Careful on your fall walks...

"HammerheadFistpunch" (hammerheadfistpunch) 10/13/2020 at 14:55 • Filed to: None

2

82

This happened recently here.

Chariotoflove > HammerheadFistpunch 10/13/2020 at 14:59

11

Didn’t click on it, but yeah, it looks like the poor kitty tripped and fell on all that rough gravel. Be careful, gang. You too could fall and scrape a knee that could get infected.

Thanks for the PSA.

Just Jeepin' > HammerheadFistpunch 10/13/2020 at 15:02

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I found it a bit tedious to watch but it gets exciting around the 2:50 mark.

SBA Thanks You For All The Fish > HammerheadFistpunch 10/13/2020 at 15:02

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Watched this one full length last night— figured it was close to you guys.

I really can’t believe the cat stayed at it that long.  Usually they’ll challenge and make a quick decision-- especially with the kittens-- but this bitch was on the hunt.  Scary.

and 100 more > Chariotoflove 10/13/2020 at 15:04

1

I chuckled.

nerd_racing > HammerheadFistpunch 10/13/2020 at 15:06

4

Thankfully, the only cougars I have to worry about on my many mile fall walks are these kind:

facw > HammerheadFistpunch 10/13/2020 at 15:08

14

I think I would have tried kicking some loose rocks at it sooner. Throwing seems like a good move (and it seems to have worked here) , but I’d be worried about getting attacked if I crouched down to grab one.

In any event, close enough:

vondon302 > HammerheadFistpunch 10/13/2020 at 15:09

1

Somebody buy that man a new pair of underwear!

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > HammerheadFistpunch 10/13/2020 at 15:14

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I’d watched only a short bit of this prior. HO LEE SHEEET

I know the guy came across her cubs, but is this “ mom response” to get rid of the threat or did she actually start hunting him at some point? Seems like this is scaring, not hunting, to me, but man, she followed him a long way . If she was hunting, she would’ve gotten off the trail to track him silently, right?

I can’t believe it took him that long to pick up a rock.

Just Jeepin' > facw 10/13/2020 at 15:16

1

I think if I had to worry about predators on my hikes I’d invest in a good, solid walking stick. Might not save me, but I have to think a good bop on the nose would have turned her around sooner.

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > HammerheadFistpunch 10/13/2020 at 15:16

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TheBloody, Oppositelock lives on in our shitposts. > HammerheadFistpunch 10/13/2020 at 15:17

1

Guess you better have a can of bear spray for fall walks. Thankfully all I have to worry about are Black Bears, I just make sure to make a lot of noise when I’m hiking around my house so I don’t come around a corner and surprise one.

This is scary as fuck.

Chan - Mid-engine with cabin fever > HammerheadFistpunch 10/13/2020 at 15:17

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What’s the consensus on throwing something at it? Anything you lot would have done differently from this guy?

Highlander-Datsuns are Forever > HammerheadFistpunch 10/13/2020 at 15:17

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Why the hell was he not throwing rocks at it after the first 10 seconds? Every time I have a mountain lion trying to hunt me I fight back with sticks/rocks, whatever I have on had. It works every time, lions don’t want a fight they want a safe and easy kill.

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > SBA Thanks You For All The Fish 10/13/2020 at 15:17

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Okay, b abies are safe... but maybe I can get a meal out of this...

HammerheadFistpunch > TheBloody, Oppositelock lives on in our shitposts. 10/13/2020 at 15:18

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bears are scary, but wild cats...man they scary.  

HammerheadFistpunch > Chan - Mid-engine with cabin fever 10/13/2020 at 15:19

8

I wouldn’t have been filming.  I probably would have made more noise and less harsh words.  Don’t know if I would have trusted myself to bend down and pick something up, but the one thing I know in wilderness defense is standoff distance, I would have been looking around for a big stick to keep the distance between us.

SBA Thanks You For All The Fish > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 10/13/2020 at 15:22

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Yeah, she was looking a bit skinny — and probably hungry.

“Nah, I was just baby-sitting. The Mom will understand if I step out for a quick bite...”

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > facw 10/13/2020 at 15:23

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Just listened to an interview - I guess she charged every time he tried to stoop and get a rock.

Coty > Chan - Mid-engine with cabin fever 10/13/2020 at 15:23

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I mean, I carry a pistol so...

Noodles > Just Jeepin' 10/13/2020 at 15:23

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9mm pistol. Fuck trying to defend yourself with a stick. That's rule #2 in West Virginia

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > Highlander-Datsuns are Forever 10/13/2020 at 15:24

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I posted the interview above , but she was charging every time he tried to stoop down and grab a rock, apparently.

