“Bang, bang, bang... Shhhh!”
That is exactly how I would handle it, Smokin’ Joe! No way I am staying huddled in some group, ARMED... and sing musicals to make enough noise to scare away a Cougar.
You are either at the top of the food chain, or you’re bait. Our ancestors made that choice, and for some unfathomable reason, people who live elsewhere are trying to change the roles for us.