mountain lion face off

[wooddamon1]

I've only seen tracks while hunting and that's enough to make the hair stand up. Cool story!

[Shawn Leonard]

Great story!! I would love to hear Walts as well. He has to be one of the most experienced men in world hunting them with a stick and string!! Shawn

[Walt Francis]

Shawn, thanks for the kind words but I am a rookie regarding the kitties compared to many of the houndsmen I have run the hills with.  For a comparison: Rough Country (Robin) here on TG has his doctorate in them while I am still in grade school.

Bere is a link to the incident referred to above my second close encounter with a mountain lion.

http://tradgang.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=055765

[njloco]

Walt,

That was also a good story.

Thanks

[Friend]

Have no desire to have changed places with you.

[pumatrax]

William...I had a nearly identical situation while calling elk up near Leadville CO. a few years ago..the cat came in silent as could be...about ten yards away..when I turned my head to see him...he was hunkered down just like a house cat with his butt in the air and his front paws kneading the ground..I was scared to death...I managed to stand up, raised my bow up over my head and yelled as loud as possible...like your encounter he just turned and walked away...my knees were knockin and a made a beeline for my truck...IT was getting dark and I misjudged where I parked by almost a half mile...Honestly I couldn't believe what happened...maybe a side arm isn't a bad idea !!!

[S.C. Hunter]

That was close. Glad it turned out for the good.

[JimB]

Neat story.Wednesday I found a lot of big tom tracks in a small area.I was convinced it had a kill nearby.It took over a half hour of searching but I finally found it in a dense cedar thicket.I had to crawl on hands and knees to get into it and it was a little spooky as the wind was blowing about 40 MPH and you couldn't hear and visibility was just a few feet.

Anyway,I found a covered up,small 3x3 whitetail that had been barely eaten on yet.This was very fresh,probably killed that morning.I came back the following day and it was moved a few yds and almost 2/3rds eaten.I never did see the cat and I did have protection in hand.Still spooky though.

[joe ashton]

out standing story.
Joe

[Autumnarcher]

Precisely why I carry a sidearm while elk hunting. The extra 3# is well worth ut. I'd have lit that cat up. A crouching sneaking predatory cat is no joke, and you only get one chance to make the right decision.

[Wary Buck]

Both stories are crazy spooky.  We are starting to see a few in NE, and the landowner on one property I hunt says she has seen them.  It would not surprise me as this would be a good place to bury a body (in other words, it's pretty wild stuff for NE).  Anyway, I am always (sort of) hoping to see a lion there so am always on a little bit more on red alert.  

Well, this evening hunt gets over and I'm hiking out of the wooded bluffs and I think I hear something behind me.  I stop, and the noise stops.  I start up again and I'll be darned if I don't hear the noise again.  So now I'm digging my flashlight out of my pocket even though I'm just 20 yards or so from the open pasture area at the top where visibility will be pretty good.  I scan around with the light in the oak and cedar hills and see nothing.  So I start walking again, and I hear the noise again in the leaves behind me and whirl around fast with the flashlight and there are two bright eyes right there about 5 to 10 yards behind me!  Bright Eyes reflective tacks, that is.  Marking the turn on my trail.  Sheesh...  

The noise?  A length of my treestand rope was dragging out of my fanny pack in the leaves.  

[njloco]

It's always a little funny what one imagines at times like yours Wary buck, but I think it's our survivor traits kicking in.

[Red Tailed Hawk]

Originally posted by Walt Francis:
A neat encounter with good results.  I think you will remember the mountain lions look for a long time.

I had a similar encounter in 1994, but with different results. I will never forget the the quizzical look on the mountain lions face and how its eyes  and demeanor changed when he decided I'd be a nice dinner.

Walt I would like to hear more about your experience with that lion!!! Did he charge??

[Knotter]

Spooky how they sneak up on you.  Lots of stories like that here this year.  

Thanks for the post.  

Question: what to you keep for defense in these situations if any?

(I stick a small axe down my quiver and sometimes cary pepper spray)