It’s a horrible process but it works really well. You can use your legs as leverage and hands to grab the lion’s throat to keep it from biting. Since tigers like to attack from behind (as do mountain lions) and the target was usually the neck, one of the more effective defenses was for the woodcutters to wear cheap Halloween masks on the backs of their heads. Cuts both ways. It required two axe blows. I have spotted a mountain lion in my yard many times. A women in Northern California fended off an attack with a ballpoint pen. Hunting parties go back later, with dogs, and execute the animal if it’s still around. I do get offers but I turn them down. No, you’d likely bleed out in the process. amzn_assoc_default_category = "All"; We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. Some found tools like rocks, or had something useful with them like a pocket knife, but small weapons don’t have much effect on lions. In cases where people have wrestled cougars, about half the time people lose. A man who managed to fight off a mountain lion using a pocketknife has described his relief that he was not seriously injured during the encounter. All original material on this site is the sole property of the author and cannot be reproduced in any form without his express permission. A mountain lion was killed after it attacked a man inside a park in Colorado earlier this month. wikiHow is a “wiki,” similar to Wikipedia, which means that many of our articles are co-written by multiple authors. Big Bend mountain lion attacks boy, 6 A 6-year-old boy was attacked by a mountain lion while walking near the lodge at Chisos Basin in Big Bend And running will nearly always trigger an attack. If the mountain lion still isn’t deterred, throw rocks at it. If you ever run into a mountain lion, yell at it forcefully while backing away slowly. Good weapons, ready at hand, prevent most fights. Richard Marriott survived an attack by a mountain lion Saturday night near Kremmling, CO fighting back by stabbing the animal with a pocket knife and throwing rocks at it, … wikiHow is where trusted research and expert knowledge come together. According to the wildlife officials, the cougar pounced and scratched the man's legs. I’ve always felt that I didn’t finish the topic sufficiently since I steered clear of what to do if you’re actually in a fight with a mountain lion. Make yourself look bigger by waving your arms and picking up nearby small children. Botttom is the lion killer. Build it as high as you wish Keep in mind, though, that mountain lions can jump 15 feet from standing and 40 feet running, so the best option is for the fence to be angled outwards because cats usually get deterred from something that is past that 90 degree angle. Some people armed with pocket knives tried to cut the lion’s jugular vein and were not successful. If you are carrying a backpack, you’re pretty safe, the neck is protected. Probably the reason right-handed people dominate the population is that when you face an opponent of any species, their heart is on your right. That’s what you need if you want to kill something. Man uses pocketknife to fight off mountain lion. A good knife does well up close. That was the lady with the bread knife, twelve inches long. wikiHow marks an article as reader-approved once it receives enough positive feedback. Works on large animals as well as small ones, even easier on large animals because the target is bigger. If he does not already carry a firearm then he should. Others have faced off a lion that’s just testing the waters, but failed to intimidate them. Get something solid, and learn to poke instead of swing. Mountain lions—also known as cougars, pumas, catamounts, or Florida panthers—have razor sharp claws, can weigh over 200 pounds, and can run at speeds of up to 50 mph. With a trail spear or a staff in your hands, and a good knife on your belt, don’t yell and flail about. amzn_assoc_linkid = "aa7b8e5d408049bfc161effde59fe787"; If that’s your choice, I respect that. I felt that those people willing to fight would probably be prepared to fight and those who wouldn’t, won’t want to. This function has been disabled for The Marked Tree. Against a mountain lion you’ll need at least a six-inch blade if you know what you’re doing and you’re strong. Read: Caught On Camera: Rare Footage of Grizzly Bears Fighting On Northern Canadian Highway. With this in mind, you can look at the people in North America who have disappeared in the woods and hmm, there’s a pattern there. Will a fence work to protect our residence? All good options. Usually, when he hunts he has his pistol with him. Detecting the Mountain Lion's Presence Before an Attack Look out for tracks. Avoid trying to agitate it further, such as by hitting weakly or touching the lion. Left-handed people, you poor bastards . Honestly for a Mountain Lion a human does not have a good chance when it comes down to human w/ knife vs mountain lion, but I do recommend he has a knife in case he would be knocked to the ground or a last resort. The man told Colorado Parks and Wildlife officials that he was attacked about 9 p.m. on Aug. 10. Credit: Courtesy Photo. Playing dead often satisfies a grizzly bear, which then wanders off to its regular business. The muscles above that vein are tough and most people today don’t carry sharp knives. amzn_assoc_placement = "adunit0"; That worked every time, because Jake knew his business. "It's like a forest guide, telling us how to take certain precautions to save our lives. Not even the top strongmen in the world could “beat up” an adult cougar unarmed. I wrote a part of that about “Defense Against Mountain Lions.” I can’t link to it here because that site is gone now. Defending Yourself from an Aggressive Mountain Lion, {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/d\/da\/Fend-off-a-Mountain-Lion-Step-1-Version-2.jpg\/v4-460px-Fend-off-a-Mountain-Lion-Step-1-Version-2.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/d\/da\/Fend-off-a-Mountain-Lion-Step-1-Version-2.jpg\/aid821412-v4-728px-Fend-off-a-Mountain-Lion-Step-1-Version-2.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":"728","bigHeight":"546","licensing":"