Posted this on the African Hunting Forum under a thread related to "closest you have come to being hurt by an animal. Thought it would be appropriate here

I was elk hunting on our property in central Montana, a beautiful November elk hunting day. Temperature 20 degrees, beautiful blue sky, 6 inches of snow and not a breath of wind. I still hunted through timber to a familiar spot where elk like to travel from their feeding grounds to the bedding area above. I was halfway up the ridge, sat down on a log with some blow down dead fall in front of me and waited. It was so peaceful and quiet you could have heard a pin drop in the snow. In fact other than the occasional crow cawing, the only sound I could hear was the soft "phumpf" of snow sliding off of a pine bough into the snow below.

After about 30 minutes of sitting, I heard one of these very soft "phumpfs" directly behind me. Then another, followed by a third. These sounded just slightly different. Nothing definable or discreet, just some how different. Occasionally in the past, I have had elk slip in above me on the ridge, and my first thought was that those dirty buggers had done it to me again. I slowly turned my head to the left to look behind me and came face to face with a mountain lion at just under three paces. As cats do, he was crouched down, hind feet and fore feet gathered under him, ears down, ready to pounce.

I honestly can say I don"t remember standing up, flicking the safety off or mounting my gun. I hunt with a Model 70 .338 topped with a Swarovski 2.5X10 scope. I ALWAYS leave my scope on 2.5 power while hunting. If I need additional magnification, I figure I'll have time to dial it up. At any rate, I only remember the last few degrees of swinging the rifle, then when I saw the nose I pulled the trigger. Due, I think, to the height of the scope above the barrel, and due to my standing up and him being crouched down and looking up, the bullet entered just below the nose, missed the brain and spinal cord, and entered the chest, effectively I might add. After some snarling and a bit of flopping it was all over. The whole thing lasted less than 2 seconds I am sure.

Had I not turned when he did, I suspect I may have been breakfast. Didn't get an elk that trip, and didn't care. I have hunted leopard, African lion, buffalo, and plenty of other things, but this ranks right up there on my trophy list!!!

This is the scene: I was sitting on the log where my rifle is leaning, facing downhill to the left of the picture, my back facing uphill to the right of the picture. The lion lies where he was crouched.



Second picture is of the offending cat.

great reaction. I am very surprised there are not more of these happenings.

Thanks for posting. Sounds like you were lucky and handled the situation very good.

Wow!! That could of been ugly. Good thing you have a cat like reflex.

Great story, thanks for sharing it. Chilling experience to realize that you were prey, I'm sure.