Cougar Attacks: Encounters of the Worst Kind

I live on Vancouver Island, the cougar capital of North America and this book was a real eye-opener for me. It is well-written and thoroughly researched and should be read by anyone who spends time in areas frequented by these magnificent cats. It not only gives a complete history of North American cougar attacks but gives solid useful advice if this ever happens to you. Highly recommended.

Don't be confused when you see those lazy cougars in zoos, well fed swatting at flies with their tails. Kathy Etling paints a different picture of a skillful hunting and killing machine which kills with the same remorse we use when we down a Big Mac.These are not housepets you call 'kitty, kitty ' at when you see them. Chances are if you do see one its because you may be the main course tonight. This book is the ultimate authority on how surviviors escaped these predators in the past right up to today. It gives insight on the instincts of these large carnivores and is invaluable for anyone considering hiking, fishing, hunting, canoeing, or backpacking in remote areas. Not just in the mountains, cougars have been seen recently even in my home state of Missouri. Kathy Etling has done an excellent job compiling accounts and dispensing information on how you can most likely avoid one of these encounters of the worst kind. Even though she admits even if a person does all the right things still an attack may occur, it gives the outdoorman the knowledge what should be and more important, what definitely should not be done. Knowledge is power and as our two species encrouch more and more on each other attacks will occur more frequently. Like the deer, cougar populations are growing and man is destroying more and more of their habitat, forcing them to live closer to people. As they lose their natural fear of humans we all need to know how best to handle future encounter with these Jaws on Paws.

It's hard to put this book down -- the author has done a terrific job of compiling an amazing array of details on cougar attacks, and each incident is more compelling to read about than the last. With development encroaching on wilderness areas at an increasingly rapid rate, this book is a must-read for more than the "outdoorsy" sorts who hike and camp in cougar country. Indeed, as many of the accounts demonstrate, a good number of attacks occur in semi-suburban areas that most would consider completely safe. I learned a gret deal about cougar behavior (Etling interviews expert biologists in the field) and have developed a new respect for and interest in these fascinating, beautiful animals. On the practical side, you'll also learn what to do if you find yourself being stalked -- useful information that makes this book more than worth the purchase price.

Kathy Etling puts the increasing cougar concerns in a readable prospective that is a must read for every outdoorsman and woman. Etling covers various cougar attacks on humans, both fatal and non-fatal attacks, from as far back as the 1700s. But she covers them two ways: First comes the account of the attack, as it happened, which also serves as a lesson for modern-day outdoorsmen to study. Second, Kathy uses the appendix to list the attacks again as a quick reference. As interesting as these accounts are, the meat of the book comes from the chapters about the biology of a cougar and the anatomy of an attack. Here Kathy helps readers understand why cougars do what they do. Readers can carry that information forward to deal with mountain lion encounters. And Kathy goes into detail about what to do should that possibility occur. Anyone interested in the animals that inhabit our nation will find this an interesting book. If you and your family enjoy camping, fishing, mountain biking, hiking or hunting, this book is a necessity.

I didn't know much about cougars before I read this book but I know enough to keep myself and my family reasonably safe after reading it. Yes, I was worried about the western vacation we had scheduled. Hiking in the backcountry of Montana had me fairly fearful. But by using common sense precautions, I now realize that we can have fun without worry. The author did a lot of research on cougars and attacks and it shows. Some attacks were related in detail and others weren't, but after reading through a number of different attacks you can get a feel for what placed the victim in peril -- at least usually -- and what might have been done to defuse the situation, or, perhaps, even to have kept the attack from happening at all. I know that even when every precaution has been taken, an attack may still occur. But being attacked by a cougar is, according to a quote in this book, much less likely than being struck by lightning or being stung to death by bees, wasps or hornets. I sure don't let lightning or bees keep me from enjoying the outdoors. I just use common sense.I would recommend this book to anyone thinking of venturing into cougar country. I would even recommend it to someone who just wanted to learn more about mountain lions and how and why they attack.