Everything You Need to Know About Cougars: Part 4

Welcome to the fourth and final installment of our series of blogs about Cougars! Today, we will be sharing important safety tips to help you survive an encounter with a Cougar. We will also be sharing advice on how to keep your children safe from Cougars. Whether you’re a hiker, a camper, a parent, or a caregiver, there is important information awaiting you in this post. Let’s dive in!

What to do if you Encounter a Cougar

While your odds of encountering a Cougar are low, it is worth knowing what to do in the event that you find yourself face-to-face with one. If you cross paths with a Cougar, the best outcome is for the Cougar to quickly retreat from you, and this what they will most likely do since Cougars don’t really want anything to do with you. The actions you take can either help or hinder a Cougar’s ability get away from you.

If you cross paths with a Cougar, here are the important safety tips you will need to come away from the encounter in one piece (1).

• If you have small children with you, pick them up immediately.
• Don’t run. Running may trigger a Cougar to attack as their instinct is to chase prey.
• Face the Cougar. Talk to it firmly while backing away slowly.
• Always leave the Cougar with an escape route.
• Try to appear larger than the Cougar. If a rock or stump is available, step up onto it. If you’re wearing a jacket, hold it open to increase your apparent size.
• If you’re in a group, stand shoulder-to-shoulder. This will make you look more intimidating.
• Don’t take your eyes off of the Cougar.
• Don’t turn your back on the Cougar.
• Don’t crouch down or otherwise try to hide from the Cougar.
• Don’t approach the Cougar. This advice is especially important if it is near a kill or has kittens.
• Don’t offer the Cougar any food.

If the Cougar shows signs of aggression, such as hissing, tail twitching, baring teeth, or crouching with its ears back, wave your arms and throw anything that you have at your disposal at it. The objective here is to convince the Cougar that you are a potential danger and not prey (1).

If the Cougar attacks, fight back. Be aggressive and, if at all possible, try to stay on your feet (1). Cougar attacks have been successfully ended by people who have fought back with a wide array of objects, including shovels, backpacks, clothing, and even bare hands (we wouldn’t recommend using your bare hands unless they are the only option you have available). The more aggressive you are, the more likely the Cougar will realize that you aren’t worth it and flee.

Cougars, Hikers, and Campers
Hikers and campers are more likely than the average person to have encounters with Cougars because they are outside for extended periods of time. To reduce your chance of having a close encounter with a Cougar while hiking or camping, here are some steps you can take (1).

• Hike in groups.
• Make enough noise to prevent surprising a Cougar. General conversation, whistles, and bells can all serve as enough of a warning for Cougars to hear you coming and get out of your way.
• Avoid hiking after dark.
• Keep small children close to the group, ideally in plain sight ahead of you.
• Don’t approach dead animals, especially partially recovered or recently killed elk or deer.
• Be aware of your surroundings. This advice, while applicable at all times, is especially important when sitting, crouching, lying down, or when in densely covered areas. Look for partially covered droppings, scratch posts, and tracks.
• Keep a clean camp. Reduce odors that might attract small mammals, which, in turn, could attract cougars. Store food and garbage in double plastic bags. Where available, use provided garbage cans and recycling bins to dispose of rubbish.

Cougars and Children

If you have children, there are some extra steps that you may need to take to help keep them safe from a potential encounter with a Cougar (1).

• Teach children what to do if they encounter a Cougar.
• Supervise children when they are playing outdoors when possible. If supervision is not possible, encourage them to play in groups.
• Prune shrubs and trees that are located around their outdoor play areas up several feet. This will prevent Cougars from being able to approach from behind them.
• Keep a radio playing when children are outside. Noise normally deters Cougars, and radios provide a constant stream of noise from talk, and advertising when playing.
• Build a fence around areas where children play.
• Keep children inside at night.
• If there have been Cougar sightings in your neighborhood, escort children to the bus stop in the morning, especially if they have to be picked up before dawn.
• Clear away shrubs from around the bus stop to create a 30-foot radius of open space. You will need to check with your city or county before doing this, as permits may be required.
• Have a light installed at the bus stop. This will likely require you to work with the city or county officials in your area, especially if a permanent streetlight is desired.
• If you have a dog, they can serve as an early-warning system to children. Dogs are able to hear, see, and smell Cougars long before we can due to their heightened senses. While dogs are not a complete deterrent to Cougars, they can be a good distraction, and keep Cougars are attacking humans.
  
  

Conclusion

This brings us to the end of our multipart blog series about Cougars. We hope you have found it informative and enjoyable. Thanks for reading!

Reference

1. https://wdfw.wa.gov/species-habitats/species/puma-concolor#conflict

© Ian D. Caldwell, May 2023