"Scary Mountain Lion Encounter"

I think he handled it very well.

As soon as the cat showed more than curiosity by starting to close the gap and move faster toward him, he shot. The cat stopped, reassessed and then when he shot again, the cat remembered an appointment elsewhere.

Of course, if the cat started charging, it would be "Center of Mass" time. Glad that didn't happen. I also hope that was a substantial caliber he was carrying while hiking in Mountain Lion of Bear country.
 
"I think he handled it very well.

As soon as the cat showed more than curiosity by starting to close the gap and move faster toward him, he shot. The cat stopped, reassessed and then when he shot again, the cat remembered an appointment elsewhere.

Of course, if the cat started charging, it would be "Center of Mass" time. Glad that didn't happen. I also hope that was a substantial caliber he was carrying while hiking in Mountain Lion of Bear country."

I had a similar incident back in IIRC, 1978. I was hiking up a canyon when I got the feeling I was being watched, I saw nothing in front of me but when I looked behind mw, there was a mountain lion looking at me. I yelled and threw a few small rocks and she ran off. As I continued up the canyon the feeling came back and when I looked, there she was only a few yards away. I threw a few rocks and she took off again, slowly. The next time I looked she was about ten feet from me and I shot her with my .243. I reported the kill to Game & Fish and we went back out to pick up the cat. Fish and Game did an autopsy on her and her stomach was totally empty. She hadn't eaten for some time. Guess I looked tasty. Where this gets interesting, about a week or so prior to me shooting the cat, a bow hunter was also stalked by a lion and had to kill his cat. That cat also had a completely empty stomach. Either momma kicked them out of the "nest" or something happened to her, These were very young lions. This also told me to not bother hunting for deer in that particular canyon.
Paul B.
 
Interesting to note...that the cat laid it's ear flaps back, when it was about to charge.

Much like a wild elephant does, when he means it. Instead of having it's ear flaps spread out --- Which possibly indicates a false charge.
 
Bottom line:He made it OK. I did not see the cat react to a hit. I assume the cat is OK.
Long ago in Northern Colorado I encountered a Mountain Lion while walking a trail. This lion was not too close and seemed to pay no attention to me. No fear of me,either. I was not armed at the time.
That day ,later, I attached a Kydex holster to a GI 2 qt canteen cover, It held my Taurus 5 shot snubby 44 spl, I was armed on that walk ever after,

I had no concealed carry permit at the time. It was "inconspicuous open carry"

I have no desire to hunt or shoot lions, but I will preserve myself.

The "experts" will say the lion was protecting cubs. Maybe so. Thats the lion's problem if they get close and start to launch.

For myself,that lion crossed the line and I'd have gone for a mag dump of hits. Two handed. I'd look for the phone later. After I reloaded.
 
There is a person with the wrong set of goals. He picked recording the encounter over his own safety and shot very poorly as a result, apparently missing the cat both times. He came out okay, but not because he performed so well.
 
^^That's it, 100%. Discussed this on a different forum. My conclusion was that while YES, always much much easier to Monday morning QB this from a chair rather than actually being stalked by a cat... but shooting video was pure plumb dumb. The obvious reason is that one hand is tied up. The less obvious reason is that if he drops that phone or it gets swiped by a paw or bitten, it's not going to work as a lifeline when this genius is leaking blood everywhere from a mountain lion attack.
 
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