Do they ever charge?

I don't know first hand if they charge or not. That said, there are a number of people mauled every year by them so I would say it's a distinct possibility.

Ken....

How fast can you run?

normally they are quite secretive and cowards - they can't run very far due to very small heart/lungs so they head up a tree quick. but then again there are exceptions to all rules

They've had a few mountain lions attacks on people here in Cali. including lions stalking and killing a guy on a mountain bike. They are opportunists especially as they get more exposure to humans.

Almost certain that the wife and i were stalked by a mountain lion 7 years ago whilst out walking to some water fall in cali,i will post all details later,when we got back to the truck we spook to a PR and he confirmed what i thought,the wife was 6 months pregnant so could of easily out run her

Fjord

We went to Buck owens a couple nites what a laugh we had, we had NEVER been anware like it,we still talk about it, is it still their?and the little museum we had a good time with some people we met and the oil fields incredible sit for shaw

They are cowards. Bigger than a leopard with all the same equipment except heart.

Yes they have killed a handful of "Free Range" californians but even run of the mill dogs have killed more californians. And who can blame them really.

have seen them a few times in the mountains and to be quite honest I would worry more about getting struck by lightning, car accident, meteor landing on my head and Hillary being your next president.

Less than twenty people have died from mountain lion attacks in 118 years.

Your odds are far better of dying from mosquito bites, bee stings, tornado strike, falling off a bar stool, drowning in the toilet and shaking hands with Hillary.

quote:

Less than twenty people have died from mountain lion attacks in 118 years

SKB, while I think this is a correct statement, it can be misleading. The overwhelming majority of killings, 16 or 17 of them, have occured since 1985.

We in Colorado have had, I believe, 4, since 1992.

quote:

Originally posted by k-22hornet:

quote:

Less than twenty people have died from mountain lion attacks in 118 years

SKB, while I think this is a correct statement, it can be misleading. The overwhelming majority of killings, 16 or 17 of them, have occured since 1985.

We in Colorado have had, I believe, 4, since 1992.

I think that still leaves lightning strikes far out in front as a mortality risk.

Brent

In states where cougars are still hunted on a regular basis attacks would be virtually unheard of. They are very shy and secretive. In fact, you could spend an entire career hunting virtually every day in areas where there are many cats and be very lucky to ever even see one. I've seen two Mt. Lions in those areas in almost 50 years of hunting. In California where they have been protected for almost 30 years, where there are now too many cats for their habitat and where they are gradually losing their fear of man, it is not unheard of to be attacked, but it's still a very, very rare occurrence. I have seen Cougar spoor within the city limits of Oakland, Ca and many of other communities in the East Bay hills, but have not seen an actual cat yet in those areas.

I think they can be very dangerous. hell! I know they can. Consider this, they have all the same equipment as any other big cat. it's just that most do not have the will to tangle with people.
years back, a bowhunter was stalked by a Mountain Lion and he had to kill it. i don't know all the details, but I'm guessing that they are similar to my experience. In my case, I was carrying my .243 looking for a coyote of two to check out the hides (this was back in 1978 when hides were bringing in seriously good money) and scouting for deer for the upcoming season. I was in a rather narrow canyon and felt I was being followed. When I turnes and looked back the cat was maybe 50 feet away. I threw a rock at it and yelled and it took off into some brush. little farther , i get the feeling again and there's the cat, only a lot closer. yelling and throwing a rock sent it back off into the brush. I'm thinking this could get out of hand, so i chambered a round in my rifle. The next time I looked back, the cat was no more than ten fet away. I shot her.
The was one thing in common with my experience and the one of the bow hunter. In both cases, the cats were female and both had totally empty stomachs as determined by Fish & Game officers.
You cannot make me believe it was just curiosity on the cat's part. I'm thinking I was the main course of it's next meal.
Down here in Arizona, there were some confrontations with Mountain Lions and hikers to the point where the cats were showing serious signs of aggression. Game & Fish had to hunt them down and kill them. Sad but true. I don't hike that particular area anymore since Slick Willie made it a national monument and firearms are no longer allowed.
Paul B.

If you Google mountain lion attacks the words "extremely rare" are used frequently.

My personal experiences with them still put them on the list of things not to concern myself with - unless I choose to strut around with a steak around my neck, dose myself in deer blood and squeal like a pig.

