while fishing the sul duc yesterday a I spooked a big couger It damn near gave me a heart attack!! What size pistol do you guys think I should be packing

It all depends on what position he plays


Cowlitzfisherman

Baitcaster,

Putting a Cougar down does not require a .44 mag, but you want to have anough to stop them. 9mm or .357 should do the trick just fine.
Most important is that it is one you can shoot accurately under pressure!

I would strongly suggest not shooting the critter unless he offers you no other option, unless you want the meat/hide for your home.

Season closes on Mar. 15 ('04), so be sure you have a cougar tag in your possession; if not, you'll be explaining to the GW why you had to shoot the animal. If the critter is just watching you, get some distance between the two of you and make lots of noise in the process. Make him/her think you are HUGE (waving arms, etc.). A cougar is less prone to attack if he thinks he might lose the fight.

Don't try for head-shots...place a couple rounds right behind the front leg, low into the body cavity. That's where the heart is, and it generally offers a much better target...even if you miss the heart the lungs are right there with it. Shoulder shots, with enough gun, can knock them down long enough for a finishing shot...but you can also wind up with a wounded animal in the brush....and an irritated GW that has to go get it.

Want to avoid cougar's? Take a decent sized dog along with you...cougars are much less likely to approach any kind of canine....

(especially Huskies....:-)

Mike

Frankly, unless you need to kill it, any caliber (even 22) will probably do, as the noise alone will likely drive it off...they are not normally very confrontational, preferring instead to attack from behind, hence the "look big" advice.
While I think a 22 is a waste of money and would elect to carry something more substantial if I'm going to pack, you may choose to give some serious thought to a hammerless pistol so as not to get the hammer hung up in your clothes or fanny pack. Remember the concealed weapons permit if you are going to pack and be familiar where you can and where you can't.
Watch, now you'll be prepared and never see another cougar for the rest of your fishing years....

Since they took the ability to hunt with hounds away there has been an increasing amount of contact between humans and the big cats. As the Cougar population increases they are widening their foraging range to include rural populated areas.
On the I-fish board web mistress Jenny had a run in with a cougar yesterday on the Trask. By her post she's still pretty shook up about it.
Packing heat is an option but carrying another 4 pounds, and having to carry it in the open (unless you have a concealed permit) in the rain equals more clean up work when you get home. The upside would be that it would tend to discourage the idiots on the river bank from crowding you out of the spot that you're in.

9mm and .38 are a wast of money, (have been known to bounce off of curved glass) and ushually takes multiple leathal area shots to kill a person. I would go with a revolver cant beat a .357 mag for knock down and penetration. 44 mag would do it too. If you want an auto .45 ACP was made to kill people 230 grain slow moving bulltet that has been proven one shot killer for a hundred years.

The reason I say revolver is it is the most dependable under different conditions and experience levels. Not saying autos arnt also dependable but for someone who dosent shoot all the time the revolver is a simple and dependable way to go.

Too many cougars out there anyways if I saw one and was armed and was within range Id most likely kill it just to save a few deer and elk. I just wouldt say anything about it if I did.

When and if I pack, I dont want anyone to know I have a gun and likewise, I dont want to know if anyone else has a gun. Its not always a good thing to display what you have. It can make some people uneasy.

I don't mind it, and saw a guy on the peninsula carying a holstered pistol on one of his wader straps in plain sight while fishing earlier this year.
As we drifted by, I asked if it was for cougar protection, and he nodded yes.
I think that if someone was intoxicated, or had a foul dememor, than I'd be skeptical about fishing near by if I knew he had a loaded weapon. Just don't carry one into the olympic park boundries usless you could care less about the rules.
I had a cougar run-in banking it on the hoh above 101. I was nervous but I never felt really threatened. Hope to never ever be threatened by one since I don't carry a firearm fishing. Neat looking kitty kats though.
I guess you'll never know when your fishing in cougar country.
Personally, I'd fear drunken irate humans with firearms more than cougars in their own habitat. But responsable people, talking an extra precaution, within their rights is fine by this fisherman.

I perfer a 40S&W has high velocity and the weight to back it up. Revolvers are a geat choice but I am still partial to polymer frame auto's, I use a Sig 2340. You should also look at what bullet you are going to use. I carry Federal hydro shocks. Remington Rangers, Golden sabers are great too as are winchester silver tips.

A Ruger Sp101 357mag revolver!

Just an idea,,, don't forget about no guns in the Park. You could be the one being skined..

Guns are a hassle! A morbidly obese fishing partner with emphysema and bad knees would be my first choice.

Try a compressed air blow horn first and back it up with a 45.
45 are great people gun too as sometimes I feel more in dangered facing the 2 legged cats.

CedarR- My deaf and single elderly partner has one bad leg and smells like sandshrimp!

You have more to worry about driving to your zipper than you do from Cougars. Do you have a full roll cage and a nomex suit and helmut for the drive? Just don't act like a deer and run when you see one.

Cedar R..........

All you have to do is outrun your pard......

what the hell do you need a gun for? man up and just use your bare hands... fillet knife I GUESS.l

just do what Mike said up there and you'll be fine... If you'd REALLY like to get rid of that threat, help your fellow outdoorsmen rid ourselves of that hounds ban!

Curtis

Just a few added notes on guns while fishing.

.45 caliber is the way to go,Glock makes killer small .45's, and you DO NOT need a concealed permit to carry a gun while on a fishing/hunting trip, as long as it is not prohibited ....ie in a Nat. Park zone

Lastly, get to the gym and be able to run faster!!

This is a good topic and I'm glad it was started because this very thing has been on my mind more and more recently. I've owned many guns but never a handgun. I am now seriously considering buying one for cougar protection because about 75% of my fishing is via remote area bank fishing.......and I put on the miles!

Though I know some of the above posts are just kidding, this is a real issue and, I think, will become more of an issue over time.

Maybe it's just my own head games but as I go into remote areas, I find myself getting that "watched" feeling more and especially asking myself "if I had an encounter right now, how would I react and defend myself?" In many cases, I concluded that I would be at a decided disadvantage if not killed outright.......chilling thoughts.

I know I'm not going to quit fishing my spots but as I hear more tales of cougar encounters from friends and the media I think I will end up with some firearm before long.

Be aware and get educated on defense tactics.

P.S. I also agree with the above posts that say showing a firearm around humans usually causes more problems than it prevents. Keep it to predator defense or at the least, conceal it from humans.

I carry a .357 mag short barrel 5 shot. It will stop anything I will encounter, even a black bear. Although it wouldn't be my first choice for bears. But it will work in the off chance I would need it. So if you want to carry a revolver, I would recomend at least a .357 mag. If you prefer semi auto's then I would go with a .40 sw. It is almost the same as a .45 but holds more rounds. And then if you think you need bigger then go bigger. But under the defense issue the revolver is probably the more reliable way to go. That is just my opinion.
Buck