Hero Dog in Serious Condition After Saving Owner From Mountain Lion Attack
![Eva, the hero dog with her owner. [Image from Erin Wilson's GoFundMe]](https://kymkemp.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Capture.png)
Eva, the hero dog with her owner. [Image from Erin Wilson’s GoFundMe]
According to a GoFundMe by Erin Wilson, the dog’s owner, she was walking at the White Bar Picnic area beside Hwy 299 between Del Loma and Big Bar in Trinity County when a mountain lion attacked her. “It swiped at me, scratching my left shoulder,” she wrote. “I yelled out for help from my dog Eva. She was only a few yards ahead of me and attacked the lion.”
The cat did not retreat. “They battled for a few moments until i heard her cry,” Wilson wrote. “The cat had her by the left side of her head. For the next several minutes i tried everything i could to free her. Eventually i ran to my vehicle for a weapon and flagged down assistance from a kind woman named Sharon. Together we beat at the cat while yelling until my dog was let go.” (Sharon’s detailed story of fighting off the mountain lion is here.)
Wilson described a horrifying hourlong trip to get to the vet over rural roads. “[M]idway through Eva began convulsing for several minutes at a time,” Wilson said. “I didn’t think she’d make it… .”
The vet told Wilson that her beloved “hero dog” had “2 fractures to her skull, a puncture into the sinus cavity and severe swelling around her left eye, which is impeding her vision.”
Wilson reached out to the public for help saying, “My dog is my hero and i owe her my life” and within a few hours she had surpassed her goal of $7500.
Below is an Instagram post showing Eva recovering enough to eat some dog food from Wilson’s fingers.
View this post on Instagram
Meanwhile, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife issued information about their search for the mountain lion. They reported that Wilson “drove herself to receive medical treatment in Redding. Her injuries consist of bite wounds, scratches, bruises and abrasions, but are non-life threatening.”
In addition, CDFW reports, “Wildlife officers have interviewed the victim, the passerby, the veterinarian and the emergency medical physician, and have worked with each of them to collect appropriate samples for analysis.”
They state, “The samples were delivered to the CDFW Wildlife Forensics Laboratory in Sacramento and are being processed. Although DNA analysis from samples taken during the investigation are the most reliable way to conclusively prove an attack has occurred, initial evidence from the investigation is strong enough to allow wildlife officers to treat the investigation as a legitimate attack.”
In conclusion, they state, “Those in the area should be aware that CDFW’s Law Enforcement Division is working with allied agency partners to trap the offending mountain lion and will further evaluate the situation if it is caught.”
According to the National Park Service speaking about how to defend against mountain lions:
If the mountain lion moves in your direction or acts aggressively:
- Do all you can to appear intimidating.
- Attempt to appear larger by raising your arms and opening your jacket if you are wearing one. Wave your arms slowly and speak firmly in a loud voice.
- If looking bigger doesn’t scare the mountain lion off, without crouching or turning your back, start throwing stones, branches, or whatever you can reach in its direction (e.g., toward it, but not directly at it). Aim for the ground in front of it; don’t throw things directly at it just yet. Think of these as warning shots. You aren’t wanting to hit and unnecessarily injure the mountain lion, but you do want to show it that you can defend yourself and potentially injure it. And that will hopefully deter it from approaching any closer.With that said, your safety is of the utmost importance and the National Park Service won’t necessarily prosecute you for harassment of wildlife if something you throw at an aggressive mountain lion does make contact. Again, during the initial stages of a mountain lion encounter, the idea is to convince the mountain lion that you are not prey and that you may be a danger to it.One might ask: “How do I reach stones or branches without bending down?” If you are in a trailcut, you could get rocks to throw from the side of the trailcut. If you are in a wooded area, you might be able to find a loose branch within reach, or feel free to break branches off of trees or shrubs, if necessary. If you are with others, the shorter/smaller individuals could bend down close behind taller/bigger individuals (make it look as much as possible like you are all one big animal) and provide the taller/bigger individuals with rocks or sticks to throw. However, stones and branches may not always be readily within reach. But you will probably be carrying a backpack or fanny pack containing hard items that can be thrown, like water bottles, and you could retrieve those while remaining upright to use as projectiles. But don’t throw everything you have, though. You might want to hold on to one metallic or hard plastic water bottle in reserve to use as a club or as weight in your backpack or fanny pack, which can be swung at the cat if it gets close enough. So, most hikers will have some options, even if they can’t bend down to pick up rocks or sticks.
