there was a cougar killing East of Seattle. Large increase in number of cougar. If there are more cougar they tend to spread out more which might result in more contacts with humans. But this is the first death in Oregon and the first in 100 years in Washington.
Maybe some precautions are reasonable - don't hike alone especially if you're smaller, don't hike at dusk?, be aware of what you should do - act large, don't run away, maybe carry a trekking pole?
As cougar sightings rise near urban areas, does Oregon have a big cat problem?
This article is from March. Although the focus was on cougars in urban areas, not hiking trails, there is some good background info on cougars in Oregon.
In the extreme unlikelihood I will ever be in this situation my strategy will be to stand my ground and fight with whatever is available and hope the cougar gives up before I do. The guy killed in the Washington attack was the one who tried to run away triggering the instinctual chase response from the cougar.
I was once told by someone that works at one of those wildlife parks that pepper spray is more effective on cougars than bears and that really any aerosol they used, the cats really hated. YMMV of course.
I have to admit I wasn't sure how to respond to a cougar encounter until today. Good to know it's the same as a bear encounter. When in crisis mode, you really don't want to have to stop and think about what the strategy is for each particular animal.
I get really creeped out when I hear animals nearby in the pre-dawn hours. I sometimes wonder if a headlamp draws them or deters them. Maybe it depends.
I agree with the statements above about risk assessments, and that this is statistically insignificant. I recall a story years ago about a climber returning from Hood and falling asleep at the wheel. Ironic. Rumble strips are my friends.
For the super cautious (paranoid) I wonder if an air horn would be a worthy addition to one's defenses. Three blasts might possibly scare off an animal, while also alerting other hikers. I've never seen it recommended though, so probably not.
Authorities are now recommending that hikers in cougar country carry a laser pointer.
Last edited by Thuja on March 8th, 2019, 7:35 pm, edited 1 time in total.