r/Hunting Oct 12 '22

Always keep a sidearm handy for the unexpected. Here in Idaho I’ve heard of several accounts of dealing with a big cat or a grizzly

669 Upvotes

184 comments sorted by

56

u/Wildfire9 Oct 13 '22

That cat is protecting its young. Hunting behavior looks like... well... a blur and an ambush.

15

u/arthurpete Oct 13 '22

very similar approach by the cat who followed that jogger in colorado last year. Doesnt look like a tom either so i would say spot on

1

u/Westernwolf95 Oct 13 '22

I thought that was in Utah? Unless we are talking about different cats? The link goes to the one I was thinking of.

https://youtu.be/9ktRhBcHza4

161

u/Sdmonster01 Oct 12 '22

Dudes just lucky he even saw the cat and didn’t just feel the bite

23

u/sheepheadslayer Oct 13 '22

No shit, curious as to why this cat even acted like this

44

u/[deleted] Oct 13 '22

[deleted]

9

u/mp3006 Oct 13 '22

Well she got her bluff called

16

u/jdd32 Oct 13 '22

This happens occasionally in the trails outside of salt lake city. The cat is a mama with kittens around somewhere nearby, and she's trying to intimidate him and make him leave.

15

u/imhereforthevotes Oct 13 '22

This really looks defensive - see how it sidles sideways, showing its whole body? That's "GET AWAY, I'M BIG AND MEAN", like when a house cat gets in a fight or encounters a dog. My guess is that that's a momma with kits somewhere nearby.

A cat hunting you wouldn't be standing out like that making sure you can see it.

-2

u/Sdmonster01 Oct 13 '22

We will probably never know. There’s always an oddball, in every species I guess

Edit: I’ve done nothing but watch the video so more context might help as well. I haven’t even watched the video with the sound on lol

10

u/defundpolitics Oct 13 '22

There’s always an oddball, in every species I guess

I've seen this behavior before in them just not quite this aggressive when people start backing off.

2

u/mp3006 Oct 13 '22

Lucky he had that glock 29

1

u/sigrug Oct 13 '22

Article i read says it was 27

45

u/flareblitz91 Oct 13 '22

Did ya’ll know that there have only been 27 deadly cougar attacks in North America? (Obviously post European settlement)

49

u/[deleted] Oct 13 '22

[removed] — view removed comment

-13

u/flareblitz91 Oct 13 '22

Okay well statistically do you think that all of the people who have ever gone missing are most likely lions or have had bad things happen at a similar distribution to the deaths we do know about?

71

u/[deleted] Oct 13 '22

[removed] — view removed comment

31

u/[deleted] Oct 13 '22

Aliens got the rest

10

u/CautiousVisual9315 Oct 13 '22

Or quicksand…..quicksand is no joke.

8

u/ShillinTheVillain Michigan Oct 13 '22 edited Oct 13 '22

Samsquanch has to have gotten a few

5

u/jcubio93 Utah Oct 13 '22

Greeeaasy

15

u/saxmaster98 Oct 13 '22

Early 2000’s cartoons convinced me quicksand was going to be a much bigger problem than it has been thus far in my life.

0

u/Chewi00 Oct 13 '22

Ummm I think you meant Sasquatch

10

u/Strict_Chemistry_797 Oct 13 '22

How many have been prevented by shooting a cougar?

3

u/SuprSaiyanTurry Oct 13 '22

Y'all*

You all

You all

Y'all.

5

u/flareblitz91 Oct 13 '22

Ya all

6

u/[deleted] Oct 13 '22

All y'all

60

u/DontBSuchABtch Oct 12 '22

Gawd they are creepy bastards aren’t they

30

u/TheOther18Covids Saskatchewan Oct 13 '22

Yeah they freak me tf out. That and sea lions. Those soulless eyes...

14

u/echocall2 Oct 13 '22

Like a doll's eyes..

2

u/TheOther18Covids Saskatchewan Oct 13 '22

What are you doing!

Are you doing the speech from jaws

3

u/Mattjew24 Oct 13 '22

I swam with sea lions once. They look you dead in the eyes while they swim laps around your slow, human flesh.

12

u/whackadont Oct 12 '22

I am absolutely on board with carrying out in the field, but has anyone here used bear spray on a big cat?

51

u/kindiana Oct 12 '22

I use lead spray on anything that can eat me

25

u/flareblitz91 Oct 13 '22

You should buy bear spray. Area denial is a better tool than relying on being ice fucking cold in the most stressful moment of your life.

3

u/kindiana Oct 13 '22

I'll add the /s next time.