If the mountain lion continues to move in your direction:
- Start throwing things AT it. Again, your safety is more important than the mountain lion’s, so you should feel free to continue to escalate the level of hostility to intimidate and scare off the mountain lion. Initially during this stage, aim for its body as accurately as you can, but avoid aiming at its head. Aiming at its head could result in the cat being blinded in one eye, which could make it more dangerous to other hikers who later visit the park. Mountain lions are very dependent upon their sight—particularly depth perception—in order to successfully hunt their natural prey. Many of the relatively few attacks by mountain lions on humans in the USA are by individuals who are injured, stressed, and/or hungry. A hungry, stressed mountain lion with only one good eye, upon observing an abundance of slow, frequently inattentive* bipeds on park trails may attack one of us humans, hoping for an easy meal. (* Put your earbuds and smart phone away and enjoy the natural quiet while you hike.)
If the mountain lion attacks you:
- Fight back! A hiker in Southern California used a rock to fend off a mountain lion that was attacking his son. Others have fought back successfully with sticks, caps, jackets, garden tools, and their bare hands. Since a mountain lion usually tries to bite the head or neck, try to remain standing and face the attacking animal. Also, if you have a backpack, try to position it to serve as body armor or a shield.
Earlier: Women Fight Off Mountain Lion to Save Dog in Trinity County
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There’s a good dog! Erin having a handgun on her person would have been timely.
Odds are if she was carrying a handgun around all the time she would be far more likely to accidentally injure herself through her loved one than defend herself from a mountain lion or other attack.
What an idiot do yu ready think as a liberal would that if she is carrying she would know how to use it of coarse she would know before she would bring it along.
I’m pretty liberaletarian, and I’d have dropped the cat in a heartbeat and tossed the carcass into the woods. “As a liberal.” Got your imaginary lines all drawn, huh? GREAT dog. We had a pit defend the yard and get stitched up a few years ago. Cat got away.
Really? There are plenty of reports of people that do not know how to handle guns safely severely injuring themselves or others while carrying.
Really? There are MILLIONS of gun owners who injured no one today, yesterday, the day before that, all last week, the last 6 months…
If you really want to break the numbers down there chicken little, you are talking something like less than 0.000000001% of legal gun owners cause an injury daily.
Both she and her dog would have had a better chance of no injury had she had a gun, period. She MIGHT have injured herself or her dog with the gun, the cat was DEFINITELY going to see to it.
Why do city people move to Humboldt and demand we follow their rules? Answer, we don’t, liberals. U don’t like guns, move. You don’t like logging, move. In fact if you are from SoCal, export your butt back home and stay there, We do not want you here and will make your life very uncomfortable with loud guns, loud saws, and big old 4 by 4 diesel trucks which leave your Prius in a cloud of black exhaust. Bye bye.
I am surprised that you have you head so far up your asshole and can still type. Now that is smelly talent. I have lived in Humboldt for 70 years now and your pretty diesels will go up in smoke forever soon. My guns are just as loud as yours. And last time I checked, all of us can live where we want as long as we can afford it. Your just like a little baby bird, all mouth and asshole.
What in the world are you talking about? Are you saying we should be able to pollute and kill stuff up here as we see fit? NO.
what the hell is wrong with you people? this is NOT a political article. this is about a dog that saved his owner. dogs have no politics. if all you have to add is this bs, move on. i want to talk dog hero’s, not politics.
Power tools (including guns) and vehicles are not for idiots and children.
And why is that? A person with the presence of mind she possessed could easily use a firearm. Almost every woman I know shoots better than me and I shoot pretty damn good. And for the rest of you fucking idiots, I am a liberal.
WHat is the likelihood she would have killed the dog trying to kill the lion?
More so an old school Democrat than a Liberal I suspect…
If you’re going into the wild better a long gun than a hand gun. If shooting is too risky you use it as a bludgeon.
