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Archery Hunter Kills Mountain Lion in Self-Defense
AmmoLand ^ | November 29, 2023 | Dean Weingarten

Posted on 12/05/2023 5:08:53 AM PST by marktwain

On November 11, at about 3:45 in the afternoon, Ben Karash shot a mountain lion that was stalking him in Buffalo County, Wisconsin. Karash was belted into his tree stand, hunting deer.  He saw the lion coming closer from about 40 yards out. He shouted. He waved his arms. The lion knew he was there. The lion knew he was not a deer. The lion kept moving closer.

Have you ever watched a house cat stalk a bird? Mountain lions stalk their prey in a similar fashion.

I was able to talk to Tom Bilski, the District Attorney of Buffalo County. Tom was wonderfully open and transparent about what had happened. In recent years, people have thought the purpose of a prosecutor is to prosecute crimes. No. The purpose of a prosecutor is to see justice done. It is equally important to decide not to prosecute people as it is to prosecute them.

Tom said the local game warden, representing the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) asked him if he wished to prosecute the hunter who shot the lion. The local game warden, Bob Jumbeck, had investigated the incident after Ben Karasch called it in on the DNR hotline.

Karash had seen the big cat stalking him. It had come closer and closer, no matter what he did. He was in a vulnerable position, strapped to the tree, on his tree stand, with limited movement. As the cat neared the base of the tree, he drew his bow and fired an arrow into the upper body of the cat. The distance was later measured at 13 yards from him. Tom Bilsky stated he was told the arrow passed completely through the body of the mountain lion, which was measured at 128 lbs.  The mountain lion ran about 120 yards after being shot

(Excerpt) Read more at ammoland.com ...


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KEYWORDS: banglist; cougar; defense; wi
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To: Freedom4UsAll
Ordinarily the big cats, there isn’t much time to react. They attack from behind, in ambush. It kind of looks like juveniles, who are inexperienced can cause trouble. And elderly, who decide they need easier prey.

Maybe that is correct, for traditional prey they are used to hunting.

I have not seen any numbers which confirm it.
A few humans have been killed by mountain lions. Many more have stopped mountain lion attacks because they saw the cat stalking them, and killed or fought off the cat.

It appears to me, mountain lions are not used to attacking and killing people. Therefore, they approach people more cautiously, and are often discovered as they approach.

21 posted on 12/05/2023 6:51:01 AM PST by marktwain
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To: marktwain

There have been mountain lions in that area quite some time. We saw evidence of a large cat back in the early 90s in Vernon County, not far south of Buffalo County.

I contacted the local DNR office and reported it. The guy on the phone asked me to keep it to myself for some reason but did say he knew about it.

L


22 posted on 12/05/2023 6:57:16 AM PST by Lurker ( Peaceful coexistence with the Left is not possible. Stop pretending that it is. )
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To: marktwain

They are big cats, but they are still cats! I believe a large backpack helps, and oftentimes hikers are in groups. Formidable in size.

Now compare that with a small stature jogger. Running. Running away from the cat. Something kicks in, and there’s no stopping them. I would bet my house solo hikers are routinely stalked, but nothing ever usually transpires. They are secretive.

Have you ever got the heebie jeebies while out hiking alone? That feeling someone (or something) is watching? Humans have well developed senses that we are not fully conscious of, or vice versa or something.

I almost stepped on a HUGE desert rattler one time along the Colorado river basin. Their camouflage is superb. It never moved, never rattled. I saw it before I recognized it, the dirt and foliage melted into a recognizeable, muscular shape of diamond pattern coloration.

“Interesting” how the human brain is wired to instinctively fear snakes. I think it is genetically passed on somehow, it isn’t learned behavior I could tell that.

Now I will say the old fellow wasn’t botherin’ anybody. He (she?) didn’t attack me or go out of its way. I was happy to give it a wide berth and continue on my way. This is why, most likely, some of the founding fathers wanted the Rattlesnake as a national emblem.

“Don’t tread on me” indeed!


23 posted on 12/05/2023 7:12:35 AM PST by Freedom4US
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To: marktwain

I’m partial to big cats, which are in far fewer supply than human hunters. The alternative to self-defense is that the archer opportunistically killed a mountain lion that wandered past the tree stand set up in the forest for the purpose of bravely raining down death from above. Is there evidence for that? About as much for either scenario (none), with the victim being dead and all. The prosecutor can’t prosecute without proof or a confession, and hunters vote while mountain lions don’t, so yes, he has common sense.


24 posted on 12/05/2023 7:23:46 AM PST by Chewbarkah
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To: Freedom4US
Now compare that with a small stature jogger. Running. Running away from the cat. Something kicks in, and there’s no stopping them. I would bet my house solo hikers are routinely stalked, but nothing ever usually transpires. They are secretive.

Running away probably activates a running prey instinct. I believe you are correct.

I suspect the same for bicyclists.

They are much more fragile than bears. It doesn't take much to fight one off.

25 posted on 12/05/2023 7:30:34 AM PST by marktwain
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To: Uncle Miltie

I carry a Ruger Super Blackhawk... 8” barrel....
I only need the 6 I have...