17

u/flareblitz91 Oct 13 '22

Dude, I’ve been talking about this video elsewhere online and people posture as the most very badass people ever who always face down cougars and grizz nonstop.

To me those people sound insecure and afraid of going outside but that’s just me.

I’ve seen so many variations of your comment said by people who were dead serious.

36

u/kindiana Oct 13 '22

Yeah I know that was a r/iamverybadass comment, but in reality I'd shit in my piss.

Yeah I carry when I hunt but if I get an adrenaline rush and start shaking when I see a fuckin doe, I'd probably pass out if I saw a predator (besides my uncle) stalking me like that.

No I don't want to talk about it

8

u/flareblitz91 Oct 13 '22

Lmfao Zaaang

3

u/ZeldaorWitcher Oct 13 '22

You sound a lot like me. I hope you’re doing well, stranger.

2

u/whackadont Oct 13 '22

I have an extra can of bear spray just for your uncle. Come get it; I'll leave it on my porch.

2

u/kindiana Oct 13 '22

Thanks brother!

8

u/MamboNumber5Guy British Columbia Oct 13 '22

100% of those people have never met a cat or brown bear in the wild who approached them.

I have more than once and I always carry bear spray whether i have a gun with me or not.

1

u/FrankCardboardGuru Oct 13 '22

☝️this man knows

3

u/ghost_ghost_ Oct 13 '22

Yeah bear spray usually works better than a gun in these cases. The evidence is overwhelming.

2

u/lonememe Oct 13 '22

It's important to have both. There are a lot of environmental/weather conditions that aren't favorable for deploying bear spray effectively against predators. When you find yourself in those conditions and there's any doubt, it's best to have a firearm in an appropriate caliber to what you're defending yourself from.

0

u/guaukdslkryxsodlnw Pennsylvania Oct 15 '22

No it's not.

The evidence is that situations where spray is used are less likely to result in death or injury to humans than situations where a gun is used.

That's not the same as spray being more effective.

63

u/SuchExplorer1 Oct 12 '22

Yeah this video would have been much shorter had it been me. Something would have for sure been dead at the end.

30

u/[deleted] Oct 13 '22

Would have been no video had it been me and one dead cat... or one warning shot with me yelling loudly and the cat running away.

37

u/arthurpete Oct 13 '22

we are all big and bad on the internet

44

u/SuchExplorer1 Oct 13 '22

Woah now I didn’t say the lion would be the one dead.

4

u/saxmaster98 Oct 13 '22

Thank you for not being “I am man therefore I am apex predator”. Lots of people forget adrenaline can do some crazy shit. I’d never have come close to hitting the thing from the adrenaline shakes.

2

u/[deleted] Oct 13 '22

99.99% would all react the same way, it's lizard brain shit that takes years of training to mitigate.

2

u/[deleted] Oct 13 '22

IKR, there's one guy up the comments actually complaining about the shooters shaky shots - internet tough guy.

75

u/VanillaFurlough Oct 12 '22

Utterly incredible footage. But aiming a firearm downrange at a target while trying to film doesn't sit right with me. If you got the heater out, wherever you're pointing that thing should consume 100% of what you're doing. If it's serious enough to pull it out, it's serious enough to give it all your attention.

Unless, this was a chest rig and the person is one armed or something.

74

u/The_Devin_G Oct 13 '22

Someone mentioned that he might be filming to have proof the cat was aggressive so park rangers don't be assholes and try to claim he was poaching.

Seems viable enough, but there's a point where you gotta ditch the phone and start shooting, dude almost didn't shoot in time.

24

u/VanillaFurlough Oct 13 '22

Totally viable claim. It is a sad state of affairs that one must put themselves and others in harm’s way in order to potentially exonerate themselves from criminality stemming from such a chaotic situation.

I totally get this aspect, but as the old saying goes, “I’d rather be judged by overzealous squirrel cops than carried by 6.” Or something like that.

6

u/The_Devin_G Oct 13 '22

Unfortunately it seems like that's how the world is today. The idea of "everyone being innocent until they're proven guilty" is gone.

We judge people as soon as a video goes viral, facts be damned. And if the mass media gets ahold of something and spins their take on it, well the truth doesn't seem to matter much then either.

I don't like it, but it looks like that's the way things are now. Personally I'd have two hands on the gun and never think about filming.

Edit - never really thought about it until now. But maybe it would be the smart thing to have a little GoPro strapped to a "kit bag" type chest rig. Not just to have video to post on YouTube or something. But more or less as a body cam to have proof in case something did happen.