Thank you for the dog update!
Any update on the mountain lion?
Yeah..
Any update on the feline that is a part of nature that was here first.??
The disease that is the human race is in their yard not the other way around.
thanks for talking dog, not gun or the other bs.
Glad to see Eva is on the mend! She was saved just in time it looks like! This story shows you that a good dog is a life saver! The courage and fight for life in this story shows how close of a call this was! All involved were heroes! Having spent a lot of time in wild country and having had some good dogs I know exactly how lucky all were! My little dog, a border collie mix, is a great bear dog and has treed dozens of big bears, my other dog was as brave and fearless as they get and she was big and could take on most predators and also treed a lot of bears, never did see any lions close up. These alpha predators aren’t being managed very well by nature and will attack when hungry. They are a growing threat to people. I would suggest people in rural and remote areas be armed, take a class if need be for a ccw or take a hunter safety course, and know how to defend themselves at all times!
Relax Rambo. Not everyone needs to be carrying a weapon at all times to defend from an incredibly rare event.
You’re more likely to die from snakes, lightning, or a bee sting. Maybe I could defend myself from the bees with a 12 gauge auto!
Rising Tide is NOT playing Rambo! Carrying a weapon is an excellent idea. Take the CCW class and apply for your permit. Your comment sounds like you are anti-gun and have little knowledge of them, hence shooting bees with a 12 gauge.
How dense can you be? The shooting bees with a 12 gauge question was rhetorical and meant to highlight the absurdity of your position, as fatal beastings are far more common than mountain lion attacks.
You are the dense one my friend. I hope you never come in contact with a mountain lion that thinks you look as good as a Big Mac!
There have been 3 fatal mountain lion attacks in California recorded history.
3
And you think you need a gun “just in case”
The right are the biggest scaredy-cat snowflakes in the world.
I have had a couple encounters with mountain lions. I had a gun “just in case” and did not need to use it because those mountain lions did not give me a reason to. Still glad I had it.
I also carry first aid. I keep a fire extinguisher, blankets, recovery gear, and food in my vehicle. I wear a seatbelt.
I’m being prepared for my own safety and the safety of others, based on my own assessment of risk.
I don’t see a benefit to disparaging preparedness. If you don’t feel the need to do what I do, that’s no skin off my back. I’m not going to give you a hard time about your choices. I’d still help you out if I were in a position to do so.
Live and let live, no?
I’m fine with being prepared. I have plenty of firearms and believe it or not a first aid kit
I’m just tired of the constant opinion that “you should have had a gun” as a reaction to just about everything
If I got out of my car at a picnic area on 299 I’d probably leave my pistol inside while I walk my dog. A lion attack is incredibly rare
Yes! A lot of two legged creatures roaming around green plants that you may not see until you hear a gun shot. Both of those make my “just in case.”
Whole different conversation
What happens is they find another cause of death and attribute the lion’s meal to finding a person dead from diabetes or and over dose or exposure or old age or alcohol poisoning.
Anything besides a ” lion attack”.
A ” disapearance” is not called a lion attack.
An adult lion can trot at 19 mph. Supporting its kill diagonally across it’s frame.
So when you bring in. Search dogs, trained not to track animals only the person.
They won’t track the cat , carrying a admittedly smaller person.
In this case there should have been no reason they couldnt have brought in a hound pack and treed this cat rather promptly. …. California is against its citizens in every way it can.
California does not want you to keep your money. California does not want you to defend yourself. California is on the side of the criminals.
California does not like it when business is successfull.
Why bash an opposing comment with such vitriol? [edit]
No attacking each other. Stick with attacking ideas.
So many people need to have a gun to go for a cup of coffee these days; principally because of all the other nut cases running around armed to the teeth, Martin. It takes constant practice to maintain proficiency with a firearm, particularly with a handgun.
Now I realize humping around these mountains like you’re in a war zone seems perfectly normal, if not preferred; but to the rest of us you’re nothing but a hazard and an impediment to our peaceful enjoyment of both the forest and our homes.
As to shooting bees with a 12 gauge, that’s called.”sarcasm” and it takes actually intelligence to grasp such a concept.
