# I just watched a 4 point buck get nailed by a lion



## mattinthewild (Mar 12, 2011)

Never a bad idea to run with a gun or have a camera handy.


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## bwhntr (Sep 12, 2007)

Sooo...cool. Intense!


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## Fishrmn (Sep 14, 2007)

Are you hunting cougars? Got a tag?


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## hattrick (Aug 29, 2011)

That is amazing. Great video. Thanks for sharing.


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## utahgolf (Sep 8, 2007)

not sure how wise it was to go crawling in there but a dang cool video!


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## martymcfly73 (Sep 17, 2007)

You are crazy, but that is an awesome video!!


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## FishlakeElkHunter (Sep 11, 2007)

Great Video....but I was wondering the same thing...did you have a Cougar tag?


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## gwailow (Jan 20, 2008)

Wow!!


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## mattinthewild (Mar 12, 2011)

FishlakeElkHunter said:


> Great Video....but I was wondering the same thing...did you have a Cougar tag?


Yes.


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## elk22hunter (Sep 7, 2007)

So you had a Lion tag but using a shotgun? I was feeling bad for the lion. After all of the work it did to secure a meal and then you ran it off from it. The lion will most likely never go back to that deer after associating it with humans. Since you didn't kill the Lion are you going back in hopes of it coming back. It looked to be a female by size of track and body but obviously it was not a good look at its face. Hopefully if the lion doesn't come back something besides birds eat the deer. 
It was extremely cool footage and something that I would have done as well but just wondering about the ramifications. 
I am assuming that you were hunting something else and happened to see what you did and then moved in with the shotgun. You had a rifle on your back and then holding a shotgun? 
Ok, just watched it again to try and answer some of my own questions. You took a shot at it. What shot where you using. If you were hunting birds I am assuming that you didn't have a chill in that would kill a Lion. 
Cool Video with lots of action but give a bit of explaining so I don't have my head spinning on this.


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## Kevin D (Sep 15, 2007)

elk22hunter said:


> ................It looked to be a female by size of track and body but obviously it was not a good look at its face.....


That's my guess as well.....the oblong shaped toes in the track generally equals female lion. Nice footage Matt.


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## bigdaddyx4 (Jan 11, 2008)

Thats pretty cool footage. I bet you shat yourself when that thing came jumping out of there though! haha!


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## JuddCT (Sep 7, 2007)

Wow!

I've jumped 2 lions while archery hunting within 40 ft. It sure is an adrenaline rush.


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## dkhntrdstn (Sep 7, 2007)

great video there. good luck getting your lion.


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## colorcountrygunner (Oct 6, 2009)

Awesome video thanks for sharing. Maybe you could post another video of you displaying your cougar tag and giving a detailed explanation of what happened so the ethics police won't lose any sneep tonight.


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## TEX-O-BOB (Sep 12, 2007)

I know you like doing things the hard way Matt, but spot and stalk lions with a shotgun? :shock: 

I have many of the same questions as Elk22. Again, not climbing your chain about it, just curious... :?: :?: :?:


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## Uni (Dec 5, 2010)

Great video, that was intense. 

Would much rather see this type of cougar hunt than some dogs running around in circles.


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## mattinthewild (Mar 12, 2011)

TEX-O-BOB said:


> I know you like doing things the hard way Matt, but spot and stalk lions with a shotgun? :shock:
> 
> I have many of the same questions as Elk22. Again, not climbing your chain about it, just curious... :?: :?: :?:


Tex,

Out for the usual 10-20 mile run. I run the winter season with a shotgun always for coyotes. I never intentionally go hunt for cats. I just buy an OTC tag incase I run into one. Yes, this was a female cat. I did not shoot AT the cat. I shoot 10 feet above her. No worries with an extended long range choke (which by the way is totally awesome for ducks) I'm confident BB's were high above. I did shoot though to reinforce her action to get away. Yes she did come back. I put the kill site on my video first but in actuality when the cat took off I went back to see if she indeed took the buck out of the group. I placed cameras on the kill. She was back in 1 hour. Her kittens ate for a bit then returned the next morning. Another lion, which looks male also hit it in mid day. What i learned: I learned a cat will attack from below. The cat could drag a deer no problem at a brisk walk. A cat will walk back to a kill that a human has been on in about an hour. A cat will de-fur a deer before eating it. Its been 48 hours and about 50 percent of the deer still remains. I measured the cats leaps as he charged. His first leap was 10 feet, his second was 9, and then on the third he hit the deer from about 10 feet. The scuffle lasted less than 30 seconds before he began to drag the deer. And the most important thing I learned: If a cat wants to be invisible he can. I was about five feet from him and never saw him. BTW, I post stuff like this to learn and share. Never to be cool or outrageous but to really share how cool of a place we live in.