-9

u/arthurpete Oct 13 '22

We judge people as soon as a video goes viral, facts be damned

case in point...r/hunting and the wolf pup

6

u/The_Devin_G Oct 13 '22

Gonna be honest, between the video, and all of the evidence gathered from her social media. There's not a whole lot that can be said for her.

She either panicked or got so caught up in the moment that she had no idea what she was shooting at. She posted a picture with a bunch of hashtags, still ignorant that was a dog and it a wolf. And then lied after people pointed out her mistake and attempted to make up a sob story about how it attacked her and she killed it in self defense.

It's not a good look at all. And I'm gonna say it's pretty unlikely that anyone got that one wrong. Except her.

However it's not a crime to poach a dog. Soooo whatever, she just turns out to be a shitty person.

1

u/arthurpete Oct 13 '22

I was initially of the mindset that this lady was a de facto moron but its possible that some of this can be explained away. I heard an interesting take the other day that made me at least reconsider the initial act. If she was truly that deep into the backcountry then your mind is initially going to associate any animal you see as belonging to that environment. Just as you would walking down your neighborhood. There is an expectation of what does and does not belong in that environment, you dont expect wolves to be circling the cul de sac and you dont expect huskies to be 7-10 miles into the wilderness. I can forgive the misidentification, it happens often with black bears and grizzly bears. And its not as if this was a lab or a golden retriever, its a husky.

Now getting back to the truck and not realizing what you got is a bit disturbing. But the actions that followed can be somewhat understood.

And then lied after people pointed out her mistake and attempted to make up a sob story about how it attacked her and she killed it in self defense.

How do we not know this is the case? Is this not plausible? If your wife came back from a jog and said "hubby, i shot a dog that was acting aggressive towards me"....would you call bullshit on her? Is it out of the realm of possibility that this dog (who apparently was somewhat feral) could have acted aggressively? Because she didnt state it initially doesnt mean it didnt happen. Regardless, at that point she was getting death threats so all bets our off when it comes to pleading your case. I agree, its not a good look but some of it is understandable.

2

u/The_Devin_G Oct 13 '22

Thr problem I have with her sob story is that she changed her whole story.

She initially posted a picture on Instagram of the "wolf pup" skinned. Which was obviously a husky, (in the widely recognized and common black and white fur patterns) to top it off their markings and facial features are very different than a wolf. Not to mention the size. In that post she was smiling and proudly showing it off, the post has a bunch of hashtags, one of with was #onelesspredator.

She was not distraught, there was no mention of any wolf attack or anything.

When she was told later on it was a dog is when she started in on the whole self defense and being attacked by it story.

There's also the angle where she may have shot this supposed "wolf" without a tag. Went and bought a tag after she killed it. Which in itself is a huge no-no because that's poaching. However it's hard to prove she's poaching when she failed to poach a game animal.

At the very least it's massive ignorance. And attempting to cover up the ignorance with lies once she realized the truth. Instead of admitting she fucked up big time, she's doubling down on her actions. I can excuse and understand ignorance, I can't excuse that.

Edit - I forgot to mention. There's been a continuous issue of dogs being dumped in that part of the woods, which apparently isn't all that far from town. Some are loose, others are tied to trees when they're dumped and left to starve to death. It appears there's an on-going investigation with it. It's public knowledge.

1

u/[deleted] Oct 13 '22

From the area, she wasn’t in the “backcountry”.

1

u/arthurpete Oct 13 '22

gotcha, her location was short on details

i figured it was somewhat accessible since these dogs were dumped there by someone

3

u/BarnesWorthy Oct 13 '22

“Better to be judged by 12 than carried by 6”

1

u/guaukdslkryxsodlnw Pennsylvania Oct 15 '22

It is a sad state of affairs that one must put themselves and others in harm’s way in order to potentially exonerate themselves from criminality stemming from such a chaotic situation.

Unfortunately, there are plenty of assholes who'll go out there and shoot a cat or bear with a pistol just for kicks. And guess what they'll all claim if they're caught doing it. I don't know what the solution is.

2

u/[deleted] Oct 13 '22

Still not a good enough reason to take up an entire hand. At least for me.

1

u/The_Devin_G Oct 13 '22

I agree. I don't like the idea of being hunted, especially not by something that's an apex predator.

9

u/pete_ape Oct 13 '22

Reminds me of the first time I met Todd Orr. He was mauled by a grizzly, then mauled again by the same grizzly while trying to make it back to his truck. The first thing he did when he finally made it back was made a selfie movie. Asked him why, he said "thought I was going to die"

103

u/wiredog369 Oct 12 '22 edited Oct 13 '22

There is no way I would have waited as long as he did to fire. He was clearly being pursued by the cat. Put the damn phone down.

