Mountain Lions: What you should and shouldn't do.(merged)

Since we're getting a lot of mountain lion sightings lately, I thought I would post the article that we have posted on the Warrior's site:

The Department of Fish and Game has asked that you report any mountain lion sightings - no matter where you see them. This will enable them to determine the movements and behavior of the lions and their propensity to attack.
If you do sight a mountain lion on the trail please do the following:

• Do not approach the lion - I received a picture taken at relatively close range by trail users; this is a mistake. Do not attempt to approach a lion, this will only lesson its fear of humans.
• Instill fear in the lion - If you are confronted by a lion, do not run - hold your bike above your head and scream and shout. Have others with you throw rocks at the lion and/or consider bringing a compressed air powered horn and blast it several times so that the lion associates humans with fear. While it may seem cruel to throw rocks at the lion, you will be helping the lion by making him understand he should not interact with humans. It is believed that lions are getting acclimated to human presence and no longer view them as a threat.

Evelyn Boswell of the MSU News Service reported on the following study:
People who encounter mountain lions should respond more aggressively than previously thought, according to a Montana State University-Bozeman researcher.
Marc Kenyon has studied hundreds of mountain lion attacks in the Western Hemisphere. His findings indicate that people should charge mountain lions instead of merely standing their ground. They should make loud, continuous noises rather than firing their guns once or twice.
“The data supports it well, and we feel confident saying that,” Kenyon said.
Kenyon is a range/wildlife extension associate and graduate student in the Department of Animal and Range Sciences at MSU. He was an undergraduate at the University of California, Davis when he joined a nine-year study analyzing nearly every mountain lion encounter reported in North and South America since 1751. The ongoing study is led by E. Lee Fitzhugh of UC, Davis.
“If mountain lions feel they are in a dominant role, they are more likely to attack,” Kenyon said. “If the victim or the potential prey somehow obtains the upper hand, they may realize it’s not actually worth the effort energetically.”

• Report the sighting - including the date, time, behavior and approximate size of the lion. To report a sighting, email Angel Raton at: [email protected]

To lesson your chances of attack:

• Consider riding in pairs and not alone - In literally every fatal lion attack the person was alone and attacked from behind. If you think you can fight off a 90 to 150 pound lion that attacks you from behind, and by surprise; good luck - you’ll need it.

Children and individuals of small to medium stature are especially vulnerable as a lion will size up his prey before attacking. Remember, for every time a person has seen a lion, there are far more people who have been seen by a lion - and never knew it.

• Always remember that Nature is unpredictable; there is no guarantee of safety when wandering into our natural areas. Please be responsible for your own safety by following the safety guidelines we have given you. Government agencies can only do so much.

04/13/04 - Reprinted with permission from the Warrior’s Society News

 

It's not the lions you see that you should be afraid of, it's the ones you don't see!

The only mountain lion I have seen was on Blackstar Canyon last year on the evening of the 4th of July (it's really cool seeing the fireworks displays on both the OC side and the Corona side). I saw the lion as I was coming down the hill. It was in the middle of the fireroad, and once it saw my light, it bolted into the bushes.

So Chris, Hello Kitty clothing isn't appropriate? Damn!

 

Thanks for the info ...

I saw one at Vale Lake (top of Damm Climb) a couple of months back ... it looked at me for a sec or two then bolted.

 

Yeah, that'll happen when the DFG no longer issues cougar tags. Why the CA voting public should have a say in whether or not lions should be hunted is beyond me. I'm an electrician, I'm certainly no expert in mountain lions, so why should my opinion be considered on whether or not they should be hunted? Whether they are or are not hunted should be decided by the DFG (animal experts), not by folks living in Hollywood or San Francisco (plastic surgery experts).

 

I have no problem with that rule. But if the lion were standing over a fresh kill what would you do? Make him run from his dinner? 8-[

 

STR = a great resource for all your mountain biking needs.

I had a question about what to do if you see a mountain lion and WaaaLa! here it is, the answer I was looking for - THANKS OMR!!!!

It may be a year old but very helpful.

Still kinda curious about the use of a bell... I will keep looking!

 

I didn't read the whole post yet.. but I know that your not suppose to RUN from them... you'll only die tired.

Remind me to charge the first mountain lion I see, chase him down and show him who's in charge...:bang:

Any ideas which war cry I should use?

 

Charge?!?!?!?! - Brilliant!

Yea, I'm not too sure about the whole "charge the wild animal who can kill you" thing... Maybe it's just me.

"You go first" comes to mind.

 

packing heat is smart. that way the search-and-rescue teams can use a metal detector to find you once you get crapped out.

 

best idea unless the cat s an mmenent threat on a populated area dont report t please !!!! fish and game has not been to kind in the last year and has shot a couple of lions that were no threat way back behnd modjeska b4 they could get there and dart it

 

I always look up into trees when I ride in overgrown areas. Cats climb trees and hang out on limbs.

Don't forget to look up, too.

 

You guys can get a cheap and small airhorn from Party City. The canister is smaller than a Bike-Only Fix-a-flat and fits easily in a Camelbak pocket.

Aside from using it to scare off mountain lions, it can also be used for emergency signaling. I used to carry these when my friends and I used to 'hike' around in the boonies of Riverside Co.

 

My parents when they ride their horses (they live in Colorado) they take a .44 magnum Super Black Hawk along for close encounters.