You are talking to a gun owner who has been shooting and hunting for over sixty years my friend. I am afraid that you are the one lacking intelligence. I realize it is sarcasm, but it was not a bright comment. Walking in the mountains with a gun for protection or hunting has nothing to do with a war zone or your peaceful enjoyment of the hills. You mention homes, has someone shot are your house?
I have equal history with firearms. Does that qualify me to disagree with you?
Sure, if you would like to. It is called freedom of speech.
But you think your age gives you clout?
No, my age gives me years of experience handling and shooting all types of firearms. Enough said!
Cool then please stay in the city. Where people like you tend to congregate and agree on what is right and correct for rural people to do… Carrying a gun in an area you as a local know is mountain lion hunting ground is not anything like carrying a gun to go get coffee. How dare you simplify and insult another person’s choice to feel safe in their own neighborhood which you obviously know nothing about! What pretension and arrogance you display city-boy! I am very rural and I live where mountain lions are…I know because one took my neighbor’s old dog one day. I do not carry a gun but I am alert to the eternal danger. I’m not a big gun guy but I do have a couple for emergencies as I’m a 2 hour drive from police and an hour from the closest town. It’s called being self-reliant, something you city folks also would not know anything about yet you probably can criticize and whine about. My 80 pound dog is my companion and I am fairly large and in good shape. I know that the only time to really be concerned about a mountain lion is when you DON’T see them. They love to grab from the rear, get your neck in their mouth and drag you off. I guess if you had a handgun you could shoot behind and hope they drop you? If this small woman had a gun she could have used it but she had a great dog. Otherwise she would not be here today. That is real life, real nature. Another thing you city people don’t know much about…but I’m sure you have fully formed opinions and can whine about all day, telling everybody else what they should do
3 people have died from lions in California history. Calm down
Not excited. Just aware of my surroundings. Why do you feel a need to define then knock down people, Mr Straw Man?
Straw man? Lol
Very good Martin
I have a dozen firearms and have had a carry permit for 35 years.
You ammosexuals just think firearms are the answer to everything
Not everything as you say, just things that can cause you bodily harm or death!!! You say you have a dozen firearms, and you have the nerve to call me ammosexual. A carry permit for 35 years? Who gave you yours Marshall Dillon?
Humboldt County Sheriff. You?
Sheriff’s name please.
I don’t recall you saying you were from a city and what the hell anyway. My city friends are among the most knowledgeable gun owners that I know. I learn something new about weaponry every time we get together and there are a helluva lot more shooting ranges in most urban areas than there are here in the sticks.
What about the part about turning his vicious dogs loose on mother nature’s critters !
Do you applaud that ?
I was but I doubt he’d react well
Since it is illegal to hunt them Mtn lions have lost their fear of people. They should be hunted but will never be in CA again. When I was a kid they had fear of people and attacks were rare. The last 30 years attacks are more common in CA. I remember the old lady that saved her husband from an attack in fern canyon a few years ago. As you said, people should have the option to have a firearm for protection from all kinds of predetors in the woods both four and two legged.
You are soooo wrong.
Which studies are you quoting?
Dumbass no science?
Santa Cruz study with radio attached to a kill thar triggered recorded human voices to play once the lion started eating.
98% of the lions abandined the food. Meaning they didnt come back.
Sooo if they kill something and hear human voices they will abandin it. Then they have to use all that energy to kill again. Once tired and starving many animals will go after something they normally wouldnt just to stay alive.
Theres a simple solution.
Stay out of the forests.Ban humans from national forests and all the mining, logging and cyanide gas bombs all over the forest floors that kill most lion prey and sicjen lions.
Its your risk just like driving, theres always a chance of getting hurt.
We are the problem.
Everything else pays the price.
Go hug a tree
Nothing wrong with that
Loss of habitat is a major cause of the rise in attacks.
Nailed it! 👍🖖
That’s like saying hunger make people eat. A given. There is no place in most of North America that is not habitat for mountain lions- who live in the deserts, suburbs, plains,etc. The only places they aren’t is where they have been hunted out. Both species push territory to the limits of sustenance because they are at the top of the food chain.
The problem is who gets what space on what terms.
