8 things to do if you encounter a mountain lion
Knowing what to do if you encounter a mountain lion while recreating in Montana is essential. Here are eight tips from Montana Fish Wildlife & Parks.
1. Do not approach a lion
Most mountain lions will try to avoid a confrontation with people. Officials suggest that giving them a way to escape is the best way to avoid any further interaction.
2. Do not run from a lion
Running is the last thing any outdoors enthusiast should do if they encounter a mountain lion out in the wild. Fleeing my stimulate the animal's instinct to chase prey.
Instead, officials suggest standing and facing the animal directly. Do not turn your back away or make eye contact with it. If there is a small child around, slowly pick them up without bending over or turning away from the animal.
3. Do not crouch down or bend over
Squatting or bending over makes a person look a lot like a four-legged animal, or as a mountain lion sees it — prey. If you see one out in the wild, avoid crouching or bending over.
4. Appear larger
The idea is to intimidate the mountain lion. Convince it that you are not prey and that you may be a danger to it.
Raise your arms. Throw stones, branches or whatever you can reach without turning your back or crouching. Wave your arms slowly above you.
6. Teach others how to behave
The other people around you may not know how to act if you encounter a mountain lion in the wild. It is important to go over what to do if you encounter a mountain lion with the people you recreate with.
If one person runs, that may initiate an attack.
8. Defend other people
If you need to defend other people, be aggressive and follow the above tactics.
A fourth mountain lion sighting in the Omaha area was confirmed by the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission on Thursday.
The 2024 mountain lion hunting season in Nebraska’s Niobrara Unit closed Sunday when a 6-year-old collared female lion was short north of Long Pine.
Recent snow in the Pine Ridge area made it favorable for hunters to track animals. Three mountain lions were shot this week, ending the season in Nebraska.
A mountain lion and two cubs have been spotted in Beaver City in Furnas County, according to Sheriff Doug Brown.
Colin Croft, a Wildcat Hills homeowner, is among those opposed. “I think (Game & Parks') view on a lot of species is, if it can be hunted, it should be.”
Nebraska Game and Parks Commission agrees to step up the agency’s mountain lion control efforts, including starting a third regional hunting area in Scotts Bluff County and the central Panhandle.
