I run the risk of wearing this story out so I'll make it brief.

I fish where there is one of, if not THE largest cougar populations in the state. Twice now I've seen cougar tracks in my previous days footsteps, once in my hours old footsteps.

Its pretty scary, especially if you've ever seen what a 150 pound cat can do to say, a calf elk. To me though, not as scary as what my fellow men are capable of.

I've said it before and it does bear repeating...................how many times has there been a recorded case of a man fighting off a cougar with a gun? None........not one.
Never.

A cat would likely strike before you had the chance to even put the gun in your hand.


With all due respect to those that do carry, its my opinion that a gun's primary purpose on the riverbank is to assuage the fear of its owner. By having their fears allayed they feel protected but are they really?

....and cupo-

The mere fact that we have the right doesn't mean we should constantly excercise it in every situation, right?

I mean, we all have the right to free speech........but even I've learned that there is a time and place to excercise it freely as well as a time and place for restraint.

In all the wilderness fishing I've done, including much in the backcountry of the olympics and cascades the only time I've ever wished I had a gun was while I was standing at Blue Creek ten years ago and that drunk yokel reached under his vest and cocked his hammer at me for 'losing his fish'.

IMO, its a sign of mental weakness. Kind of like needing a bodyguard.