Cougar attack near me - 1 dead, 1 severly injured

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Brewdude

Brewdude

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This happened yesterday in an area very near me, in fact about 3 miles due north of where I live-

https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/two-attacked-by-cougar-identified-wildlife-officials-say-predator-was-emaciated/

The 2 guys were riding mountain bikes along logging roads in an area we call Ernie's Grove. It starts at the end of the paved road and there's nothing but wilderness from there for many miles along the Cascade foothills.

This made the National news yesterday as well as dominating the local news. Looks like I'll be avoiding any further hiking around here!

I've actually had a cougar in my own back yard some years ago. It was in the very early morning when I was leaving for work. At that time there was a corrugated fibreglass fence about 6' high between my house and the neighbour to the side, and I heard a noise quite like striking it with a blunt object. At the time I thought WTF but didn't think to investigate, since right then it didn't sink in just what the noise was.

Apparently that was the cougar jumping over it and must've hit it's leg on the fence. My other neighbour told me about this some days later as he was watching it out his window and saw it enter my back yard about the time I came outside. So I must have startled it!

:shock:


No Cheers,

RR
 
I don't hike and backpack as much as I once did, but those activities are part of me. I couldn't allow something like this to change that. There's probably a better chance of dying by run-away bowling ball than a cougar attack. Given that they believe they killed the deviant cat, the probability drops even more (one less cougar in the area). Get out there. Live life (if the outdoors is indeed part of your life). The anomaly already occurred. You're good to go now.

That is sad though. Nature. It's a gamble. By my metrics, it's worth it.
 
As this cougar was described as "emaciated" it was obviously very desperate to attack humans. Poor guy didn't stand much of a chance once the animal was on him even if it was weak from hunger...

I have a story. At our hotel in Lake Louise in 2012, the missus and me were about to go out jogging when we were notified by the hotel staff that their local residents had been spotted nearby-that is, a mother grizzly with her two cubs- and to be careful. We saw them at the start of the trail, a little higher up on the hill (lake was on our left). Then we saw this young lady that intended to go run alone (foolishness....). I said "Did you see the bears ", she said "Yes"...but was going to run alone anyway.
I convinced her to tag along with us for obvious reasons. A bit later, here's this guy running alone (obviously, people don't get it. And he told me he was a heart surgeon. You'd think he was a smart man!) so again, I had him join the group. At the end of the trail guess who's there waiting for us? Yes, that's right, Mom and the kids. And, shit, they're looking at us.

The guy says "Let's run!" I grabbed him and said "Are you mad? You shall stand your ground, MF!" I told him and the woman to grab anything significant (the Missus knew what to do)-a big stick, a rock-; to do it slowly, to stay as a group, to make room for mom and the kids on the trail so they could move freely and to remain coooooooool. Very cool.

Eventually, mom and the kids took off in the woods. I guess they were just curious. I can only imagine what would have happened if this idiot had been alone and had decided to run...

In any case, that was quite the encounter! My heart is beating faster just telling you the tale.:lol!:
 
Some people imagine they’re apex predators. I once read a story of a newlywed couple honeymooning in the Western parks. They were driving along and spotted a large grizzly in a field. They stopped to take photos. Then the new groom decided the bear was maybe a hundred yards away, so he got out of the car to get better shots. The bear started to walk away, so he followed, not sensing Mr. Bear was telling him something. The bear continued to retreat, eventually entering a wooded area. The photographer continued to follow. The widowed bride later reported seeing and hearing a commotion, loud roaring and terrible screams from the woods. When the groom was brushing his teeth that morning he might have thought about what he was going to be doing for lunch that day.
 
I've been in that boat before and I'll tell you a skin and bones couger is nothing to trifle with. Both my dogs at the time were with me and off leash. Needless to say we got the hell out of the area asap. He didn't notice is so I left him be but fortunately I was armed at the time. I still wouldn't like my chances against a couger even with a fully loaded pistol.

Jim
 
KevinM":jgt72ihf said:
Some people imagine they’re apex predators.
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That's a lot of the issue right there. People...western civilization...is confused about nature and their place in it. It's to be expected. To remove ourselves from nature...at least to consider ourselves removed from nature and above it...yields some real existential dissonance and confusion. It's a mess. I've learned to not be frustrated or annoyed with how many people relation to nature. It's unreasonable, and unrealistic, to think people "just know" these things. No experience is just that: no experience.
 
