Those close encounters are definitely hair raising!
About 45 years ago a friend and I decided to take a horseback ride up the mountains (in Colorado). We had 2 dogs with us, too. It was a warm gorgeous day in Feb, the sun felt so good! We saw a dead calf at the mouth of the canyon, belly was gone but the rest was there. As we rode up the canyon, the horses began to whiny a bit and seemed reluctant to keep going, but we urged them on. It wasn’t long before they began snorting, but when the dogs stopped freely exploring and we’re under the horses bellies, our hairs rose and we decided to turn around and go back. Something didn’t feel right, and the animals were saying something was not right.
We never saw anything, but it sure did feel better getting out of there. If a lion had pounced, we would have been in big trouble as we had no guns, and there were several gates between us and the field ahead.
It was enough of an experience to emphasize with the hunter above!
“...as we had no guns...”
The dead calf should be been the first warning sign.
I always carry when going out into wilderness or mountainous areas. 1st Rule of Thumb, of mine. Magnum pistol, .308 AR-10 (7.62x51), or Beowulf AR-50cal (350-425gr), minimum.
I grew up in Tuscon late 40’s and 50’s. My dad was good friends with the Lee brothers who were known to every rancher from Sandpoint to Bisbee. They were the preeminent puma hunters in the western states and were called out whenever a rancher had problems with a catamount and his cattle.
Their dogs were also special as once they got the scent, nothing threw them off - red tick, blue tick blood hounds.
The dogs would tree the cat and they’d bring it down with their lariats; they never once had to take one down. They sold the cats to zoo’s.