Posted on 11/12/2007 4:14:44 PM PST by george76
A hunter was attacked by a mountain lion Sunday near Kalispell.
The hunter told officials he was several miles in on a trail when he heard what sounded like the scream of a mountain lion.
A short time later, he heard a growl and turned to see a lion about 10 to 15 feet away.
The man dropped his rifle and rushed to get behind a tree.
The lion pounced on his back and knocked him into the tree.
The collision made the lion lose its grip and the hunter reached his pistol and fired a shot...
He met several other hunters who helped him to reach his car.
The hunter began driving back to Kalispell and notified relatives, who met him with assistance.
At the Kalispell Regional Medical Center, the man received five stitches for cuts to his leg from the lion’s claws.
He also was treated for scratches on his back and shoulder and a few puncture wounds to the back of his head.
The hunter’s backpack, which was shredded, probably prevented the lion from causing more serious injuries...
In 1989, a lion killed a 5-year-old boy in Evaro. In 1990, there was a rash of encounters between people and lions in western Montana.
In the 1990s, lions were sighted in Missoula proper, including one that stalked a small child and one that was captured in a basement, both in the lower Rattlesnake residential area.
In 1998, a lion attacked a small boy near Marshall Mountain Ski Area before it was fought off by a 16-year-old camp counselor.
(Excerpt) Read more at missoulian.com ...
I once shot an elephant in my pajamas.
Great white hunter. Drops gun and runs. LOL what an idiot.
No surprise. The cat population is growing. A 44 mag or better sidearm is a good thing to keep close at hand in cat country.
Naw... This is Montana... Nobody gets too upset if you are defending yourself- Even if you don't have a tag... If you are worried there is always the 3S plan... :P
That only works for Grizzly bears ! Won'tcha ever learn?
Nam Vet
About ten years ago an aquaintance was bow hunting in Montana and for some reason he turned to look behind him and a cougar was stalking him. He was carrying a sidearm and fired it scaring the cougar away, he said it was very spooky.
If you go to the link that Backhoe posted in #14, you’ll get a better feel for what really happened.
They really are beautiful, which is why I love looking at them in photos, on TV, and in zoos... I have no wish to ever see one "in the wild." I really like being at the top of the food chain in my environment, and I realize just how quickly that hierarchy can change once you venture into the domain of some of these predators.
Mark
I am always looking behind us when we go out.
Never a cougar, yet.
Thanks George76.
Sinapu was represented by the very long winded and shrill Windy something or other. When Wendy claimed that Colorado citizens should sit by and watch while a cougar eats their pet dog or cat, all H*ll broke loose.
It seems that the cat ladies and the dog owners were outraged, so much so that the Sinapu site was deluged with flaming email.
First rule of political life - don’t irritate the cat ladies.
Wendy Keefover-Ring, director of the Boulder-based Sinapu Carnivore Protection Program...
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1909217/posts
One's fondness for large predators varies proportionally with distance. Any state that bans the use of dogs for hunting mountain lions should have catch-and-release program that sets the lions loose in the State Capitol.
Yes, you would.
BTTT
Thanks for the ping, editor-surveyor. Good luck to anyone who wants to see a mountain lion up close in the wild. In most cases they'll see the mountain lion right about the time his teeth are sinking into them.
Maybe....
I went to post #14 and went to the link there. Added some "meat" to the story.....
FRegards,
A two second supply of ammo require fast sighting.
Smart dog!
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