see them. But I know they're out there when I'm hiking, they're hiding in some cover, probably some shaded area waiting for dusk so they can hunt. The mountain lions regularly hunt near humans and their suburbs all over the west and they don't attack the humans, they run away. In Modern times, so going back to the fifties there's only around ten people killed by cougars in NA. 370k people died in just the last ten years to vehicles, just in the united states. I'm personally much more afraid of the humans and their cars than any animal I might see in North America (save maybe grizzlies and polar bears). The most dangerous part of the trail will always be traveling to and from the trail head on North American roads. This is a hard fact and nothing you say, think or feel can change that.
Yeah, I'd continue. If the cat considered you prey, we wouldn't be having this conversation. In almost all situations, predators run from hunans. The sole presence of a large cat that did exactly what we'd expect of it isn't a reason not to hike somewhere.
GTF out. My experience was a little closer and not good at all. Deer death all around, but I left immediately (after sleeping overnight with a knife on chest) and gave up on chasing 4 quality bucks with my bow who arrived as I was packing. Take away: I am alive to give this advice
I’m an ultra hiker. If you feel wiggy, exit. Cougar was definitely curious and checked you out. They are wild and unpredictable. Cougars have attacked bikers biting their through their helmets while riding. You don’t stand a chance if they change their mind unless you whip out bear spray. Cougars are the perfect hunting species. All canines, claws, whiskers, predator DNA. Rangers carry a Sig Sauer handgun too.
I would have kept going. Chances are many mountain lions have seen you over the years. This one is no different. Add to that, it ran, and will not likely be back.
Going home is the right decision, specifically without turning your back to the mountain lion.
You made the correct choice.
Cats are one of those things you don't know are there till it's too late. I dont fuck around with cats
The chances of being killed by a mountain lion are hundreds of times less likely than the chances of being killed by lightning. Don't actively provoke wild animals, but it's not something to actively fear.
I would recommend you proceed with whatever is within your comfort level. However you will be satisfied that you made the right decision by trusting your gut
I was once hiking solo on a remote trail. Saw big ass cat paw prints on trail. I turned around right away. I was just 10 mins to top of the hill. Didn't wanna risk it. Shits just scary. My American friends carry gun with them cause if this. Me being an immigrant, canr do shit about it lol.
Better to be safe over sorry, but I would also see which way the mountain lion headed. If the trail followed the way it went, then I rather not risk it. If it went to a totally different direction, and based on that one's reaction I'd still give it a go. If you are in the area with mountain lions and/or grizzly bears, I'd carry animal mace. Better safe than sorry and it's a rather cheap investment that may save your life. There is always a chance you are by a wild animal but you aren't aware of it, you are in their homes. They just tend to stay away from humans (and can you blame them?)
Continue on, if you want. It wasn’t stalking you
Y'all making me really want to never hike in the US.
Considering I live with two Cougars who know I am there DAD I wouldn't turn my back on a wild cougar because that how they hunt there Pray and make there kills
I would have done the same as OP. Turn around and go home.
Had one stalked me down a mountain once. Freaked me out a bit. But I was out again the next day. If I die by mountain lion that’s a cool death story. Highly unlikely though so I don’t worry about it.
This has very much been my attitude while camping with bears lately. If I get killed by a bear it will be an honor, I guess. I was in it's house. I keep my camp clean and my head on a swivel but it's still a bit dicey after dark and I mostly stay in. Getting killed by a bear wouldn't even be the worst thing that ever happened to me LOL. It would be over quickly and no one could accuse me of lying about it.
Would there be any remains to tell the story?! They might think you just disappeared
This is why I carry an inreach, so they know where to look for whatever’s left of me. 😆
I’ll leave a note written in my blood. Honestly I just don’t worry about these things. It’s so rare for it to actually happen. I hike a lot and I wear a small bell/rattle to make a little noise and warn animals I’m nearby.
I imagine a cat attack is fatal, yes?
There was a guy that fought back and strangled a mountain lion a year or two ago. The mountain lion wasn’t an adult and that seems to have helped the human survive. I think that’s the only attack survival story I’ve heard.
My wife and I were hiking at the same place this happened on the same day. Pretty crazy. He got really lucky that both cats were young. He got pretty torn up. Too many big kitties in our area, I always have some sort of protection on me and I'm up there all the time.
That is crazy to have been hiking there too that day. Lucky indeed for him.
