Cougar Kills Mountain Biker, Injures Another In Washington State
BY Herschel Smith4 years, 5 months ago
A cougar appeared to be stalking two cyclists as they biked over the weekend in the Cascade Mountains near Seattle. Suddenly, the animal charged, a survivor of the animal’s attack that killed one told authorities.
The man said he hit the cougar in the head with his mountain bike, and the animal ran into the woods. But as he and the other cyclist were catching their breath and getting back on their bicycles, the animal returned and fastened its mouth on the survivor’s head, crunching down, shaking the cyclist side to side like prey, King County Sheriff’s Sgt. Ryan Abbott said Sunday, describing the man’s account.
The cyclist managed to get loose when the cougar decided to chase his friend, who was running away, according to Abbott.
[ … ]
When the cougar released him, Sederbaum jumped back on his mountain bike to get away. As he looked back, he saw the cougar dragging Brooks into the woods, Abbott said.
He rode 2 miles for cellphone reception to call 911, according to KOMO.
When sheriff’s deputies located Brooks, the cougar was standing on top of the cyclist’s body, Abbott said. Brooks had been “dragged a short distance to where the animal partially buried the body under a log,” Myers said.
First of all, what a pussy. He saw someone being dragged away to be killed by the cat and literally hopped on his bike to get away.
Folks, every man dies. It matters how you live, and it matters how you die. Turning someone over to a beast because you’re afraid is not a manly thing to do, because man is made in God’s image.
Second, you’d better carry a large bore handgun in the bush, boy. Don’t ever do something like that again – either failing to carry means of self defense, or leaving someone in distress.
On May 21, 2020 at 11:51 pm, Observer said:
That happened 2 years ago.
On May 22, 2020 at 2:17 am, Georgiaboy61 said:
Herschel, you speak the truth about being armed when in the wild. Sometimes, the need extends to places which aren’t visibly dangerous, too. Allow me to explain…
Years ago, as a young graduate student in biochemistry, I had a TA for lab who was a doctoral student in chemistry. Nice young guy, maybe mid-late twenties in age, physically fit, liked hiking and biking. Went away for summer break and came back to a different TA. Turns out the previous one had been out jogging in a remote rural area over the summer and had been attacked and killed by a pit bull. The unfortunate young man had been mauled, became unconscious due to loss of blood, and bled to death before help could arrive.
Having some sort of weapon on him might have tilted the odds in the victim’s favor. If not a firearm, then a substantial knife of some kind, might have been enough to discourage the aggressive dog from attacking, or perhaps ending its attack prematurely. Even a stout staff or walking stick would have been better than nothing.
Folks, the two-legged variety of predators are not the only kind about which you ought to worry. The four-legged kind can be dangerous, very dangerous, as well.
On May 22, 2020 at 6:18 am, Fred said:
Mountain lions don’t charge. Many large mammals charge more often than not as a bluff, a show of dominance to clear you out of an area or keep you away from others of it’s herd. If a mountain lion is coming at you; that’s a strike. Lions are lone hunters and therefore very cautious of getting hurt. They don’t bluff. They ambush and strike. Smart cat, good target selection. Stupid people acting as dumb herd animals do. Even if unarmed they were so poorly equipped, physically and emotionally, that the cat thought it wise to chase off the one and come back to finish the other. These were male adults? Pathetic.
On May 22, 2020 at 7:05 am, Angela Cooper said:
https://www.cnn.com/2018/05/20/us/washington-cougar-attack-leaves-mountain-biker-dead/index.html
” The King County Sheriff’s Office initially said the two cyclists were men. The sheriff’s office then on Monday identified Brooks as a woman, using a birth name — Sonja J. Brooks — at the request of the cyclist’s parents. Brooks went by the pronoun they, according to a bio on the website of the cycling group Friends on Bikes, where Brooks is listed as the Seattle chapter leader. The group’s efforts are focused on women of color and trans- and gender-nonconforming people of color in an attempt to increase diversity in cycling. “
On May 22, 2020 at 7:10 am, Angela Cooper said:
Actually , both bikers ran away and left the other in the jaws of the puma .
The second one got away with it .
On May 22, 2020 at 7:41 am, Mark Matis said:
That is why a .22 pistol is the perfect gun to carry in the wilderness when you are traveling with someone. Remember – you don’t need to outrun the bear. You only need to be able to outrun your partner!!!