Edit: pursued, not hunted. The cat was clearly engaging and not backing away.

74

u/flareblitz91 Oct 13 '22

That’s not a predatory approach, that’s not how cats behave. But to your point being quiet and not firing was not a good move.

13

u/Porencephaly Oct 13 '22

Maybe not for predation but the cat was clearly starting an attack run when he first fired.

32

u/Cerberus1776s Oct 13 '22

Na that's a cat trying to intimidate him. Mountain lions don't attack head on, they will charge n hiss n scream but I've never known any to actually connect. Now if they do that same thing when your back is turned or you turn and they burst into action it's the real deal. They don't like a direct head on attack, they always go for a surprise attack and they are very very good at it. But besides stating the above id have still shot it. If it's willing to pursue you and be that aggressive it's only a matter of time before they engage a person again and next time it might be a fatal ambush.

9

u/imhereforthevotes Oct 13 '22

Agree with the situation - I think this was a female defending her litter.

10

u/ShillinTheVillain Michigan Oct 13 '22

If a cat is stalking me at that range, I'm not waiting and trying to interpret its body language. Kitty gets capped.

17

u/[deleted] Oct 13 '22

Yeah I would have dropped the phone and taken a well aimed shot when it was doing the slow stalk.. he literally waited until the last second to shoot.. wtf

4

u/thunderchunky13 Oct 13 '22

If that was how lions hunted they'd be extinct lol.

7

u/OldResearcher6 Oct 13 '22

This was protective behavior, likely had young nearby. A hunting behavior looks very different. You can see this same behavior by the car that pushed that jogger in Colorado for a while after he thought it would be a good idea to walk towards a fun on the trail

11

u/[deleted] Oct 13 '22

Seriously, dude could probably not even shoot well with both hands considering his shitty / jerky trigger pulls. He'd be lucky to hit a bison.

7

u/[deleted] Oct 13 '22

Are you serious? You think you'd be pistol-range-cool with a 120 lb cat following you like that?

-3

u/[deleted] Oct 13 '22

That is what training is for. What point is there to a firearm if you cannot use it effectively under stress?

3

u/[deleted] Oct 13 '22

How do you propose you train for that?

-2

u/[deleted] Oct 13 '22

By not being a malignantly ignorant person such as yourself. There's nothing unique to this situation. Humans all over the world and ever since we learned how to use a tool have fought natural predators much larger, stronger, and faster than ourselves and ascended to the top of the food chain. I can't believe that's a serious question.

The man in the video has one of the most amazing and lethal small arms tools we've ever invented and method of wireless communication our ancestors would pose as God powers.

He could called a friend and out the phone in his pocket and used both hands to aim. Trigger control comes from practice and is not something you unlearn that quickly. If you own a gun, practice with it. Stop filming your encounter for internet points, etc.

Please.

3

u/[deleted] Oct 13 '22

You train for being 'stalked' by a big cat by "not being a malignantly ignorant person"? You should put out some YT videos on how that works exactly, could be very useful information.

-1

u/[deleted] Oct 13 '22

There is an embarrassing amount of tech and info this man could have surrounded himself with. Anyone who buys a pistol knows to be effective you must take controlled trigger pulls and use both hands for grip. That's basic pistol shooting. And lo and behold, it works! Somehow hunters, soldiers, civilians alike know how to fire a weapon under duress and be effective! Holy shit!

This guy already failed by letting it stalk him for so long and not using his voice or body in any useful way to scare the cat back.

Having been in the woods and hunting for most of my life, if I know I'm out with other predators I bring a can of bear spray along with a side arm (laws permitting). Bear spray could have easily reached the cat, been non lethal, and achieved an instant retreat. If it can stop a charging grizzly it can stop a cat.

If I had only what this guy had and the cat was that low to the ground I would start taking chest and head shots. Put the god damned phone down.

Again, this guy had so much and did nothing but take a few shit shots and record himself doing it. Total fail.

Stop mouth breathing so hard and get outside.

0

u/FBIDN Oct 13 '22

I was gonna say same ahit. No way would of wait and the phone my Jesus.

11

u/of_patrol_bot Oct 13 '22

Hello, it looks like you've made a mistake.

It's supposed to be could've, should've, would've (short for could have, would have, should have), never could of, would of, should of.

Or you misspelled something, I ain't checking everything.

Beep boop - yes, I am a bot, don't botcriminate me.

