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Student fights off cougar attack
The Edmonton Sun ^ | April 11, 2005 | NADIA MOHARIB

Posted on 04/14/2005 11:06:09 AM PDT by neverdem

CALGARY -- Peter Bysterveld is alive to tell his tale of survival from a terrifying cougar attack, thanks to sharp instincts and sheer strength. The 23-year-old SAIT student wrestled the feline and flung it through the air after a failed attempt to escape from it in Kananaskis Country Saturday.

"I hit a muddy patch and fell on my stomach, and then I turned around and grabbed its feet, gave it a toss and picked up a stick and started yelling at it," Bysterveld said yesterday.

Bysterveld and his girlfriend were on the last leg of a long hike in K-Country's Sheep River Wildlife Sanctuary when they came face-to-face with two young-looking cougars.

The animals were sitting among trees some seven metres ahead on the popular hiking trail about 20 km west of Turner Valley. One cat turned around, looked his way and lunged in his direction.

With nothing to fight with, Bysterveld felt his only option was to run, which would also distract the cougar from his girlfriend, who watched in horror from behind a tree.

Then Bysterveld fell.

The cat, about the size of a large domestic dog, bit into his calf. Bysterveld responded by taking the cat by its legs and tossing it about five metres.

It got up to come back at him, but Bysterveld had grabbed a stick and yelled at it.

The cat then sauntered off into a gully and the injured Bysterveld - covered in scratches on his arms and a bite to his leg - made it back to safety.

"I think being bigger helped, and I think he was shocked that I picked him up and threw him," said Bysterveld.

Fish and wildlife crews were looking for the offending cat yesterday.


TOPICS: Canada; Culture/Society; Extended News; Government; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: cougarattack; cougars
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To: CedarDave

#1 I live in WA state...so I can't have guns here anyway...
#2 Last time I checked guns were still legal in Canada

#3 you're being facetious right?


61 posted on 04/14/2005 4:26:32 PM PDT by MD_Willington_1976
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To: calex59
Yeah for bugs! Just got a '74(not super beetle)type one about 4 months ago and I am restoring it..maybe I will do the Baja thing with it though! I have owned a lot of them over the years

Type one rules! I take my Baja places where four wheelers fear to tread.
...
62 posted on 04/14/2005 4:42:19 PM PDT by mugs99 (Restore the Constitution)
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To: MD_Willington_1976
Guns are legal in Canada but not Washington State???

I remember a brouhaha a couple of years ago where guns were supposed to be turned in. Was that Canada or Australia? (I know Britain banned guns and is now paying the price with outlaws invading private residences without protection.)

And not legal to own, possess and/or carry a gun in Washington state? Enlighten me please.

63 posted on 04/14/2005 4:54:13 PM PDT by CedarDave
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To: mombonn
They'll pretty much only mess w/you if they're cornered, confused, or have lost their innate fear of man (from humans feeding them, or formerly captive animals), or if they're sick and can't hunt properly.

From what I remember, the first recorded killing of a human in the 20th century was in Northern NM in the mid-1970's. It killed and partially fed on a young boy (I think 9-10 or so). It was with 1/2 mile of his house in an arroyo. When they caught up with and killed the cat, it was a 5-6 year old female and weighed less than 50lbs. (normal would 80-100). Its teeth were almost gone, and it had signs of having been in captivity.

I've always heard it said that if you see one, it's cause it wanted you to. They are very curious animals.

The recent cases in California seem to have been solitary joggers and mountain bikers moving away form the cat.

I've had two very "close" encounters (pretty scary, but ultimately harmless) in NM in my life, and had fleeting glimpses probably ten other times. I actually consider myself fortunate to have seen them that close. They really are pretty amazing animals. I have friends who hunt them, but it's one animal that I've never been able to bring myself to kill (I have had "cat tamales" though).

A good friend of mine was nailed by one a couple of years ago while turkey hunting in NM.

He was cammo'd up, sitting against a log, shaking a gobble call, and it pounced on him from behind, and hit him on the shoulder.

They both tumbled down a little hill, the cat landed in front of him, looked at him like he was crazy, and was gone before he could even sit up.

He said it was like getting hit by 200lb. Linebacker (the cat was probably about 100-125lbs) going full tilt w/o any warning, and he was muscle-sore for days, but was otherwise uninjured.

That cat is probably still wondering about that bush that made turkey noises (cats...birds...you get it), that turned into a funny looking human.

I'm certainly not against development, but the very things we tend to value (isolation, privacy, scenery, forest...)in selecting homes in urban-forest interface areas are also not always friendly to humans (varmints, predators, forest fires, etc.).

I live in South Carolina now, and we recently had one kill 2 dogs near 50 miles from where I live. They didn't think there were any around here at all, but nature abhors a vacuum, so who knows.

If you have confirmed signs of them in your area, be cautious, but don't let it scare you out of the forest.

And a good, clean well oiled .45 never hurts either.
64 posted on 04/14/2005 5:44:36 PM PDT by conservativeharleyguy (Democrats: Over 60 million fooled daily!)
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To: billorites

****A mountain lion ate your homework,****


If my mountain lion ate as much homework as I said he did he'd be passing fire logs.


65 posted on 04/14/2005 5:51:27 PM PDT by Cowman (I wish they all could be double barreled girls)
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To: Truth29

Best move she could have made. Remember teh ditzy blonde with teh chappie who became grizzly scat in Alaska? He told her to run as the bear was killing him. She instead hit Mr. Griz on the head with a cast iron skillet, whereupon she was added to the menu.


