Real hunting adventures Scenario #1

[5deer]

 Hunting scenario #1- Location: Eastern Oregon.  Tags: Elk, deer, bear, and cougar.   Standing and calling elk mid morning in the bottom of the canyon in 10 to 18 foot Christmas trees. Cougar appears out of nowhere 17 yards to my left. The cougar is crouched and creeping towards me in full hunting mode.    What do you do?         

[Wudstix]

Draw, anchor, Release.
 

[Maclean]

Bear spray works really well.

[Maclean]

Oops, sorry, I missed the mention of a cougar tag.

I'd get an arrow in him for sure.

[The Vanilla Gorilla]

I'm shooting him.  I hear they are a nice meat.

[Terry Green]

The cougar would be a very rare chance, that you may not ever get again.

The rest are much easier.

[5deer]

   very good        you are all right    now where is your point of aim?     

[CAPTJJ]

Happened to me in south Florida, all I could do is take a picture...

[supernaut]

I'd try to fill that cougar tag!

As mentioned above, I've heard they are amazing table fare.

[supernaut]

   very good        you are all right    now where is your point of aim?     

In your opening post you said the cougar was 17 yards crouched and creeping in full hunting mode.

I never shot at a cougar but I'm not a fan of head on shots and I doubt if he's crouching that his vitals would be a target head on. I guess I'd wait to see if he presented any shot at his vitals. Honestly, if I had a cougar at 17 yards and closing ground on me crouched and creeping in hunting mode I'd be trying real hard to not load my pants.

I'm curious to see what everyone else would do in regards to a shot.

[Maclean]

Well, this is a non typical, less than optimum situation. And dangerous too. I don't think anyone likes head on shots, but I wouldn't waste much time waiting for this cougar to present a good broadside shot. I'd try to get an arrow dead center in the chest, just below the chin. And then be ready for a quick follow up shot.
And pray that your first shot is accurate. 

[Trenton G.]

If I had time I'd get down on one knee to eliminate some of the downward angle of the shot and put myself more at eye level with his body. I wouldn't be waiting for too long though to get an arrow into him if he's in hunt mode. I have a cousin in B.C. who had one come up 5 yards behind him while deer hunting that he shot from the hip with his rifle. By the time he turned around there was no time to bring his gun up. I don't plan on letting one get quite that close.

[Wudstix]

As mentioned above, I'd drop to a knee and put my broadhead right under his chin.  Shooting 65#+ and 700 grain arrows with big heads I think that is my best option at that distance.
 

[Terry Green]

I would drop to both knees.  Much more stable than 1 knee, and I can get way lower, lower than this for sure.

[Wudstix]

Yes, both knees is much better, for sure.
 

[JohnnyBa]

I would drop to both knees.  Much more stable than 1 knee, and I can get way lower, lower than this for sure.

As a Hunter not yet ready for prime time, I like this “getting low concept”. It seems that I would have gotten to that point quite involuntarily and once in that position, would have probably just went ahead and just pooped. That would have been my natural defensive mechanism. Experience will teach me better I am sure, but pooping myself seems like a reality in this kind of situation.

[Trenton G.]

I'm going to stick with one knee in this scenario. While two knees might be a bit sturdier, I can get up and move a lot faster from one knee than two, and that added maneuverability might be useful should things go south.

[Walt Francis]

This is my response.

https://www.tradgang.com/tgsmf/index.php?topic=13984.msg224404#msg224404

First and foremost I am a bowhunter, close to 30 years later my response is still be the same: The 44 stays on the hip and I loose an arrow.

 In retrospect, after treeing a lot of mountain lions, I firmly believe my arrow hit right where I was looking, between the eyes.  Look into a mountain lions eyes from less then ten yards, you will understand.

[Terry Green]

Trent, accuracy is paramount for me, especially in a scenario like that.   Both positions are less than 1 second to get up from.  If I make the correct shot, I likely won't be needing to move.   There would be no doubt in my shot. 

[5deer]

 As the cougar inches forward two steps and me not knowing if he is looking at me or through me. I slowly draw. The cougar looks to his right and the arrow hits him ear level in the left shoulder. The cougar leaps five to six feet in the air to his right and disappears through the woods. With no blood trail, I return to camp for the evening only to return the following morning with my brother and uncle. We find only a few drops of blood 30 to 40 yards up the trail and then the cougar dead in his bed.