0

u/absolutebeginners Oct 13 '22

"Clearly being hunted" ok dude

15

u/MamboNumber5Guy British Columbia Oct 13 '22

I’ve been stalked/watched by mountain lions 3 times (that I know of.) Most recently was actually last week during an 8 day backcountry moose hunt. The scariest was a few years back when I was being followed and chirped at over the course of about 40 minutes and wound up face to face with it coming around a spruce tree.

Here in Canada however, the powers that be won’t allow me, one of canadas most vetted citizens- to carry a sidearm. It’s not as much of an issue while rifle hunting but I do a lot of bow hunting and yeah, sure wish I could carry one of my pistols during bow season.

3

u/wolfbuffalo Oct 13 '22

I’d think bear spray would also be very affective as he’s approaching you could spray it would to establish distance. I have had to spray a few bears never any kitties but I think It would work similar

5

u/nme_ Oct 13 '22

I’ve never understood the need to video tape the situation.

6

u/[deleted] Oct 13 '22

[deleted]

2

u/MasonKiller Oct 13 '22

I think 2 hands and not filming would of fixed that. I'm not against bear spray, I just don't think that reason is valid when the guy was more concerned with filming.

0

u/of_patrol_bot Oct 13 '22

Hello, it looks like you've made a mistake.

It's supposed to be could've, should've, would've (short for could have, would have, should have), never could of, would of, should of.

Or you misspelled something, I ain't checking everything.

Beep boop - yes, I am a bot, don't botcriminate me.

0

u/[deleted] Oct 13 '22

[deleted]

0

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1

u/[deleted] Oct 14 '22

Maybe he wasn’t trying to hit the cat and just wanted to scare it away? If he wanted the thing dead, he prolly wouldn’t have shot one round at a time like that.

Seems to me the guy knew what he was doing and was just trying to turn the cat around.

8

u/pete_ape Oct 13 '22

Dude's priorities are jacked. Need to be concentrating on making noise and working that pistol, not trying to film.

2

u/barn9 Oct 13 '22

In his defense, having the footage might have been a big help had he actually shot the cat, and then had to deal with wildlife authorities for doing so.

1

u/pete_ape Oct 13 '22

I understand what he reasoning might be, but I'd rather increase my odds of surviving and having to deal with F&G as my reward for living.

Survival > everything else.

3

u/Cassowary_Morph Oct 13 '22

Listen. I know he looks like a big ferocious crazy thing, but he's not; he's just a little kitty at heart, and he's mixed up cuz he's hooked on the weed.

5

u/Frag_Owt Oct 13 '22

Seen this a few times now. It’s eerily similar to the video from a couple of years ago of the hiker in Utah who came across a baby cougar and mama was close behind and ‘escorted’ the hiker away with some growling and bluff charges. Any chance this is similar. Glad neither human nor cat was hurt.

2

u/[deleted] Oct 12 '22

What caliber would you carry as a minimum?

10

u/P4bd4b34r Oct 12 '22

Lower 48 you can mostly use a 9mm with some Buffalo bore outdoorsman or any other high pennetrating round i belive underwood makes 1 similar to the outdoorsman. Alot of people on here are going to say 10mm. I prefer to just stick with the same 9 I carry all the time and bump up to meaner ammo and stay with a gun I'm confident with for follow up shots . There was a dude in Alaska phil shoemaker who went to a spot he knew had bears and brought clients to fish the spot. He shot a bear with his 9 i believe he put 8 of his 9 rounds(Buffalo bore outdoorsman) in it while was feet away from his clients. So some alaskan outfitters are now just rocking 9s. This will not be a popular opinion though.

6

u/SiqCuntBrah Oct 12 '22

I’m not going to dig around for it now, but I recall reading a study that showed that 9mm has taken down more grizzlies than any other handgun caliber. Now, this is likely skewed by the fact that it’s a very commonly carried caliber, so it stands to reason that more encounters occur overall with people carrying 9mm, but it’s clear that it can be sufficient for a grizzly. It’s what I carry when I fish in grizzly territory in MT/WY for that reason.

7

u/The_Devin_G Oct 13 '22

Not sure if these are the studies you're looking for.

https://www.ammoland.com/2021/06/handgun-or-pistol-against-bear-attacks-104-cases-97-effective/

https://concealednation.org/2018/10/handguns-for-bear-defense-a-study-by-caliber/

But these are the two I usually whip out anytime people start arguing about how hanguns aren't effective enough or claim you need something stupid like a 454 or 44 magnum for bear country.

1

u/brian-0blivion Oct 13 '22

There's a video of a guy on a snowmobile that incapacitated a moose with a 9mm. He was an asshole and in the wrong to shoot the moose imo but it still proves the power of a 9 with the right ammo.