They have luckily never run into a cat or bear that didn't run off first because of the horses. Horses go crazy when they smell a cat or bear...

 

I used to carry once of these too. One time with a close encounter with a bobcat that wouldn't leave my area, I broke the horn out and blared it at him. He stood there completely un-phased, so I stopped carrying the horn after that.

Carry a whistle for emergencies, it's alot lighter.

 

Last month I spooked a mountain lion at El Moro while riding solo down I-Think-I-Can. It was around 5:00PM. I tried to report the siting to the Park Ranger but I was met with indifference; said... "well, it is a wilderness park". Duh! I didn't expect anyone to go rushing out to try and tranc the poor thing. I was a bio major, so I thought someone ( local DFG wildlife gurus?) might have a genuine interest in the sighting.

Does anyone know if DFG keeps track of lion populations and that sort of thing? Who would you contact?

 

drchandler, I know the IOSWP across the 73 has wilderness cameras that track the critters movement.

Maybe it's unsubstantiated unless the ranger or camera actually sees it.

I believe you though. We do not want cats acting like coyotes. The ones around here are getting worse. On 3 mornings i have gotten up to see 'yotes face to face with the cats across the screened window. I walked out and they just stared at me. Airsoft to the rump sent them running.

 

Yeah a good full auto burst ought to do it...

(But seriously, I wouldnt be shooting animals with it)

 

Non-lethal deterrent.

 

Mountain Lion Advice

This is geared more toward hikers, but I thought it might be useful to us bikers as well. You never know what can happen when you're off your bike watering a bush...

What to do in a mountain lion attack

What should you do if attacked by a mountail lion? Precautions you can take.

Backpackers and Hikers alike know that while in the wilderness the chance of a wild animal encounter are slim but never the less a possibility. The number of mountian lions/human incidences have increased over th last several years. This is mostly attributed to the human encroachment factor in the wilds and as more and more people hit the wilderness trails the attitudes of animals that live in the wild change drastically. Some have pointed to the fact that humans, no matter how careful we are,leave food and trash along the trails. The wild animals get a taste for the human food sources and then associate we humans with these food sources.
No matter how seasoned of a hiker or backpacker you are there is nothing more startling than seeing a bear or mountain lion approaching your camp. Although this is rare, it still can happen at anytime day or night.
Mountian Lions are plentiful in areas where there is a large deer population and that means the mountainous areas where you may well be hiking or backpacking. As long as the food source is there the lions do not bother humans generally but in leaner times the lions have been known to stalk and also attack humans on the trail. We really do not know when the lean times are so to be prepared and know what to do in case of attack is your first step in being prepared.

Your first step is to never hike alone. Always go in groups and always make noise when in areas that mountain lions frequent and live. The noise you make will generally scare the lion away and halt any confrontation.

If you are on a day hike with children be sure to keep the children close to you. Mountain Lions are attracted to children like many other animals you find in the wild. One theory on this is their size and the fact the animal can take the child and easily carry it away like they do with small prey. Never, when hiking with your children, let them wander away or stray off the trail unnoticed.

Never,out of curiosity approach a mountian lion, no matter how tame and friendly they may seem. Always give plenty of space between you and the lion so they can escape and get away. Mountian Lions ussally do not like confrontation so always if you do happen to have contact leave a wide berth between you and the lion for its'escape.

Never run away from a mountian lion.Running stimulates a mountain lions natural instinct to chase. Be sure to always make contact with the lion and stand up as tall as possible. By making yourself look larger it intimidates the lion and often makes them turn and run. Open your jacket and flap it about, yell, throw stones but make sure you react so that the cat knows that you are the one in control, not him. If there are children present, pick them up immediately and never turn your back on a lion, or squat down while retrieving the child.

Never squat or bend over at anytime. Research has shown that when a human bends over that person looks like four legged prey to a large cat of any type. Avoid stooping, leaning over, squatting, or bending at the waist while in mountain lion territory.

If you are attacked, fight back. Never succumb or roll into a ball. Hit as hard as possible especially to the head area. If you can retrieve a stick or large rock ,use it as a weapon. If face to face with the cat, go for the eyes by clawing or throwning sand in the face of the cat. Mountain lions will usually strike the back of the head and especially the neck so be vigiliant to protect these areas and if at all possible remain standing or face to face with the animal once it is attacking.

If you are attacked from the back try to reposition yourself to meet the cat face to face. Mountain lions usually weigh between one hundred to one hundred and fifty pounds so if at all possible to get the cat off your back throw it over and forward. This manuever if you can complete it will also sometimes stun the cat and give you a chance to grab a weapon and defend yourself face to face with the animal.

Under no circumstances fall to the ground and roll into a fetal position. If you do this your chances of survival are limited because once you are down the cat sees you as nothing but small prey. The cat will also have the advantage of getting ahold of you and successfully win the battle.

If indeed you are attacked by an animal in the wild report this attack to Fish and Game, or the Ranger in the area as soon as possible.

Remember mountain lions are unpredictable but they still usually avoid confrontations. Attacks are on the upswing but still rare. The chances that you will even have an encounter with a lion in the wilderness is rare, but be prepared and know what to do if the situation ever arises. It is always better to be safe and prepared, than sorry.

 

Absolutely. Remember, you don't have to be faster than the mountain lion, just faster than your friends.

All kidding aside, thank you for this.