What to do if a Mountain Lion is Stalking You

Last updated on April 14th, 2021 at 05:27 pm

If you are being stalked by a mountain lion the situation should be treated with the utmost seriousness. Mountain lions, also referred to as cougars and pumas, are efficient predators that can be a real threat to your life if you meet face to face.

While encounters with a mountain lion are unlikely, it is important to understand what to do just-in-case you find yourself being followed by one of these majestic predators.

Here is the short version of this post: If a mountain lion is stalking you:

Stop running / don’t run away
Appear larger than you are
Don’t crouch down
Make eye contact
Speak firmly and calmly
Throw things
Fight if there is an attack

While the list above provides a quick rundown on the steps to take if being stalked by a giant cat, we strongly encourage you to get the additional details and tips by reading through the rest of this post; it could really help you out of a jam.

When do Mountain Lions Hunt?

Before we get into what should be done if a mountain lion is stalking you, it is worth stating that mountain lions are nocturnal creatures, meaning they will be less likely to encounter you if you’re on the trails during daylight hours. Mountain lions hunt in the dark.

Mountain Lion Roaming at Night — Mountain Lion Caught by National Park Service Surveillance Camera

If you know you are going to be in a mountain lion habitat, do your best to tackle those trails during the day. This will increase the odds that the animals you want to avoid will be sleeping. Working around their schedule is the first step to avoiding a run-in with a lion.

Sometimes, it isn’t possible to avoid what waits in the woods.

Mountain Lions Attacking Trail Runners

While mountain lion attacks are rare, in early February 2019, a 31-year-old trail runner named Travis Kauffman was running in the Horsetooth Mountain Open Space near Fort Collins, Colorado. During his run, Kauffman heard something behind him and turned around to see a male, adolescent, 40-pound mountain lion. With no accessible weapons of defense, and the mountain lion attacking, Travis Kauffman was in an immediate fight for his life. The animal bit Kauffman’s face and wrist, but he was able to fight back in self-defense.

Kauffman eventually overcame the mountain lion by suffocating it and then got himself to a hospital. This was an unfortunate circumstance of a young animal acting on its predatory instincts, perhaps in desperation, and the incredible survival instincts of an athlete with no resources other than his bare hands. In all reality, Kauffman was likely lucky the lion was younger and smaller than average.

How Rare Are Mountain Lion Attacks

It is worth stating that circumstances like the one described above are very rare. In the past 100 years, there have been fewer than 100 mountain lion attacks. Incidents between humans and other predatory animals are equally as rare, and the risk of falling victim to a predator should not prevent us from enjoying the beauty and serenity that nature provides. While a potential confrontation is always a risk in this unpredictable world, the odds are so minuscule that you shouldn’t let it stop your exploration of our national and state park systems.

Being able to walk, hike, camp, and even go trail running through our protected state and national parks is a gift we must not take for granted. Americans are taking this stance to heart, as our national parks have never been more popular than they are today. And with the attendance increases at our parks, we can’t neglect that the likelihood of animal encounters will rise.

With more people exploring the trails, it is possible that we may cross paths with animals that have to deal with ever-shrinking territories and food sources.

The best thing to do before entering their habitat is to learn how to avoid them and what to do if there is an encounter.

When a Mountain Lion is Following You

When a mountain lion is stalking you there are a number of steps that can be taken to ward off the animal. Reacting to being stalked is what the rest of this post will focus on. While we will focus on what to do in this scenario, it needs to be stated that avoidance is the first goal. Since avoidance is often out of our hands, it is wise to have a backup plan. Below are a number of suggested steps to take when being stalked by a mountain lion.

1. Stop Running

If you are in the middle of a run when you spot a mountain lion, stop.

If you see a mountain lion and become scared, do NOT run.

When thinking about nature, and the way the animal kingdom works, running is what prey does. If a cougar believes you to be prey it becomes an odd self-fulfilling prophecy. Do not act like prey when you see a mountain lion or a cougar. They can run at 30 to 40 mph speeds, so even the fastest human runner can’t outrun a Mountain Lion.

Instead, stay as calm as you can, stop running, and back away slowly.

2. Make Eye Contact

Once you’ve gotten past the first startle of seeing the lion it is time to let the lion know you see it.

It is important to remember that mountain lions are nocturnal ambush attackers. They are used to hiding in the brush, and waiting to pounce on their prey. They are not used to hunting humans, and certainly, are not used to their prey seeing an attack coming.

Don’t avert your gaze, let the mountain lion know you see it, and that you are not afraid of it. Staring the mountain lion down may help send the signal that you are not to be hunted.

While holding eye contact and remaining calm it is time to change the way you look.

