Another Mt. Lion Is Murdered

[Quillback]

I wouldn't back away, espcially if it looked like it was stalking me, but in the very unlikely possibility that is was a female with cubs I would back away. I lived in cougar country (Washington State) for 20 years, hiked, fished, and hunted quite a bit and never saw one. But I had a game plan on what to do if I ran into one. And if I was going to slowly back away, and I wouldn't unless cubs were present, I would not be quiet about it, the cougar knows you are there, let it know you know it's there. But that's me, you can decide on what you're going to do if you bump into one. And if you're backing away, be sure of your footage, it's not a good time to trip and fall when a predator is stalking you.

[Justin Spencer]

If it's stalking me and knows I'm a person it will end up with a bullet between it's eyes like the others, provided I can stop shaking, chances are if it's really stalking me I'll never know it. Really don't think this has been the case with either of the two shot in Missouri. While I don't think people should shoot them, if they are stalking people then by all means that is when it can be justified.

[troutfiend1985]

I wouldn't back away, espcially if it looked like it was stalking me, but in the very unlikely possibility that is was a female with cubs I would back away. I lived in cougar country (Washington State) for 20 years, hiked, fished, and hunted quite a bit and never saw one. But I had a game plan on what to do if I ran into one. And if I was going to slowly back away, and I wouldn't unless cubs were present, I would not be quiet about it, the cougar knows you are there, let it know you know it's there. But that's me, you can decide on what you're going to do if you bump into one. And if you're backing away, be sure of your footage, it's not a good time to trip and fall when a predator is stalking you.

That's a good point, but I think I was meaning more when the cat was not stalking you.

However I have a question for this forum, is there any non-lethal ways to defend yourself from Mountain Lions? Does bear spray work?

And Justin, you're totally in the right here. I would shoot the cat too if it saw me as a cheeseburger.

[Wayne SW/MO]

so I may have mentioned my theory on MDC's position on mt lions involves someone high up being an elk lover and not wanting to travel to hunt elk along with not having competition from mt lions. (which would actually help the herd quality by removing the old and weak although i'm not sure mt lions are major predators on elk, i would think wolves would be more so)

I found this as a reply to a question asking "When does MDC anticipate an ELK season in Missouri?"

"Missouri Dept. of Conservation: We anticipate a hunting season in about four years. Once the elk get established, we will monitor herd growth and determine a season based on that. - Joe@MDC"

think this answers some questions...

While my experience is far from scientific, when we had cow elk tags we hunted late and always in snow. We also always saw lion tracks in the area we hunted and there seem to be a pair in one particular area, two different tracks. The only time I saw lion tracks following elk tracks was when a cow was alone with a calf. The two areas where we consistently saw tracks were also areas where large numbers of deer wintered.

[redbird]

With the rise in mountain lion sightings and now encounters, this debate will heat up and go on for a long time. The people that killed these lions are ignorant. I'm not calling them stupid. They just don't know any better. They come from the same mold as the people that kill snakes. Most snakes killed are not poisonous. Ironically, most snakebites come when people trying to kill or mess with them. When was the last reported death from a snakebite in Missouri? Better yet, when was the last snakebite death in Missouri, by a snake that wasn't being messed with? ..

Chances of getting attacked, worse yet killed by any wild animal in Missouri, (yet a mountain lion) is very slim. Mountain lion attacks (very rare), has happened in California in the past. The ones that I have heard of, were by females with cubs. Understandable. A female of any animal, including humans will go to great lengths to defend their off spring. All, confirmed mountain lions in Missouri have been males, (so far).

The lion killed a few weeks ago in Ray county was a male and was treed. Posing no threat. However, the hero that shot it, said that his neighbors have small children that play outdoors, so it posed a potential threat. .... That said. Your chances of being attacked by a dog is considerably greater than any wild animal. So, I guess, using these people's definition of being in danger. We shoot shoot every dog we see. Especially, the ones in town and in our neighborhoods. Because the chances of them attacking small children greatly increases.

Just my two cents.....

In many states with healthy mountain lion populations the "mountain lion attack" never makes it passed the "missing person" stage. It often occurs in areas too remote and the mountain lion is such an efficient predator that there are never any remains found.

[Fly_Guy]

Kinda makes you wonder how many of these cats are shot and skinned w/out MDC ever knowing about it. Just another trophy for back-woods-billy.

[jdmidwest]

Alright. I stand corrected. Plenty of people argue for predator erradication on the basis of lost of game and I thought you were going there.

The crocs are usually fine. Although there was that day I forgot I had been processing fish samples and then got in murky water covered in fish guts. That was a little more excitement than I bargained for.

They say if you hang a pork chop around your neck, the Mountain Lions will come here in MO. Have not tried it yet.

[flytyer57]

They say if you hang a pork chop around your neck, the Mountain Lions will come here in MO. Have not tried it yet.

Why not be the first to try it and get back to us on the results.

[Quillback]

25 pound chinook on your back works better than a pork chop. You jooged my memory with that pork chop remark, attack story from several years ago:

Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) enforcement officers this morning issued safety warnings to residents near a section of the Kalama River while a private hound hunter continued searching for a cougar that reportedly jumped a male angler yesterday, knocking him to the ground.

The man, a Fort Lewis resident in his mid-30s, was not injured but his frame backpack showed claw marks.

WDFW officers, assisted by a hound hunter, searched the area about 10 miles northeast of Kalama for several hours yesterday afternoon after interviewing the angler.

The man told officers he was jumped from behind and knocked face-first to the ground as he was hiking out from the Kalama River shortly before 11 a.m. yesterday with a 25-pound chinook salmon wrapped in a plastic bag and tied to the outside of a frame backpack. When he rolled to his side to get up he saw a "huge" cougar disappearing into a brushy area about 12 to15 feet away. The man hiked out to a nearby mini-mart where he encountered a state hatchery worker who reported the incident to WDFW officers.

http://www.biggamehunt.net/news/dfw-searching-kalama-river-cougar

[jdmidwest]

25 pound chinook on your back works better than a pork chop. You jooged my memory with that pork chop remark, attack story from several years ago:

Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) enforcement officers this morning issued safety warnings to residents near a section of the Kalama River while a private hound hunter continued searching for a cougar that reportedly jumped a male angler yesterday, knocking him to the ground.

The man, a Fort Lewis resident in his mid-30s, was not injured but his frame backpack showed claw marks.

WDFW officers, assisted by a hound hunter, searched the area about 10 miles northeast of Kalama for several hours yesterday afternoon after interviewing the angler.

The man told officers he was jumped from behind and knocked face-first to the ground as he was hiking out from the Kalama River shortly before 11 a.m. yesterday with a 25-pound chinook salmon wrapped in a plastic bag and tied to the outside of a frame backpack. When he rolled to his side to get up he saw a "huge" cougar disappearing into a brushy area about 12 to15 feet away. The man hiked out to a nearby mini-mart where he encountered a state hatchery worker who reported the incident to WDFW officers.

http://www.biggamehunt.net/news/dfw-searching-kalama-river-cougar

See. If he had been carrying a gun, he could have shot it in self defense.