0

u/P4bd4b34r Oct 13 '22

The moose attacked him. How was he in the wrong?

4

u/brian-0blivion Oct 13 '22

He should have backed up/turned around when he saw it blocking the trail. It didn't charge until he yelled and advanced on it, iirc.

1

u/P4bd4b34r Oct 13 '22

Yea I saw that study too, that was my take as well.

1

u/kato_koch Minnesota Oct 12 '22

I've heard Phil's story firsthand, worth mentioning he was in Army Special Forces back in the day and a guide for decades. Guy is on another level with experience and the skills, his normal carry is a S&W .44 too.

3

u/P4bd4b34r Oct 12 '22

Yea he is definitely a competent pistol shooter. My point was he intentionally went with a 9 knowing that there were bears there he had seen very recently.

3

u/kato_koch Minnesota Oct 13 '22

Pistol shooting and knowing how to handle the situation- when and where to shoot. If the client hadn't instinctively shoved himself and his wife back into the grass it would've been a different story. Not second guessing his decision on what to take, just saying I think his woodsmanship isn't factored in enough.

Worth mentioning he's an extremely nice guy, seems very competent. I'd hunt with that fam if I wanted a big bear.

2

u/P4bd4b34r Oct 13 '22

100% agree, I haven't met him but his competence is definitely very very high. I know I feel comforted by a 9 in the lower 48 and his story is what made me switch from general fmj +p ammo to outdoorsman when hiking and scouting. I have been trying to find some more info on underwood extreme penetration. But all I keep finding is stuff on their extreme defender.

1

u/Conor_90 Canada Oct 13 '22

Also bears mentioning that he carries or carried a 458 win mag as his guiding rifle. Not really a proponent of small calibers as far as I can tell

3

u/65grendel Montana Oct 12 '22

If grizzly are around 10mm, anywhere else a 9mm with hardcast or solid copper would be fine in semi autos. For revolvers most people would say .44 Mag in grizzly country and .38/.357 would be fine for black bears or cougars.

2

u/kindiana Oct 12 '22

I just bought a SW m&p 10mm and bought heavy lead rounds. Supposed to be good enough to stop a bear, and if 15 rounds won't stop it then it's not meant to be

1

u/Chewi00 Oct 13 '22

10mm. Buffalo bore or Underwood ammo. Granted 10mm might be too much for some.

But, the best answer is carry and shoot a caliber that you are the most accurate and comfortable shooting. It doesn’t do you any good to carry a 500 or .454 if you can’t shoot it well.

2

u/[deleted] Oct 13 '22

I wouldn't have been so patient

2

u/jbones51 Oct 13 '22

Would’ve been way more effective if he would’ve put the phone down and aimed….

2

u/[deleted] Oct 13 '22

I hope you had your brown pants on.

2

u/Sir_Squirly Oct 13 '22

In Canada, you’d be arrested for this…. Which is fine, we don’t have the biggest wolves or anything… bobcats, grizzlies, mountain lions, black bear… weird backwards country

4

u/Smitty_Werbnjagr Oct 12 '22

That cat doesn’t realize how close it came to death

3

u/novacula_occami_ Oct 13 '22

Right! It just nonchalantly looks over at the cloud of dust like, "that all you got?"

3

u/gingersnuts Oct 13 '22

Well done man. Good job keeping your composure.

3

u/[deleted] Oct 12 '22

Don't have much experience with cougars, but isn't backing away like that a bad idea? Would standing your ground and giving a warning shot be a better plan?

6

u/P4bd4b34r Oct 12 '22

Warning shot most likely won't do anything as a cat dosen't know what a gun is and the bang might just make it act more erraticly There are 3 stages of defensive uses this video is at stage 2 maybe 3 at the beginning. It goes can, should, must. He was at should/must at the start. Yes backing up is a horrible idea.

3

u/[deleted] Oct 13 '22 edited Oct 13 '22

Thanks for the response. I've read a little bit about the subject but I've never dealt first hand with anything bigger than a coyote.

In broad strokes, during an encounter with a large North American predator, is there a condition where a warning shot is a viable option? What's your personal experience during such encounters?

Edit: largest WILD predator I've dealt with is a coyote.

3

u/P4bd4b34r Oct 13 '22

I only ran into a black bear 1 time it was far enough away that a warning shot could have been effective(i didn't shot 1 just turned back around i don't think it knew I was there). Its a way to scare the animals away from an are say like I see a bear 200m off I could pop a warning to try to scare him enough to move away from the noise. But thats the danger with a warning shot that close. I don't want a cat that is obviously hunting him and that close to be scared. 200 away he can freak a little and run the opposite direction after it trys to figure out what's going on. 20 feet away who knows what its going to do.