3. Appear Larger than You Are

If you are being stalked by a mountain lion you are currently perceived as prey, and one of the deterrents you can implement is making yourself look like a large formidable opponent to the mountain lion. Remember, healthy cougars don’t hunt other predators.

Make yourself bigger than you are. Make yourself formidable.

Become larger than yourself in any way you can. If you have a coat unzip it, and spread it from side to side on your back. Stand tall and open your arms up.

If you are not wearing a coat, you can also use objects to expand your perceived size. If there is a branch, or if you happened to be on a bike, you can lift those items and begin waving them in the air to use them as a tool to look larger than you actually are.

It is imperative, however, that you do not bend over or turn your back to pick these items up.

4. Don’t Crouch Down

As mentioned above, don’t crouch down.

Don’t make yourself look smaller, and don’t allow the mountain lion to believe you are an easy target. Remember, if you are being stalked you are being hunted as prey, and prey is typically weak, small, slow, and without defenses.

Whether swinging a branch or expanding your jacket, you are simply trying to present your largest strongest self to the mountain lion. Show that you are strong.

You are trying to make the cat think you will be a fight, that you are it’s equal.

5. Use your Voice and Talk Firmly

In addition to changing your stance or appearance, you should begin to speak to the mountain lion in a firm calm voice.

You must remain calm when speaking; don’t yell or sound like you are panicking. Yelling and appearing frightened may provoke a reaction attack from the mountain lion. To avoid this be sure to talk firmly and authoritatively without yelling. The brief video below confirms that part of handling a mountain lion confrontation is being loud:

Continue to back away slowly while talking authoritatively, and holding eye contact.

Remember, prey is silent, and usually wouldn’t even know what hit it when being attacked. You are not prey, and you see the mountain lion.

Speaking firmly while backing away will possibly signal to the mountain lion that you are not its typical prey, and hopefully will signal that you are more trouble than you are worth.

6. Throw Things

If remaining calm, backing away slowly, holding eye contact, getting larger, and speaking firmly aren’t convincing the mountain lion to turn away you will need to be ready to fight back however necessary to survive.

If the lion continues to threaten, appears to be readying itself for an attack, or if it doesn’t look as though it will leave, begin to throw anything you can get your hands on directly at it. Rocks would be a good object to throw, but don’t make yourself too small or lose focus on the lion if you need to pick them up off of the ground.

Don’t be afraid to use unexpected personal items as a form of defense. If you have objects of personal effect, throw them. If you have a water bottle, a cell phone, a wallet, or even shoes might come in handy. Throw what you can to make your presence felt.

When you are in a situation that requires you to decide what to throw remember that survival is all that matters. Throwing shoes or a cell phone may end up being the last resort. Remember, these are replaceable items.

Focus on survival.

7. Surviving a Cougar Attack

Let’s say that throwing things doesn’t work in deterring the mountain lion from attacking. It is now past the point of worrying what to do if a mountain lion is stalking. You are past that. You are now about to square off with a quick and deadly predator in its own habitat.

If you have anything else on your body, or that you found on the nearby ground that can help you, take it in hand and ready yourself for a fight. A ballpoint pen, a sharp pencil, a pocket razor blade, or anything else you think can help ward off the cougar.

Remember, mountain lions have an average weight between 120 lb and 140 lb, which means they won’t necessarily be able to overpower you strictly with their weight. While they are quick and have tools to kill, it is not impossible to fight a mountain lion long enough to convince it that you aren’t worth the trouble.

We need to stand our ground and focus on defense even if being dealt with pain. Remember, you are fighting something with claws and teeth, you will likely get hurt in some manner.

Remain on two feet if you can, fight in any manner you can, and try to get the mountain lion to second guess its decision to take you on.

Power in Numbers

It is not always possible to run or hike with others, but when venturing out into the thickets of nature it is one of the best things you can do to remain safe.

Remember, most predators don’t pick difficult fights; run with a friend or group of friends, and you will already be magnitudes safer.

Final Considerations

Whenever we venture onto a trail we enter habitats that are more the creatures living there than our own. In this sense, we need to be aware of the best ways to avoid run-ins. If we do experience an encounter we need to be knowledgeable on the best ways to stay safe.

Mountain lion attacks are extremely rare. Having a better understanding of how to stay out of the “prey category” will provide a bank of knowledge if the time ever comes where a mountain lion is stalking you.

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Photo credit: Tambako The Jaguar (https://www.flickr.com/photos/tambako/) Attribution-NoDerivs 2.0 Generic (CC BY-ND 2.0)

Photo credit: National Park Service (https://www.flickr.com/photos/santamonicamtns/) Public Domain Mark 1.0