Gee, at first I thought Rich G. started the thread ------naw, he doesn't fish the 'Sky'.

My son is a 'bio' and was attending a seminar in Missoula a few years ago.. During the lunch break he decided to check out a nearby mtn. for deer 'sheds'...(early spring) So at some point he looks up and here is Mr. Cougar checking him out at 30 feet --- so he picked up a dead pine tree limb, and as Mr. C twitched his tail and crouched my son slammed the limb on the ground and yelled, only to hav e the limb 'bust' into many pieces!!!!!! Son retreated and cat didn't follow---------My question to son was ---"Where the hell was the Glock I gave you??" (In the truck!!!!!)
Don't kids ever listen to their Dads (he was 30 yrs)??

True story.......

Don't carry a gun for cougars. Carry one for tweakers.
"Carrying a gun is not comfortable, it is comforting."

People ARE attacked and killed by cougar. In an area I fish a person has been killed at the rate of one per year (not all that remote a place either - in fact, one person was killed very near town). I do not carry a gun, but I can tell you that are many times when I wish I did and probably should when I am out fishing, especially in remote areas. How can you fault a guy for legally protecting himself from cougars? In fact, they do stalk people....

About three years ago I was hiking through the woods on a narrow trail to go steelheading. It was still dark. Something let me walk right up on it and then it tore out of there. To me it seemed almost waist high but I never saw it. My first thought was Cougar. Hiking back out that spot had the remains of a seagull ripped to shreads and blood and feathers everywhere on bushes, etc. Maybe it was a Coyote but it seemed bigger than that.

Question for those of you who "pack" while fishing.

As I undrstand you "need" the firearm for safety (a bear or cat might get you).

Do you always wear a life-jacket while wading and/or boating?

Do you always use your seat belt even if just moving just a mile down the road to the next hole?

Do you always scout rapids or blind corners on the river before floating down?

If you don't answer yes to these questions (and others like them) then I think safety may not be your primary concern for "packing". Having fished local rivers for decades and had encounters with a number of cats/bears the few times I have been in life threatening situations have been from careless wading, inattentive boating and driving to and from the river. Sharing my rivers with wildlife (whether bears or eagles) is an important part of my fishing.

Something to think about.

Tight lines
Smalma

I've never ran across a cougar and I don't want to either.

I have had a few encounters with cats!!I live in cat country, we used to elk around all the time until a couple years after the hound ban.We have had them kill a cow elk on our driveway.Also my neighbor had one eat her cat on her stacked firewood next to the house.The game dept came around and told everyone to walk with there kid to the bus stopand how to react if you encounter one.I have a 150lb tom cat on my wall that thought I was a deer!!!!

Smalma,
I carry my pistol all the time because I can. I am licensed. I generally fish with my wife or kids so it is my job to protect them. I am more concerned about 2 legged predators than 4. If you dont think bad things happen to innocent people tune into the news, read the paper, watch cops etc.... Im wondering why you would care?
Mike

I usually see 2-3 cats a year, but never had one come at me. This year during bowseason my partner had a cat at less that 30 yards but couldn't get a clear shot. He was freaked out bad.
I guess if seattle hadn't got rid of hound hunting we wouldn't be seeing so many cougars.

Saw one in the blue creek parking lot 2 years ago. Also saw some turkey in the small field right before you make the turn into the hatchery.

i know theres one that hangs out up by reiter.

TTT

I have fished the upper Hoko for many years and have been stalked numerous times. Being from seattle just a city boy i would hike through the woods by myself at the crack of dawn. I am only 5ft. 7' 150#,and dont make much noise going through the brush. I like to be on the river before it is light and would get close to the river and go into stealth mode as to not spook any fish. 2 years ago doing this same thing i was at the rivers edge bent down to get my gear in order and about 15ft away I hear a huge splash and commotion it was a cougar that had leaped off a tree limb on to a fish that was milling around in real shallow water. I have never been so scared in my life. I have seeen so many cat tracks on the Hoko, Physt,Sekiu, it is alarming to me that they are so abundant in that area. I now carry a side arm each time I go and I do not do the stealth thing anymore, and am in no hurry to get to the river in the morning.

The side arm would probably do you more good in Seattle.

http://tchester.org/sgm/lists/lion_attacks_nonca.html
http://tchester.org/sgm/lists/lion_attacks.html

Ynotfsih
I was not questioning whether you can or even should carry a gun but rather pointing out that in terms of threats to you cougars and bears are not very high on the list.
For additional information refer to WDFW's web site. Included is informationon what to do if you encounter either animal.

http://www.wa.gov/wdfw/wlm/game/cougar/cougar.htm

http://www.wa.gov/wdfw/wlm/game/blkbear/blkbear.htm

There it is reported that In Wshington since 1924 there has been 1 fatal and 4 non-fatal cougar atttacks and for bears 1 fatal and 3 non-fatal.

Bottom line as we stand on the river with a graphite rod in hand we are more likely to be struck by the "proverbial bolt of lightning".

Tight lines
Smalma

Not to freak anyone out here, but I went glo-balling down by BLue creek on the Cow the other night (Wednesday), and crossed paths with a cat. It was pretty dark, so I had a hard time distinguishing if it was a cougar or bobcat, but it was large enough to freak me out a bit...

Good to hear some common sense finally. It reminds me of an article I read a few years ago (when the North Cascades N.P. was under consideration as a grizzly bear recovery area). The author pointed out that, since 1900, there had only been 17 people killed by grizzlies in North America and, to put it in perspective, that more people than that had been killed in one recent year when soft-drink vending machines fell over on top of them. He did add the caveat "of course, a soft-drink machine doesn't rip your tent open and drag you out screaming".

Is the abundance of cougar in washington state a result of the ban on hound hunting? Seems like more and more cats are being sited and have less fear of man.

My wife and I camped at a sandbar on the edge of the Bogey last summer. All night I kept waking up because after we set up camp I walked along the river to scout around and saw fresh cat tracks all up and down the shore right where we had set up. Next morning we found that a cat had entered camp and sniffed around during the night, his tracks were all over. Did a walk around our tent too. Scary.