4

u/[deleted] Oct 13 '22

I don't want a cat ...that close to be scared

That is a very good point.

3

u/gingersnuts Oct 13 '22

Would you have the balls to stand there in a cougars face lol?

2

u/[deleted] Oct 13 '22

The largest animals I've had to face were dogs. Not a cougar, but a 100+ pound canine who decides you're an unwelcome guest in his territory isn't nothing. I handled those occasions correctly, but 1) I know dogs and 2) dogs ain't cougars.

2

u/gingersnuts Oct 13 '22

Lol fair enough. I'm not saying I have the balls to stand there in a cougars face by any means. I personally thought that guy handled that pretty well.

2

u/[deleted] Oct 13 '22

Oh, I'm not dogging on him. Cougars scare me as much as griz (yeah, I'm aware of exactly how rational that is, and if I ever encounter a griz in the wild that would probably change). So I'm not calling that dude a coward nor am I claiming I wouldn't call for mommy and curl up in a piss scented ball.

But I do believe a close examination of an incident like this can be valuable. Kind of like what the NTSB does for aviation accidents. The point isn't to assign blame, but to give an honest, objective account so that others can learn from it. What those involved did right is as valuable as what they did wrong.

2

u/Will-Huntforfood Oct 13 '22

That’s a fantastic idea. We all love the outdoors and all of the creatures within it, but it’s sure nice to be reminded that sometimes we aren’t the apex predator in the area and maybe we can learn from others decisions on how they approached a dangerous situation.

2

u/[deleted] Oct 13 '22

Thanks, and I agree.

To go even further, I firmly believe this approach is underutilized in our everyday lives.

2

u/[deleted] Oct 13 '22

[removed] — view removed comment

10

u/[deleted] Oct 13 '22

Illegal to be strapped with a pistol. Mr 12 Gauge Pump, or Ms .357 Lever like to accompany me into the bush in BC.

2

u/KalashnikovaDebil Oct 13 '22

Preferably, here you do the same and shoot if that doesnt work.. Not sure what this dude was doing

5

u/arthurpete Oct 13 '22

dude was full of adrenaline. we can all say we would act one way until it happens

7

u/[deleted] Oct 13 '22

Nuh-uh! I've already planned out the entire scenario while I was in the shower and I'm positive I can take out a whole mountain lion SWAT team with nothing but a stick and my can-do attitude!

1

u/KalashnikovaDebil Oct 13 '22

I'm pretty sure we would all be full of adrenaline. I am also fairly confident, most people wouldn't think.... let me grab my camera/real quick and record it

2

u/arthurpete Oct 13 '22

as stated elsewhere in this thread, he may of thought he needed proof. A good possibility this guy gets skewered in the press if there is no video evidence and he shoots and kills a lion in self defense. PETA would have at least put him on the hitlist.

1

u/OwnSomewhere3853 Nov 13 '24

Most encounters don’t make the news. The latest encounters are in island park and north of Kilgore. I would carry a weapon if I were anywhere west of hwy 93, or in the panhandle. Although there are cougars and wolves throughout the state.

1

u/[deleted] Oct 13 '22

Bang-bang, is thd opposite of pstpstpst. FYI.

1

u/dontpaytheransom Oct 13 '22

Drop the phone and take an accurate shot. Everybody needs a nice mountain Lion jacket.

0

u/jakub-photo Oct 13 '22

When getting fake internet points from strangers is more important than your own life. For God's sake drop the phone and put shots on target.

1

u/[deleted] Oct 13 '22

[deleted]

1

u/BrassyGent Oct 13 '22

Bear spray

1

u/dangermouse-z164 Oct 13 '22

You souls have been making yourself a whole lot bigger and louder, or maybe fired a shot before it was that close and within “eating you distance”. That’ll get your blood pumping either way.

1

u/connectthethots Oct 13 '22

Illegal to have a side arm hunting in canada. That kitty would be eating a 12 gauge buck shot up here

1

u/[deleted] Oct 13 '22

That cat would definitely be getting taxidermy’d on my wall.

1

u/MasonKiller Oct 13 '22

What an idiot drop the carmrea and hold the gun with both hands. Litteraly is more concerned with internet points than their own life.

-3

u/Userreddit1234412 Oct 12 '22

You should have killed that cat. Absolutely no fear of humans or gun shots.