I assume bear spray, a good one, would work on a cat? They have holsters for spray. Quick access. My understanding is it's far more effective than a gun at warding off an attack, for practical reasons--namely, how accessible and quick and accurate are you with a gun? Look at a bear charge on YouTube. Quick bastards. And cats slink then leap. Not really a fan of "nature"--but I make the occasional foray into the woods. We do have bears around here. And reputedly cats, but that remains unproved.
 
Cripes Rande. In your back yard! Not sure if that's exciting or scary!

Not had any experience of big cats, but had a bear run through our camp ground in Yosemite. The metal camp lockers being chained to the ground was quite a sobering indicator of the lengths a determined bear will go to. Also saw pics of cars that had the top half of the car door folded down by a bear to get at the crisps on the back seat. After seeing that and mindful of the lockers, anything that smelt remotely like food stayed well away from my tent. Still slept with one eye open too.

 
Stick":9m1x1rbl said:
Cripes Rande.  In your back yard!  Not sure if that's exciting or scary!
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Well, apparently it crossed my backyard at the time I came out my front door so I never saw it or knew what it was at the time. In any case it had leaped over the corrugated fiberglass fence and was gone by the time I was in the car.

We have much wildlife around here. I've seen bears, foxes, coyotes, deer, elk, owls, and of course the ever present 'coons, possums, rabbits, and such. They don't call my 'hood "Wilderness Rim" for nothing!


Cheers,

RR
 
Ozark Wizard":5penq619 said:
He left his companion to the mercy of the cat. Very sad....
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Yes, it is.
But it was his friend that died (Brooks) that abandoned him as Sederbaum was attacked first by the cougar. And the saddest is that what got Brooks killed is that he ran away while his friend was being attacked. His running away triggered the cougar to go after Brooks:

'The animal appeared to have left, he said, but, instead, it circled back and pounced on Sederbaum’s head.
“The cougar had his head in his jaws and was shaking him violently,” Myers said.
Brooks dropped the bike and ran into the woods. The cougar abandoned its attack on Sederbaum and went after Brooks.
You are in a flight or fight situation – you are going to want to flee and it’s completely natural but it triggers a chase response in a cougar,” Myers said."[UNQUOTE]
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People cannot imagine how quickly a hunger / frightened / irritated / injured predator can close even a sizable gap between him and you. A few years ago, here in CT of all places, a nice suburban lady who went to visit a friend who kept a “tame” chimp as a pet. She’d been around the chimp before with no problem. This time, when she got out of her car the chimp attacked and tore her face off. Nothing to mess with. Critters can be on you before you can think about responding.
 
KevinM":ftw4d6dm said:
People cannot imagine how quickly a hunger / frightened / irritated / injured  predator can close even a sizable gap between him and you. A few years ago, here in CT of all places, a nice suburban lady who went to visit a friend who kept a “tame” chimp as a pet. She’d been around the chimp before with no problem. This time, when she got out of her car the chimp attacked and tore her face off.  Nothing to mess with.  Critters can be on you before you can think about responding.
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So sad for the lady....The reality is there's a reason why some animals are categorized as "wild" animals instead of "domesticated".
 
Richard Burley":su3j0k00 said:
I assume bear spray, a good one, would work on a cat? They have holsters for spray. Quick access. My understanding is it's far more effective than a gun at warding off an attack, for practical reasons--namely, how accessible and quick and accurate are you with a gun? Look at a bear charge on YouTube. Quick bastards. And cats slink then leap. Not really a fan of "nature"--but I make the occasional foray into the woods. We do have bears around here. And reputedly cats, but that remains unproved.
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There was another article in the rags recently that espoused the wisdom of bear spray. Apparently effective at up to 90 ft, and one didn't have to have dead aim. Much better than packing a piece, so they said.

Good advice, probably. Maybe. Dunno.


Cheers,

RR
 
Cripes, I've said it before, makes me glad to live in Australia. We may have 8 out 10 of the world's most venemous creatures, but nothing that'll have a go at you like that. The aborigines and early settlers ate them all. :) Closest would be the Tassie Devil, but it normally goes for carrion.

Scary stuff

Tim
 
Problem with bear spray is the critter has to be downwind of you and hold still. Sometimes critters are uncooperative. It’s a little like the domestic problem young mums have hereabouts when strolling with their babes. If that large, mean dog from the corner house is loose, Mum will need a minute to get out the little pepper spray canister and get a a wind bearing. When possible, I’d say prevention (avoidance) is the best defense, especially in sharp teeth and claws territory. I don’t think the risk/benefit works out in the human’s favor.
 
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