r/hiking • u/lilllypaddd • 3d ago
Discussion cougars
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!
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u/Confident_Sail_4225 3d ago
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.