Am I being hunted?

[Sriracha]

As others have said, whatever you carry to protect yourself against armed assailants would be a reasonable choice for a (very improbable) mountain kitty attack.

- Sr.

[Deja vu]

I think for a charging cat the best thing would be a 12ga with buck shot. I know you where looking for a pistol but a shot gun would be less likely to miss.

[tahunua001]

any centerfire pistol will do, a lot of guys dont feel comfortable unless they have at least a 357 strapped to their hip. I prefer semi to wheel gun but I'm fairly certain a 9mm would drop it in it's tracks. that said, we have black bear too so I pack a 45ACP. that'll stop the poor witto poody tat real fast, quick and in a hurry

[Art Eatman]

Odds are, the bullet's performance is generally less in doubt than the shooter's.

[doofus47]

I've got that issue also.
I'm carrying a .40: 165 gr JHP and 180 gr. flatheads alternating.

[Buzzcook]

So you say you'll be hunting, won't you have a rifle?

Visited relatives in Spearfish a short while ago. You got lots of deer there, no wonder you also have lots of cats.

[rickyrick]

I doubt if you are hunted by a mountain lion that you will ever have a chance to shoot it. all of the mountain lion attacks that I have read about, the victim never saw it coming.

so, have a buddy.....one that looks tastier than you... or is competent enough to beat the crap out of it.

mountain lion sightings are pretty rare, even in areas that they are known to reside....I have seen two in my whole life and both were exiting, stage right.

[jimbob86]

What's your primary hunting weapon? If it's a rifle, I'd say you're better off with it than any handgun.

Kinda hard to bring a rifle to bear on a cat that is on your back, trying to get a good bit on your neck/ base of your skull.... ....... having been the target of a bobcat (case of mistaken identity on the cat's part: I was cammoed up (turkey hunting) and motionless save for my hands): Cats are very stealthy, and you won't likely see them until they are pouncing. I didn't see this one till a split second before he pounced from 15-20 feet out..... and he came from the side, as I had a big tree to my back. I got my shotgun around in time for him to stop about 6" from the muzzle. This was in late march in a SW Nebraska cottonwood filled creek bottom, with little to no undergrowth (smashed down by the now melted winter smows) and a bed of cottonwood leaf litter on the ground, such that you could hear turkeys/deer walking and see 50 to 100 yards.... that cat sure as hell snuck up on me.

I'm not so sure that the best weapon in the case of a mountain lion on your back would not be a sharp 6" fixed blade knife where you could get to it easily.

I carry my hunting knife AND a handgun when I hunt out there now.

[jimbob86]

Here ya go:

http://www.forestryforum.com/board/i...p?topic=1334.0

About ten years ago, in Brittish Columbia, a 61 year old man was attacked from behind by a mountain lion, and managed to survive by cutting the cat's throat with his 3" pocket knife .......

[rickyrick]

Jimbob86,

I bet that was scary....I would have screamed like a banshee before I could think of what to do.

[Double Naught Spy]

I doubt if you are hunted by a mountain lion that you will ever have a chance to shoot it. all of the mountain lion attacks that I have read about, the victim never saw it coming.

Many do. Note that if you are not a child or female, your chances of being attacked are very slim.

http://users.frii.com/mytymyk/lions/beier.htm

These two did...
http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/...78N0L820110924

[jimbob86]

I bet that was scary....I would have screamed like a banshee before I could think of what to do.

Oh, I screamed alright- "like a little girl", according to my hunting buddy, who was set up about 10 yards behind me and facing the direction the cat came in from. He saw the cat when it was sneaking in, and was under the impression I had seen it, too ........ I had not. I turned the shotgun and screamed....... and tried to scoot back away from the cat, but there was this really big honey locust tree I was leaning up against, and it wasn't budgin', for some reason ....... so I my legs kept churning, and my right shoulderand elbow kind of slid up the tree trunk a foot or so..... and I went from screaming to hollering speculations about uncertain parentage of one 35 lb bobcat...... who hissed at me and dissapeared into the trees like smoke on a breeze....... meanwhile, I became aware of the hysterical laughter of my buddy, who had dropped his shotgun, fallen over sideways, rolled onto his belly and was slapping the ground and howling with laughter..... it took him a good minute or two to wheeze out, between fits of laughter, "Oh! Hawhawhaw! Man!HEEEEHEEEEE EEE........ IHEEEHEEEHAWWW...... I thoughtHEEEEHEEEE........ UH, HEEEE.....I ...... thought youHEEEEHEEEHAWWWOH BOY! ....thought you seeHEEEEHEEEEHAWWWHAHA...... seen'emBWAHAHAHAHA...... comin! Screamin' Like a HEEEEHHEEEEEEHHEEEE little GIRL! Oh boy! I GOTTA PEE! (Doing the Gottagopee dance while he throws down his gloves and tries to get his business out of his coveralls, still cacklin' like a madman..... when we related the story to F. L. Nicholson (Col. Jeff Cooper's "Man in Nebraska") over coffee later that morning, she liked it so much she related it to the Col. in a letter..... he made mention of it in his "Cooper's Commentaries" ..... though in a much abreviated version..... Vol. 8, No. 7, (July 2000), towards the bottom of the page, online.

[rickyrick]

DNS,

I stand corrected, Interesting material, Thanks

[Double Naught Spy]

rickyrick, I don't doubt you hadn't heard of people seeing the cats attack. After all, there aren't very many accounts to hear about in the first place and the cats do primarily make their living based on stealth.

[msnden]

IMOP the ruger, it goes Bang when it should. 6" is a little long, try and pick up a 3" or 4" pick up a chest holster and hope for the best. I was camping out in your area a couple of years ago, yes, you have cats!!!