Fatal mountain lion attack Colorado

[S.Clancy]

"It was a good death"
One Stab.

I was hoping someone would use that quote!

 

[eddielasvegas]

Deceased has been identified. Link HERE.


Eddie

 

[EastHumboldt]

For me it hits harder when I see a face. makes it less abstract. My condolences to her family and friends. I would be devastated and horrified if this happened to one of mine.

I live within a stones throw of the eastern edge of the sierras, and a five minute drive from the CA border. We walk our dogs on 3-4 mile hikes in the foothills several times a week. I think we have a much higher than average chance of an encounter. I see cougar tracks and deer kills on a pretty regular basis. My brothers dog dragged a pretty fresh deer leg out of the sage a couple weeks ago. Walked into a fresh kill about 4 years ago. A young cougar followed my son for about three hours on a backpacking trip 5-6 years ago. Since the advent of ring cams, hardly a week goes by without someone posting a pic on Nextdoor. We also commonly see tracks and scat where we hunt in eastern NV. Oddly enough I’ve never seen a cat, but I’m sure dozens of them have seen me. So I carry a 9mm all the time when I go in the woods. I’d like to have the means to fight back if the occasion presents. I’m aware that they are skilled ambush predators, and you’re probly not gonna see it coming… but maybe.

I try to remain alert and tactically aware, head on a swivel. (Good practice for any time you leave your house). The only time when I actually feel nervous is when I’m taking a dump at night in cougar country. I think probability of a severe car wreck is higher than a cougar encounter, so I wear my seat belt.

I like the idea of living in a world where I might see a lion or wolf. I understand that comes at a real cost in terms of livestock, pets, human injury and possible death. The real cost of cars and highways is staggering in those terms, and we are willing to bear it. There is some talk in CA of allowing “chase and release” hunting of lions with dogs because biologists ( and anybody else who is paying attention) are seeing behavior that indicates lions are becoming more habituated to humans since they are no longer hunted. I think they should issue tags for them like NV does, but that seems an unlikely outcome.

 

[Sled]

I've run into multiple cats while hunting, skiing and hiking. I've had them show up on my trail cams minutes after I've left them at dusk. I've had one standoff with a cat over a cow elk that ended abruptly without incident. Cats are fairly abundant where I hunt along the Wasatch front and the Uintas. I don't necessarily fear them but I certainly respect them. When one is in the area I am and it doesn't go the other way, that's when I have a problem with it. So far I've never had to shoot one. They are awesome animals but that's just what they are, animals. If they put me in a position to protect myself, others or my pets, the answer is easy for me.

 

[hibernation]

Sounds like another hiker a few weeks back was attacked in there as well, but got lucky.

Seems spray or a pistol in his case would have ended the altercation as well.

https://kdvr.com/news/nationalworld...do-is-not-the-first-such-harrowing-encounter/

Could've helped but it's hard to say. There was a fatal cougar attack near Mt. Hood in OR a few years ago, the person was found dead with an emptied can of bear spray nearby. It's good to have tools but it's not a guarantee.