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## martymcfly73 (Sep 17, 2007)

Matt, I've got to hand it to you. Thanks for your videos. I show them to my kids and they love them. Try not to let the Ethics police ruin them.


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## USMARINEhuntinfool (Sep 15, 2007)

Dude that was cool. I really like your follow up information as it is very informative and interesting too me, as I've never hunted cougars, see them all the time while horseback riding. Super cool man.


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## Airborne (May 29, 2009)

That was an awesome video!!! I had a similar experience--> I watched a young lion take down a 2 point buck on the bow hunt a few years ago. I managed to belly crawl in on the lion and get a couple picks, my camera was pretty crumy back then so the pic of the lion isnt so good. I thought I was brave being 20 yards from the cat, not a couple feet like you! I ended up whistling to get a better pic of the cat and he busted me and ran off, I did get a decent running away pic. I had my pistol close at hand the whole time and it was very exciting! The cat I stalked did end up returning the next day to the buck and eating it like yours did. I am glad the buck I found was a smaller buck--if it was a big one I would have been tempted to claim it being that the deer was freshly killed. Not trying to steal any of your thunder, your video is way awesome! just thought I could add my experience and pics to the thread.


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## mattinthewild (Mar 12, 2011)

Airborne said:


> That was an awesome video!!! I had a similar experience--> I watched a young lion take down a 2 point buck on the bow hunt a few years ago. I managed to belly crawl in on the lion and get a couple picks, my camera was pretty crumy back then so the pic of the lion isnt so good. I thought I was brave being 20 yards from the cat, not a couple feet like you! I ended up whistling to get a better pic of the cat and he busted me and ran off, I did get a decent running away pic. I had my pistol close at hand the whole time and it was very exciting! The cat I stalked did end up returning the next day to the buck and eating it like yours did. I am glad the buck I found was a smaller buck--if it was a big one I would have been tempted to claim it being that the deer was freshly killed. Not trying to steal any of your thunder, your video is way awesome! just thought I could add my experience and pics to the thread.


Love it! Great pics too! No thunder stolen either. Everyone should share and not be afraid of negative comments. And if anyone of you are negative, stop it. With all the bad out there this should be the place to find the good out there.


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## 90redryder (Oct 10, 2011)

Matt you post some great videos and this one was one of the best. I get really sick of these ignorant people trying to pull the ethics card on everything. If you werent there and you arent a fish cop then shut your mouth, you have no business in knowing whether or not he had a tag, what shot he was using, and what choke is in his shotgun. Keep posting these videos Matt dont be slowed by these fools who are looking for something to criticize, they are jealous that you see all this awesome stuff out in the mountains while they sit at home eating cheetos and playing xbox.


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## Uni (Dec 5, 2010)

90redryder said:


> Matt you post some great videos and this one was one of the best. I get really sick of these ignorant people trying to pull the ethics card on everything. If you werent there and you arent a fish cop then shut your mouth, you have no business in knowing whether or not he had a tag, what shot he was using, and what choke is in his shotgun. Keep posting these videos Matt dont be slowed by these fools who are looking for something to criticize, they are jealous that you see all this awesome stuff out in the mountains while they sit at home eating cheetos and playing xbox.


Couldn't agree more.


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## dark_cloud (Oct 18, 2010)

I think you need to stop all of these videos you make. 




YOUR MAKEING THE REST OF US LOOK BAD. :mrgreen: 


Great video by the way, and yes you are crazy going in after a cat. But then again I remember crawling through bear tunnels in Alaska _(O)_ maybe we all do some weird things at a moments notice


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## Bowdacious (Sep 16, 2007)

Matt, contact the dwr and let them know what happened. As long as you can prove it died of natural causes...ie the lion, the dwr will let you keep the skull. Way cool video!


