Mountain Lion Stalks Me For 6 Minutes!
BY Herschel Smith
3 years, 6 months ago
Via reader Ned.
Comments and observations?
He obviously saw the cat while still walking towards it. Otherwise he wouldn’t have been catching it on video.
I think I would have turned around before he did.
Does Fred want to pet the kitty?
On October 13, 2020 at 10:54 pm, Aaron Yetter said:
If you won’t carry a gun(idiot) at least carry a staff. Also instead of backing up pick up some rocks and throw them at the animal. How about charging it would that trigger it flight response?
On October 13, 2020 at 11:28 pm, Leigh said:
Instead of trying to get closer to Mountain Lion cubs, he should have gotten the hell out of there. Apex predators don’t take kindly to interlopers near their offspring.
Bet he wish he had a gun instead of a camera. Although, with his phone, his family would have video evidence of of what killed and ate his ignorant ass.
Leigh
Whitehall, NY
On October 14, 2020 at 10:45 am, Sisu said:
Deaf or immigrant “cat” – did not understand English or unable to read lips. …
On October 14, 2020 at 10:49 am, Tom762 said:
Pick up a damn rock and brain that cat.
On October 14, 2020 at 10:50 am, TheBohunk said:
I’ve been told never turn your back on a cat, which is counterintuitive because your first thought is to get away.
If you don’t have a gun then make yourself look bigger and make lots of noise. He did do this to some degree.
If it dies attack, and again, you are stupid enough to not be armed, Jam fingers/thumbs into eye sockets. Supposedly they will disengage and bolt.
Never had the opportunity to try any of that, thankfully
On October 14, 2020 at 11:26 am, Ned2 said:
You can effectively communicate with all wild animals by speaking “clickboom”
I carry my english-clickboom dictionary everywhere with me.
On October 14, 2020 at 11:26 am, Bob said:
Whenever this guy tried to bend over to get a rock, you’ll notice the cat lunged. He was out jogging, hence no gun or staff.
On October 14, 2020 at 11:50 am, jon said:
No gun, his bad. Walking toward kittens. His bad. Humans are the size of a small black bear. The second he hunched over it took off. He should’ve waited until about the 3 minute mark and started standing his ground, dropping like he was going to lunge. Also, heard no echoes from his yells. Give it the ol war cry. He shouldve been so loud he couldn’t talk at the end of the video.
On October 14, 2020 at 12:29 pm, Fred said:
Let’s stop by TCJ and see what’s happening toda…wait, am I being taunted?
Even though he was jogging it does not appear that this cat is pursuing the guy for food. But, and it’s a big but, if he had turned his back that would have been a problem. Cat’s attack from the rear for a reason, so they can get prey disoriented, legs to weaken or buckle, and then they slip into position for the neck, generally.
Six minutes walking backwards, but walking fairly quickly, the cat followed him for quite some ways.
I believe that cat gave him at least two opportunities to mutually disengage but he either didn’t see the opportunities or didn’t know how to recognize them…that said, adrenaline matters a lot. Taking small ques from a wild animal that can kill you wouldn’t be easy at all for anybody.
That frontal hissing and feigning attack is a bluff, not that if he had fallen down backwards she wouldn’t have followed through. Mostly this a territory thing, but the animal is skinny. Hard to know how old her kittens are but cats do appear very skinny for a while after birth.
This is not legal advise and we are all trained not to do it, but a warning shot, perhaps even a clear display of a large handgun may have dissuaded this particular cat in this circumstance. Keeping in mind that it would not be the display of the handgun itself, but the change in posture, attitude, confidence, all of that which would be called in, human vs human interaction, non-verbal clues, could have made this cat, in this circumstance, disengage.
Which leads to this; remember, all actions in self defense are to get the attacker, regardless of leg count, to disengage.
