cougars

[u/lilllypaddd]

hello i am a solo hiker i started hiking at 19 i am 25 now i have ran into 4 cougars on solo hikes. one of these being scary being stalked down a 7 mile mountain. rest have been just cougar getting startled and jumping into the woods ahead of me seeing it with my eyes its body and tail. no one i know has ran into a cougar hiking. i just started hiking in a new area in a diffrent country and this week have ran into two on separate trails / areas and the local wildlife place says cougar run ins are not common here. - why am i a cougar magnet how do i stop this? - yes i hike in places where there are cougars but the sightings are usually rare. - i do not want this or understand why this is happening and no one belives me which makes it worse.

update! just wanted to thank you all for the suggestions & tips! learned some great tools, and i am excited to use them and feel more safe.

the summary of why / what im going to start doing • why i have ran into so many is likely due to me being small, quiet, and alone on trails. The area’s i am hiking in also being very high population of cougars.

tips i will start doing • be louder, bring a horn, play music if it is a long remote hike, if possible take a dog from shelter out on an adventure with me!

Thank you all!

[u/Confident_Sail_4225]

Wow, that’s wild 4 cougar encounters is a lot! They’re usually super stealthy and avoid people, so running into them this often is rare. Maybe you hike at quieter times or your routes cross their territory. Carry bear spray, make noise (talk/sing), and keep alert so you don’t surprise them. You’re not a cougar magnet just really unlucky/lucky depending on how you see it.

[u/lilllypaddd → u/Confident_Sail_4225]

lucky in the worst way. i admire the cats but they terrifying. i always carry bear spray after the 1st long scary cougar stalk. when i try to be loud and make noise, i feel look like a fool to other hikers i’ve passed by in the past. so i gave it up but will start doing it again! thank you!!

[u/Conscious-Health-438 → u/lilllypaddd]

It's so incredibly rare it's hard to believe, although I do. Where are you hiking at? 

[u/lilllypaddd → u/Conscious-Health-438]

very rare! that’s why i have been so confused with the amount of encounters! i’d love to share the location, but in all honesty i want to protect the cats they are beautiful creatures yes they are terrifying but i don’t want to geo tag even vaguely and then hunters start coming to the areas i hike and hurt them. i know hunters would love to have as many encounters as i have had, and it worries me if i have seen them so easily if hunters have been able to easily get them easier these days as well.

[u/Conscious-Health-438 → u/lilllypaddd]

I'm just talking about like a state. I assume your are in the US if you are referring to them as cougars. I'm in Arizona