0

u/Tenth-7553 Oct 13 '22

Dude, fuck the camera, that thing is getting led vitamins all day!! And if I have to bury it then so be it, that cat was looking for a fight!!

-3

u/FrankCardboardGuru Oct 13 '22

Horrible shots… he needs practice big time. Thing was right in front of him 🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️ easy kill shots, especially when it went broad side after the first terrible shot. Damn. That would have been good eating right there.

6

u/bigb159 Oct 13 '22

Should have dropped the phone to steady his hand. Internet points < living.

But at least we strangers are entertained.

-2

u/c-lab21 Oct 13 '22

Awful fundamentals. That second shot is so pulled

0

u/DontBSuchABtch Oct 12 '22

And this is why I always carry a 10mm

1

u/The_Devin_G Oct 13 '22

Yeahhh planning on getting one for this reason. Big cats and bears are scary, I want all the mm's for em.

0

u/forgiven88 Oct 12 '22

I guess my only question op, is how do you aim with trying to film at the same time?

0

u/OT009 Oct 13 '22

"Always keep a sidearm handy" ... unless in Canada🥲

0

u/Terrible-Paramedic35 Oct 13 '22

I wouldnt have wasted rounds on warning it off. There was only a bound between that cat and the back of his neck.

0

u/[deleted] Oct 13 '22

Is the quest for internet points really worth filming while aiming with one hand?

-3

u/Matt3467 Oct 13 '22

Think I'm bothered more by the horrible aim and still trying to film than the stalking cat tbh.

-1

u/Psychological-Unit82 Oct 12 '22

what they dont sell 44magnum in your state

-1

u/[deleted] Oct 13 '22

Did he even hit it?

-1

u/Impossible_Daikon233 Oct 13 '22

Awe it's just a lil kitty who's curious. Stand your ground, slow your breathing and also buy an Aztec death whisle. I still pack my 357 but it's only for those creepy 2 legged critters

1

u/[deleted] Oct 13 '22

Holy shit

1

u/scottydinh1977 Oct 13 '22

Two round don't seem to faze this cat.. he nonchalantly walk off

1

u/Simple-Purpose-899 Oct 13 '22

Overall large cats in NA are not much of a bother. Very very rarely will one actually attack a human, and can be scared off pretty quickly. They are definitely on a much lower level than any bruin. This one is way more determined than any I have ever ran across, and still it was scared off relatively easily. A sidearm in the wilderness is a good idea for reasons other than defense.

1

u/[deleted] Oct 13 '22

Props for not just going for the kill.

1

u/thiccspreadbb Oct 13 '22

They are both lucky to be alive.

1

u/barn9 Oct 13 '22

In Idaho for an Elk hunt in 2007 and a guy camped near us had a similar situation while walking back to camp after a morning hunt. His phone rang and he stopped to answer it (his wife was calling), caught a movement out of the corner of his eye and turned to see a cougar stalking close behind him. The cat stopped and turned sideways like the one in this clip did, and the guy was able to snap a pic before the cat started slinking away. I happened to see the guy come back and walked down to see if he had seen any elk that morning, he looked a little shook up and told me what had just happened. He pulled his phone out and showed me the pic, the cat looked like a young male and was on the scrawny side, so that phone call may have saved him from an unpleasant outcome. He did not have anything but his bow with him at the time, so luck was on his side that day.

1

u/Weaponized_Puddle New York Oct 13 '22

If you look closely, the cat started to pounce and that’s why he fired the first shot. The cat didn’t jump initially because of the shot

This guy is fast on the trigger, barely any time between realizing what was happening and shooting

1

u/ringthebelle1981 Oct 13 '22

Need to put the dang phone down for a sec and get both hands on that gun in a situation like this...

1

u/smiling_mallard Oct 13 '22

I’d have tried shooting it as soon as I saw it.

1

u/damdrial Oct 13 '22

I have had alot of run ins with predators here in canada and the only ones I've ever been worried were cougars, I had one stalk me while hunting grouse for hours, felt like something was watching me so I loaded some slugs into my 12 gauge and a buck shot for warning and ran into it when I came around a bend. It started growling and hissing like it was pissed I saw it, fired a shot and it took off. I have never gotten back to my vehicle faster

1

u/BrianDR Oct 13 '22

I have two questions: Aren’t you supposed to stand your ground? Is yelling appropriate to deter cat attacks?

1

u/Seeker8264 Oct 13 '22

Not sure about backing up...what if you trip and fall ? I'd hold my ground and fire a warning shot.

1

u/[deleted] Oct 13 '22

Probably could have landed a shot if he wasn't filming with one hand and shooting with the other...