Here, Kitty Kitty!

**Ken** · 09-26-2013, 10:19 PM

Colorado Hiker Encounters Mountain Lion, records instead of running as he stares death in face

"Cary Leppert, of Denver, was hiking with a friend and his Labradoodle, Tieg, on Sunday along Three Mile Creek Trail when the pet narrowly avoided an attack by the cougar. Instead of retreating, the fearless — and perhaps foolhardy — Leppert climbed a tree and filmed the beast."

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/colo-hiker-encounters-mountain-lion-records-stares-death-face-article-1.1468430

**Rick** · 09-26-2013, 11:23 PM

""If the mountain lion caught him, I would have run over there, and there would have been a big incident at that point."

Ummmm.....maybe not. Maybe the lion would have had dinner AND desert. This is why mankind has not over populated the planet yet. We're tryin' but we have all these Darwin Award wannabes.

"hold my dog I want to get some pictures?" Are we serious? That's like four chain saws and a wood chipper all running at once. What part did he think he could out fight?

But I notice he did climb a tree and apparently left his buddy and the dog on the ground. There's an "I got your back" moment.

**natertot** · 09-26-2013, 11:59 PM

I have this image in my mind of Tweety bird sayin " I tawt I taw a putty tat".........

**Old GI** · 09-27-2013, 08:31 AM

"... of Denver ..." That explains a lot!

**finallyME** · 09-27-2013, 09:29 AM

Reminds me of the guy in Alaska filming grizzly bears. He even got footage of the bear running at him.

**hunter63** · 09-27-2013, 11:44 AM

Originally Posted by finallyME

Reminds me of the guy in Alaska filming grizzly bears. He even got footage of the bear running at him.

.....What?..... from the recovered camera?

**pete lynch** · 09-27-2013, 12:01 PM

Originally Posted by Rick

""If the mountain lion caught him, I would have run over there, and there would have been a big incident at that point."

Ummmm.....maybe not. Maybe the lion would have had dinner AND desert. This is why mankind has not over populated the planet yet. We're tryin' but we have all these Darwin Award wannabes.

"hold my dog I want to get some pictures?" Are we serious? That's like four chain saws and a wood chipper all running at once. What part did he think he could out fight?

But I notice he did climb a tree and apparently left his buddy and the dog on the ground. There's an "I got your back" moment.

Did he forget that those big cats can climb trees too?

**WolfVanZandt** · 09-27-2013, 02:17 PM

If it's the one I'm thinking about, yes, from the recovered camera. His body was found some distance away partially eaten.

As for the cat think, it doesn't seem like he was thinking at all, much kess remembering facts about the natural behavior of big cats.

**Wildthang** · 09-27-2013, 02:46 PM

I wonder if he is a member of this forum

**Ranger F** · 09-27-2013, 05:41 PM

Dead cat!!

**RandyRhoads** · 09-27-2013, 06:06 PM

Always such hate with stories like these. It's kind of up to how much it's worth to the individual person, for some the footage is worth the risk of your life. If I ever come face to face with a great white, there's a chance (a small one) depending on the situation I may try to hang out and get some footage, perhaps even grab a fin and get a quick tow.

You suffer a bite and possible death, but if you come out unharmed, well, that's quite a story and one of a kind incident captured on film. God I hope the camera is actually on though, hahah

**WolfVanZandt** · 09-27-2013, 08:59 PM

Part of my response comes from a very big hatred for being slashed - bites don't bother me that much as long as they aren't severe. The only bite that has ever caused me infection is my own. Best I can tell, big cats and feral hogs are the only things in the wild I have a significant fear of.

But, that said, I had a friendly relationship with a cougar where I used to work as a camp counselor. He stayed in a cage but I used to scratch him behind the ears and he would lick me and I'd smell like cat-breath for the rest of the day.

**Rick** · 09-27-2013, 09:14 PM

Which, of course, would be more preferable than being sprayed and smelling like....well, really bad.

**Batch** · 09-28-2013, 12:59 AM

The guy said he knew it was a cougar when he heard it roar.

Cougars have a bone under there tongue that prevents them from roaring.

That trait also puts it in the small cat family

**WolfVanZandt** · 09-28-2013, 01:29 AM

I have a bone under my tongue and it doesn't.....wait, you're right....I can't roar worth a darn.

Of course, what was on the film was a cougar. The news reporter said that the guy heard the "scream or the roar" - the accurate term would have been "scream". Some folks that don't know how to talk good might call that loud "rowr" they make a roar. That newswoman probably hasn't been in the woods in her life and wouldn't know a tiger from a bobcat.

**Rick** · 09-28-2013, 07:00 AM

It was probably the dog screaming. I know I'd sound like a frightened school girl if that cat were chasing me.

(Somewhere in a dog bar)

"Oh, yeah. So I have the cougar cornered see, 2..maybe 300 pound cat, right? I kinda snarled at him like this (shows teeth). Cat laid right down."
"300 pound cat, Spike?"
"If I'm lyin' I'm diein'. You ever seen a cougar? I mean nose to nose like me?"

**1stimestar** · 09-28-2013, 02:51 PM

Here's the article about the Denali bear death. Denali is where I learned to back pack as I go solo and it is a fairly safe area.
http://www.adn.com/2012/08/26/260068...ers-clues.html

**WolfVanZandt** · 09-28-2013, 05:24 PM

Yeah, that's it. Now I wouldn't call White an idiot. I take big risks getting photos (and information) I want. It's a matter of the prices you have to pay, but I try very hard to have what I need to deal wit contingencies. They've been talking about the need to have bear spray in bear country for a long time. White should have had it. Now if I'm caught ina situation where I don't have what I need to be reasonably safe, I might risk it anyway - it's a matter of the prices you're willing to pay.

10 years ago, I would have taken much bigger risks than I will now, death isn't that big a deal for me - once you've experienced it (or nearly experienced it) a few times, I find that it loses some significance. I was once almost killed by a demon during an exorcism but many have pointed out that my almost getting killed is one part of the reason that the young man is free today. I figure it was worth it. Would White consider his death a reasonable price to pay for the information it provided. I sense some excitement in the reports of the people analyzing his photos. They seem to have provided some very useful information.

Today, I'm very invested in my community and am providing services that I believe to be and they seem to consider important. For that reason, i am much less willing to take risks. I have goals now and I would like to see my community established and valued by the larger world community. Therefore, I would not have taken the risks he did. But I still take large risks - they're just much more calculated. I still don't mind dying, I just want more to die for something. I would prefer that my life and death mean something significant.