In addition to fires destroying habitat and the drought…
Very true, and it is getting worse as humans take up more land for homes leaving the animals with not many natural places to survive.
Based on actual data that’s been collected, outline attacks are not becoming more common.
What are “outline attacks” pray tell??? Just curious is all!!!
Spell check attacks…
Where did you get your mountain lion attack data, from a Cracker Jack’s box?
https://wildlife.ca.gov/Conservation/Mammals/Mountain-Lion/Attacks
https://www.wideopenspaces.com/fatal-mountain-lion-
attacks/#:~:text=%20Fatal%20Mountain%20Lion%20Attacks%20%281890-2017%29%20%201,-%20February%202%2C%201909%20-%20Balboa…%20More%20
Old material!
Last mountain lion attack was shown on government site in 2021.
the attack you are citing was in 2007. no firearms are allowed in Prairie Creek. idiots with guns would be a much greater threat than anything currently in our woods.
Firearms and allowed in State and National Parks if you have CCW.I have since moved to Oregon, but still have my Calif. CCW, but it is a major PIA to keep my CCW current in Calif. compared to Oregon where I renew by mail.
You can hunt lions in Calif. if you get a permit, which is rather easy to do.
I got two permits in 2014 and 15 for the Salmon Creek area.
Seriously crap? Boy did you ever pick an accurate handle. Statistically speaking, one is far more likely to be killed by a stray bullet than a mountain lion attack. In fact over 20,000 people died in the US at the hands of someone exercising their Second Amendment rights in 2021.
Now, before you start the typical anti gun/ ignoramus rant be sure you have a DD214 in your file cabinet to match mine.
It wasn’t Fern canyon it was the Lost man creek trail off 101 for that attack years ago. And the area of this latest attack was burned heavily in the fires of the last couple of years. Almost all the deer have left the burn areas for more forested slopes. This lion was reported to be thin with clouded over eyes. He could be old and starving, or could have poorly healed burn injuries and be starving…so It was along the river where maybe it could catch some food..
Carry a long umbrella with a sharpish tip and open it at them. Wear bells or sing, like many people do.
Their habitat is gone due to stupid humans actions, be it climate or fire or building too close and into their habitar.
This lion was probably starbing, esoecially considering the location.
Male lions use 70 square miles each as habitat. Millions of acres burned last year. Theres very little prey.
Deer hunting by humns has to end asap if we dont want attacks, they need food. We obviously dont considering the average weight of most humans.
Its our ignorance and lack of caring deeply and respecting othet species that caused this attack,not bad management.
If a species needs to be managed its humans,would you like to be first?
Why does the thought occur that someday only body parts and a torn umbrella will be found? It would be great to see a test of this rather impractical idea before accepting it. And bells only work when an animal wants to avoid people. Sometimes they don’t. (From experience with a bear at least.)
Nope’s comments are worth rereading. They’re spot on.
I 2nd the motion.
Un 40 years hiking and backpacking solo (often for weeks at a time) I’ve never had mountain lion encounter. Have had the hair stand up back of my neck couple times, something watching me no doubt, but that’s it. No need to pack a firearm, not “out there”, not in town. Maybe on your patch, but maybe re-think livelihood if your patch draws trouble or yer scared. Gun lobby, television, movies, some loser politicians, have sucked people in.
Lack of firearms is why the mountain lions are eating all the Canadians
@Rising Tide, agreed. In these situations the dog protects the person, and the firearm allows the person to protect the dog. The dog will fight to the death. Consider firearm carry to prevent that awful outcome. Posters claiming firearms are unnecessary due to how rare attacks are must have a problem with seatbelts.
They don’t use seatbelts!
Automobile accidents aren’t rare
Yeesh. Some people are so terrified of guns they jump right to slinging insults at those who aren’t.
Ain’t nothing wrong with responsible people protecting themselves and those around them with firearms.
It’s weird how the anti-gun folks tend to jump to insults. Maybe an armed society really is a polite society.
What the hell are you doing turning your dogs out to run animals in the woods.
You sound like a green rusher fucken up our mountains.
Go back to where you belong
Why tree all the bears? Got a phobia for wildlife? You seem to be the predator.