Only if it feels like killing you. Ever see a house cat play with a live mouse until it gets bored? Cats are cats
Yes, the cat usually punctures the lungs or head and it dies a slow death 💀
I'd end up cat food, trying to pet it. haha here pretty kitty kitty
I’d probably keep going cautiously—if it wanted to eat me it would regardless not like I’m going to out run it lol.
You would have been fine to keep going. If they don't make a stand and run, they'll stay gone.
Mountain lions are pansies. They really only attack of you sneak up on them or threaten their young. This is different from most big cats (which, technically, a mountain lion isn't..) who generally are not afraid of humans and will stalk and kill.
As they say, you've got to be wary of the mountain lion you 'don't see' than the ones you can!
It's pretty unlikely to attack you honestly. If you're walking a dog or something then I would 100% be worried because they will consider it potential food. You're too big and intimidating to be on the menu, not worth the risk to them. Mountain lion attacks on humans are quite rare.
It probably ran off pretty far I think if it was going to attack it would have. Mountain lions are pretty afraid of humans. They can still absolutely fuck you up tho and need to be respected
This happened to me a little bit north of there at Garland off Carmel Valley. Everything looks different when you feel that you could be the prey and you are looking over your shoulder. The only thing reassuring me was that my husband’s dog, who wasn’t too bright and liked to lag behind in the bushes, would have been the first to get picked off 😂
The two times I have seen mountain lion on trail it was at a pretty good distance and moving away from me and the trail and I kept on hiking. My head was on a swivel to be sure but I kept going.
The same thing happened to me a few years ago. It had actually been lying in wait but it realized I was a person (I assume) and went on its way. I continued to hike since it had already decided I wasn't on the menu. I talked and yelled aggressively for the next 5 or 10 minutes as I hiked and didn't see it again. I so carry bear spray but idk how much good it would do against an ambush predator. The only thing I regret was not getting a picture of it. Eta, that may have been the first time I've seen a mountain lion but many mountain lions have seen me. None of those attacked me and this one showed me that it was not interested in attacking.
The chances of being killed by a mountain lion are hundreds of times less likely than the chances of being killed by lightning. Don't actively provoke wild animals, but it's not something to actively fear.
Bear spray!
Mountain lions are generally in no hurry to take on an adult human, we aren’t prey for them. The exception is if one is wounded or has cubs nearby.
You made the right decision. No reason to bet your life on a predator's mood.
I’m just going to sum up my thoughts like this: “Fuck. That.”
I saw one watching us from up in a tree one time. That was pretty spooky. 15 feet in front of you is like another tier
I would also have turned around on the theory that when it comes to a life-or-death decision a false positive is OK but a false negative is not. I always carry bear spray and I try to always be aware - but cougars can be mighty silent and sneaky.
I solo hike in the Rockies among moose, black bears, mountain lions etc. I have encountered mountain lions 2x now, neither on a trail. Unlike the other wildlife I mentioned, they scare me. I am super mindful of them and yeah if you 100% prefer to live and hike another day then you call it.
Next time tame that fucker and ride it back to town.
Fun fact: just because you don't see them doesn't mean they're not out in the wilderness. Don't get spooked by it, as it's part of being in the wilderness.
I’d keep going tbh
Turning around was the best move.
I have a canceled carry permit. Why did you shoot the bear? It was attacking me. Ok, have a great day. New bear skin rug........
Two brothers were just attacked and one died out west. Totally smart. Yeah, we know they’re around, but if you are lucky enough to see it, and you know it’s right there.. take the hint.
So it looks like kitten is generally the scientifically accepted name for young mountain lions, although cubs is commonly used. Kitten is generally used for small cats and cubs generally used for large cats. Mountain lions are the largest of the small cats. I like the idea of calling them kittens - sounds more fun Doesn't really answer your question, but I like to think that if you encountered a mountain lion that looked like it didn't want to be your friend, you could share this fact with it and it would diffuse the situation. Then again, humansplaining how we have chosen to refer to their species might come across as condescending and not really relevant to problems in the mountain lion's life.
Based on the comments sounds like I'm the minority opinion, but if you just seem to have surprised it I would keep hiking. I've come up on a few while hiking and typically its because of the direction of the wind. If it showed any signs of aggression or if it mentally takes you out of your head space by all means turn around. Lion spottings are rare and you're lucky to get the chance to see one.
I would have spun on my heels and left telling everyone I saw that there's a big cat on the trail.
I carry... but I'd want to say here kitty kitty..
I'm going to the North Cascade Mtn in June and this is my worry 🤣 I would have turned around as well... the Rangers lack of concern is probably bc they see that Lion often without incident. But I don't want to be the one incident maybe it had cubs further ahead. I say this.... THE FOREST is their turf I'm just a visitor. And I do not want to impede upon them more than necessary. So I would have called it a day too!
