Got approached by a cougar last night

[Morrison]

No, McMurtry, Lars, Brad, Mark, not that kind.

I’m driving home last night from an appointment, already stressed because my night vision is bad, and I’m on a one lane feeder road to the freeway that has a 3-4 foot high concrete barrier on my right separating the road from wooded hills. Concrete construction barrier also on my left. Narrow as can be.

Suddenly, out of the corner of my eye, I see what I thought was a big ass deer leap onto the barrier on my right and onto the road just as I approached. All in one fluid, athletic motion. It wasn’t a deer, but a huge mountain lion as we call them out here, also know as a cougar or puma. Scared the shit out of me for a second. I swerved as little as I could and lightly hit the breaks. The animal saw my vehicle in a split second and stopped on a dime. I barely clipped him, and saw him bound back over the wall, so I think he’ll survive. That’s my first time seeing a mountain lion in the wild, and glad it was from my vehicle. I had no idea they can be that big.

Although the encounter last night was not dangerous other than I probably would’ve crashed had I hit the cat straight on, I’ve now had encounters with a mountain lion, rattlesnake (twice), wild boar, wild turkey, and a pregnant Halibut that almost took my finger off, in the wild of NorCal. Anyone have any stories around dangerous encounters with animals? McMurtry’s exes don’t count.😊

 

[hookyIU1990]

Nothing dangerous, but if you spend enough time outside in the woods you'll have interactions.

I've ran black bears out of camp twice in the BWCA and have come across a few up close in your state too. A few snake encounters that weren't anything to worry about. Moose (plural) up close, but no pinned-back ears, so no worry.

Seeing a cougar is a bucket list thing for me. What an awe inspiring experience.

 

[mcmurtry66]

No, McMurtry, Lars, Brad, Mark, not that kind.

I’m driving home last night from an appointment, already stressed because my night vision is bad, and I’m on a one lane feeder road to the freeway that has a 3-4 foot high concrete barrier on my right separating the road from wooded hills. Concrete construction barrier also on my left. Narrow as can be.

Suddenly, out of the corner of my eye, I see what I thought was a big ass deer leap onto the barrier on my right and onto the road just as I approached. All in one fluid, athletic motion. It wasn’t a deer, but a huge mountain lion as we call them out here, also know as a cougar or puma. Scared the shit out of me for a second. I swerved as little as I could and lightly hit the breaks. The animal saw my vehicle in a split second and stopped on a dime. I barely clipped him, and saw him bound back over the wall, so I think he’ll survive. That’s my first time seeing a mountain lion in the wild, and glad it was from my vehicle. I had no idea they can be that big.

Although the encounter last night was not dangerous other than I probably would’ve crashed had I hit the cat straight on, I’ve now had encounters with a mountain lion, rattlesnake (twice), wild boar, wild turkey, and a pregnant Halibut that almost took my finger off, in the wild of NorCal. Anyone have any stories around dangerous encounters with animals? McMurtry’s exes don’t count.😊

i swear i saw one dead on the shoulder of the highway in rural missouri. but i was going so fast i did a double take and couldn't go back and see. but that is amazing that you saw that. very, very cool. i had one encounter drunk in college in the summer. there was a sandbar way out in the ocean that my group of friends would all swim out to and drink after the bars. i was about 20 feet from my friends when something in the black ocean bumped into me. no idea what it was but it knocked me clean over and i'll never forget the feeling of how big and heavy it seemed. the weight of it was unbelievable. super scary. and as for hooky below i can't imagine seeing a bear. that would scare the hell out of me too.

as for dangerous encounters i highly recommend the show fatal attraction. it's awesome. morrison was a lonely man. he lacked confidence. he mostly spent his weekends watching tv alone in his small one bedroom apartment. all of that changed when he purchased his first hyena. insert mother. I told him it was too dangerous. and not to do it. but he was insistent. morrison loved that hyena. it changed his life. until that one awful tuesday morning. insert expert. you really can't domesticate hyenas. even if you get them as a puppy. the tragedy visited upon morrison....

 

[Harry Hondo]

No, McMurtry, Lars, Brad, Mark, not that kind.

I’m driving home last night from an appointment, already stressed because my night vision is bad, and I’m on a one lane feeder road to the freeway that has a 3-4 foot high concrete barrier on my right separating the road from wooded hills. Concrete construction barrier also on my left. Narrow as can be.

