[NeonKnight]

Thank you, thank you, thank you. I tried to explain on another thread that the best way to survive a mnt lion attack is to be aggressive, and show no fear....much like stanley did. I was flamed to death.

You face them, and you fight back. You would probably lose if the cat fought back....but they won't. Their very survival prohibits them from encountering injury. Though you would lose...you would most likely be able to injure them. Once they realize that you will not run, and that you are not just going to roll over, they are outta there....ask Stanley.

[Servant of the 9]

I think you might or might not get away with bluffing a big cat, but if you turn and run you are certainly doomed. Any cat will pounce on anything that runs.

So9

[Redcloak]

You are correct. The lion is looking for a meal, not a fight. Running simply makes you look like an overgrown mouse. Crouching down and looking non-aggressive simply makes you look like a stupid, overgrown mouse. Kitties loves mouseses!

Standing your ground makes you look like something that might eat the overgrown kitty.

[DesertWalker]

I can tell you from personal experience that you are exactly right. A few years ago in Idaho I was walking alone on a remote trail near Granjean. I turned around, and a lion was about 10 feet behind me.

It went down to the ground and growled, staring right at me. I stood up as tall as I could - I'm 6"1" - waived my hat in the air, and yelled at the lion. It just stared at me and laid its ears back. The problem was I was stuck on a little piece of land surrounded by a deep creek, and I had to walk right by the lion to get back to the main trail.

So, I pulled out my Smith Model 29 .44 Magnum, pointed it at the lion between the eyes, and walked right past it while I yelled at it. I could have tapped the lion on the nose with the gun barrel. It just crouched and growled and kept staring, but didn't move.

It followed me down the trail for at least a 100 yards. I kept yelling and waving my hat. Finally it broke off.

So, yes, resist, yell, waive, aim your gun well, but DON'T RUN.

[WV Mountain Mama]

Yep, when I lived out there, we would go mountain biking a lot. If you ever see anything like that, you are supposed to dismount and hold your bike above your head and scream.

I once saw a bobcat just after we got out of the car at the Estes Park, CO gun range. It is basically a private valley out in the mountains. He was beautiful and about 40 yards away. It was happy to be going on its way. I wondered how many other people would have just blasted it right there.

[Siamese Princess]

You face them, and you fight back. You would probably lose if the cat fought back....but they won't. Their very survival prohibits them from encountering injury. Though you would lose...you would most likely be able to injure them. Once they realize that you will not run, and that you are not just going to roll over, they are outta there....ask Stanley.

As a life-long cat owner (though of the domestic cat variety) I can tell you that all cats hate to be stared at and will never attack if stared down. If you confront a mountain lion, or another great cat, stare straight in its eyes, stand as tall as you can, make noise, but NEVER EVER turn your head away, much less run. The cat can easily outrun you and in fact simply running away will ignite its chase instinct even if it was not inclined to pursue you in the first place. It's comparable to me dragging a string along the floor for my cat to chase.