Mountain lion encounters

[MTPipeliner]

I’ve seen them a few times, couple years ago we were sitting on a wallow by a meadow and saw a female with two full grown kittens playing in the meadow, watched them for over an hour, they were playing just like house cats.

Three other times I’ve bumped into lone lions and they took off running.

 

[roosiebull]

We have so many here anymore, I see an average of 1 a year while hunting, between deer and elk season. Called in 1 this year during archery elk season. I always have a cougar tag, one of these years it will work out and and I will get one.

Yeah, I have lost track of the encounters I’ve had over the years, but it’s been a bunch, both incidentally and a good amount deliberately.

I wish their populations were what they were 15-20yrs ago when it was a big deal to see a track, and a huge deal to catch a glimpse of one

They are the coolest critter in the woods, but we certainly have too many around. Luckily they aren’t dangerous because we would be in serious trouble if they ate people.

If we could bring back hounds and get them in check, I would never buy another lion tag, but as it is, I will always try to kill 2 a year despite it being nearly impossible on purpose.

I have personally had an impact by hunting them in one area, but it’s different now but after a few years of not hunting it, it’s getting bad again, and I will be hunting it a good amount after deer/elk seasons

If more people would try, it would have some impact, but not enough

 

[TXCO]

I walked up on 2 kittens playing in a cut 2 miles from a trail head. I backed out and was real nervous for mama.


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[Mt Al]

Have seen 3 in the last few years in SW Montana. One was walking into an old horizontal mine shaft about 50 yards in front of me, saw it for just a few seconds. A few years later saw one chasing a doe about 100 yards away, then it saw me, did a 180 and ran up a hill. That whole encounter was about 4 seconds. Last one: Was on a hillside before legal light and thought I was watching a coyote walk past, but was a young-ish lion to my horror. It then sat on its haunches a measured 10 yards from me and just stared at me. I wasn't too happy about this, put a cartridge in the chamber, safety off and waited probably 1/2 second and it walked off as calm as could be. Was a great experience but only because it was young, not some big scarred up Tom ready to pounce.

I always buy a tag, hope to see a big one one of these days.

 

[skierjt]

Saw a big one a couple years ago hunting right outside Sun Valley, saw and killed 2 last year out in eastern Oregon.

 

[jayjay]

I have been seeing a lot more and hearing of more encounters here in Eastern WA state. Last year my wife was walking on the road near our property and two lions walked across the road right in front of her. The lions fear of people and dogs has gone down significantly.

 

[Jbehredt]

Had to stand up and yell at this nice kitty before it lost interest. Buddy was quick with the G20 just in case.

 

[TripleJ]

Glassed up another one this morning while I was glassing for blacktails. It disappeared in some thick brush before I could get set up for a shot.

 

[cuerro viejo]

bugled one in, in SW CO. Their ability to hone in to exact location is scary. This one finally walked off after third “hay cat”,

 

[Ken Swenson]

Glassed one this summer during a scouting trip, about 8:00 AM in broad daylight. Looked like he blew an ambush on some does and was attempting to follow their trail across an open basin to gain on them. They stayed way ahead of him, but I got to watch for a solid 15 minutes. I’m guessing it was a big Tom, but I’m no lion expert.

He followed them all the way to the saddle I was perched on top of, pausing at the top of the saddle maybe 150 yards from me. I felt emboldened, being in Utah (open season on lions) and armed with a .357 so I stood up and walked towards the cat. The instant he saw me, he bolted fast in the opposite direction. I’ve always felt that cats read our body language. If we’re bold and assertive, they want nothing to do with us!

 

[BugleMeTimber]

First time solo hunting away from my Dad I was to make my way through some thick sage and meet him on the backside of a ridge. Was looking for deer so not paying too much attention to ground in front of me. Walked up on a cat that caught me off guard. It spun around at my feet giving a big ole cry I'll never forget. Fear overwhelmed me and my legs gave out sending me on my rear trying to chamber a 30-30 round as I don't carry one in the chamber. Needless to say, I met my Dad back at the truck. 23 years later and it still messes with my head in thick sage.

