Cody, you had a close call on the water.
Well you can have some close calls on land also. I just chalk it up to crap happens.
This is how I got my nick name Cougar Jim. Maybe some will find it interesting. It has been published in several publications.
This happened at Aspen Lake. Not more than 2 miles from Klamath Lake as the crow flies.
I would like to tell you a true story that happened to me and it is how I got my nick name, Cougar Jim.
I live in Oregon where we still have some pretty good hunting, like Elk, Deer, Bear, and Cougar (Mountain Lion)
It was at a place I call my wild place, because it is so remote with lots of wild critters. I was looking for a good
location to put up my tree stand. Archery season for Elk and Deer would soon be open.
I parked my truck on an old gravel road and walked out in the woods about 50 to 75 yards. There was a nice green Meadow about 25 to 30 yards across and about 100 yards long. This is a good place for my stand I thought.
At that time I heard a Deer snort, like something spooked him, but something was wrong, I was down wind of the Deer and standing perfectly still. Just at that time I caught movement out of the corner of my eye.
I could not believe my eyes, on the other side of the meadow and a little to my left was a full grown male Cougar and he was staring straight at me.
I didn't know if I was to scared to move or couldn't move. I thought to myself, What in the SAM hill am I going to do now? or better yet what could I do? I have never seen a cougar in the wild but have read a lot about them and one thing I read was not to run. he is what spooked the Deer. He probably thought, I can't get the Deer, so I will take the fat boy. I didn't have any kind of weapon, hell I didn't even have a picture of a weapon on me. I read somewhere that if you shout and wave your arms, that makes you look bigger and would scare the cat off. I guess he didn't read the same book because he came toward me with his ears laid back and snarling. Then I remembered I had a sling shot in my back pocket. You know one of those wrist rockets with steel balls in the handle. Just press a spot on the handle and one of the steel balls will roll out in your hand. "Yea--right" I guess you know that went over like a bob sled on a dirt road. All the steel balls fell out on the ground except three and I had them in my hand. I loaded one of the steel balls and pulled back to full draw and let go. Smack, right in the chest. Can you imagine shooting an Elephant with a spit ball? That was about the same results. He just came closer and went down in a crouch, like he was going to spring on me. I started backing up slowly. Every time I would put some ground between us he would rise and come closer, then go back into a crouch. I looked desperately for a stick or rock but could not find anything to fend him off.
I was backing towards my truck. If I could get close enough, maybe I could beat him to my truck. I hit him two more times with the sling shot. He would jump but act more determined. When I got about ten yards from my truck I thought I could probably beat him now. Just as I turned to run, I heard the Cougar coming at full speed. At the same time a terrible thought entered my mind. I was coming up on the passenger side of my truck. Did I lock that door? If that door is locked I am cat food. Then I made the decision that I am convinced that saved my life. I did not take a chance on the door being locked or not. Instead I went for the other side. I went in front of my truck and when I made the sharp turn to get to the door, the Cougar was reaching for me. Because of his speed and momentum he could not make the sharp turn and slid all the way across the gravel road, leaving claw marks, trying to get back at me. I got in the truck with about a second to spare.
When I closed the door, he was sitting outside looking up at me. He had a look on his face like, oh well, you win some and you loose some.
When I finally calmed down I realized my hand was bleeding. Did he get me with those sharp claws? or did I jamb my hand in the door trying to get in so quick? I can not remember. I lowered the window about two inches because I had something to say to the little kitty. I said, and you can quote me. Waite right here you #%^(&@ and I will go home and get my gun and blow your @#$%^^* head off. I hunted that cat for three years but I haven't found him YET.
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