Got the shet scared out of me....
 

I was walking down an old logging road toward my truck at twilight tonite. Came around a bend and sitting in the road was an adult mountain lion 20 feet away. It leaped to it's right and tore up the slope. It was 30 yards away before my hand even reached my .45 auto. I always think that if an animal attacks I will have time to pull and shoot. After this encounter I'm not so sure, if that big cat wanted to I would have been tommarrows lion terd. I'm still a little rattled. Also bothered by the fact the I was calling as I was walking back to the truck, hope I didn't call the joker in. Going back in the darkness of morning is making me uneasy. I don't use flashlights when I'm on the logging roads, but maybe I'll have to.

RE: Got the shet scared out of me....
 

Your lucky, in PA it's illegal to carry a sidearm while bowhunting...but then again, we don't have mountain lions or so the PGC tells us....

that would be startling...that is one thing I thought about when packing out my elk when I was Wyoming...there was no Grizzly's where I was hunting but we did come across cat tracks and after I downed my bull and was walking in and out with raw meat, all I had was a knife....every once in a while I looked behind me.....:eek:

RE: Got the shet scared out of me....
 

I obey the law, and here it is legal to carry a side arm, but if it wasn't, I would carry one anyway. We got grizzly, black bear, mountain lion, wolf, and almost every predator you can think of. This is the closest I have ever been to a mountain lion, and I am stunned by the speed and power of what I saw tonight. I fully admit it rattled me. I'm also dissappointed at how long it took my brain to process what it was and what was happening. Doh, stupid brain!

RE: Got the shet scared out of me....
 

Well Muley69,just when all was going so well, a feline wants to make you a terd :DLOL
Seriously, i am getting the WILLIES just reading your story. I wish i knew of some way to help protect you on your hunts, i remember camping in British Columbia and saw big cat tracks by my site, not very fun being the hunted one!![:'(]

RE: Got the shet scared out of me....
 

I have always heard that if you see the lion it is too late. Your story seems to confirm that. I can't say for sure, since I have never encountered a lion, but I would walk right back out there. I would be on edge more, and I would also scout after daybreak to see if there was a reason that cat was there. The only way I can think of to get over it though is to get back out there. Good luck, and I hope all goes well for you.

RE: Got the shet scared out of me....
 

Get a hand grenade, pull the pin and carry it with you. When the cat is on you let go of the handle.;)

RE: Got the shet scared out of me....
 

You're just lucky you don't live in new york state;)

RE: Got the shet scared out of me....
 

Here here now, don't be too hard on yourself. Think about this... it's proven that if you are wearing a side arm and confronted by a knife wielding assailant, you will need no less than 21 feet to draw and shoot him if he charges you. That test was conducted and released for officer safety and began with both subjects standing still. With that in mind, there is no way that an adult male is going to cover the distance faster than the cat. Your brain wasn't to blame... more so a case of wrong place wrong time. I'm glad that you made it back without injury. Be extra safe out there.

RE: Got the shet scared out of me....
 

even tho the PGC tells us there are no mountain lions in PA there definatly is, a couple years ago i was at a buddies camp just outside of kane pa in the allegheny nat. forest and was fishing and i am sure i saw a huge yellow cat so i dont believe what they say

RE: Got the shet scared out of me....
 

I went back today, it rained all night and convienetly ruined my morning hunt. The area I am hunting is rather isolated with very little pressure. I believe the cat is working the same herd I am, there is also alot of mule deer in the area. To add to my cat-phobia I went and looked around the net a little. A 110 pound female lion has the capabilty to dispatch an adult bull. After stalking they slam their teeth around their preys spine/neck, raise paw, then hook the animal in the nose and rank down effectively snapping the preys neck, death is instant. They are perfectly engineered for killing, and it is documented the mountain lions will kill for fun, hungry or not. The mountain lion has the highest pound for pound killing ratio of any cat in the cat family.
Needless to say, I was looking over my shoulder all day today. On a positive note it did add two blue grouse to my table fare, and saw 4 elk. I shiver to think what saw me....