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## COOPERD (Sep 16, 2007)

That was awesome , your like a honeybadger.ethic police need to shoot radar on another site


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## Mr Muleskinner (Feb 14, 2012)

I got a kick out of the video. I also don't mind the questions either. Nothing asked, nothing learned IMO. Matt didn't seem to take any offense, I don't see why others should. I learned a bit from Matt because of the inquiries. Those that asked may have as well.


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## elk22hunter (Sep 7, 2007)

If I am the person that so many are calling the Ethics Police then I am sorry if I came across that way. I in no way was implying that he did anything wrong. In fact I said that I would have most likely done the same thing. Meaning that I would have had to go investigate the kill. I just had a lot of questions. I even said a couple of times that it is a way cool video.
I ran lions for many years and hunting lions with a shotgun didn't make sense. Just questions fellers, take a chill pill.

That is absolutely a cool video. The chances of seeing what Matt saw are unbelievably rare! To get it on film is unreal.


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## Iron Bear (Nov 19, 2008)

I think Matt just found a justification for hunting with an assault riffle. Send that to Pelosi and Feinstein. 8) 

I'm sure that buck was going to die anyway. :roll:  :lol:


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## hoghunter011583 (Jul 21, 2008)

elk22hunter said:


> If I am the person that so many are calling the Ethics Police then I am sorry if I came across that way. I in no way was implying that he did anything wrong. In fact I said that I would have most likely done the same thing. Meaning that I would have had to go investigate the kill. I just had a lot of questions. I even said a couple of times that it is a way cool video.
> I ran lions for many years and hunting lions with a shotgun didn't make sense. Just questions fellers, take a chill pill.
> 
> That is absolutely a cool video. The chances of seeing what Matt saw are unbelievably rare! To get it on film is unreal.


I'll back you up on this one Elk, I think there is nothing wrong with honest questions, Matt gave perfect answers and it is nothing but one BIG success story!! Matt got great video, we got a great video to watch and we all learned a little something from it. Hey, if you are not guilty you have no reason to fear being questioned!! Matt great video, you get me motivated everytime I watch one of your videos!!
Now, if guys keep busting him on this I think they are out of line!!


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## TEX-O-BOB (Sep 12, 2007)

mattinthewild said:


> TEX-O-BOB said:
> 
> 
> > I know you like doing things the hard way Matt, but spot and stalk lions with a shotgun? :shock:
> ...


When you shot I could tell you were aiming well over the cat and new you'd missed on purpose. Your reasoning is exactly why I thought you did what you did. I just got a little confused when you said you had a cat tag... _(O)_ Either way, It's cool and I enjoy watching your videos none the less. I've sen a bunch of cats close up in the woods over the years and it's always a little un-nerving to know you're that close to something that can kill a full grown four point buck in less than 30 seconds. I wonder if a cat would de-fur me before eating... -Ov-


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## Bowdacious (Sep 16, 2007)

TEX-O-BOB said:


> I wonder if a cat would de-fur me before eating... -Ov-


That would probably depend on how long ago you saw a male nurse!!!


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## klbzdad (Apr 3, 2012)

Holy crap that was awesome!


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## Huge29 (Sep 17, 2007)

Cool stuff! I had similar questions, you are nutzo!


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## provider (Jan 17, 2011)

Thanks so much for sharing this. Sorry, people are so lame with you. Too bad people can just give you the benefit of the doubt. I love how people ask if you had a tag. (As if you are going to say - no.) 

THIS IS ONE OF THE COOLEST POSTS EVER!!! Please keep posting.


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## swbuckmaster (Sep 14, 2007)

Matt the thing i find interesting is you seem to find more cats in a week without dogs and actually run them down on foot then the houndsman catch with dogs.

Some how that doesn't seem possible because the houndsman say there are no cats. 

Is someone fibbing? 

Cool video!!! Should have convicted and shot it for murder lol.


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## goofy elk (Dec 16, 2007)

mattinthewild said:


> [. I placed cameras on the kill. She was back in 1 hour. Her kittens ate for a bit then returned the next morning. Another lion, which looks male also hit it in mid day. .


SW, That lion in NOT legal to run or harvest...If a houndsmen cuts these tracks,
he probably doesn't even say a word to anybody..Just another day at the office.

