Lion Encounters While Bow Hunting

[LeeBishop]

I was bow hunting on my dad's farm the other week after Christmas and I heard a very loud ruckus about 15 yards behind my tree.

There was a sudden jolt of heavy fast-paced running of a deer followed by very loud distress calls about 40 yards down the edge of a bluff.

When I decided to start heading in towards the house I checked out the prints and I saw unusually deep deer prints from the very sudden running and near it I saw a light padded foot print. It was a partial print because there had been leaves and sticks in the way it stepped on.

So, I knew something had killed a deer directly behind me.

Just yesterday my dad called me and told me they saw a mountain lion up at the barn and the neighbor down the road had some baby horses killed by lions.  

It has been many years since we've seen lions around our farm but I guess a new family moved in to take over that part of the mountain range.

I'm just glad the lion didn't want to think about me for dinner.

Any of you guys run into any predators while bow hunting that you weren't stalking to take down yourselves?

[lpcjon2]

Put a set of those doll eyes on the back of your jacket or pack,I read that a lion will not attack you if it can see your eyes.

[lpcjon2]

I read they like to attack from behind

[LeeBishop]

Well I will definitely make it a habit to carry a pistol more often while hunting.

I have gone with pistols before but I tend to not want to put them on while hunting because it's extra weight and if I'm hunting in a stand I may bump into the metal frame with it or something.

[Ragnarok Forge]

I have had two follow me while hunting elk in the back country.  Not a big deal, apparently they were curious to see what I was up to.  Once they noticed that I knew they were there they wandered off to find something else to be curious about.  

99% of the time Cougars are not dangerous to humans. The only times I personally worry are if I come on a fresh unburied kill, that cat is right there and they can be protective of their food.  I just back out of the are the way I came in and take a long route around that spot for a few days.  The other time is when you suprise them while stalking.  Predators often have an attack response when startled.

I would not be to worried about cat attacks on full grown adults.  They regularly attack small dogs, farm animals, etc.   I know some farmers that swear by a heavy load of rock salt in a shotgun for cats that come to close to their houses, barns or animals.  Teaches them to stay away from humans.  

If it was me I would check the regulations in your state.  If they don't prescribe hunting them you may be able to harvest any nuisance cats.  Some states have to say you can hunt them.  In Washington it if isn't prescribed then you can hunt it.

[LeeBishop]

If it was me I would check the regulations in your state.  If they don't prescribe hunting them you may be able to harvest any nuisance cats.  Some states have to say you can hunt them.  In Washington it if isn't prescribed then you can hunt it.

I'm pretty sure you can't kill mountain lions here in Arkansas unless you're trying to protect yourself or maybe if they are killing your livestock.

I think hey were reintroduced here in Arkansas many years ago with some exchange programs with other states so I'd imagine they would frown upon the taking of them.

[Winterhawk1960]

About 10 years ago, a buddy and I drew Wyoming elk tags. I was hunting a water hole close to a strip that they cut in the timber to keep forest fires from jumping. The water hole was just off the right side of the strip, and I was positioned about 20 yards downwind of it, right in the very edge of the strip.

The strip was grown up with grasses, and I saw something, close to the other side of the strip stalking up towards the top of the mountain right along the edge of the timber, but in the grass. At first I thought it was a coyote, because of it's color. A few more silent steps and I realized that it was a mountain lion that I was looking at. That long tail, with the black ring and white tip........it was quite an experience, and one that I will remember till the day that I die.

I can tell you one thing, if one of those cats were stalking you..........you wouldn't have any idea, until it made it's final dash towards you. I doubt that you would know until it actually hit you. They are a true master of the spot and stalk game.

When we got back home, I was telling my wife about it, and she said "Didn't that scare you?" I said, I never really thought about it at the time, and just felt really blessed to have been able to actually see one, out in the wild, without it having any idea that I was even around.

A pretty cool and humbling experience it was, and one I will always treasure.

Winterhawk1960

[LeeBishop]

I just sent the Game and Fish an e-mail asking them if they had reintroduced some lions to that mountain range and what their stance was on the taking of lions.

[jhg]

Originally posted by Winterhawk1960:
...I can tell you one thing, if one of those cats were stalking you..........you wouldn't have any idea, until it made it's final dash towards you....

I think there are a lot more close "encounters" where we are the watched and not the watchers.