On May 22, 2020 at 7:55 am, George 1 said:
I have been convinced for quite sometime that the courage of the average man in the USA has been dropping for a while now. There is evidence for this everywhere, from the article above to a lot of the bad police shootings. For another example, the cop who shot his own partner in the back after hearing a dog bark. The dog was in a cage. That cop was afraid of his own shadow.
Western values to include men’s courage is just not ingrained or considered as important as it used to be. I am sure a big part of the issue is feminist training in the public schools. Like IQ in the western world, courage is dropping with every generation.
On May 22, 2020 at 8:17 am, Ron Milliken said:
George 1
It’s the lack of good westerns being produced!
There’s no Duke, no Clint, no Lee Van Cleef.
There’s only super heroes with super powers straight out of a comic book.
<sarc offf
On May 22, 2020 at 8:41 am, Scott in Phx said:
Goodness! BOTH of the riders attempted to flee when the other was attacked.
On May 22, 2020 at 9:09 am, John said:
The actions reveal the man; or in this case, the useless coward.
On May 22, 2020 at 9:17 am, revjen45 said:
The pussification of America continues apace.
On May 22, 2020 at 8:14 pm, Jeffersonian said:
And yet, less than a year ago, an EIGHT-YEAR OLD BOY punched a mountain lion IN THE FACE:
https://www.wbir.com/article/news/local/8-year-old-bailey-mountain-lion-attack-victim-speaks-out-interview/73-db8b5f02-86fd-4a1b-b097-397b4935a7af
That _thing_ that ran away is going to have to live with itself for the rest of its life.
On May 22, 2020 at 11:21 pm, Georgiaboy61 said:
@ Fred
Re: “Lions are lone hunters and therefore very cautious of getting hurt. They don’t bluff. They ambush and strike.”
Yes, precisely. Mountain lions are usually reclusive when there are a lot of humans around. In southern Arizona, where I have family, they are fairly common in the wild, but seldom come down from the mountains to the more-populous areas. When they do, it is often due to drought and/or famine up high. If you see one down near Tucson, it will usually be just before dawn or at twilight.
Carrying a weapon in mountain lion country is wise, but it is no guarantee of protection against the species.
Mountain lions are stealth hunters, who prefer to silently stalk prey and attack from ambush. They are phenomenal jumpers, capable of leaping more than twenty feet; they often will allow prospective prey to walk by, and then leap upon it from behind, going hard for the throat.
Many hikers and others attacked had no warning until the big cat was on them. A large bore handgun is probably quicker to get into action against a mountain lion,and easier to maneuver for a shot considering it may be very close to you or on top of you.
Hikers wearing packs have survived due to their good fortune of having it on. The mountain lion jumps onto the hiker’s back and tears into the pack, not realizing for a few moments that it isn’t edible. Enough time for the intended prey to take action to save himself.
Another means by which one can increase the odds is to have a dog or dogs on the trail. Dogs are noisy-enough that they often scare away mountain lions, who – unless on the verge of starvation – prefer a clean kill and to avoid confrontation. And because of their phenomenal scenting ability, the dogs will detect the intruder long before any human.
And in the event that the lion does attack, your odds are better if you and your dogs out-number the cat.
On May 23, 2020 at 2:18 pm, Fred said:
@GB cats go into hyper-awareness when they strike. I can’t find a specific name for it but it’s a combo of, I imagine; fight or flight adrenaline, tunnel vision, and target fixation. It can happen to people when in a fight for the life. There is probably a forensic or physiology/psychology word for it about man. Anyway, if attacked by a cat shoot your weapon at anything that you’re willing destroy even if means missing or missing on purpose. Especially the sound of a large a bore weapon up close may be just enough to snap the animal out of this state giving it pause enough for you to mount a viable defense. The point being, don’t wait until you have a shot if it’s on you.
On May 23, 2020 at 6:02 pm, Ned2 said:
“That is why a .22 pistol is the perfect gun to carry in the wilderness when you are traveling with someone”
Um, NO NO NO!!!
A .22 is worthless against predators that will kill you. You might get a good shot at a dog and scare it away, but you’re not going to scare away a lion, bear, coyote or wolf with a .22.
You’ll just piss it off. And if it’s coming for you, you need to put it down.