Missed one with the .357 deer hunting and shot right over its back. Dad was glad I missed and said "Didn't really care to chase wounded pussy in the thicket with bows and revolvers". Still can't believe that cat was paralleling me in the thick timber from 20 ft. away in a crouched movement.

Guess I've been fortunate to see quite a few including a lynx and a handful of bobcat. Would like to see a large cougar population reduction and I'd be just fine never seeing another one up close.

 

[jpmulk]

Had one sitting watch me walk toward it up the trail at 60 yards. It was early and still getting light. Thought it was a stump until it got up and jogged away.

Had another chase a deer in front of my truck as I was driving a logging road into camp.

 

[Dennis]

Colorado archery mountain lion encounter at close range in 2022. Lion had just killed a deer and I saw him dragging it into the little draw. Snuck up for a few photos. I seen several others while hunting and some during the off season.

 

[justinspicher]

I have had a couple come in while I was doing some late season scouting, within a few hundred yards, I have had several of their tracks covering mine as I walked back out. A couple of years ago I had one charge me on my walk back out to the truck.

 

[Weldor]

Had 2 encounters in 40 years in the desert while hunting. I've had 4 (not at one time )at my house looking for water when the Catalina's burned back in 2020. I thought one was going to jump in the pool,LOL. Told the wife to be cautious, she walks the trails daily.

 

[Z Barebow]

Yup. 2017 Wyoming. In a treestand over water. 40 yards. Knew I was there, but could not ID me. 10 minutes and I swear he did not blink. Finally got a drink and snuck out. I had to walk out same abandoned FS road as he did and got growled at. Hard to describe sound, but not like anything I have ever hear in my life.

If a lion wanted you dead, you would have ZERO shot. Cannot imagine how many times I had one close and never have known it.

Cool as all get out. Added to the critter list of things spotted while bowhunting!

 

[william schmaltz]

I’ve been lucky to have several. Spent a couple years trapping and collaring lions so have laid hands on dozens. Two stick out.

One night we got a female in a trap. All of our sets had several cameras on them. After we darted her, collared her, and worked her up; we pulled all the cards before hitting her with the reversal. Next day we put cards on the computer to delete all the pictures of ourselves and the eyes of another lion were watching us from the trees the whole time. Probably 10-15 yards away.

Another was a female with 3 adult “kittens.” Each weighed about 90lbs. We had no idea there were 4 lions, as we only had one on camera the day before. We had our signal go off that a cat was in a trap so we walked down with a dart gun and flood light. We saw the first lion in a trap, a second lion in another, and a third 40 yards away not in a trap. We walked out backwards and the third followed us to about 75 yds from the pickup. We got another signal telling us the third was caught. Went down, darted all 3, worked em up, had to give several boosters to keep a couple sleeping. All there were large kittens. Finally finished our work and went to set off our 4th trap so we wouldn’t recatch one. And VERY angry momma was in that trap. The kittens were so old we assumed they were weened. Anyways, had no choice but to back out as the other three were waking up. Came back a couple hours later when sun came up and deal with momma. The whole time we could hear the other 3 around us in the trees.

We would run into em all the time hiking trails going to kill sites and just searching out new areas to trap. I have a respect for lions, but based on experiences, don’t have reason to fear them as an armed adult in the backcountry.

Old photo from another life.

 

[Hnthrdr]

Ran into one hiking in for 3rd rifle under a full moon in 2017. Had a little 15 yard stare down, ended up firing one shot. Cat didn’t actually take off but, it stopped him from taking another step, next round would have been for him but he went the other way. Needless to say it got the old heart pumping for sure

 

[S.Clancy]

Lions are by far the coolest predators. I have seen a ton of them and had several close encounters. One came in turkey hunting, he pounced on our decoy then look around confused until I stood up 25 ft away. Another, we were tuning some PIT tag arrays for detection. A lion was laying there watching my boss in the creek for probably 20 min before we noticed. I ran at it with a shovel and it finally ran when I was about 15 ft away. I feel privileged to see one whenever I do in the wild.