Noodles > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 10/13/2020 at 15:26

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Yeah, I'd have put the phone down and picked up rocks the second I saw it 

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > SBA Thanks You For All The Fish 10/13/2020 at 15:26

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I didn’t think she looked that skinny, but a meal’s a meal, especially when you’ve got lots of mouths to feed!

Future next gen S2000 owner > HammerheadFistpunch 10/13/2020 at 15:27

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Poor kitty just needs some hugs n’ cuddles.

- Bubbles

Jb boin > HammerheadFistpunch 10/13/2020 at 15:27

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Highlander-Datsuns are Forever > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 10/13/2020 at 15:28

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EDIT: yes they say there were kittens in the area. Behavior is normal. 

Just Jeepin' > Noodles 10/13/2020 at 15:29

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For a large enough animal I’d be worried about wounding and enraging. For a smaller one I’d probably miss. I’d feel better with something I can use for active defense.

And a gun adds all sorts of other  complications to my life I’d rather not deal with. I don’t need a locked storage compartment in my Jeep devoted to a walking stick. 

HammerheadFistpunch > Coty 10/13/2020 at 15:29

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I do if Im in bear country by my lonesome, but I never carry locally.  This isn’t far from town.

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > Highlander-Datsuns are Forever 10/13/2020 at 15:30

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Protection (4 cubs) , with an attempted bonus kill thrown in.

SBA Thanks You For All The Fish > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 10/13/2020 at 15:30

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We used to see them around the mountain house, thankfully rarely, but it was mainly plumper looking males.

Of course we also regularly had bears empty the dumpster on trash days, too.  And, elk and moose busting down the fences.

This is what we'll show whenever you publish anything on Kinja: > HammerheadFistpunch 10/13/2020 at 15:31

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Christ that must have been terrifying. 

Highlander-Datsuns are Forever > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 10/13/2020 at 15:32

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Gotta feed the kids.

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > SBA Thanks You For All The Fish 10/13/2020 at 15:32

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Wow - crazy. Where was/is that?

PowderHound > HammerheadFistpunch 10/13/2020 at 15:33

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As much as I like to hike alone, I have had a couple times walking in drainages where you just get that feeling something is watching or following you and end up turning around and going somewhere else.

Svend > HammerheadFistpunch 10/13/2020 at 15:34

10

I learned years ago to be weary of

Also while the

May look cute, it p acks quite a bite.

Also

Can kick out if not treated with most respect.

So before going on any

Always

A friendly park

Who may be able to

You on your journey if not merely help you

The park safely.

Some may like to live life to the

But you need to keep

And not get too close to the

WilliamsSW > HammerheadFistpunch 10/13/2020 at 15:34

0

Funny - in the last 24 hours, I’ve seen a fox and a coyote around here. Within 10 miles of the Chicago city limits, and not in any forest preserve. The fox was 2 doors down from my house, literally.

Be careful Oppo!

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > Highlander-Datsuns are Forever 10/13/2020 at 15:36

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Was really interesting. You could tell that she was kind of testing him after the initial “scare off” , thinking, if I can get an easy big kill out of this... but a s soon as he proved himself to be a formidable foe , she was off.

HammerheadFistpunch > PowderHound 10/13/2020 at 15:36

1

The wasatch mountains feel tame because they are so close to populations...but there is still a lot of wildlife out there.

These were both taken within sight of or ON ski resort property.  

Roadkilled > HammerheadFistpunch 10/13/2020 at 15:37

1

I’ve run into bears, lynx and bobcat on my trail runs, but never a cougar. It’s definitely an encounter that I don’t want to have.

However, there are things that can help. If you see a cub, DON’T APPROACH IT! Don’t get out your phone to take a video! If you see a cub, the m other may be near. Avoid getting between the mother and her cub. Start backing away and keep facing the direction of the cub.

Was this guy further away at first? Did he approach the cub to start taking video? Was his social media feed that important?

I’ll admit I did take a picture of the lynx, but it was small and it started running away from me as soon as I saw it. The lousy photo is due to using the limit of the zoom on my phone and stopping for one picture. Lynx are small wanted to hide from me, and I was happy to let it.

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > Svend 10/13/2020 at 15:38

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[slow clap]

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > HammerheadFistpunch 10/13/2020 at 15:38

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Looks like a mild fire road so it couldn't have been too far "out there". 

Noodles > Just Jeepin' 10/13/2020 at 15:39

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Maybe a nail gun? You'd get a hell of a workout on your hikes if you were carrying a nail gun.

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > Noodles 10/13/2020 at 15:40

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Or just throw the phone. They're more replaceable than a throat. 

Just Jeepin' > Svend 10/13/2020 at 15:41

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I appreciate the hard work but my general car cluelessness means I can’t appreciate the humor itself.