And Matt, Very unlikely an adult 'male' lion returned....
A female with kittens will avoid an area were there is a Tom at all cost....
A Tom will kill those kittens.

Cool video, A shotgun will work. Bet I'm the only one here that's actually seen it though.
OO buck OR better is highly suggested


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## hattrick (Aug 29, 2011)

Wow, some armchair outdoorsmen need to get off their sofa's and stop questioning those who get outdoors and live.


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## dkhntrdstn (Sep 7, 2007)

90redryder said:


> Matt you post some great videos and this one was one of the best. I get really sick of these ignorant people trying to pull the ethics card on everything. If you werent there and you arent a fish cop then shut your mouth, you have no business in knowing whether or not he had a tag, what shot he was using, and what choke is in his shotgun. Keep posting these videos Matt dont be slowed by these fools who are looking for something to criticize, they are jealous that you see all this awesome stuff out in the mountains while they sit at home eating cheetos and playing xbox.


well said.


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## jahan (Sep 7, 2007)

For all of those talking about armchair outdoorsmen needs to get better reading comprehension skills. No one was beating Matt up, they were asking him questions and he didn't take offense to them. If we can't have constructive criticism how are we all going to learn? 

Matt, I enjoyed seeing your observations after the fact, that is very cool. Thanks for sharing!


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## jahan (Sep 7, 2007)

90redryder said:


> Matt you post some great videos and this one was one of the best. I get really sick of these ignorant people trying to pull the ethics card on everything. *If you werent there and you arent a fish cop then shut your mouth, you have no business in knowing whether or not he had a tag, what shot he was using, and what choke is in his shotgun.* Keep posting these videos Matt dont be slowed by these fools who are looking for something to criticize, they are jealous that you see all this awesome stuff out in the mountains while they sit at home eating cheetos and playing xbox.


Strongly disagree with you about people asking questions. There are a lot of people that look at this site to try and learn new information. What Matt did was completely legal and legit, but the way he did the video left a lot of questions, which he answered very well IMO. Then he added even more information to it. I know I learned some new stuff today and that is what this site is about. I don't know Matt, but I guarantee he isn't going to slow down on videos because a few people asked him some questions, that BTW we can all learn from. IMO people slamming people for asking questions are just as big of an issue.


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## dkhntrdstn (Sep 7, 2007)

With all of this bitching he going to stop sharing his video with us. That why this forum has gone down hill. To many people worrying about crap. just in joy the videos he post up and the pic other people post up.Matt please keep posting videos up for us to see. Your video are awesome.


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## jahan (Sep 7, 2007)

dkhntrdstn said:


> With all of this bitching he going to stop sharing his video with us. That why this forum has gone down hill. To many people worrying about crap. just in joy the videos he post up and the pic other people post up.Matt please keep posting videos up for us to see. Your video are awesome.


Nothing personal Dustin, but you are not getting what I or others are saying. No one is telling him not to post and no one was busting his balls and he even agreed with that. It seems that all the other sensitive folks are getting their feel bads hurt, that is why this site is going downhill. People are too **** sensitive.


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## swbuckmaster (Sep 14, 2007)

goofy elk said:


> mattinthewild said:
> 
> 
> > [. I placed cameras on the kill. She was back in 1 hour. Her kittens ate for a bit then returned the next morning. Another lion, which looks male also hit it in mid day. .
> ...


Why would that lion not be legal to run? I think when he cut the tracks it was by itself. Just curious

Goofy do you still run your dogs for fun or do you only do it for clients. If you do can i go with you
I dont know anyone with dogs close and wouldn't mind going out with my kids chasing bears or cats. I dont have a tag just thinking it would be a fun thing to do on some weekend.


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## goofy elk (Dec 16, 2007)

swbuckmaster said:


> [
> Why would that lion not be legal to run? I think when he cut the tracks it was by itself. Just curious
> 
> Goofy do you still run your dogs for fun or do you only do it for clients. If you do can i go with you
> .


