konageezer

Not sure if "Mountain Biking" is the proper forum, but…

I'm planning a solo trip through a wilderness area in the next couple weeks. Have had two cases on the island of cyclists being attacked by cougars (mountain lions, not 40-something women in bars) in the last few years. Both survived—one was rescued by a passing guy in a pickup; the other kicked the cougar until it changed its mind.

Wondering if others have any experience/recommendations with this? Plese don't recommend guns/explosives. Can't get that most of stuff in Canada, and I'm not inclined, anyway. Appreciate any recommendations regarding sprays, noisemakers, what have you…

Psyko

You could try to get some heavy percent pepper spray, i can say that it could help. I know in MI you can only buy like 4%, but if you are a cop then you can get the strong stuff. I dont know how much it would really do, but i guess it would be better than nothing. But you gotta get some stuff with sting. Like i said i think its like 9 or 10 percent is the stongest you can get, im not sure, ill try and find out.

jeff williams

Air horn? Bear spray? -Cats hate loud, pepper spray will bother them lots I bet.
Make yourself big as possible -yell -fight.
Unlike bears, no playing dead...or you will be.

I hear ya -i'm on Van Isl, they swim over here to mate and eat pets.
Air horn or spray right on your hip, the problem is they probably will hit you without you knowing -stealth = behind you.
But if your down and can hit the trigger -the sound or pepper will do to make the cat let go...
.....I hope.

Also lack of noise in an area with wildlife -birds -can mean a preditor is near by.
Don't camp where you find deer droppings -the deer are the cats focus, also avoid camping around deer because of ticks\lime desease.

At least we don't have poisonous snakes and gators.

CranxOC

If you're being attacked you need to become the aggressor but, the best way to not have to deal with this is to not get attacked. A couple of things I learned after Mark Reynolds was killed in what is practically my back yard are as follows:

1. Make sure you don't make yourself look like a small target. Although we don't know for sure, the speculation is that Mark was kneeling down and crouched over, fixing his busted chain (we do know that his chain was busted and that the cougar didn't do it) so he looked like a much smaller target than he really was (he was only a 150lbs man anyway so, crouched over, he must've looked like a large child to the lion).

2. Be very aware of your surroundings. If you do have a mechanical, or you just need to stop somewhere to grab a bite to eat, take a rest or a "nature break," make sure you do so in an area where you're not exposing your back to an area where an animal can easily camaflouge itself. Cougars do not strike until they are reasonably sure they have the advantage so don't give them one. Use cliff/uncovered hillsides, large rocks or other places where you have your back covered and your line of sight clear for breaks.

3. If you do see a mountain lion stalking you, don't turn your back to it and run; you're going to lose that race quick, fast and in a hurry. Instead, face the kitty with your bike in between yourself and him, make some noise and make yourself look bigger than you are by using your bike as a prop. The experts say this works so it's worth a shot.

4. For protection, you may want to invest in a small dive knife and mount it onto the front of your gear. Dive knives are made for rugged situations and have quick releas sheathes that are made to be used by people wearing thick, neoprene gloves so they're easy to bust out when you're in a hurry. If you're able to sink that thing into an attacking lion, chances are it's going to leave you alone as these are animals that do not like conflict; they prefer the quick kill unless they're desperate.

5. If you do get attacked, fight like hell and never give up until your dead. This is just general advice from when I was a cop. We learned that you never, ever know when the battle is over until you're dead so, regardless of how hopeless the situation might appear, fight, fight, fight until the big kitty either leaves you alone or makes you its lunch but never, ever, ever, ever give up.

Hopefully that helped a little. Good luck on your trip.

P.S. Pepper spray's good (I've been hit with it and it sucks...badly) but if you're going to carry it, make sure it's readily accessible; it will do you absolutely no good if you leave it sitting in your back pack.

phinney

If you can get it in Canada there are large 20% spray canisters available for brown bear. There are also very lightweight hatchets, machetes and knives available, in case you don't get a chance to spray the kitty before it jumps you.

konageezer

Thanks all for the input.