26 posted on 12/05/2023 7:38:28 AM PST by joe fonebone (And the people said NO! The End)
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Comment #27 Removed by Moderator

To: ping jockey

Years ago I read that Fred Bear, bow hunter, always carried a .44 magnum hidden under his jacket “just in case”.

He once, on camera, shot a huge bear, with a bow and arrow, it turned on him. He grabbed for his hidden revolver when one of the cameramen yelled not to do it as the bear was a real trophy and shooting it would mean it was no longer a bow and arrow trophy. The bear bled out and died before it could get to BEAR.


28 posted on 12/05/2023 7:52:54 AM PST by Ruy Dias de Bivar
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To: Ikeon

It’s plenty healthy at 128 pounds.


29 posted on 12/05/2023 7:55:03 AM PST by gundog (It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen. )
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To: Ruy Dias de Bivar

Fred Bear - Ted Nugent
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j8lXR1XdUCg


30 posted on 12/05/2023 7:55:14 AM PST by dfwgator (Endut! Hoch Hech!)
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To: T-Bird45
From the West Virginia DNR website FAQ page:

Can a hunter who possesses a concealed weapons permit carry a concealed weapon while hunting? Individuals who possess a valid concealed carrying permit may carry a concealed handgun while hunting for the purposes of self defense only.

I expect that shooting a mountain lion (when obviously bow-hunting for deer) would be considered self defense.

31 posted on 12/05/2023 8:04:12 AM PST by NorthMountain (... the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed)
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To: Chewbarkah
for the purpose of bravely raining down death from above,

You just ruined your credibility.

32 posted on 12/05/2023 8:06:46 AM PST by NorthMountain (... the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed)
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To: Freedom4US
In some hunting jurisdictions, it is not permissible to carry a handgun when bowhunting.

Oregon was once that way. It was tossed because it was the result of a decision by Oregon Dept. of Fish and Wildlife rule-making, rather than legislative action, violating a pre-emption clause.

I can sort of (if you squint) see the reasoning....

Me, too, and it smacks of prior restraint. Mountain lions are somewhat less of a threat to bowhunters, locally, than are bears. Hunters using cow and calf calls to attract bulls are fairly often stalked by bears, and having time to get a defendive shot with a bow can be problematic.

33 posted on 12/05/2023 8:06:47 AM PST by gundog (It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen. )
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To: Graybeard58; ping jockey
Bow Hunter should have had a defensive sidearm

~~ He did just fine with his bow. A side arm would not have killed the cat any deader.

If the cat would have not been mortally wounded it might have climbed the tree and grabbed his leg.

Maybe not enough time or room to restring an arrow. Sidearm would be good.

34 posted on 12/05/2023 8:06:59 AM PST by TangoLimaSierra (⭐⭐To the Left, The Truth is Right Wing Violence⭐⭐)
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To: Chewbarkah
The prosecutor can’t prosecute without proof or a confession, and hunters vote while mountain lions don’t, so yes, he has common sense.

You know who else votes? Green-haired bunny-huggers that never leave mom’s basement. What they know about hunting they learn from tear-jerking, PETA-paid-for ads to ban hunting of.predators outright, or with the use of dogs.

35 posted on 12/05/2023 8:11:09 AM PST by gundog (It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen. )
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To: ping jockey

Yes, seriously he should have had a side arm.


36 posted on 12/05/2023 8:12:27 AM PST by Georgia Girl 2 (The only purpose of a pistol is to fight your way back to the rifle you should never have dropped)
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To: joe fonebone

In griz country I carry a Ruger Blackhawk Flattop in .357 Magnum loaded with Buffalo Bore hard cast in a chest holster. That round is measured to go through 4.5 feet of muscle and bone before stopping.

So, for me, what I carry depends on my likely predator set. :-)

But the Blackhawk is sweet.


37 posted on 12/05/2023 8:22:59 AM PST by Uncle Miltie (islam is a totalitarian death cult founded by a child rapist.)
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To: T-Bird45
Check out this website and scroll down a ways to a couple postings from "Iron Duck"

https://forums.bowhunting.com/threads/carrying-a-sidearm-during-archery-hunting-seasons.100427/

"Here is an answer from Mr. Erdman of the ODWC (Oklahoma state game agency) regarding handgun carry during archery seasons: "Yes, you can carry a pistol for personal defense only. It can not be used in the hunt in any way. If hunting on any federally owned lands check with them first. If you have any other questions please let me know. Thank you."

38 posted on 12/05/2023 8:29:43 AM PST by Hot Tabasco (This Is The Way)
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To: montag813
Kim Bauer got out of it without a gun.

That's only because the cat suddenly realized her father was Jack Bauer...

The only other person that could strike fear into the heart of a mountain lion is Chuck Norris...

39 posted on 12/05/2023 8:34:49 AM PST by Hot Tabasco (This Is The Way)
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To: Chewbarkah
The prosecutor can’t prosecute without proof

The proof was the dead cat. Had the prosecutor been a liberal, non hunter, he could have easily prosecuted the hunter for killing it.

40 posted on 12/05/2023 9:00:33 AM PST by Hot Tabasco (This Is The Way)
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