Joshua, remembering hearing a mtn lion screem in the middle of the night when he was 10 and being mighty glad his Dad was sleeping next to him in the tent.

[Gun]

Here's one:

 http://tradgang.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=4;t=000099

Saw my second one while hunting this past year. Moose hunting with a buddy further north. Was sneaking down a cutline after calling most of the day. Towards evening heading back to meet up with him a small cougar crossed ahead of me about 80yds. I thought at first it was a coyote (there was tall grass it was sneaking thru). Just before it ducked into the brush on the opposite side I saw the long tail and low body. My buddy was just down a bit and asked if I saw it. It came by him about 20yds. Cool! We figure it must have been looking for rabbits as there was a lot of snowshoe hare sign in the snow.

[pumatrax]

I called in a mountain lion while elk hunting in Colorado..I was using a diaphragm mouth call. He was hunkered down about fifteen feet from me with his butt up and his front shoulders wiggling back and forth just like a house cat after a mouse...not a good feeling when your sitting there with your recurve on your lap....I stood up with my bow raised over my head and yelled at him...he literally just walked off like it was an everyday experience for him.It was almost dark and my knees were knockin' all thee way back to my truck (about a mile walk)...anyone else had a similar encounter ?

[FerretWYO]

I have seeen lions several times while hunting. Most of the time they are running like crazy away though.

[Brian Krebs]

I was once bowhunting for elk. I had a tag in a controlled hunt later in the year for deer; had already taken a bear; and I was sneaking into a wallow that I knew was active.
 It was getting light; but there was darkness in the foliage.
 I was totally thinking elk; just sneaking up a trail to the wallow. I thought I heard something and stopped. I have discovered over many years of hunting: that if your walking and your going to stop; you don't come to a rumbling stop; you stop dead still in your tracks in a heartbeat.
 I did this; and heard a faint snap to my left; and looked that way- it was in timber; with ferns growing up - and I was thinking elk; and if there had been an elk there; I would have seen it.
 But - no elk; so I continued to walk; and just had one of those feelings; and stopped suddenly again; and heard another noise to my left.
 I got on one knee and looked hard; but it was still dark in there; and the underbrush was just not high enough to hide an elk- so I kept walking; but I nocked an arrow.
 I saw in front of me- to my left; a mountain lion looking right at me; and if I had kept walking; I would have walked within feet of it.
 It didn't have an angry look about it; it just looked at me- from 12 steps away.
  Then it ran straight for me; and I drew back and shot Asbell style- and hit it right in the mouth at 8 steps away.
 I have no idea why I hit it in the mouth- it just happened. I often look back at that moment and wonder how the arrow hit there; and if another place would have worked better.
 My Kodiak recurve is 74 pounds at full draw; and I know I came to full draw; and that 2 blade zwickey hit the teeth at the gum line; and stopped in its mouth; and that resulted in the lion slapping at the arrow instead of me.
 It rolled off into the brush; and I shot two more arrows at it; and backed out- I could not see it anymore.
 It was not lion season yet- that was 10 days away; so I went to a friends house and called fish and game and reported the incident.
 They told me to just get the lion and take it to a local taxidermist.
 Well I went back and found the lion; and it was still alive. My second and third arrow had hit the gut and over the lungs. It charged me again- and I shot it again. It charged again; and I shot it again; both arrows went right into the chest; and the lion expired.
 Tough- unlike all the stories I have heard. I was grateful the officer had not tracked it down; because it still had aggression on its mind.
 Fish and Game said it was a justified killing; and use it as an example in hunter safety as when you ~should~ shoot a lion in self defense.

 Thing is; lions seem to be really curious about humans; and I have noted in over 25 years of hunting lion country- that they often will follow hunters and watch them. I have often found lion tracks and found human tracks below- where the lion could have jumped on the hunter.

 I think for every attack- there are probably a whole lot of times that lions could have and did not attack.

 I was once elk hunting and was sitting next to an elk trail. There was heavy cover behind me; and just about when I was going to leave - I heard a twig snap behind me; in the thick stuff.
 So I sat there and didn't move a muscle; and I could hear an occasional little slight noise behind me. I figured it was a rabbit. I waited until it got real dark; and the noise was right behind me; then turned and put my flashlight right into the eyes of a lion about 5 feet from me. It just blinked its eyes and turned and walked off.
 I don't know what the intent of that lion was; but I think it was just enjoying the stalk.