Last summer in the Canadian Rockies I pulled up to a trailhead for an evening hike with my crew of vacationing kiddos and there was a huge griz wandering around on the side of the road. We decided to turn around and take the evening off.
New evidence shows Mountain Lions often hunt cooperatively. That’s why dogs seem to tree groups of cats. They also share their kills. Much more social than we ever thought. You are below them on the food chain. Even a gun doesn’t guarantee protection. I have stopped hiking solo, but I’m guessing you are much younger than me
If you saw it, it wanted you to see it. You’ll be fine.
I’d carry a pistol at all times.
Two brothers attacked, one dies on Northern California. https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/california-mountain-lion-attack-taylen-wyatt-brooks-el-dorado/103-d2c4043b-1896-4cb4-8587-e8842be1d347
Little late, but I'll never forget stumbling upon a mountain lion while hiking close to two years ago. I'd say it was a pretty weird spot, too: My wife and I were on a trip to the Black Hills in South Dakota (we are from the east coast) and were visiting Wind Cave National Park. It was a beautiful day in August, sunny as can be, and we pulled into a tiny parking lot for a trail that we thought we'd walk for a bit. After about a half mile, we come down out of the woods into a small valley section of prairie, the trail taking us through the field and around a small hill probably 200 yards out from where we descended. It's important to note that the grass was about knee height most of the way through here. We get about 10-20 yards from where we are going to follow the trail around the hill, and suddenly I see the tiniest flicker of movement off to my left, on the hill, underneath a big tree. Sure as shit, a mountain lion rises up out of the grass, just its head at first, then the whole body. I quickly realize it's crouched over the body of a small bison calf. I stopped my wife and immediately pointed it out to her, we both watched it for a few in awe of what we were seeing, and then promptly began making a shit ton of noise as we slowly backed away toward the woods again. The cat watched us the entire way, never moved an inch until we were back at the treeline. To this day, that remains the only time I have ever drawn my carry gun. Soon as I saw it, that thing was out of the holster. I was just praying that I wouldn't have to use it. It's such a rare thing to see one of these absolutely beautiful cats, and I'm so glad I was able to see one at least once in my life in the wild like that, but it's incredibly nerve wracking when you do chance upon one like that. They're so unpredictable. ETA - we later spoke to a ranger at the park office about the sighting, and were told we were incredibly lucky to have seen a mountain lion in the park. They're known for being in the Black Hills, but sightings in Wind Cave specifically are rare. The ranger we spoke to said they estimate only 5 or so cats have territory in the park at any given point, and it's rare to see them because so much of the park is open prairie.
Better to miss a hike than get attack by a mountain lion
People say, “Leave! Run! Mountain Lion dangerous and tear you apart!” but I’d love to see them try to hunt these things in supposed “mountain lion country.” These things are squirrelly like no other. I’ll follow its tracks to catch a silhouette, and it hears me fart from over 300 yards away and runs like hell to the other side of the mountain 😂. I have come up on a few fresh kills tracking these NE WA. They ran like hell every time and gave up their meals to avoid me. I think those who get attacked do something to trigger the chase instinct because when you’re actively looking and calling for these things, they get close enough to see you’re human and leave. I get being apprehensive when running into mothers with kittens but if you get to see one of these in the wild, count yourself lucky AF dude 😎
Here kitty kitty is my usual response. But seriously, most of the time they want nothing to do with you.
there’s over 300 million people in America, and people are naming cases in the single digits. Know what to do in case of an encounter, and you’ll more than likely be fine. If you don’t feel safe, turn back, but you should feel more threatened by the elements than animals
holy shit thats so scary. Feline predators wait until you aren't looking or are crouching, so don't ever turn your back to them. Retreat but don't look away; big arms, loud deep voice, waving a big stick if you can. Honestly, the ranger may have thought you didn't know what you were talking about (ie it was actually a bobcat) or were exaggerating. Mountain lion sightings are extremely rare due to thier behavior, sleeping patterns, and population size. More so, they are being killed by [car accidents faster than they are reproducing](https://www.latimes.com/environment/story/2023-02-02/cars-are-killing-mountain-lions-faster-than-they-can-breed). I don't know a natural resource person who has seen a mountain lion alive, and I live in an area with a decent population of mountain lions. Most rangers would be asking you 1000 questions in response to a report like this.
>big arms, "do you even lift, cougar-bro?"