Suddenly, out of the corner of my eye, I see what I thought was a big ass deer leap onto the barrier on my right and onto the road just as I approached. All in one fluid, athletic motion. It wasn’t a deer, but a huge mountain lion as we call them out here, also know as a cougar or puma. Scared the shit out of me for a second. I swerved as little as I could and lightly hit the breaks. The animal saw my vehicle in a split second and stopped on a dime. I barely clipped him, and saw him bound back over the wall, so I think he’ll survive. That’s my first time seeing a mountain lion in the wild, and glad it was from my vehicle. I had no idea they can be that big.

Although the encounter last night was not dangerous other than I probably would’ve crashed had I hit the cat straight on, I’ve now had encounters with a mountain lion, rattlesnake (twice), wild boar, wild turkey, and a pregnant Halibut that almost took my finger off, in the wild of NorCal. Anyone have any stories around dangerous encounters with animals? McMurtry’s exes don’t count.😊

I saw a mountain lion at the Colorado Springs zoo in July that was huge and I remarked that I didn’t think they got that big. They’re just about as big as an African lion. Would hate to encounter one while hiking.

 

[Bowlmania]

No, McMurtry, Lars, Brad, Mark, not that kind.

I’m driving home last night from an appointment, already stressed because my night vision is bad, and I’m on a one lane feeder road to the freeway that has a 3-4 foot high concrete barrier on my right separating the road from wooded hills. Concrete construction barrier also on my left. Narrow as can be.

Suddenly, out of the corner of my eye, I see what I thought was a big ass deer leap onto the barrier on my right and onto the road just as I approached. All in one fluid, athletic motion. It wasn’t a deer, but a huge mountain lion as we call them out here, also know as a cougar or puma. Scared the shit out of me for a second. I swerved as little as I could and lightly hit the breaks. The animal saw my vehicle in a split second and stopped on a dime. I barely clipped him, and saw him bound back over the wall, so I think he’ll survive. That’s my first time seeing a mountain lion in the wild, and glad it was from my vehicle. I had no idea they can be that big.

Although the encounter last night was not dangerous other than I probably would’ve crashed had I hit the cat straight on, I’ve now had encounters with a mountain lion, rattlesnake (twice), wild boar, wild turkey, and a pregnant Halibut that almost took my finger off, in the wild of NorCal. Anyone have any stories around dangerous encounters with animals? McMurtry’s exes don’t count.😊

I was hiking the Beehive Basin trail near Big Sky, Montana a few years back and came within about 100 feet of a female moose and her calf. I had bear spray with me but if she had charged I would have been in deep shit. Moose can be extremely aggressive and quick when protecting their young. I lucked out.

 

[BradStevens]

No, McMurtry, Lars, Brad, Mark, not that kind.

I’m driving home last night from an appointment, already stressed because my night vision is bad, and I’m on a one lane feeder road to the freeway that has a 3-4 foot high concrete barrier on my right separating the road from wooded hills. Concrete construction barrier also on my left. Narrow as can be.

Suddenly, out of the corner of my eye, I see what I thought was a big ass deer leap onto the barrier on my right and onto the road just as I approached. All in one fluid, athletic motion. It wasn’t a deer, but a huge mountain lion as we call them out here, also know as a cougar or puma. Scared the shit out of me for a second. I swerved as little as I could and lightly hit the breaks. The animal saw my vehicle in a split second and stopped on a dime. I barely clipped him, and saw him bound back over the wall, so I think he’ll survive. That’s my first time seeing a mountain lion in the wild, and glad it was from my vehicle. I had no idea they can be that big.

Although the encounter last night was not dangerous other than I probably would’ve crashed had I hit the cat straight on, I’ve now had encounters with a mountain lion, rattlesnake (twice), wild boar, wild turkey, and a pregnant Halibut that almost took my finger off, in the wild of NorCal. Anyone have any stories around dangerous encounters with animals? McMurtry’s exes don’t count.😊

Where you at in NorCal? Got any desolate mountains up there with good views and low property values? I've never had a dangerous encounter with an animal. That would scare the piss out of me.

I did run over a large, green snake on the freeway exit in Arkansas one time. Swear the thing was 20-30 feet long and had about a 6" diameter. Thought I was going to lose my transmission. I told the gas-station attendant about it, and he laughed and said something I couldn't quite make out between his thick Arkansas accent and lack of all but one tooth in his mouth.

Not a big fan of Arkansas.

 

[CO. Hoosier]

No, McMurtry, Lars, Brad, Mark, not that kind.

I’m driving home last night from an appointment, already stressed because my night vision is bad, and I’m on a one lane feeder road to the freeway that has a 3-4 foot high concrete barrier on my right separating the road from wooded hills. Concrete construction barrier also on my left. Narrow as can be.