Some of us grew up rural with the country and our parents came from tough times living off the land and growing food and rasing livestock. Those days were an age ago, but it was common to grow up with a .22 rifle after a bb gun and then when you could afford it you bought some others and you learned to handle arms safely from a young age. There were a lot of WWII war vets who were around then to train kids and they helped out and made up your family back then. Now it’s best for some to learn by taking a class and going to the range. The old skills and ways are not out of date now! They are as important as ever. Not for everyone, but if you are in country full of predators it’s not a bad idea at all and might save your life!
makes sense
What a badass dog!!! But to send the cops after an apex predator for doing what they do is fucking ridiculous.. these are the chances we take on this planet, and calling the mtn lion and “offender” is some ripe bullshit.. very glad the woman and her dog survived, but this is nature and the wild mountains people . I think we have encroached on the lions home enough we don’t need to hunt it downm
It attacked a person at a picnic area. People stop there with their kids.
It needs to be put down before it kills someone.
Once they start going after humans, it’s best to just shoot them. The other 99% of mountain lions will continue to thrive.
Agreed. It’s unfortunate but true… And we should do the same to people
Would you feel the same if it attacked your child?
Traveling eastbound past White Bar Picnic area Monday evening and had to slow for two forest service vehicles pulled out with emergency lights flashing in the parking area. As we drove past, a large, skinny and very sickly looking mountain lion passed slowly in front of their parked trucks and immediately behind our vehicle as we passed. It slowly crossed the highway and made its way to the cut bank but did not spring up the bank and disappear away from cars and people as you would expect of a healthy cat. We rounded the highway bend and did not observe anything else, but discussed that a clearly unhealthy lion of that size which doesn’t care to run away from humans could be trouble. Probably should have been tagged as an eminent danger and signs posted or perhaps euthanized. Would be interested to know if what if any reports were made by the forest service folks. Best wishes for a speedy recovery to all.
I am so very thankful that brave Eva is going to be able to go home. I hope she will heal quickly and be herself again. Very useful information on what to do if you meet up with a mountain lion on the trail. But there have also been lion attacks on people after they have walked past the animal, and they are attacked from the rear. If you are hiking in known mountain lion areas try to go with another person and pay close attention to your surroundings, as the cats are very good at hiding. Carry a small club and/or a walking stick you can use as a weapon if needed.
Problem with alpha predators is that they often don’t have any type of population control and they over-populate an area, eat most of the deer, and then starve and that causes trouble and I’ve seen it. In this case the lion sounds like it was rabid or starved and went after the girl and would have likely meant a real life or death fight for her if her dog wasn’t there! Best defense against lions are dogs, big ones! Also a good idea to be prepared to defend yourself at any time in any rural area.
“Problem with alpha predators is that they often don’t have any type of population control and they over-populate an area…”
Agreed, us humans are approaching 8 Billion in number, we are everywhere, super-squeezing the habitat of other life forms.
Not a mention of the possibilities of rabies infection. That would be my #1 worry after the skirmish
I know the rabies shots should be administered soon as possible
Good for everyone making it out alive. Lion tastes decent, honey and rosemary.
I remember reading a story a few years ago (it was in 2007) about a woman in Humboldt who saved herself and husband from a mountain lion attack with nothing but a ball point pen as a weapon. When she first saw the cat it had her husband’s head in its jaws. Her determination and courage were the true weapons.
That may have been the attack up at Prairie Creek Redwoods.
That was an interesting event.. I think in that case there were 2 lions.
Pretty sure she later grabbed a stick and started wailing on the mountain lion, which caused it to release her spouse.
That was like 15 years ago, also it was binoculars not a ballpoint pen.
Sorry. It was a ball point pen to the eyes.
That was an elderly couple in Redwood Creek/Prairie Creek. The man was tying his shoes (i think) and his wife was a ways ahead. It jumped on him as he was bent over. She tried hitting it with a stick which did not work. He dug out a ball point pen and got it in the eyes and nose.
https://www.sfgate.com/science/article/Couple-s-lesson-in-survival-from-07-cougar-attack-3658073.php
More recently, a few backpackers/campers on Redwood creek were confronted by 2 juveniles. They made enough noise that another group of campers came to see what was happening and only then did the 2 cats leave.