From the cougar guide book:

Harvest and pursuit
restrictions
Utah Admin. Rule R657-10-23 and R657-10-25
If you have a valid permit to harvest
cougar, you may take only one cougar during
the 2012-2013 season-and it must be from
the area specified on your permit. You may only
pursue a cougar if you have a valid cougar pursuit
permit. The cougar pursuit permit does not allow
you to kill a cougar.
Whether you are harvesting or pursuing
cougar, you may not:
• Pursue or take a female cougar with kittens

As I have learnd from years of experience, I WOULD NEVER turn a dog loose
on a female track without some intense investigation first to determine if
she had kitten or not...........And that is still not 100% proof positive.

But usually, you can backtrack, and circle a lion to determine if its alone or not.

I'm to the point with lions, I WILL not take a chance and run a female unless I'm
as certain as possible she is alone............

SW, I'll PM you on the other stuff


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## swbuckmaster (Sep 14, 2007)

That makes sense. No use having to chase your dogs a couple of miles in the snow.


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## muleymadness (Jan 23, 2008)

Incredible video, thanks for the post! Talk about an adrenaline rush.


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## 35whelen (Jul 3, 2012)

great video. thanks for sharing


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## bullsnot (Aug 10, 2010)

AWESOME video!!!! Thanks for sharing.


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## drsx (Sep 8, 2010)

Freaking sweet. Thanks for sharing


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## JERRY (Sep 30, 2007)

:shock: 8)


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## 90redryder (Oct 10, 2011)

So I have a question for the houndsmen out there. How protective is a cougar of their kill? Would it be strange to have the cat try to chase you away from their kill? If I saw what matt witnessed I would totally go check out the kill, but I dont know if that is a good move. BTW matt you sure find alot of cougars. I know we share stomping grounds, but i've never come across a cat while im out exploring the woods. I did come across a bobcat two weeks ago, which was a first.


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## goofy elk (Dec 16, 2007)

In all the years I've chased cats I never found any to be protective of a kill..
And I've seen a lot of them :!: 

The only time when I've seen cats get 'aggressive', is when they're cornered.
Caves, drain pipes, under cabins with dogs, they will fight...

My count over the years without dogs is 20, Never failed, every single 
one ran.. And half a dozen of those were laying on kills.....

Mountain lions are not NEARLY AS aggressive, especially toward humans,
as most hunters think.... 

I don't know of a single case were an adult human has been killed in Utah,
by a lion. There has been a few random incendies, but nothing serious.
The only place I know of this happening is in California, and this happened
in areas lions were struggling to find prey.


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## stillhunterman (Feb 15, 2009)

Yep, I agree with goofy's experience with lions on/near kills. Over the years in Cali, I've come across 11 such situations (no dogs), and every single one the lion took off out of site when I disturbed them. I've also been followed by 4 confirmed cats without incident. Only one of those occasions did I ever feel a real threat, and that was when my 17 year old son got turned around, came upon a lion kill but the cat had gone by the time my boy saw the kill. I became concerned he might be lost, he wasn't answering my calls, so I tracked him along a narrow ravine through some thick pines, where I saw the fresh kill. Inside my son's boot prints were the lions; the size indicated a fairly young animal/female. When I finally caught up to where Nick was, I saw the lion hidden in the trees some 30 yards behind him, watching Nick as he made his way across a wide meadow. The cat took off once it became aware of me.

It's my understanding that Utah lions are a fair bit more shy that those in surrounding states, for whatever reason, biologists aren't really sure.

As to the attacks in Calif, of the 17 verified attacks, 6 were fatal. Of those same attacks, 14 have occurred since prop 117 made the cats a protected species...no hunting/running. Many of the attacks were upon children or adults of small stature. As to what goofy said about those attacks coming in areas where lions were struggling to find prey, that statement has NEVER been made or verified. The majority of attack locations happened where there were abundant blacktail deer and other prey species. Those cats out there are definitely unpredictable. The majority of my encounters were also in areas of abundant deer, with two exceptions which were up in the Warner Mountains where muleys were on the down swing.

Nonetheless, I would be cautious about those dang critters! Awesome video and experience Matt!


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## Kevin D (Sep 15, 2007)

goofy elk said:


> In all the years I've chased cats I never found any to be protective of a kill..
> And I've seen a lot of them :!:
> 
> The only time when I've seen cats get 'aggressive', is when they're cornered.
> ...


+1.......I've also never had a lion try to run me off it's kill. The lions I've seen without dogs I can classify in two catagories: those that were running when I seen them, and those that were running after they seen me.


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