66 posted on 04/14/2005 6:50:37 PM PDT by GladesGuru
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To: curtish

"I bet PETA sics the ACLU on this animal hater."

Don't laugh. I am going to trial soon in Naples, FL because I taped a couguar wearing a radio collar attacking a goat.

When the agency realized their beast's bestial behavior was on tape, they file against me!

Welcome to the Sheeples Republic of FloriDUH.


67 posted on 04/14/2005 6:53:53 PM PDT by GladesGuru
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To: Truth29

"They shouldn't have kids."

And yet, somehow, we KNOW they will. :)


68 posted on 04/14/2005 6:56:50 PM PDT by Diana in Wisconsin (Save The Earth. It's The Only Planet With Chocolate.)
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To: conservativeharleyguy

Your rant is straight out of the National Park Service/PETAPersons talking points paper. By the way, even they are backing off from such inanities.

If the cat wants you, and it did want to kill and eat that student, he wisely diverted the cat from his woman and then defended himself as best he could under the conditions.

Before making any more uninformed statements about such predators, try looking at www.evergladesinstitute.org.

Information can be your friend.


69 posted on 04/14/2005 6:58:37 PM PDT by GladesGuru
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To: GladesGuru
There is a big difference between a grizzly and a cougar.
70 posted on 04/14/2005 7:00:22 PM PDT by Truth29
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To: Truth29

To an uarmed human female, the difference is not significant. In either case, she will be on the menu.

Thanks to environmental-socialism, Americans are being forced back down the path of history to where we had neither guns nor rights.

Should you, like that hapless fool eaten by Mr. Griz, like being forced back down the food chain, enjoy yourself. Just don't try to force me, or other Americans into that position.


71 posted on 04/14/2005 7:55:30 PM PDT by GladesGuru
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To: Lester Moore

Yea and when the second courger attaked her, or the first changed targets he could have had to chase down a courger befor it mamed his GF..


72 posted on 04/14/2005 9:37:47 PM PDT by N3WBI3
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To: Truth29

Walk twords the animal and make threating gestures, keeping in mind that if you are on two sides of it you make the animal even more dangerous! There is no way to know if the cats would have run, they could have been starving, rabid, or just plain a-holes. If a cat turned on her now the BF has two things to worry about..


73 posted on 04/14/2005 9:42:00 PM PDT by N3WBI3
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To: Ditter

Two cats, not one and even then its not going to help him if the cat turnes on her when she throws him the stick..


74 posted on 04/14/2005 9:43:59 PM PDT by N3WBI3
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To: bd476
My bet is that he had one hell of an adrenalin rush going about then.

I watched a guy reach down and straighten the cast aluminum shifter lever (about 3/4 inch by 1/2 inch) on an old Harley after he laid it down-with one hand. He couldn't come close to bending it later with both.

Feats of even greater strength have been noted.

75 posted on 04/14/2005 10:08:23 PM PDT by Smokin' Joe (Grant no power to government you would not want your worst enemies to wield against you.)
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To: CedarDave
So I take it you don't go into the forest anymore because you can't be armed (legally) in Canada now?

Invoke the three 'S' rule:

Shoot

Shovel

Shut up.

Works in the States, too.

76 posted on 04/14/2005 10:15:06 PM PDT by Smokin' Joe (Grant no power to government you would not want your worst enemies to wield against you.)
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To: Squantos
"Add fear to the mix and this guy being chewed on by the mountain kitty could have tossed a oldsmobile a few feet IMHO had he wanted..."

True, fear and adrenalin can do wonders for just about anyone.

"... good hiking staff/pole/stick with a metal spear like point will piss kitty off if ya have time and see him coming..."

See him coming is the operative phrase here. Cougars are the ghost cats or that's what I recall from watching a few too many "Wonderful World of Disney" feel good animal movies.

I remember trying to reassure myself by confirming with a local park ranger that "after all, cougars aren't like 'real lions in Africa' are they?"

His response: "A California Cougar can clear a 7 foot high chain link fence carrying a 140 pound deer in its mouth."

77 posted on 04/14/2005 10:18:58 PM PDT by bd476
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To: bd476

If ya have to stand and fight better to have something other than nikes.....:o)

I have hunted cougars in the NM Manzano's and they are indeed strong. I'm glad I don't have to endure Cali's Gun Control.


78 posted on 04/14/2005 10:32:49 PM PDT by Squantos (Be polite. Be professional. But, have a plan to kill everyone you meet. ©)
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To: Jeff Head

I've been hiking out in Western Montana a few times. I always feel better when I have my gun. It's a Kimber .45--not much good for stopping bears, but it will kill mountain lions dead.


79 posted on 04/14/2005 10:34:44 PM PDT by cicero's_son
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To: Squantos
You have hunted cougars? How do you see them before they see you? And what do you mean by "strong?" Have you had some "bullets-wouldn't-stop-'em" type moments?

The ranger also told me that they can be 3 feet away behind a bush and you would never know they were there. He was not trying to scare me.

Kids were running up and down a shrub covered hillside and he had been yelling at them to get down off the hill. The parents were somewhere else.

He told me that he was not trying to keep them out of poison oak - he said there were probably no cougars there at that time, but one would never know. He also said there were rattlers up there. Lovely.

80 posted on 04/14/2005 10:41:03 PM PDT by bd476
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