1. DO NOT TAKE YOUR PETS!
In Big Bend National Park, there is an estimated population of some two dozen mountain lions. Despite this and signs prohibiting people from walking their pets along the trails, I have often seen people walking their dogs along the Lost Mine Trail. Not smart. Lost Mine is right next to Pine Canyon, a known mountain lion favored habitat, and a place where several encounters with mountain lions have occurred. Taking your pet along the trails or leaving them outdoors in your camp exposes THEM and YOU to mountain lion attack. While the lion may run from a large, barking dog chasing it, it will not run from one it is stalking. Small dogs offer no protection except as bait. In Big Bend, I call a "PET" stands for: "Panther Entree To-go". Keep that in mind when you're deciding to take the dog (or cat) along or leave it in a kennel. If you
take
your pet and it is attacked, do not defend it!
2. HIKE WITH SOMEONE! NEVER LET CHILDREN HIKE WITHOUT AN ADULT!
(OK, I break this rule all the time. I do understand the risk I am taking, and I walk with a walking stick, not only because I'm not graceful in the outdoors but to give me something to fend an animal off with.) Hiking with someone, even when we're talking about adults, makes a mountain lion much less likely to attack and increases individual odds of survivale if it does. There two of you to scare off the cat, and a second person stands a good chance of beating the cat off the person being mauled. The more people there are, the more noise they can make, the more rocks they can throw, the more confused they can make the situation for the cat.
Never let children hike without an adult! Children are especially at risk because of their size and their instinct to run when threatened. Most mountain lion attacks occur against children under 16. If you are with children and a lion approaches, gather them toward you , PICK THEM UP. AND PUT THEM ON YOUR SHOULDERS IF YOU CAN DO SO WITHOUT BENDING DOWN! MAKE YOURSELF LOOK BIGGER! HOWEVER, LARGER KIDS SHOULD NOT PICK UP SMALLER KIDS IF THERE IS A CHANCE THEY'LL FALL DOWN!
3. PICK UP A ROCK, STICK, OR ANYTHING ELSE YOU CAN USE AS A WEAPON BEFORE HIKING IN MOUNTAIN LION TERRITORY. I routinely hike with a walking stick and often pick up a good size stone and put it in my pocket before hitting the mountain trails of Big Bend. If you feel like you need a weapon, make sure you get it before you hike into the mountain lion's lair. People have fought off cats using sticks, rocks, jackets, caps, pocket knives, and cameras.
4. IF YOU ENCOUNTER A CAT, MAINTAIN EYE CONTACT WITH IT. Even if the cat shows little or no interest in you, keep your eyes on the cat until it is gone. The cat will take eye contact as a challenge, and keeping your eyes on it will ensure you know where it is and keep you facing the cat. (It likes to attack from the rear.) NOTE: This WILL NOT work with a bear!
5. MAKE YOURSELF BIGGER! DO NOT BEND, SQUAT, OR LIE DOWN even if the reason for doing so is to grab a weapon. If you are sitting or squatting when you see the cat, STAND UP! There is no guarantee that being big will disinterest a cat; but the cats generally like to attack smaller prey. Carrying out an attack on big prey entails more risk. If the cat is having doubts about attacking, showing it you're bigger than it first thought might dissuade it. Raising your arms over your head or waving jackets, etc., might be one way to do this.
6. THROW ROCKS! THROW STICKS! HIT IT! YELL! SCREAM! MAKE NOISE! In short, FIGHT BACK! Unlike some other animals, mountain lions attack to people eat them and for no other purpose. (Notice I said "attack". Mountain lions will defend themselves.) If it's after you, it thinks you are food. FIGHT BACK! Most mountain lion attacks on people DO NOT result in death. If you see a cat and it is moving toward you, especially if it is trying to sneak around you and its ears are laid back or it is within 50 yards, BE AGGRESSIVE! Your best chance of escaping injury is to convince it you're a threat before it attacks. However, if the cat is NOT moving toward you or is exhibiting no active interest in you, let it move on. (Most of the time, this will be the case; and you can count yourself lucky you saw one of these magnificent animals.)
7. DO NOT RUN! Running will only trigger the cat's instinct to chase you and convince it you are prey!