Suddenly, out of the corner of my eye, I see what I thought was a big ass deer leap onto the barrier on my right and onto the road just as I approached. All in one fluid, athletic motion. It wasn’t a deer, but a huge mountain lion as we call them out here, also know as a cougar or puma. Scared the shit out of me for a second. I swerved as little as I could and lightly hit the breaks. The animal saw my vehicle in a split second and stopped on a dime. I barely clipped him, and saw him bound back over the wall, so I think he’ll survive. That’s my first time seeing a mountain lion in the wild, and glad it was from my vehicle. I had no idea they can be that big.

Although the encounter last night was not dangerous other than I probably would’ve crashed had I hit the cat straight on, I’ve now had encounters with a mountain lion, rattlesnake (twice), wild boar, wild turkey, and a pregnant Halibut that almost took my finger off, in the wild of NorCal. Anyone have any stories around dangerous encounters with animals? McMurtry’s exes don’t count.😊

Several years ago I was alone intending to fish the North Platte River near the Colo/Wyoming border, a spot I had fished previously. I drove about a mile off the highway to a spot where I had to walk down the canyon to the river. The path followed a little drainage with a small flow from a spring. About half way down, and from behind a Boulder big enough to hide the cat, up pops a mountain lion, about 30-40 feet in front of me. We immediately made eye contact. I froze, couldn’t move a muscle. What was going through my mind was to not run or act like prey. I knew I was supposed to raise my arms and look big. I couldn’t do it. All I hand in my hand was my fly rod. I had a decent knife in my pack but it was inaccessible. After what seemed like longer than it was, the cat turned and headed down the trail toward the river. I Scrambled back to my vehicle, looking back often. Never fished that spot since,

I then took an interest in Mountain Lions and read a couple of books about them. This is a good one.

The Beast in the Garden

Amazon.com

Back in the 80’s, a drunk driver hit me while I was on my bike. Does that count as a dangerous animal encounter?

 

[OpenWheels]

I'm typing from a small farm in the Keweenaw of Michigan.

Never saw a cat, but a couple wolves. Black bears raid the bird feeder every spring. If I forget to take it down for the night, by the time I hear them its too late - so I stand and watch thru the window. When its partially open it's nerve wracking with a bear 5-6 feet away, even with it closed it feels odd. Even a mama with cubs (triplets) one year didn't run until I opened the back door. Me banging on the window at 2 am (she hadn't torn down feeder #2 yet) didn't scare her away.

But anyway, a neighbor lady told me watch out for the lion guesiing it was about 8 years ago. Told me she'd seen a large cat run right along our fence. I dismissed it as crazy talk... But then my neighbor got a nice pic of it on his deer cam. It had a radio collar. Then the newspaper ran an article saying it was on a deer cam 20 miles north of here, then 200 miles over by Sault St. Marie. Guess the DNR finally figured out it had been radio collared over in Minnesota. Then 4-5 years ago a different one, friend of family saw one on their farm stalking their dog, but they were able to open the door a crack and let it in, the dog was really yapping to get in, apparently had seen it hiding in the grass about 30 yards out. Haven't heard of any around since.

That story of one on the highway is amazing! I've never seen one.

 

[Morrison]

Several years ago I was alone intending to fish the North Platte River near the Colo/Wyoming border, a spot I had fished previously. I drove about a mile off the highway to a spot where I had to walk down the canyon to the river. The path followed a little drainage with a small flow from a spring. About half way down, and from behind a Boulder big enough to hide the cat, up pops a mountain lion, about 30-40 feet in front of me. We immediately made eye contact. I froze, couldn’t move a muscle. What was going through my mind was to not run or act like prey. I knew I was supposed to raise my arms and look big. I couldn’t do it. All I hand in my hand was my fly rod. I had a decent knife in my pack but it was inaccessible. After what seemed like longer than it was, the cat turned and headed down the trail toward the river. I Scrambled back to my vehicle, looking back often. Never fished that spot since,

I then took an interest in Mountain Lions and read a couple of books about them. This is a good one.

The Beast in the Garden

Amazon.com

Back in the 80’s, a drunk driver hit me while I was on my bike. Does that count as a dangerous animal encounter?

Drunk driver hitting you definitely counts as an animal attack. Most people don’t survive those, glad you did, sir. Cool story! I think there’s more mountain lions in Colorado than anywhere else.

 

[Noodle]

I hit a woodchuck riding my bike once - a big one. The thing was along side of the road and when we road up on it it got spooked and ran right in front of me. I hit the thing square across the middle of its back with my front wheel, flattening him. My back wheel kicked to the side as I braked and missed him. Not sure how I stayed upright. Thought for sure I had killed it. I looked back and the thing shook it off and ran away.

