Now, I'm not saying that everyone should have guns. Some folks wouldn't know what to do with a gun if they had one in their hands..... but if you live in Mountain Lion country and you find yourself in a sticky situation with one of these majestic creatures, it's a good idea to have something a bit more substantial than a glass in your hand.
This is just a heads up for all the people who think that no one needs to own guns. Not everyone lives in a "gated community". Depending on where you live, a gun can come in really handy.
Our neighbor filmed a pair of mountain lions right in his front yard this summer and has 10 to 15 minutes worth of video tape to prove it. We don't see them very often. They are very solitary and shy of humans. But, we know that they are here. Our farm animals are a red-light food for predators. Our Corgis are an hors d'oeuvre for a mountain lion. So we protect all of our animals. With a watchful eye, predator proof enclosures, fences and GUNS.
Here in California we are seeing more and more mountain lions. Even in populated areas.
This article gave me a chill. This is one of the reasons we have guns....
Redding.com | 2010-10-12
A 2½-year old mountain lion that took off with a 75-pound goat Friday was captured and killed by a Department of Fish and Game trapper Saturday morning.Don't tell Brownie about this.... Please!
YIKES!!! We have them here too and they have, more than a few times, taken-off with someone's dog. They have warning signs posted a few blocks up that they have been spotted and to be on the lookout. Scares the bejeezus out of me! I won't hike alone specifically because of them. The ranger told me that they are around and that they usually just watch and don't attack; however, I don't think I want one checking me out and wondering if I would make a good meal. :(
ReplyDeleteWow that man was lucky, and yes he should have had a gun in his hand and not a glass, but it did the trick. I am one for defending oneself from man or beast. Have a blessed day. Madeline
ReplyDeleteOh geez...yup, mums the word on cougars around Brownie! I know what you mean though...we have them around here and I've only seen one up in a tree and it gave me thrills and chills. They are #1 on the predator ladder. We don't own a gun but sometimes think we should. Air horns work good but probably wouldn't make a cougar drop his dinner!
ReplyDeleteyes! and your secret is safe with me... i wont be telling brownie. :)
ReplyDeleteI do not have a gun and do not want one. I am afraid if someone came in on me, they would use the gun on me. However, if I lived in an area like this, I would definitely have some solid protection. That be a scary sight.
ReplyDeleteDid I ever tell you about my dog, and how a six foot wing span hawk lifted my dog off the ground but she wiggled so much he dropped her and we threw rocks to scare it away...she had nightmares for a week after that! She had talon marks on her back for a while, hair gone...okay I could go one, but I also took a hike in the mountains near San Francisco in the day, and every time I saw the warning signs for mountain lions my friend would say, get on a rock and put your hands in the air, what and do karate kicks at them? Scary to say the least, but we made it out with all four limbs...Oh my goats...um, your goats...
ReplyDeleteWow Connie, amazing stories. I fed a cougar baby one time, its paws were HUGE! Way stronger than me, drinking from a baby bottle. Okay, question, how do they know how old a mountain lion is, from the second story? Hmmm. Stay safe, we have coyotes here, have to watch new baby. Hugs, Riki
ReplyDeleteOh, you absolutely have to have SOME sort of protection against these wild creatures that venture into populated areas! When our son was living near Yosemite, there were always sightings of bears and mountain lions. Good thing he had his service revolver.... He lived out in boonies and wild animals roamed throughout the woods. Keep and eye on Brownie! xo Sue
ReplyDeleteI don't know if my son has had any mountain lions down his way this year, but there have been a couple of mama bears prowling around with their young'uns.
ReplyDeleteI almost lost a cat about 15 years ago to a mountain lion that walked right up on the porch, but when I screamed, she dropped it and ran off... thankfully! We almost had to have Milly put down due to the punctures, but she survived somehow... Then my dad ran over her, so it still ended badly I suppose.
I've lived in areas where bears roam and that's scary enough. Mountain lions would terrify me. I remember hearing a news story of the bicyclist (or runner?) on a trail in Calif a few years back - quite badly mauled, but her companions scared off the cat. I agree that keeping a gun for protection of people and pets/animals is necessary in areas with large predatory animals. Being aware is key.
ReplyDeleteStay safe!