Mountain lions near Leadville
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Hey, |
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Yowza. Which trail? |
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I never ran into any while I lived up there but it was always on my mind when I would go on solo runs or ski jaunts. Definitely pretty spooky though, glad your OK! |
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It's the one coming out of the parking lot from the mt massive trailhead. It was terrifying. |
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Halfmoon. Yikes. |
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They've probably been watching us for years, we just didn't see them! |
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PLEASE don't freak out! These animals have declined in population because of excessive fear-mongering. "Oh, look. there's a mountain lion, let's shoot it." If this animal had wanted to attack you it would have long before the 20-minute mark. Likely just curious, as cats are in general. You did everything right except for calling the Forest Service and the Sheriff's office. These departments are gun-happy and won't take proper steps to take a less-deadly approach. |
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Martha, they referred me to the wildlife control people. Their take was "I hope you learned a lesson". |
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Dirt Squirrel wrote:Yesterday evening I had an encounter with a fairly good sized cougar on the way down from Mt massive.Was she wearing a North face softshell and an REI Flash 18 pack? |
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Martha Perantoni wrote:PLEASE don't freak out! These animals have declined in population because of excessive fear-mongering. "Oh, look. there's a mountain lion, let's shoot it." If this animal had wanted to attack you it would have long before the 20-minute mark. Likely just curious, as cats are in general. You did everything right except for calling the Forest Service and the Sheriff's office. These departments are gun-happy and won't take proper steps to take a less-deadly approach.I'm some what with you Martha. dont want to hear stories about people being attacked but I especially am tired of hearing stories about lions being hunted and killed just because they were seen. The latter happening much more frequent. |
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Fritz N. wrote: Was she wearing a North face softshell and an REI Flash 18 pack?I shoulda threw my wedding ring at it... I hear Cougars hate those things! |
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So Martha you're cool with a mountain lion stalking you for 20 minutes? Because I'd be freaked the fuck out. |
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Martha Perantoni wrote: |
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I've a few days to think about my encounter and to those who are saying "don't hurt that beautiful animal" I agree. He was doing his cat self... BUT, like the great philosophizer Mike Tyson once said "everybody has a plan until they are punched in the face". So, just think about that. Wanna get "punched in the face by a cougar"? Then be completely unaware of your surroundings, play at night, etc... But you should probably be aggressive and mean and big with those guys if you do encounter one and it's not really affected by your presence. It's about becoming an "inconvenient meal" for them. And whatever you do, don't run. |
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Dirt, stop being a pussy. ;-) |
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This is absolutely terrifying. I spend a lot of time running alone at dusk/night. Granted it is in the front range, but it is good to always be aware of your surroundings. |
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trice wrote:This is absolutely terrifying. I spend a lot of time running alone at dusk/night. Granted it is in the front range, but it is good to always be aware of your surroundings. Anyone have suggestions for keeping lions away? Do you need to make a lot of noise to keep lions away from you? Or are they pretty much always aware that you are cruising through? Glad you are OK DirtSquirrelI believe that hiking poles could be a deterrent. The cat could perceive you as being more formidable. Also, take bear spray in a holster. However, if a Cougar does attack, there will be much less warning than with a bear attack. When I am hiking alone, I think three dimensionally and turn around occasionally in wooded sections to look behind me and look up into trees. Also, Mountain Lions don't hibernate. |
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Fritz N. wrote: Was she wearing a North face softshell and an REI Flash 18 pack?I've seen that one...she's quite brazen at this time of year. I was just up in Tennessee pass over the weekend and camp with a handful of cougars, but alas I wasn't attacked by any. My roommate was though. Check out this video of some rangers getting a cougar out of a trap. Balls of steel I tell you. amazingpandph.com/wild-coug… |
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Troubleshoot This: Stalked by a Cougarbackpacker.com/survival/tro…>> Assess “Most attacks are surprises, so often there’s no chance to be proactive,” warns biologist Rick Hopkins. Cats are most active from dusk to dawn, and they follow their prey. If you’re in deer or elk territory, stay especially alert. If you see a mountain lion and it’s hissing, crouching, or flattening its ears, it may be preparing to pounce. >> Make space Attacks are most likely in rocky and brushy terrain, where cats can stay hidden. If you corner one, slowly back away to give it an escape route. If you see cubs, move into open terrain. >> Stand your ground Cougars are not usually aggressive, so they’ll likely leave you alone if you don’t run, but quick movements may trigger predatory instincts. >> Act large Wave your arms or poles, shout, and throw stones or sticks (if you can grab them without crouching or turning your back). >> Fight back If a cougar lunges, use anything you have (bear spray, knives, sticks) to defend against the attack or to strike it (aim for the eyes and nose). Keep fighting. Gut check “If cougars saw people as food, there’d be hundreds of attacks a year instead of one or two. Don’t act like prey, and you won’t be a victim.” —Rick Hopkins Safety in Numbers Mountain lion attacks on multiple hikers are very rare; walk with a friend. ====================== Mountain Lion Safetynps.gov/glac/planyourvisit/…A glimpse of one of these magnificent cats would be a vacation highlight, but you need to take precautions to protect you and your children from an accidental encounter.
Lions are primarily nocturnal, but they have attacked in broad daylight. They rarely prey on humans, but such behavior occasionally does occur. Children and small adults are particularly vulnerable. Report all mountain lion encounters immediately! |
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How to defend against a stalking Cougar: |
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Rob Gordon wrote:So Martha you're cool with a mountain lion stalking you for 20 minutes? Because I'd be freaked the fuck out.This is paranoia. Cougars don't "stalk". They conceal themselves, usually in a high place (boulder next to the trail) and then jump down. If the cat is actually hunting you, you'll never see it until it's too late. |