All English nursery rymes have some lesson in truth being taught to the children. Ring around the rosy is one such example. So that one about eeny meeny miny moe (spelling is up for grabs here) catch a tiger by the toe… The cat will not present its eyes, that’s another reason they attack from the back; your innate sense will tell you to go for head which you can’t reach, this is disorienting (OODA Loop stuff). Grab a toe with intent to dislocate or even twist it off if you find yourself with one on your back. A cat with a dislocated toe is two weeks from death, and they know that. They are very susceptible to damage and if they can’t run, they can’t hunt, it’s over. Sharks nose and eyes, cats toes. But, you have to be willing to lose the hand.
Back to being taunted; if you get one when they are about six weeks old and feed it exclusively and if it’s one of those that only gets to less than 20 pounds or so, then you can pet them. Unless you’re absolutely crazy, then you can enter their enclosure stick you fist in their face for a good sniff so they get a feel for you, if, and your life depends upon this if, you can present both zero fear and zero threat simultaneously with every breath for up to 2 or so minutes face to face with an apex predator cat. I don’t recommend it, but it can be done.
None of this constitutes advice. You live and die at your own risk or you are commie. Everything I say on the internet is a lie.
Now, who’s gonna buy that bear a candy bar?
On October 14, 2020 at 1:25 pm, Herschel Smith said:
@Fred,
“Everything I say on the internet is a lie.”
That’s quite a disclaimer / statement of non-liability.
I think I’ll use it.
On October 14, 2020 at 2:16 pm, Sabre22 said:
Tam K made and observation after the last California Mountain Lion Encounter. She said go full neanderthal at the cat, Yell (Cuss words do have their uses) using a belligerent tone. Pick up a rock (Carry a few in your pockets so you do not have to bend over at least at the start of the encounter. Make yourself as big and mean as possible. The best choice is to carry a gun. If you want to freak out your fellow joggers and nature lovers carry a spear Cold Steel has a good assortment. You could carry a flare gun even a pencil flare might be effective (not for use in california due to the fires). i have never heard of pepper spray of a cat. i would not count on it. Finally do not turn your back to the cat and don’t be stupid and approach the young of ANY animal you see in the wild.
On October 14, 2020 at 3:04 pm, BRVTVS said:
@Fred: That’s the newfangled, politically correct version of “eeny meeny miny moe” that you’re quoting. The original didn’t involve tigers.
On October 14, 2020 at 5:12 pm, 41mag said:
What else can I say but “3:10” in the video.
On October 14, 2020 at 6:35 pm, Danny said:
+1 with a slight mod; everything I say on the internet is a gross exageration or fabrication to illicite troll response.
On October 15, 2020 at 6:28 am, Wayne said:
If I’m gonna be stalked by a cougar, I prefer that it be Courteney Cox.
On October 15, 2020 at 9:14 am, Fred said:
@Sabre22, cats don’t respond the same as other animals or even humans to “going full neanderthal” on them. In a case where kittens and territory are involved, as this clearly is, you have escalated to a fight for your life. If it’s already on you or a friend or in a neighborhood (clearly not it’s territory) then yes. Don’t escalate with a momma cat.
@Wayne, Courtney Cox? Who wants some abortion addled Hollywood slut? Eew, disgusting.
On October 15, 2020 at 6:58 pm, Danny said:
So…I live in SC. Not a cougar in sight. Coyote, oh hell yea. Hear them every night across my ravine. Have seen them broad daylight at the greenway walking my pooch.
Point being, wherein lies the threat, bears, cougar, coyote or mouth breathing ABRs? On the threat matrix for me, it’s the latter. Hasn’t raised its ugly hydra head in Fort Mill…but downtown Confederate Park..it’s simply a matter of time.
I will be going back to Tidewater VA soon where crabs are our evidence eliminating ally. Many bros with many swamp creeks to dispose of evidence. Or, I forgot, everything I say on the Interwebs is a lie nest Fred. Bottom line, have your AO locked, OPFOR accountability files, ingress/egress paths for ABR suburban incursions… We have seen somewhat innocuous repulsion of ABR v FreeFor vids. Let’s endeavor to make all our sub/rural enclaves non Commie zones…it takes village nest pad?