Close call with a Mt. Lion!

[just a bit outside]

Curios as a cat! He looks like a sweet kitty, I'd have gone up and pet him. I bet he woulda liked that.

Greg

[laddy]

Beautiful young cat and nice pictures,I think maybe it was just waiting for you to call a turkey in.  Mountain lions like turkey, even the few in Iowa eat turkey.  I don't think I want to shoot a lion though, although we have had a close call with our group.  shooting it didn't seem the right thing to do at the time.

[snag]

They prefer turkeys because of the oils in their skin and feathers.  Twenty yards? Perfect bow range!  He looked like he has been eating well.  I called one in while cow-calling a herd of elk. I didn't have a tag. From now on I always have one. The state says they kill on average one deer a week!

[Charlie Cole]

Good Lord! My dog looks at me like that- at dinnertime!

I understand not feeling right about shooting him, but I think I'da been wishing I had the Super Redhawk out, just in case. I'da probably had to swap out my shorts, too- no shame in admitting it.

Do lions respond to a blunt, or do you think you'd have had to kill him?

-Charlie

[JEFF B]

wow!!!  

[wapiti792]

Last fall I called in the neighbors house cat and he came and sat in my lap in the blind while I called in a bunch of hens. After the shot she sprang out of the blind and chased the missed turkey a few feet. Somehow I get the feeling this cat of yours would not be sitting in my lap and wouldn't have "missed" that hen!

[Taiga Recurve]

That is awesome. We have had 10-12 shot in ND in the past two years. It really makes walking out of the bush after dark a little more interesting knowing they are out there.

Great Pictures

[Izzy]

Darned if that aint the coolest posting Ive ever seen here.Congrats on the pics.Controlled fear is one of lifes great pleasures isnt it?

[mikecc]

You should have shot that varmint. He's showed a curiousity to people and maybe the next guy won't see it coming. I had a big boar black bear run into me a few years ago while rifle elk hunting and we had a face off at about 10yrds. I was easing into the trigger when he turned and ran. But this cat was definitely checking you out.

[snag]

I agree Mikecc. Once they loose fear of man it is time to take them out of the gene pool.

[theunluckyhunter]

ohhh man i would have smoked that cat as soon as he got within 30 yards. i dont like kittys that are bigger than me....come to think about it i dont like any cats lol

[Beepy]

A similar situation made it so I NEVER go in the woods without a firearm.  I know it might be hearsay  with a bow... but... you know....

[Gehrke145]

I'm glad you like the pics!  It was a great morning.  I thought about shooting a few times but thought he had to get a little closer before I was in real trouble (plus I want my future lion dogs to have some action).  This area has a ton of cats.  No roads that people can drive on so the cat hunters dont go in.  I plan on hunting it alot when I get my hounds.  Theres also a ton on deer and elk in there now, I saw prolly 200 deer, and a 100 elk.  I'll never forget the way he moved so low to the ground so fast!! also the way he kept tabs on me while I left his canyon!  the only thing I heard was rocks slip twice.  If I didn't know he was there I never would of though otherwise.  It really makes me think though a few times last year when I'd be glassing deer i would move around to glass a diffrent ridge I'd cut tracks (only happened 2 times that I know of) makes me wonder if one was watching me then 2?

[Gehrke145]

Charlie Cole
not sure about the blunt, I'm a believer in having what will work in my hand instead of what might work lol, Just Like at work  

[snag]

If this area has a "ton of cats" they will deplete the deer population and become hungry and even more aggressive. Be aware of this.

[Dave2old]

gehrke -- I live 15 miles from you and have hunted the same country for 28 years now. In all that time I've seen only two lions I can recall, and neither saw me ... but I'll bet quite a few lions have seen me and I didn't see them, as they're famous for hiding out and watching the world pass by. Having studied the cats a bit, I see no stalking behavior in your great photos, though it's understandable that with the cat moving toward and following you, you'd feel that way. According to both anecdotal and scientific info, because cats are relatively intelligent they are quite curious and frequently approach and follow people just to figure out what you're up to and what you are, and for entertainment. It's the cat we don't see that we have to worry about, since they are rarely face-to-face predators, but ambush hunters. Most cougar attacks on people have been either young male cats, starving because they've been pushed from prime habitat by dominant males and don't yet know how to kill deer,and females, also underweight for whatever reasons. The really big, fat and healthy cats (and yours looks healthy and relaxed) have no interest in us. And too, the primary targets for cougar attacks on humans have been small people, mostly women, moving fast ... like joggers. I envy you this experience and thanks for the photos. Dave

[Gehrke145]

Dave2old The pics dont do a good job of showing what happened Im kinda thinking your right though.  The only part that was uneasy was when he came down the bank (the pic when he was under the tree facing toward me) he lowered his profile and came at me fast!  Not sure if it was stalking or playing lol but it got the heart rate up a bit!  I can tell you one thing though I pretty sure if I would of ran he would of been on me!  The other cats I've seen just sat down looked at me a while and walked away prolly kept me in sight for a while but nothing this close.

[Bonebuster]

If a cat followed me, crouching, and stopping when I did, I would consider myself being stalked. Self preservation instincts would take over.  

Out of concern for myself and ANYONE who might travel where I just did, I would do my best to put and end to that cat.

An animal like that, is a bad egg. Common sense tells me he was at least sizing you up. Maybe the next person he meets, he might think he can take.

I would have put my longer range practicing to the test. Just being honest.

Great photos.

[kennym]

Pretty cool,since it ended well!! Nice pics,maybe the quick move he made was to see if you would flee!

[straitera]

Heck of a hair raising story! Never had that happen so I can't say what I'd have done. Somewhere in the mix would have been new underwear though.