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > nerd_racing 10/13/2020 at 15:43

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Here in the Los Angeles area we have both! Or all three probably since cars don’t rust away here.

SBA Thanks You For All The Fish > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 10/13/2020 at 15:43

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Canyon between Bozeman and Livingston.  We had a house on the south side of the canyon, a couple of miles off I90.

PyroHoltz f@h Oppo 261120 > HammerheadFistpunch 10/13/2020 at 15:44

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Where do we land on a few warning shots, for those carrying?

For Sweden > HammerheadFistpunch 10/13/2020 at 15:45

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You don’t just walk through Provo and expect to not get bit.

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > Svend 10/13/2020 at 15:45

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I don’t have enough self

To make a proper reply.

HammerheadFistpunch > PyroHoltz f@h Oppo 261120 10/13/2020 at 15:46

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I wouldn’t have hesitated.  Would have done the trick.

3point8isgreat > HammerheadFistpunch 10/13/2020 at 15:46

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Its front legs look so goofy when it starts to run. Like a combination of an attack and a running stride. 

HammerheadFistpunch > For Sweden 10/13/2020 at 15:46

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You know what they say.  Rise and shout, the cougars are out.

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > SBA Thanks You For All The Fish 10/13/2020 at 15:47

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Beautiful. I can’t wait to get back up to that part of the country again.

DipodomysDeserti > Just Jeepin' 10/13/2020 at 15:52

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If you have a house cat, go bop it on the nose with a stick and see what it does. Lions react in a similar way.

Svend > Just Jeepin' 10/13/2020 at 15:54

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That was part of the fun by me (evil laugh).

The cars are: 

Cougar,

Puma,

Mustang,

Expedition,

Consul,

Ranger,

Escort,

Transit,

B-Max,

Focus and

Edge.

Tripper > HammerheadFistpunch 10/13/2020 at 15:54

1

I accidentally got real close to a sleeping bear who woke up and ran away luckily. Now,  I always take my clickclack with me on hikes/nature walks.

DipodomysDeserti > Noodles 10/13/2020 at 15:56

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Not sure how many lions you have left in West Virginia, but in Arizona the 9mm is for people, not cats. The stick might come in handy after you shoot the lion and it pounces on you. 

farscythe - makin da cawfee! > HammerheadFistpunch 10/13/2020 at 15:57

1

kitty!

pet the kitty!

probably a good thing the worst i have to worry about over here is boar

PowderHound > HammerheadFistpunch 10/13/2020 at 15:57

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I saw two moose right off that path just a month ago!

McMike > HammerheadFistpunch 10/13/2020 at 16:04

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“Careful when you see lion cubs on your fall walks”

Not an attack, lion wasn’t stalking him. Lion was making sure he didn’t get any closer to the cubs.

Intense and pants shitting, regardless. 

I would have loved to hear what my dialog was during that six minutes if it was me. Holy shit.

HammerheadFistpunch > McMike 10/13/2020 at 16:05

1

I do like that he was hoping harsh language would turn her away.

F u!

oh, well if thats the way you feel...

RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars > HammerheadFistpunch 10/13/2020 at 16:09

1

No offense intended to the guy, and glad he got out alive...but like...

....when your life is LITERALLY threatened by an incredibly danger ous animal...why is the first thing you think of to pull our your phone to record it? 0_o

DipodomysDeserti > nerd_racing 10/13/2020 at 16:10

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I’d much rather have the company of the four legged variety.

RPM esq. > Chan - Mid-engine with cabin fever 10/13/2020 at 16:15

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Well, the main thing this guy did wrong (which you can see in the full version on Twitter and elsewhere ) is that he started by approaching her cubs and predictably pissing her off , so I don’t have a lot of sympathy for him . T hat said, once he was in over his head, the usual advice on cougars is make a lot of noise , throw stuff at them, look big, and generally be as annoying as possible while backing away slowly, so I would have done more of all those things, but this guy was mostly doing the right stuff . Definitely don’t turn and run unless you really want to look like a delicious deer. HHFP’s point about bending down to pick up stuff to throw is a good one too .

Also, hiking with a good-size dog is a good way to never see a cougar in the first place —cougars smell dogs from a long way away and avoid them.

Speed > HammerheadFistpunch 10/13/2020 at 16:21

2

FOR

GET

THAT

My wife’s cat Nuggies will already try to tear you up when you’re administering her monthly flea meds. I can’t imagine what this thing would do if it got to gnawing and clawing on your neck .

You could tell she was just trying to run dude off though. The way she threw her paws out as she burst towards him, as if to appear wider and bigger, was interesting. Interesting creatures, especially in a zoo, behind glass, on the other side of a mote, in a pit, far away.