One of the people riding with us had just arrived from Europe the day before. He rode up to me, white as a ghost, and asked "what the hell was that thing?!"

 

[CO. Hoosier]

Drunk driver hitting you definitely counts as an animal attack. Most people don’t survive those, glad you did, sir. Cool story! I think there’s more mountain lions in Colorado than anywhere else.

Lions are very stealthy. I was told by a Game and Fish friend that they quite often observe us without us knowing.

 

[sglowrider]

No, McMurtry, Lars, Brad, Mark, not that kind.

I’m driving home last night from an appointment, already stressed because my night vision is bad, and I’m on a one lane feeder road to the freeway that has a 3-4 foot high concrete barrier on my right separating the road from wooded hills. Concrete construction barrier also on my left. Narrow as can be.

Suddenly, out of the corner of my eye, I see what I thought was a big ass deer leap onto the barrier on my right and onto the road just as I approached. All in one fluid, athletic motion. It wasn’t a deer, but a huge mountain lion as we call them out here, also know as a cougar or puma. Scared the shit out of me for a second. I swerved as little as I could and lightly hit the breaks. The animal saw my vehicle in a split second and stopped on a dime. I barely clipped him, and saw him bound back over the wall, so I think he’ll survive. That’s my first time seeing a mountain lion in the wild, and glad it was from my vehicle. I had no idea they can be that big.

Although the encounter last night was not dangerous other than I probably would’ve crashed had I hit the cat straight on, I’ve now had encounters with a mountain lion, rattlesnake (twice), wild boar, wild turkey, and a pregnant Halibut that almost took my finger off, in the wild of NorCal. Anyone have any stories around dangerous encounters with animals? McMurtry’s exes don’t count.😊

Make sure you memorise the story so the next time you DUI & hit a lamppost you can use it.

 

[UncleMark]

Never saw a cat, but a couple wolves. Black bears raid the bird feeder every spring. If I forget to take it down for the night, by the time I hear them its too late - so I stand and watch thru the window. When its partially open it's nerve wracking with a bear 5-6 feet away, even with it closed it feels odd.

We have a family of skunks that come out at dusk and clean up underneath the wife's bird feeders. Does that count?

 

[CO. Hoosier]

as for dangerous encounters i highly recommend the show fatal attraction. it's awesome

As is Play Misty for Me.

 

[Baller23Boogie]

Last year, I dropped off my youngest at her best friend's house for a sleep over just before dark and was driving home. There was a train that stopped that blocked my normal way home so I went the backways since we live in the country.

Halfway down the second to last road I needed to turn, I got stuck by a flock of turkey. There were seven or eight that just stood in the middle of the road. One came up by my driver side door and started plucking at it. That was my cue to force my way through.

If only I had my shotgun.

 

[i'vegotwinners]

I’m driving home last night from an appointment, already stressed because my night vision is bad,

get yourself checked for cataracts.

i let myself get to the point where i had no business driving at night before getting cataract surgery.

it's a wonder i never caused a crash because of it.

 

[mcmurtry66]

Several years ago I was alone intending to fish the North Platte River near the Colo/Wyoming border, a spot I had fished previously. I drove about a mile off the highway to a spot where I had to walk down the canyon to the river. The path followed a little drainage with a small flow from a spring. About half way down, and from behind a Boulder big enough to hide the cat, up pops a mountain lion, about 30-40 feet in front of me. We immediately made eye contact. I froze, couldn’t move a muscle. What was going through my mind was to not run or act like prey. I knew I was supposed to raise my arms and look big. I couldn’t do it. All I hand in my hand was my fly rod. I had a decent knife in my pack but it was inaccessible. After what seemed like longer than it was, the cat turned and headed down the trail toward the river. I Scrambled back to my vehicle, looking back often. Never fished that spot since,

I then took an interest in Mountain Lions and read a couple of books about them. This is a good one.

The Beast in the Garden

Amazon.com

Back in the 80’s, a drunk driver hit me while I was on my bike. Does that count as a dangerous animal encounter?

Is that what you used to buy that 911?

 

[CO. Hoosier]

Is that what you used to buy that 911?

Ha? Money is fungible.

A few of tidbits about that.

The drunk secured insurance the day before he hit me.

The adjuster was a bicyclist. We had a friendly connection.

I was very fortunate. After a week in the hospital, i was essentially okay. I got hit in in May, I was back on my bike on July 4. Not a lot of value in a case like that.

Got hit in the rear, back wheel, seat stays and chain stays smashed. A custom frame builder made the bike as good as new.

 

[mcmurtry66]

Ha? Money is fungible.

A few of tidbits about that.

The drunk secured insurance the day before he hit me.

The adjuster was a bicyclist. We had a friendly connection.