It is almost always the juveniles (who are not yet skilled enough to kill larger game or do not yet know what you shouldn’t mess with) or the older ones (desperate to eat and can’t take down a deer) that attack people.
I read about RHBB as the source for the Chronicle story on this today. Good Job Kym 😁
Yup! Acknowledged by the big guys…
Wow! I just read on the GoFundMe page about a donation from the UK. Not only national but internationalnow.
When I was a kid the old timers, a few of them, had hounds and they were a prized possession and they were used to trail any predator that started to kill livestock or get too close to houses or schools. One old timer I knew, old Gus, told me when he went off to WWII he had to leave his hounds to another guy to take care of them and he was thinking and worrying about them the whole time he was gone, but when he came back luckily he was happy to find his hounds fat and well cared for and they helped feed half the town when most of the men went off to war! I’ve had to personally use a side arm to stop a bear charge before and a few well placed shots near the feet did the trick, had another time when a big old scar faced bear wanted the same and only fresh water spring for miles and again had to scare it off, so it’s not uncommon to have to use a side arm with predators out in the country and even snake shot for rattlers. This is why young people should be taught how to safely use a firearm. In the case of this lion, Fish and Game will have to trail it with hounds and find out what’s wrong with it.
If the NPS response to this pisses you off you should look at the ALICE training that is now standard for our teachers for an active shooter on campus. They’re advised if they cannot get away from the attacker to ‘combat’ the assailant with whatever large object they can find and try to take them to the ground. Wow, I wonder if we could equip our teachers with training and a tool that would make them much more successful in defending themselves and their students than just telling them to grab a large object nearby and hurl it at an armed persons head and then try to overtake them.
why does the USA have such a massive active shooter problem? i think we just hit 200 for the year starting January 1st.
Not enough people shooting back. The nutjob in Buffalo wrote that one of the reasons he chose that location was fewer CCWers capable of shooting back. That’s pretty telling.
I think we can deter these people by being responsibly prepared to stop them. If that doesn’t deter them, well then at least we’re prepared to stop them.
Source of the CCW claim? Genuine question. I’ve looked and can’t find it
Looks like the original document/manifesto has been removed from most websites.
Here’s some sites that contain excerpts and screen grabs:
https://www.longisland-ny.com/2022/05/16/manifesto-reveals-buffalo-suspect-counted-on-anti-gun-laws-to-let-him-kill-more-people-2/
https://reddit.com/r/Firearms/comments/uqbek8/a_page_from_the_manifesto_of_the_buffalo_mass/
https://concealednation.org/2022/05/buffalo-gunmans-manifesto-points-out-strict-ny-gun-laws-concealed-carriers-with-limited-rounds/
Kim your news story got picked up by everyone!!!! Go redheaded blackbelt! The OG!!!!!!!
A cat attacked my neighbors dog in Arcata, 93 stitches. He ran the cat off, Sunny Brae saved his dog. When I walked my pup in the forest (not Arcata, up Fickle Hill), 9mm with 16 rounds JHP and a Talon spear. Not to protect me- to protect the pup.
The spear is bit overkill for a public park
Good dog.
Dog is improving!…https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Mountain-lion-attacks-woman-and-dog-17180032.php
A gun against a mountain lion may just get you killed
Stop thinking guns are the answers. They so obviously are not. Seriously people guns are killing more and more people every day and yet everybody seems to think that having a gun is the answer. My god
I feel like I’m beating a dead horse here, but I’m going to try it anyway.
I think you mean well, but the “guns kill people” argument shifts blame for murder away from the murderer and onto the tool.
Guns are a very efficient tool for putting holes in things quickly, and they can be used for good and evil. The difference is the user, not the gun.
These women used a tire iron, pvc bow (per another article), and pepper spray against a mountain lion that had attacked a person and was attacking a dog. They were lucky the wind wasn’t blowing and the lion was alone, not rabid, and not bigger or healthier.
I’m glad they’re ok, and I hope the dog survives, but a firearm *and proper training to carry and use it responsibly* could’ve led to an even better outcome for all involved.