HammerheadFistpunch > RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars 10/13/2020 at 16:22

2

could be he was already recording because he thought he saw a bobcat before he realized he done screwed up.

Chan - Mid-engine with cabin fever > RPM esq. 10/13/2020 at 16:32

2

Yeah, I didn’t realise the part about disturbing the cubs at fir st.  Bad idea for any predatory animal (and most other animals too).

dieseldub > HammerheadFistpunch 10/13/2020 at 16:38

0

That was intense. He did the right thing by at least stay facing it and not running away. You turn your back and run, they will almost certainly overrun you and fuck you up.

If you slowly back up like he did and try to act big, move your arms out and make aggressive noises, they aren’t as likely to fully lunge at you and sink claws and teeth in. The big cat here was careful not to get too close seeing that he was watching her the whole time. She’s being a good mom, protective of her cubs.

Seeing so many decent sized rocks on the trail, I kept on thinking if I were there, I would have picked one up a lot sooner and thrown it. It looks like that’s exactly what he did at the end of the video and sure as shit, she runs off.

Scary.

Back in March, most mornings I had been going for a short-ish hike up a hill which my shop is effectively at the base of. There’s a decent, very narrow but maintained trail that goes to the top. This bobcat just got on the trail in front of me and started walking up the trail the same direction. I took this picture after he had gone around one of the switch backs, we both paused and just had a bit of a staring contest. I took the opportunity to take the photos, then made it to the switchback and as the cat realized I was behind him again, he continued on the trail. After the next switch back, I lost sight of him, haven’t seen any big cats on the trail since.

Bobcats aren’t anywhere near as terrifying as a full on cougar or mountain lion. F that.

Exage03040 @ opposite-lock.com > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 10/13/2020 at 16:49

1

This dude needs to work on his war face. It was like he was having a conversation with an ex-girlfriend that he’s still kind of into .

Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo > HammerheadFistpunch 10/13/2020 at 17:03

0

Meow

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > HammerheadFistpunch 10/13/2020 at 17:28

0

CCR: Carry Cougar Repellant

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > McMike 10/13/2020 at 17:32

0

“I’ll just see you out,” she said.

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > HammerheadFistpunch 10/13/2020 at 17:32

1

At about 0:00:05 he should have already been walking the other way.

SilentButNotReallyDeadly...killed by G/O Media > HammerheadFistpunch 10/13/2020 at 18:10

1

And you people think Australia is dangerous.

McMike > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo 10/13/2020 at 18:19

2

ttyymmnn > HammerheadFistpunch 10/13/2020 at 18:39

0

Take me, I’m yours. 

Noodles > DipodomysDeserti 10/13/2020 at 18:42

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I kinda figure that the sound of a gun going off at close range would send most critters a runnin.

I ended that sentence in perfect West Virgine. 

Dr.Jeckyl > HammerheadFistpunch 10/13/2020 at 19:46

1

Yikes! That's one thing that I don't have to worry about around here. We have deer and that's about it. 

functionoverfashion > HammerheadFistpunch 10/13/2020 at 21:01

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I sent this to my sister, though she probably saw it: LONG story short, one time I got some bad gouges in my leg and my sister saw them and asked, so I randomly told her I was running on a trail and got chased by a small wolverine (we’d seen one in the wild before) and rather than laugh she believed me, so I let her. For YEARS. Then one day my wife said something about the scar in my leg from my bike - in front of my sister - and the gig was up. We can all laugh about it now. And if anyone but my wife had let that slip I’d probably have thrown them in the nearest body of water.

So yeah. Like this, but, you know, mine wasn’t real. 

sn4cktimes > HammerheadFistpunch 10/14/2020 at 02:11

1

I went on a few backpacking trips WAY into a wilderness preserve a few times with friends as a teenager. Very remote, with no motorized vehicles of any kind. I would regularly come across black/grizzly bears around town, and while in the bush. No big deal, they minded their business I minded mine. Only time I’ve been 100% terrified (like a prey animal) was while peeing about 10’ from my friends on one of those trips. One of my buddies said something along the lines of “no joke, stop peeing right fucking now, look up and to the left and back up right now” in a tone I VERY MUCH PAID ATTENTION TO. I looked up and there was a cougar in a tree watching me with posture like a cat about to pounce on a mouse. I backed up, still not sure to this day if I stopped peeing right away or not, zipped up at some point, packed up, backed WAY UP. And then we  shot a bear banging flare at it. SCARY.

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > Svend 10/14/2020 at 09:56

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If this happened to me, I’m sure I woulda

pants.

Svend > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 10/14/2020 at 11:42

1

Lol.

I’ma

would of too.