Mountain lion kills California man in state’s first fatal attack in 20 years (Cupertino: live, pit bull)

[ChrisMT]

I have checked about carrying a loaded gun in CA hiking or biking and I always come up with NO.

I have been told that many rural Sierra counties will look the other way…but officially No.

Seriously, we don’t want anyone to just do whatever in CA like NV ‘cause there’s some complicated laws on this issue. If you can target shoot, then I guess I’m just doing that, not hiking

Again, I am reaching for bear spray and my person alarm first hopefully. Gun is last resort if I make it that far. If your with dogs, the lion will go for them and buy you some time imo.

[DiffuseGlow]

Originally Posted by mattja

You don't need much training to stick it in the lungs. I didn't mean to throw it.

When you're close enough to bury it, his jaws will be clamped around your throat. You make it sound easy. Nothing is.

[ChrisMT]

Originally Posted by 1AngryTaxPayer

Took three seconds and had their not been 3 she would have died quickly. BTW they called this a baby.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4_k8vep-IpE

Had one of them been armed they likely could have just scared it off with a shot.

There was a man killed outside of Seattle that was biking with someone else. It was sort of the same scenario, they yelled, threw a bike….both got hurt and only one got away .

I really follow this because I’m out there with the mountain lions and bears quite a bit. You try and work on scenarios to save yourself.

[mgforshort]

The population of California is close to 40 million. I think there must be 1-2 million or more driving around with a loaded firearm right now. I doubt they'd leave it in the car when they are on a hike or go fishing. I kept a Colt under the keyboard when I worked late in the winter.

Killers and arsonist get a few years or go free if they can prove their mental state made them do it. I wouldn't worry so much about the Fish and Wildlife coming for you.

[Arktikos]

Originally Posted by Veritas Vincit

Guns don't guarantee safety, but they can give you a chance.


Think of it this way - if you have a gun and don't use it, you're not going to say "too bad I have a gun on me even though I have no use for it", but if you need a gun and don't have it, your last thought might be "damn I wish I had brought a gun".


In polar bear country people go out armed as a matter of routine for a reason.

Well yeah, polar bears are the ultimate land predators. Brown and black bears usually want nothing to do with humans. Not so with the big white ones. They want very much to eat you.

I might say that first sentence above. Bear spray would be my first choice.
For a great read on brown bear encounters from a man who has had quite a few, I recommend “A shape in the dark”.

[Tulemutt]

Originally Posted by mattja

Have sightings increased or have they not?
Have attacks increased or have they not?

That's all that matters.

Bear country has never been safe, but bears have not been a major problem in California for a long time. Cougars are becoming a problem. Areas where people have hiked for decades, where sightings were rare, are now experiencing more sightings and attacks.

You can laugh all you want, buy I suspect you don't get out much so you have nothing to worry about.

Has the state human population doubled since the 1960s? And has development to accommodate that increase of 20 million people encroached on wildlands?

Hmmmm Wonder why sightings and attacks might have increased as well.

Here’s two links for you:
https://phys.org/news/2024-01-califo...thousands.html

https://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.a...=175911&inline

The second link, scholarly article, has a graph that shows cougar population at estimated 7,000 turn of century at 1906 …. Declining steadily to the 1960s during bounty hunting programs … then rebounding during ‘protected status’ that began in the 70s … to roughly leveled off now at an estimated 3,000 - 4,500 population.

So to sum up a bit:
Sightings were fewer back when cougar populations were quite a lot higher, because there were far fewer people to see the cats. And humans lived in a more confined geography.

People are now experiencing more contact with cougars because vastly more people are now all over wilderness areas, and the cat populations, temporarily decimated by bounty hunting, has now rebounded by a factor of about 50% …. Which still leaves the wilderness with roughly only 75% of the early 1900s populations.

So, back to your earlier remark: was the wilderness more safe for humans from cougars back in the day? Well, nope … other than a few decades around the 1960s.



As for you wondering whether I “get out much” … lol
I live on a boat and in my little camper van … on the water and up and down the west coast … in the mountains and forests and wildlands. I don’t even have a house. I’m in my mid-70s and it’s an unusual day that I don’t hike over about 6 miles. Double that is not unusual.

Take care and enjoy nature my friend

[Tulemutt]

Originally Posted by mgforshort

The population of California is close to 40 million. I think there must be 1-2 million or more driving around with a loaded firearm right now. I doubt they'd leave it in the car when they are on a hike or go fishing. I kept a Colt under the keyboard when I worked late in the winter.

Killers and arsonist get a few years or go free if they can prove their mental state made them do it. I wouldn't worry so much about the Fish and Wildlife coming for you.

Ahahahahaha

[Tulemutt]

Originally Posted by mattja

You don't need a CCW to transport a firearm in your vehicle. The firearm just has to be unloaded. They didn't teach you that when you took your CCW class?

And you can't "keep" your CCW. It needs to be renewed every two years

I certainly can “keep” my CCW … and do. You keep it renewed. Lol

And with a CCW I can “keep” my firearm loaded wherever I drive and park for the night … from cougar country to city skid-row districts (yes, I’ve slept in both plenty … no, I don’t live with the homeless … but yes, I have spent time helping homeless veterans who live in funky places.) But all that said, haven’t carried even in the van with me for years. Completely satisfied with my rather large dog(s). Safer to handle … and tend almost 100% to deter upon being seen by whomever passersby.

[Tulemutt]

Originally Posted by mattja

You plan to pull a knife on a cougar for protection?

Or do you plan to use it to slit your own throat so you won't feel the mauling?

Welp, it’s like this: when ambushed, such as a cat typically does, I’m pretty sure, if I can do anything, I’ve got a better chance of gripping my knife and stabbing and slashing wildly in the fray, thus inflicting great pain and damage on the beast …. Umm, than I have of getting my handgun out, safety off, and getting off any shots that won’t hit me myself in the fracas. Capice?

You know the advice if attacked by a cougar is to fight back as wildly as possible, right? Shooting myself is not my idea of convincing a big cat I’m a dangerous bet. That is if I can even hang on to my gun and get off a shot.

What do you think: if you are being mauled you’re gonna be able to pause even a split second to take aim? Lol.

[Veritas Vincit]

Originally Posted by ChrisMT

I have checked about carrying a loaded gun in CA hiking or biking and I always come up with NO.

I have been told that many rural Sierra counties will look the other way…but officially No.

Seriously, we don’t want anyone to just do whatever in CA like NV ‘cause there’s some complicated laws on this issue. If you can target shoot, then I guess I’m just doing that, not hiking

Again, I am reaching for bear spray and my person alarm first hopefully. Gun is last resort if I make it that far. If your with dogs, the lion will go for them and buy you some time imo.

It's crazy that extremely rural remote counties mostly consisting of quasi wilderness have to follow the same gun laws designed by and for people living in big cities who think of sneakers when they hear "Puma".