Bear Or Lion?

R

roy reali

New member
The areas I bird and varmint hunt in have Black Bears and Mountain Lions. I have yet to run into either creature. I have seen cougar tracks recently. A bear was recently darted out of someone's tree not too far from here. I guess the drought is causing these animls to be around here in greater numbers looking for water and food.

Here is my question. If you were to be hunting in an area that both bears and lions in it, which one would you be more concerned about? Espically if you were not hunting them.

I am more concerned about the mountain lions. I guess maybe because they are more secretive and more likely to view humans as prey.

So what is your opinion on this subject?
 
BOTH!!! :eek:

I'd be more concerned with a mountain lion. As you've said, they're more likely to view humans as a tasty, easy treat. Every summer or two I hear of a 165# lion going after a hiker in a drought-striken countryside. Bears, I think, are more territorial. They'd chase you down for trespassing and put a mauling on you, but I don't think they're actively looking for a meal as a cougar might be.
 
Do you have a dog with you when you are bird hunting? A good dog will do a pretty good job of keeping both of those critters away.
 
Solution!
Go buy a Cougar and Bear tag. :p
I've done it for years and never even see tracks. Go once without and they're everywhere. :eek:
dean
 
Just keep repeating:

"I'm the predator. I'm the predator. I'm the predator."

No it doesn't work.............but it is worth remembering, to keep some perspective, that more hunters are hurt by treestands and their hunting partners than by predators. For that matter if you factor in Lyme desease the numbers get really skewed.............

That said the idea of being EATEN is somehow more fright inducing.
 
Hmmm. I've not worried about either, all these last years of hunting in lion country. Lots of tracks around, at times. Resident mama lion around my home place, with occasional visits by Handsome Stranger.

A few bears come across the Rio, hanging out in the national park and occasionally working north to Alpine. They saw one at the country club, on the golf course, but it wasn't reported whether or not the bear broke par. I've seen bear scat, here and there, but no bears.

I dunno. I figure that I'm the guy with the '06...

Art
 
I wouldn't worry about either, if your lucky you might catch a fleeting glimpse one day. They will both give you a wide berth, and if one gets close enough to eat you, say a few feet from your gun barrel, an ounce of #6 shot will drill a hole the size of your gun barrel right through.
 
Lions are far more of a concern, IMO. Still low on the absolute scale, but much more likely to attack than a bear esp. if you are small in stature. You want to look behind you every now and again to see if you are being stalked, in heavy lion country - or so I've read.
 
i would be more concerned with bears, but cougars aren't to be overlooked. i would personally just get a concealed license and be packin a .45 with solid points.
 
If I already have a rifle or shotgun in my hands, why would I drop it and grab for a lesser-energy weapon such as a pistol?

Quite a few instances of folks walking in the back country around here and back-tracking on account of "I sorta thought I heard something" or "I just felt funny" and sure enough, there were kitty-cat tracks.

The only actual attacks have been up in the national park, and then onto children. Little kids are the right size as food, apparently, insofar as a lion's thinking goes...

Art
 
Having been around bears and near them while in Alaska, I'm not too afraid of them. The thing with bears is that they are deathly afraid of you and more or less attack out of fear. When I was up north, they said not to carry a gun with you, just make lots of noise as you went and they were likely to move away without you ever seeing. Mind you my closest encounter with a Kodiak Grizzly was I walked up a muddy slope, stood for about 10 minutes taking some pictures and headed back down. In the 15 minute time frame, a huge set of tracks showed up across the path...it was a little creepy. But, I'm still here and I followed the rules so I didn't get eaten.

On the other hand, I would be scared crapless of some huge cat stalking me. I was watching a show on large cats and their hunting habits...very sneaky and scary. I would be checking every tree that I walked under and every rock I walked around...

F-C
 
I'd be more worried about he cougars. Those things will come out of nowhere. A bear can do the same thing, no doubt, but they tend not leap on you from ridges and trees. I'll worry about the large cats over the bears any day of the week.
 
That's why I never go into the woods here unarmed. Never know when some criiter might present itself that you think would be better off dead.
 
at what range would your shot gun filled with bird shot stop a lion
thats gunna be a fast moving small and scary target coming at you, if you see it coming
If you were being hunted by a lion I would think he'd be on you befor you knew what happend.
I know this is the wrong kind of lion and I know they arent shooting shotguns but Ive been wanting to post this for a while.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0CNgwZgoKFc
 
A shotgun with birdshot will drill a hole through flesh from a few yards, I would think 10 feet tops. I shot a bobcat in my barn when I was 16 with a single shot 12 gauge with #7 1/2. We had just moved into an abandoned horse farm outside Lacomb, Oregon. I went into a huge old barn to try to shoot some pidgeons. I opened a side door and a smallish bobcat was on a tack counter about 5 feet away. I shot it in the throat and it drilled a perfect hole. Thanks for bringing back the memory...

Personally, I would be more concerned with a bear. Cougars usually only attack people because of hunger. Bears are territorial and a surprised bear is more likely to charge than a surprised cougar. Plus bears are usually much heavier, as well as way more common.
 
tomh, odds are that if a cougar decided you'd be lunch, any wound you would inflict would be contact. Think "bang stick". :D:D:D

If you actually see a lion out at twenty or thirty yards or more, odds are he's gonna leave. And an exiting lion is as quickly gone as anything you'll never likely see. Hey, they're gone quicker than a sailor's money!

Art
 
I would concern myself with bears instead of lions because if a lion decides he wants you, you will never know he is there until it's too late.
 
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