 I have had other lion encounters- but none where the lion was approaching me like those. I had a very small spotted lion on a bear hunt try to get at some fried chicken I had in the back of my truck. But it took me ten tries to get out of the truck where I was listening to the radio- before I turned off the radio- left the door open and listened for the scratching I had heard.
 That little kitty was reaching in under my son- who was asleep- and trying to snag the chicken underneath the sleeping area.
  I took my sons shotgun as the lion just stood at ten yards and looked at me- and fired a warning shot of bird shot near it.
  My son slept through everything; and didn't believe the story until he found the tracks.

 I think lions spend more time hunting us than we could ever imagine- but actually attacking? I think it is a rare rare thing.

[Ghost Dancer]

Though I have never seen a lion while hunting, I wish I did.  I have seen their tracks in the mud while out west.  

However, I fear the two legged critters more as they can be far more dangerous.

[Bjorn]

Wow Brian-You Da Man! Those were under wear changing encounters.

[twitchstick]

I had a cougar encounter several years back on opening day of the elk hunt. It was a tough morning of hunting I had only seen one real big bull and this was a spike only unit. All mornig I had herd some coyotes making quite a comotion. I had come across where a deer had been drug out the day before and was sure the yotes were on a gut pile. I thought it might be an easy dog with the amount of noise being made. I made my way down the ridge when the dogs got quite. Not having a direction I was listing and watching to see if I could find them again. Then there it was like a ghost a cougar was working it's way up the ridge about 100 yards away. I was in aw,I have only seen a few outside of my headlights of a vehical at night. Then as quick as I seen it,it seen me. It hunkerd down like a house cat wiggled it's butt flipped its tail and started doing the slinky on me. I went from aw to fear real quick. I nock an arrow and said "hay cat". It didn't stop and slitherd closer like it was going to ponce. It made it to about 15 yards and was behind a small pine. I came to full draw and was expecting the worse,but it turned and walked away slow. It must have realised what I was or finally smelled me but I was glad. A few years before my friends mom on thier ranch just below where I was had to shoot one as it lit on her. And another kid while building a power plan on the same ranch was treed buy two yearlys for a night. I would like to say those thoughts were not going throu my head but they were. The way I understand it most bad cougar encounters are with young, 1 to 1 1/2 year olds that are having hard time hunting. I have had a couple of other friends that have had bad encounters,two had to kill the cats. Luckly the last one I seen was two years ago still hunting,it was so close I could see it's milk bags and it never knew I was there. Now that was awsome sight to see.

[Ghost Dancer]

Awesome story.

[Johnny Reb]

A good friend of mine was walkin into his deer stand just about daylight and he saw something run across the trail in font of him and he said he thought to himself " a coon dog ".
But a couple hours later he heard somethin headed his way and looked thru the scope on his black powder gun and saw a half grown panther ( as ther called locally), he ask the local game warden about it and he denide any such animal be'n  aroud here, my friend told him next time he saw it he'd drag it out to him ( the warden), The warden stuck his finger in his face and told him he'd better leave it alone.
 The only reason he told him he'd shoot it was to try the warden out, just to see what he'd say, the wardens response answered our questions about the states involvement.


And about the same time me and my cousin were comin home from work and saw somthin cross the road in front of the car but it was nearly dark and the head lights only gave us a glimpse of the outline of the body and we were discussin what it was,  that next weekend my cousin was go'n  fishin and got a good look at it.
 He called me when he got home that evenin and told me he'd got a good look at it and said it was a cat with a tail about 3 feet long and about the size of a big dog.

 I live in  a relitively populated area but you still hear of them from time to time, now thers gettin to be black bear sitings on a regular basis.

[LeeBishop]

I wonder if the Game and Fish here have brought them in.

They have done it before. On their web site it says there are no known breeding population in Arkansas. But they have been seen around the mountains for a long time. Maybe we just have some 50-yr-old mountain lions that immortal that just wandered in from Texas.

Yeah right.  

The AGFC brought back black bears, alligators, rattle snakes and Elk.  

So, it really wouldn't surprise me if they were bringing in mountain lions from the Californian ranges where they are overpopulated in areas.

[RLA]

In Missouri are conservation department says we dont have any mountain lions in the state. I wish we had black bears too hunt, like you guys  in Arkansas do.