What should you do if you encounter a cougar?

[toastedmarshmallow]

I know it probably different than what you are supposed to do when you encounter a bear.

I've never run into one while hiking but a friend of mine recently did. Luckily the cougar ran.

Anyway, it got me thinking that I should know what to do before my next hike.

 

[enzo]

All I know is that they avoid people as much as possible. They mostly feed on ungulates like deer, moose, elk or sheep. You just need a stick or rock as a weapon so the animal will disengage on planning an attack.

 

[Gopher]

One thing is-don't run-prey run and it will chase you if you do. Creep slowly backward as slow as you can until you can reach something that would help you to fend it off, like a large tree limb or better yet, a shotgun! Always travel in a group if you can with children between the adults. If you encounter one make eye contact and show your teeth. Get to ground higher than the cougar too if you can but always facing the cougar and walking backward. If it runs toward you make yourself as big as possible and yell at it waving your arms, a jacket or branches. Most of the time they will run if they see you but sometimes, if they're really hungry they want any type of food.

 

[3ofusnow]

Well, glad I read Gopher's answer cause I would have said run like hell! I guess that's true though about prey running and I have no desire to be anything's dinner!

 

[greengrass]

I know it's been on the news before about kids being attacked by cougars. It's scary to think that they're out there possibly watching you as you walk by. I'd forget all the rules of what I'm supposed to do if I ran across one! lol

 

[Shanna]

I don't know if I could do that or not. I would probably have a heart attack and faint and then the cougar would eat me for sure. The only thing I could probably do is to assure the cougar that I was stringy, tough and nasty tasting! LOL But I don't want to be somethings dinner either so I would probably try to scare it off-I guess :tinysmile_hmm_t: