I live in Missouri and the best local spot to ride has a resident mountain lion. My friend and i ride the trails 2-3 times a week and stuck in the back of my mind each time i ride is the ML taking a 20 leap onto my back as i am riding down a trail. I have spoken to a few other riders out there, they havent seen it but we all know its there.

After a rain shower 2 days ago, we noticed fairly fresh tracks leading up the "Family trail". I know of several 13-16 yr old groups of kids that ride that trail.

It got me thinking, what the #$%#$ do you do if you come upon a pissed off ML? We figured to keep our bikes in between us and the ML, but seriously the thing can leap 35-40ft. I dont think a 28 lb. MB is going to slow it down.

If you have ever seen the movie The Ghost and The Darkness with Val Kilmer and Catherine Zeta Jones husband , i have that movie playing in my head the whole time.

So i ask all of you for advice and such. Links to sites about ML confrontations would be appreciated.

Pack Heat!

A 28 lb bike might not stop one, but a .45 cal sure will!

L8R

Make yourself seem as big as possible or run/ride like hell

The one thing you should never do is run or ride away. If the ML sees you running from it, it will activate its predator prey instinct and it will come after you. Make yourself as big as possible, possibly holding your bike up in front of you and slowly walk towards the ML. This will usually scare it off. If it does attack you, do not play dead like they tell you to with a bear. Try to fight it off with anything you have sticks, rocks, or try and gouge its eyes out. Just out of curiousity where is this mountain lion at in Missouri.

DOn't worry so much. Over the last ten years, there have been (on average) less than 6 mountain lion attacks per year in the entire US. Those attacks have resulted in less than 1 death per year. You are (quite seriously) about 100 times more likely to be killed by lightning than by a mountain lion.

Unless he stays inside during lightning storms and rides around mountain lions. Then the stats are probably a bit different.

There is an article on the mountain bike magazine web page about riding around mountain lions (catamounts for you vermonters).

Still, less than 1 death per year in a country of 300 million people. I wouldn't worry too much.

Its right outside Kansas City in a suburb called Blue Springs. The park is called Landell(??) off Argo road. I believe it used to be a motorcycle trail that a bunch of MBers turned into a pretty sweet trail run. I think its over 28 miles long zig zag thru hills and rock formations. AND ITS HOME TO A MOUNTAIN LION!

Understood, but it is a misuse of statistics. The majority of the 300 million do not live near or around mountain lions, and mountain lion populations have been on the increase, so historical stats may not be totally applicable.

to scare off a mountain lion you need to make it think that he/she is the prey and you are the predator. Bsktball55 has the right idea with using your bike to make yourself seem larger. make a lot of noise and act like you want to eat the lion. if the lion thinks you might eat him/her, then you'll be safe. or you can buy some mountain lion repellent.

Don't worry about it. It will probably be more scared of you than you will be of it. Or it will hear you long before you ever come near it and it will either take off or hide from you. But if you do come into contact with it, make yourself as big as possible. Get off your bike and hold it above your head. If it does leap at you, you should be able to bring the bike between you and it as it leaps or even throw your bike it at. Shout at it and make as much noise as possible.

Or your other option is to quit riding all together. Nothing we do can be guaranteed 100% safe.

--Tom

hehe that just sounds funny.

What you might want to do is ride in a group. Your far less likely to get attacked if your in a group.

I dont know if any of you heard but a lady got attacked by a ML a few months ago in California. Not sure were exactly but I believe it was south cali. luckly 2 guys were hiking nearby and started throwing rocks and stones at the ML till it ran off. She was riding alone.

yeah, I would definately ride in groups when there are things like that lurking around. Chances are slim that you will even come near it while you're riding, and even slimmer chances of being attacked, but still I would ride in groups for some added security, even if it was just to ease my mind.

check out my pitbull thread. Small can 'o mace. I think there's enough people with guns running around.

Carry pepper spray or mace. If you hit him in the eyes you might have a chance.

Don't ride alone and, even more important, don't be the slowest in the group!

You don't need to be a "predator". You just shouldn't act like prey.

Unlike the previous posters suggestion, I don't think keeping a bike in between you and the lion will help. They're ambush predators. You'll never see them until it's too late. If they allow you to see them, they're not hunting.

I heard an interesting story about rangers in India. They were getting picked off by tigers. Well somebody figured out that tigers never attack when they see eyes since they are ambush predators. So they tried wearing a mask on the back of their heads. The tigers stayed away. You might try affixing some silly mask to the back of your helmet to maintain "eye contact".

My other suggestion would be biking with a decent sized dog. The dog wouldn't win an all out fight with a lion. But the presence of another large predator is enough to keep a predator from attacking in the first place. Predators only choose prey that won't injure them.

If a lion is hunting, you'll never see it coming. Your best chance with mace is wearing it around your neck so the lion will bite into the canister ;-)

that from an article in a very recent TIME magazine about big cats. very good article.

I guess if i am meant to be chow for a ML, other than stop riding i have no options. If i ride up on it most likely it will run away. But if its stalking me, there are enough tall grass and bluffs beside the trail that i wont see him/her coming. My friend and i discussed having the conservation department come down and find out if its female or male. 2 reasons for this. One is that if its female, i dont want to ride up on its cubs in the spring. Two is i dont want to ride up on a horny male during mating season. Very territorial creatures i assume.

I am gonna have to go with run and scream like an red headed step child. Really how many options do you have its not like you are really gonna scare it. Then again I could be wrong...

Also,

I have read that if you throw rocks at it and of course as everyone in here has suggested, make yourself look big, then you are good to go. I think the best, although it sounds freaking stupid, is to just throw big rocks at it. Try to inflict some pain, and it will be intimidated and leave. And for the most part, they are more afraid of you.

Here is the easiest tip to not be eaten: If you see deer or stuff that a carnivore the size of a ML could live off of, then you should NEVER EVER EVER ride there alone!! I ride alone around hundreds of California Rattle Snakes, but I have a Cell Phone, and I could make it to a hospital on time more than likely.....

Use your head, not your fists...


Matt