I would bet you would be at more risk as a woman or youngster at around 100 pounds than a man at over 200. Not they could not take a grown good sized man.

the only lion i've killed i walked within 40 yds of it while it was resting beside a full grown cow elk it had just killed.sat and watched it for 25 mins no gun,license or camera.ran it off the kill with some well placed rocks and came back the next morning at daylight,with a gun,license and camera.
cat was back on the elk and that was the end of her 12.5 yr old life.took the head hide and both hind quarters,straps and when i went after her tenders i found she had 4 full term, haired up, ready to be born kittens inside.never felt endangered by the cat but any cat that can drag down a 350lb elk in her last 10 days of pregnancy has my respect and i will not underestimate their capabilitys.
dangerous? yes
shy and secretive? yes.
don't know that i would call them cowardly thou,i think the shy and secretive part is confused with cowardness.

quote:

Originally posted by Fjold:
They've had a few mountain lions attacks on people here in Cali. including lions stalking and killing a guy on a mountain bike. They are opportunists especially as they get more exposure to humans.

Exatly, since there is no hunting for Mountain Lions in Ca. they have an increased number of attacks in recent years. I believe that in the mid 90s the first confirmed kill of a human by a Mountain Lion was in Ca. and the Lion stalked a woman jogger attacked, killed her and feed on her...

quote:

How dangerous are Mountain Lions?

Not at all!

I encounter mountain lions fairly often and am familiar with their habits.

I have to laugh at people who think mountain lions are 'dangerous'!

Your neighbor's kid with the Japanese car and the loud muffler who has just seen 'The Fast and the Furious'........ now THAT'S DANGEROUS!

From 1890 through 1991 there were four documented mountain lion attacks in California
(they were very, very rare)

From 1992 - 2003
There were seven documented attacks by mountain lions in California. (I would call this not rare)

From 2004 - 2007 There were four documented attacks by mountain lions in California.
(I would call this disturbingly frequent.)


BUMSCRATCHER

Buck Owen's Crystal Palace is still here and doing well. Buck himself died a couple of years back but the nightclub is still going on without him.

They're expanding the museum and the oil fields are still here. We're still the largest oil producing county in the continental US.

I do have more respect for a cougar than a grizzly.

My son took this from maybe 8 feet.

Another at less than 10 feet in an old barn on owl creek!

quote:

Do they ever charge?

More likely a flying pounce!

They are quite the long jumpers and can clear a 20 foot crag and are also great climbers. If one wants to eat you and you are unarmed you're history.

I've heard that Bombay Sapphire makes an excellent repellant when applied liberally to ones epidermis.

Maybe 2 feet! Look at the dog in the back!

You probably stand a better chance of getting raped by a leprechaun during an eclipse than being mauled by a mountain lion. In my years guiding I've happened upon over a dozen and they've all been extremely shy.

Although while calling for coyotes about a month ago we called a lion into about 300 yards. (Come to think of it... the sun got a little dimmer and is smelled remarkably like Frosted Lucky Charms when we saw the cat. ) Maybe we better watch our backs better while calling.

Kyler

Not very

Statistics ie. attacks are extremely rare, are of little importance to the ONE who is attacked.

My theory is if you are in mountain lion country you should carry a handgun.

When in the woods I carry a S&W 4" 44 Mag in a DeSantis cross draw holster.

You may never know you have mountain lion trouble until you are knocked down and being savaged.

If you have a powerful revolver you have a chance of survival.

If you are alert, and have a powerful revolver, you might not even be chewed.

If you do not have a powerful revolver, you are FOOD.

Same plan works for rabid skunks, coyote or wolf packs, bears or 2 legged thugs.

Would not want to run into this Lion. I have seen three in the last six months. Since California banned the hunting of these cats, there have been more sightings, many near schools and rural neighborhoods.

I guide for cougar all winter each year. so I see alot of different cats. Only once did I have a problem. A female ambushed me and 2 pups I was walking. shot it from 8 feet. One of my nieghbours was chased up a tree. even his dog was no help. He stayed in the tree for 8 hours before the cat left. I don't know why it didn't climb the tree.

quote:

Originally posted by Fallow Buck:
Do they ever charge?

Kudu,

these are impressive pictures.

Sunday morning news is reporting a lion in the suburbs of Hayward Ca. For those of you unfamiliar with California, Hayward is on the east side of San Francisco Bay.

The news reported on frightened residents. I want to remind everyone these are the same folks who voted to ban the hunting of these cats

I won't do it but I have many times seen my dad kill them in a trap with his ballpen hammer, the would hiss and swipe at him but pull their paw back and never hit him...He would not go near a 15 pound Bobcat, had a couple of them jump in his face...I have shot/trapped near a hundred Mt. Lions in my life on our Big Bend Texas ranch, and they are a extremely timid animal wheb they are hunted...Even today they are a preditor in Texas and have no season on them..Many come out of Mexico in the Big Bend country..My dad, btw, was considered one of the foremost experts on Lions.

California stopped all hunting, they lost their fear of man and started eating their kids and pets. The road to hell is usually paved with good intention, especially by the far left liberal democrat!