Experience: I fought off a mountain lion

Guardian ^ | Fri 11 Mar 2016 09.00 EST Last modified on Mon 21 May 2018 06.12 EDT | Andy Peterson

[Zhang Fei]

I froze, watching the tree. The mountain lion’s head would come up and look around, then it would go back to whatever it was eating, its jaws crunching through the bones of its kill.

I started backing away, keeping my eyes on the lion. You couldn’t carry a firearm in a national park at the time, but I did have my two-and-a-half-inch utility knife and I started folding out the blade as a precaution. Then the screwdriver loudly snapped back into the case. There was the mountain lion, its yellow eyes looking at me as though it knew every thought in my head. The ears were slanted in attack position, its teeth yellow splinters buried in black gums.

I opened my mouth to say, “Hey, you can have this mountain, I’m leaving” but before I could, the mountain lion smashed right into my chest, knocking me off the trail. Its claws were in my knees, my neck, my chest. Its jaw stretched over my head from my hairline to the back of my skull. There was no pain, only the smell of rotting flesh, the smell of death.

I stabbed at it with my knife, but its hide was too tough. I saw blood on my hand and realised I’d stabbed myself through the palm. The lion ripped a gash under my left eye, then bit my head again. All I could see was blood.

Feeling the lion’s face, I found its right eye and pushed my thumb through the eyelid all the way to the muscle at the back of the eye. I managed to get my knife free and stabbed at the top of its head before pulling myself to my feet and running away, down the trail.

[Zhang Fei]

The moral of this story is - if you only bring a folding knife to a National Park, bring a lockback knife. Swiss Army knives literally don't cut it.

[Feckless]

My first bike trip to Big Bend, entering the park and saw a sign that said loaded weapons prohibited. Thought I'd be a good citizen so I pulled over, unloaded the 45 and locked it in my saddlebag.

Got back on and went down the road a bit and saw a sign that said "Danger, bears and mountain lions". Pulled over, retrieved and reloaded the 45. Figured a good citizen would not want to be bear or lion poop.

[robroys woman]

I’m in south central KY and have 32 mostly wooded acres. I actually carry some sort of weapon with me whenever I’m out there. The most dangerous thing I’m likely to come across is a Black bear, and I’ve done a lot of research on them so I’m not all that worried, even if I did come across one, but better safe than sorry.

In my opinion, going into places where there may be mountain lions around, and unarmed, is almost as bad as texting while you drive.

[faucetman]

” I gave up drink and drugs, and found religion. I’ve been saved twice, once from the lion and once from my own self-destructive urges.”

The Lord works in mysterious ways.

I still would have had the cat, (ole one-eye), killed.

[PGR88]

Pulled over, retrieved and reloaded the 45. Figured a good citizen would not want to be bear or lion poop.

Only if you're alive, can you apologize later.

[DIRTYSECRET]

Commander McBragg?

[Zhang Fei]

[The most dangerous thing I’m likely to come across is a Black bear, and I’ve done a lot of research on them so I’m not all that worried, even if I did come across one, but better safe than sorry.]

---

I wouldn’t let the stats give me a false sense of security. Bear attacks are rare because human-bear interactions are rare, given that humans live in towns and cities, where bears aren’t generally found. I expect that on a per interaction basis (whether or not known to the human, given that the bear might simply be lurking out of sight in the foliage), bears are probably more prone to attacking than dogs, which have been bred for docility vis-a-vis humans for tens of thousands of years. And yet dog attacks occur, which means you should take no chances with other large undomesticated predators with significantly more killing power. The other difficulty is that a dog attack generally has plenty of witnesses and people calling 911. Whereas bear attacks generally occur in remote areas, which means that the victim could die of injuries simply because no one is aware someone is hurt. So always pack and always carry a mobile phone in areas known to be frequented by bears.

[Red Badger]

He shoulda used his laser pointer.................

[robroys woman]

Yeah, it’s not the stats. Rather, its what I read regarding what happens when you DO come across a Black bear and their temperament, size, and “triggers”.

And I don’t pet Raccoons either. :-D

[Yo-Yo]

I thought all you needed was a laser pointer?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BQcZZp19wVc

[Red Badger]

Lynx, bobcats and wildcats are not fun either................

[olepap]

I received a phone call saying a mountain lion had been cornered in a nearby garden. The lion had a one-inch scar on the top of her head and was missing an eye. I had the choice to have her shot there and then. Arguing that she’d just been defending herself, I persuaded the park rangers to set her free.
I don't believe this. Ridiculous!

[robroys woman]

There is a kid I let hunt on my property. On a side note, he bought a Coyote “caller” for somewhere around $500.

The kid mostly goes for deer and turkey, giving me all the meat I need. But he’s shot 4 bobcats and 56 Coyotes, but not all on my property.

A bobcat did run right in front of my car once, but I missed it.

[Leaning Right]

Whenever I go into mountain lion country, I always wear my Siberian bear-hunting armored suit.

[Red Badger]

Just imagine waking up and finding one in your kitchen.............

http://boredomtherapy.com/wild-animals-invading-homes/

[Georgia Girl 2]

He would have been better carrying an 8 inch Philip’s head screwdriver.

[Road Warrior ‘04]

When we were young kids, there was a report that a mountain lion had been spotted near our home. So, as crazy kids, we took our homemade swords (Lathe nailed together) and went looking for the creature. Not real smart on our part! But, hey! We were kids and invincible!

[Getready]

Ran...then dragged by 2 women?
Hot colorado air dried the blood?
Saw the face of God in the lion?
Got to hospital after 8 minutes?
Pic of article doesnt show scar under eye or any scars from 70 head staples.
When they cornered cat...he gets a call asking for advice?
What destructive urges was he saved from? Confabulation?

Pardon my cynicism...but story sounds like school assignment in beginning writing class.

[Zhang Fei]

http://tchester.org/sgm/lists/lion_attacks_nonca.html

[TangoLimaSierra]

Good to know you are not a feckless cyclist.