Hunting season has officially begun, and many people are out looking to get their first tag of the season. Hunting can be a long process and can often lead to getting down on yourself and depressed when you spend hours or days hunting but have nothing to show for it. While going hours or days without seeing any kind of potential tag can be frustrating and disappointing, seeing nothing beats the alternative that one hunter in Idaho recently experienced.

Man Charged by Mountain Lion in Idaho

A man that was recently hunting elk in Eastern Idaho, found himself in a situation that none of us hope to ever be in, especially when hunting alone. In the video above, you can see that a man, John Erickson, was being stalked by a mountain lion, and was able to catch it all on tape. The mountain lion's ears are pinned back and it is in a pouncing formation, showing that it is aggressive and prepared to attack. Luckily, for Erickson, he pulled out his phone to record, but besides his phone, he held a .40 caliber Glock 27 in his other hand. He yelled at the animal, and after so long fired a warning shot. While the shot scared the mountain lion, it wasn't enough to stop the pursuit. He fired a second shot, which finally made the mountain lion eventually give up.

How to Handle a Charging Mountain Lion

Credit: JohnPitcher
Credit: JohnPitcher
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Erickson handled the situation exactly how someone should. He recognized the signs of aggression, such as the ears pinned back, the movements of the mountain lion, and it being in a pounce position. He gave it a warning yell and then fired a warning shot. Had the mountain lion rushed him, he would have had every right to then fire to kill or injure, because at that point it would have been self-defense. Thank goodness it didn't come to that, as he fired a second warning shot, and the mountain lion called off its pursuit. The worst thing he could have done at this moment would have been to run away or just sit still. He walked away, made loud noises, and having the Glock helped too. If you find yourself in this situation, make sure to make loud noises, stay calm, and slowly walk away. At the end of the video, you can hear a big sigh of relief, and watching it through the first time, we could all let one go as well to see that things ended well.

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Speculation is that the mountain lion in the video was either protecting a kill or had babies to protect. They are not known to be that aggressive and they will rarely pursue somebody in that fashion unless they feel threatened or are protecting something. As you head out to hunt this season, be aware of your surroundings and be prepared for anything as best as you can. Hopefully, this is a one-time occurrence this hunting season, but if you do find yourself in this situation, hopefully, you have the same results as John did. Be careful, be safe, and happy hunting. 

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