Scary Cougar Encounter In Utah Filmed...Shoot or No Shoot?

[drstrangelove]

Agree. Passed up a lot of good rocks backing away like a pansy. This is what happens when u don't carry. Had a similar situation myself, and fortunately had a shotgun. Ended well for both me and the cat.

 

[Quirt Evans]

Had that kitty wanted to, that guy would have been toast within the first minute, and he would probably have never have seen it coming until it was too late
Cats are predators, and as such they are highly territorial.
Saying that the encounter "Went on too long", is BS, that's people talk, trying to project time frames onto animal behavior.
The encounter went on until the cat had made sure that the human had gotten outside of the "safety zone" surrounding the cubs.

 

[terdog]

My woman, daughter & I discussed this.

I pointed out to them the rocks, plenty of trees around to maybe grab a branch/stick and yelling like you mean it.
Also, that he backed up WAYYY too much.

We live on the edge of the woods, and neighborhood trail cameras have captured big cats in our neighborhood. I have had a hard time getting my woman to understand that whenever she talks a walk, no matter how short/close, take your gun.
Hopefully this will drive the point home.

 

[osprey]

Had that kitty wanted to, that guy would have been toast within the first minute, and he would probably have never have seen it coming until it was too late
Cats are predators, and as such they are highly territorial.
Saying that the encounter "Went on too long", is BS, that's people talk, trying to project time frames onto animal behavior.
The encounter went on until the cat had made sure that the human had gotten outside of the "safety zone" surrounding the cubs.

It went on longer than I would have let it, how's that?

 

[The Heretic]

Plenty of big rocks to huck at it. Drop the f-ing phone and pick up some rocks.

If I am not mistaken (hard to tell) the last thing he did was use his foot to move rocks towards her.

I would have fired a warning shot early on. I wouldn't be holding my phone making a video.

 

[jbett98]

He should have quickly downloaded this app. Would have stopped that lion in it's tracks.

 

[Certaindeaf]

He should have quickly downloaded this app. Would have stopped that lion in it's tracks.

Call 911 first so they could send out a psychiatrist to give it a good talking to, yo.

 

[RVTECH]

Agree. Passed up a lot of good rocks backing away like a pansy.

I laughed my azz off !!

Growling, hissing, calling it 'dude', saying 'please' ??

And the backing up while the cat followed clearly put the cat in the 'lead' with the guy clearly showing fear. I'll bet a couple of those rocks thrown with an aggressive step forward would have sent it running!

I'll take a wild guess and and say the guy had no gun, or if so it wasn't very accessible.

The only pic that should have been taken was the one of him 'posing' - with the dead cat - if it ultimately came to that.

I'll bet that cat was just a synapse away from deciding to pounce.

 

[sobo]

I'll take a wild guess and and say the guy had no gun, or if so it wasn't very accessible.

About halfway into the video, he says something to the effect of, "I wish I had my gun.", leading one to conclude that he did not have a gun on him.

 

[sobo]

Yeah, I wondered the same thing about the rocks, that he waited until after the 5:30 mark in the video to finally stoop down, grab a rock, and heave it at the kitty.

 

[galvweld]

To his credit:
1. Never heard him ask for his Mother
2. Didn't turn and run and immediately become cat food
3. Never heard him blame this on ( you fill in the blank) in this current cancel culture- white privilege
4. No sobs, out loud at least
5. Had the presence of mind to leave a record what might have been his demise

To his discredit:

1. He obviously wasn't practicing social distancing
2. He obviously wasn't wearing a mask

 

[RVTECH]

"I wish I had my gun.",

I clearly heard at 3.10 ' 'Gosh, (beep) where's my gun' - which leads me to believe he most likely didn't have it.

 

[Armoreason]

'I just wanted to go for a run'
"Hello, I am your new personal trainer"

 

[EPS]

If it ran off after he threw a rock it probably would have ran with one warning shot.
If he would have had a gun.
I think the cat should have ate him.
That's what you get for walking around the woods with no way to defend yourself .

 

[RVTECH]

I think the cat should have ate him.
That's what you get for walking around the woods with no way to defend yourself .

I don't think the 'cat should have eaten him' , and I don't wish any harm upon anyone because they enter the woods with no way to defend themselves.

Many people enter the woods with no tool of self defense, have no problems, and that is their choice and I do not criticize them for it.

Carrying 'something' for self defense is a personal choice and should be left at that - as the decision of the individual.

 

[FourTeeFive]

One of the few times I would have fired a warning shot as I think a really loud noise would at least stop the cat. I have no desire to shoot a mom cat that is just protecting its kittens, but I certainly would if I had to. Much more worried about a sick cougar as they have been known to attack.

It scooted away just fine when he finally tossed a rock at it. I think the initial run is what caused it to pursue, but who knows. They definitely like to attack from the back and bite heads and necks (death in WA last year from that). Definitely a time to have a gun.

 

[The Heretic]

About 99% of the time I am in my woods on my property, I do not have a gun on my person. There are cougars and bears and feral dogs out here - all have been seen within a mile of my property, and I have seen bear scat within 100 feet of my house. Just don't feel threatened by them.

 

[EPS]

About 99% of the time I am in my woods on my property, I do not have a gun on my person. There are cougars and bears and feral dogs out here - all have been seen within a mile of my property, and I have seen bear scat within 100 feet of my house. Just don't feel threatened by them.

Remember this guy.
He felt the same way as you.

He Devoted His Life To Grizzly Bears — Until They Ate Him And His Girlfriend

Timothy Treadwell spent his life living with the bears, and forming close relationships with them. He never imagined they would one day turn on him.

allthatsinteresting.com

 

[galvweld]

I have been bitten more than once by pet dogs that "don't bite." Worked as residential telephone installer for 8 years. Was wrestling a childhood friend for fun. His big dog bit me. Not for fun. Nature is not friendly. It is a world of eat or be eaten, and in my opinion needs to be regarded as such. Spend as much time out in nature as is possible. Carefully. Just a thought.

 

[The Heretic]

Remember this guy.
He felt the same way as you.

He Devoted His Life To Grizzly Bears — Until They Ate Him And His Girlfriend

Timothy Treadwell spent his life living with the bears, and forming close relationships with them. He never imagined they would one day turn on him.

allthatsinteresting.com

Yeah, that's different though, when I worked in Alaska I usually carried a .44 mag revolver loaded with bear loads - especially when I went hiking on the Kenai. Brown bears generally don't fear humans and see them as possible prey

The bears on my property are black bears. Cougars are possibly more of a threat than bears here, as are dogs, especially feral dogs.

Sometimes, when I go out after dark to check on something, I might take a shotgun with a light attached, just in case, but during the day not. Most of my time in my woods is within a couple hundred yards of my house and between my house and other houses. When I go across the gully to the back acreage is when I take a firearm with me.