I guess the jist of my point is guns by themselves aren’t inherently bad. In the right hands they’re great equalizers that let people defend themselves and others from threats they otherwise might not be able to. In the wrong hands they can be used for terrible things, which kind of brings me back to my first point- maybe we need more of them in the right hands.
Lions are more stressed for food with the increasing population of bears due to the ban on use of dogs to hunt bears. This was studied well at Medocino Pass.
http://publish.illinois.edu/maxallen/files/2019/01/Allen-2015-MNF-Puma-Feeding-Ecology.pdf
Each year, CDFW does not meet its quota of 1,800 on bear harvest, so there are about 900 bears more than the previous year.
No wonder bears and lions are both more stressed and likely to become bothersome as their populations exceeds the capacity of the habitat.
It’s kind of disturbing that they needed to “verify” the attack before helping. Pitiful when one’s word is not taken.
All wild animals go through cycles of population explosion and elimination based on limitations of their food supply, that’s been true for thousands of years. The problem with predators being over-protected by people is that’s not nature and that predator population continues to expand without any controls and starvation leads to attacks on pets and people. Lions are a problem to people now more than ever and when they become too numerous or migrate into residential areas they are there to look for food like pets. They move in when they run out of food or are dispalced by other predators.They will start feeding on pets, livestock and will attack people. Bad policy with bears and lions is a real problem. People can’t change thousands of years of predators being predators by bans and not-controlling something that needs better management.
Your wrong. It is true that increases in food supplies will lead to increases in predators that prey on them. Currently there are an over abundance of deer in our area. Mostly does and therefore fawns. Large males have horns that Lions understand can cause attack problems. More food is the reason more mountain Lions have been sited. The natural progression is for predator numbers to increase until the balance of the food source begins to tip in the other direction. When the over population of predators i.e. Mountain Lions, begin to find it much more difficult to find their normal prey. There is an imbalance in the normal food sources. The Mountain Lion has no other options except attack food sources like farm animals, pets and people. A starving Mountain Lion has to eat. Think about starving humans. There have been stories of starving humans eating their leather boots and ever other humans. Mountain Lions have the same hunger. Male Mountain Lions have been documented eating their offspring. They will attack anything they sense is a meal. Even a person sitting at a picnic bench. Many of the over abundance of predators will move to where there are more wild animals, but a few will feed on farm animals or other food sources like pets and people. They become the problem for us. There is one exception. If an animal becomes sick or for some reason cannot take a normal food animal they will resort to attacking any critter or person just to kill something to eat. Over time the lack of food will equalize the balance and move in the other direction. And the cycle starts all over again.
Bear spray works the best. Buy the kind that sprays from up to 25 feet. A hand gun would work IF and only IF the person is skilled with accurately firing the weapon. Moving targets or a target fighting with a dog takes experienced accuracy. Bear spray would be the best defense. Frontiersman 8 ounce is the best. I used it when I was in Alaska and it worked on a charging Brown Bear. It definitely would work on a Mountain Lion. Most dogs will alert if they smell the scent of a Mountain lion. It’s always prudent to walk your dog on a wide perimeter and., carrying your bear spray at the ready, to check out your surroundings watching your dog’s posture and ears. They will know if there is an animal close by.
Good to read that there are so many wonderful animal lovers in our area. Most people don’t have pet insurance. Kudos to the donators. I bow to your kindness and generosity. And yes, I donated………..
What a good dog I’m glad the dogs getting better. Never go hiking without bear spray. It might save your life someday.
And never go hiking alone. Most predators will not attack two people, including the two legged ones.
Kym. The gofundme is closed. Any word on how the dog is doing?
[…] established a GoFundMe to cover vet bills. history was written by a reporter on a local blogthen picked up by the bee of sacrament. Donations soon began to pour in, far exceeding what Wilson […]
[…] set up a GoFundMe to cover the vet bills. The story was written up by a reporter on a local blog, then picked up by The Sacramento Bee. Soon donations started pouring in, far exceeding what Wilson […]
[…] in peace Eva the hero dog. Erin Wilson and her Belgian Malinois Eva were hiking in Northern California when a mountain lion charged at Wilson. Eva ran to […]
@mrbear
imagine wearing a seatbelt