I hadn't thought of a real knife—I have the Swiss Army one—but that could be an asset. As I read this I recall a fellow up on the north island—an old hard-as-nails logger type—who was attacked by a cougar and killed it with a jacknife.

Here's the link. This guy definitely fits the "So you think you're tough?" category:
https://www.bigcats.org/abc/attacks/victoria.html

I think some kind of prevention is probably the most important thing. Even when people end up on top, they are invariably torn up and haemorraging. Not a good situation if you're 25 clicks from the nearest anything.

DMN

Damm, I wish I had fauna that stalked me.

crgowo

Well unlike instances mentioned above. I though you where supposed to always anounce your presense. Like attach a bell to your bike. That way near by animals hear you coming and leave the area and you dont, accidently, sneak up on one. But as mentioned above it by be a down fall if they are desperate for food.

CranxOC

From what I understand, louder is better. On this one, you'd probably rather play the odds and do the loud bell thing rather than count on the fact that one of the kitties might be really desperate for food. In that case, the cat's probably going to come after you anyway.

SgtAWOL

Here's one better. 73 year old kenyan drops his machete and kills leopard with his bare hands.

LINK

CranxOC

Holy crap!! Now that's the true spirit of "never say die."

jeff williams

A friend who lives mostly in the bush killed 2. One was hunting around the cabin where his children were.
He shot it and fed it to his family -his daughter said "Ya -and you told us it was CHICKEN!"

I bet any cougar out for a sniff around that cabin would have turned tail, omnivores that eat carnivores =poop that smells\says 'run away'.

Drunken Chicken

Elvish Legion

Might I suggest taking a bag with you. It makes you look a tad bigger. Also I second the dive knife I carry one with me when I go hiking in the califorina mountians where cougars like to take down small pray. A bag = good if the cougar does get a jump on you as they usally hit from the back and it will afford you some small protection. Other than that if you do see the cougar I recommend trying to scare it off, a chucked rock usally does the trick unless the animal hasn't eaten in a long while.

Elvish

JPradun

Get an air horn for you bike. They run out quick, so try to only use it when you have to...mount it to the bars with duct tape if you have to.

Other than that, mace.

2manybikes

Don't count on a folding knife to stay open. It will most likely close on your fingers If you have to use it as a weapon,even the locking type.

Joe Dog

There is combination bear spray and air horn that they sell in Alaska. I would bet it is available in Canada as well. That would be my choice. I keep my bear spray clipped to my body - NOT in a bag or pack.

mx_599

Does playing dead for bears really work?

chris_pnoy

Playing dead may prevent serious injury if you are attacked by a grizzly bear. Do not play dead during a black bear attack or if a grizzly bear is treating you as prey. Playing dead will help protect your vital areas, and the bear may leave if you appear harmless. There are two recommended positions:

*

Lie on your side, curled into a ball, legs drawn tightly to your chest, hands clasped behind your neck.
*

Lie flat on the ground, face down, fingers intertwined behind your neck.
*

Stay in these positions even if moved. Do not resist or struggle -- it may intensify the attack. Look around cautiously, and be sure the bear is gone before moving.

I got that from a website.

Cats are a different story though. If a cat is hungry, you're going to have a tough time.

chris_pnoy

https://www.geo-outdoors.info/big_cats.htm
https://www.geo-outdoors.info/bears.htm

Here are some helpful links.

apclassic9

Saw this on some wild life show about Africa, though it might not be practical riding through the bush - children are taught to carry a tall branch to make them look larger, so that cats & stuff will not consider them as prey. Perhaps mounting a fishing rod vertically (or a signal flag - I think they make them for city riding) on the back of your seat - put some flags on it - might work to make you taller?

And cheap noise - clip some cards to your spokes - like when you were a kid & wanted to drive your folks up the wall with the noise!

Dannihilator

Screw that if I am in an area where there are big cats or grizzly bears, I'd be sporting a sawed off on my rides.

phinney

I recommend reading "The Ghost and the Darkness" before your trip. Not cougars but big cats and a true story. Are you going to be camping?

G-Unit

That stuff won't help if a cougar pounces on you from behind.

chris_pnoy

Hahaha... then you accidently blow the crap out of a hiker....