I was very fortunate. After a week in the hospital, i was essentially okay. I got hit in in May, I was back on my bike on July 4. Not a lot of value in a case like that.

Got hit in the rear, back wheel, seat stays and chain stays smashed. A custom frame builder made the bike as good as new.

Are you crazy. A week in the hospital! A lawyer. I’d have gotten you six figures

 

[CO. Hoosier]

Are you crazy. A week in the hospital! A lawyer. I’d have gotten you six figures

We are talking days when you were still in elementary school trying to kick a beach ball. $50k limits.

 

[mcmurtry66]

We are talking days when you were still in elementary school trying to kick a beach ball. $50k limits.

You wouldn’t believe how many death cases I’ve signed up with $25k in coverage

 

[CO. Hoosier]

You wouldn’t believe how many death cases I’ve signed up with $25k in coverage

Easy money.

 

[mcmurtry66]

Easy money.

Ha nah we did them for free. Signed up hoping for the big limits then F’d. Had to have a hearing too

 

[larsIU]

As a former adjuster we loved high exposure low limits claims. Send me the death certificate and a release and I send you a check.

 

[mcmurtry66]

As a former adjuster we loved high exposure low limits claims. Send me the death certificate and a release and I send you a check.

Yeah we wanted truck and farm policies. Hey you’ll like this. I was in tears laughing this am. My son’s practice this am. Scrimmage. One shit toddler pass after another. Like watching tennis. He runs to one end. Turns around. Runs to the other. Rinse repeat probably a dozen times. Never once the ball played to him. Just endless running. All of the sudden I look and he’s standing in the center circle. Eyes closed. Hands together over his head. Applying his yoga anger management techniques 🤣

 

[NPT]

Several years ago I was alone intending to fish the North Platte River near the Colo/Wyoming border, a spot I had fished previously. I drove about a mile off the highway to a spot where I had to walk down the canyon to the river. The path followed a little drainage with a small flow from a spring. About half way down, and from behind a Boulder big enough to hide the cat, up pops a mountain lion, about 30-40 feet in front of me. We immediately made eye contact. I froze, couldn’t move a muscle. What was going through my mind was to not run or act like prey. I knew I was supposed to raise my arms and look big. I couldn’t do it. All I hand in my hand was my fly rod. I had a decent knife in my pack but it was inaccessible. After what seemed like longer than it was, the cat turned and headed down the trail toward the river. I Scrambled back to my vehicle, looking back often. Never fished that spot since,

I then took an interest in Mountain Lions and read a couple of books about them. This is a good one.

The Beast in the Garden

Amazon.com

Back in the 80’s, a drunk driver hit me while I was on my bike. Does that count as a dangerous animal encounter?

We (wife and daughter) walked upon a black bear in Glacier NP one time... probably about 15 feet. I had been making noise so we were surprised, The bear was behind some brush and all of a sudden my daugher said she heard something and we stopped. About that time the bear stood up and we just kinda froze... I was ahead by 8 to 10 feet so I slowly started moving back to my wife and daughter so we would look bigger. The bear never acted aggressive and just stood and looked for about 30 seconds and then ran off.

We turned back on a trail in Yellowstone because we saw a grizzly bear near the trail and I want nothing to do with them. He knew we were around but I don't think he ever saw us but you could tell he was sniffing the air.

 

[mcmurtry66]

We (wife and daughter) walked upon a black bear in Glacier NP one time... probably about 15 feet. I had been making noise so we were surprised, The bear was behind some brush and all of a sudden my daugher said she heard something and we stopped. About that time the bear stood up and we just kinda froze... I was ahead by 8 to 10 feet so I slowly started moving back to my wife and daughter so we would look bigger. The bear never acted aggressive and just stood and looked for about 30 seconds and then ran off.

We turned back on a trail in Yellowstone because we saw a grizzly bear near the trail and I want nothing to do with them. He knew we were around but I don't think he ever saw us but you could tell he was sniffing the air.

Wow!!!!!

 

[mcmurtry66]

We (wife and daughter) walked upon a black bear in Glacier NP one time... probably about 15 feet. I had been making noise so we were surprised, The bear was behind some brush and all of a sudden my daugher said she heard something and we stopped. About that time the bear stood up and we just kinda froze... I was ahead by 8 to 10 feet so I slowly started moving back to my wife and daughter so we would look bigger. The bear never acted aggressive and just stood and looked for about 30 seconds and then ran off.

We turned back on a trail in Yellowstone because we saw a grizzly bear near the trail and I want nothing to do with them. He knew we were around but I don't think he ever saw us but you could tell he was sniffing the air.

Wow