While out in the wilderness, there are many animals that we may come across that are absolutely deadly by nature. Big cats are in that category, and a concern for many who venture out. They can sneak up on you undetected, and inflict serious injuries in mere seconds, often times fatal.
The man in the video below had such an encounter while Elk hunting, when a mountain lion was sneaking up to him. It eventually began to pounce, and that’s when the man pulled the trigger, striking the cat in the face.
GRAPHIC WARNING
I’ve been hesitant to post this, mainly because of my personal feelings surrounding the situation. I just wanted her to walk away. The incident was cleared by CPW and I’m fortunate to walk away unscathed and only traumatized. The short story is, I was archery elk hunting here in CO and this cat was hunting me. I saw it about the moment I started recording, except a moment before in a creep/hunt stance. I was sitting and already had my phone in hand. I quickly drew my Glock and hit record on my phone. I was in a bad position and it was a face to face, fight or flight moment for the cat and I, we both stood our ground. As I’m talking to it in defense mode, it is obvious that she was confused and curious. At only 4 yards she decided to come closer, this is when I dropped my phone to place my other hand on my gun. There was a definitive change in posture and body language from the cat, as she decided to proceed with the attack, crouching to leap. In a micro split of a second she came forward and the pressure on my trigger broke the sear, landing a shot that would dispatch her immediately. There is no question of her intentions, and for that I am angry. I just wanted her to walk away. It is my contention that she was young and stupid, and possibly a bit hungry; however, she was such a beautiful creature and there is no honor by me in her death. Fear for your life in a fraction of a second and you will understand the emotions. Self defense sucks!
It’s obvious that the man didn’t want to hurt or kill the cat, but it’s the sad reality of this particular situation. He would have been in very real danger had he not reacted in the way that he did.
Comments began to flood in that threw the man under the bus for killing the animal, telling him that he should have done things like fired a warning shot to scare the animal away. This likely wouldn’t have made much difference, and could have made the cat advance quicker. If you have an imminent deadly threat, you have to take care of that threat immediately.
He did the right thing, absolutely. Since posting the video, it seems that his Instagram account is gone. It could be because of the negative comments that he was receiving, or because he was being harassed, but I’m not quite sure.
