Hunter films mountain lion stalking him – before shooting at it before it pounced
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“Good thing I was packing!” Utah man is stalked by a MOUNTAIN LION on hunting trip to Idaho before shooting it twice to scare him off
- Jared Erickson, 42, was hunting moose in Idaho when a mountain lion emerged
- The lion moved towards him before finally leaping about 20 feet away
- Erickson fired two shots that eventually caused the cougar to back off
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A 42-year-old man was hunting Elk in Idaho when a mountain lion emerged from the wilderness and began stalking him.
Jared Erickson – of Paradise, Utah, just south of the state of Gem – was lucky enough to get away with his life after encountering the lion where he was forced to fire his rifle twice.
After the second shot, he managed to scare the mountain lion off, who then went into the wilderness disappointed.
Jared Erickson, 42, was hunting Elk in Idaho when a mountain lion emerged from the wilderness and began stalking him
Erickson pulled out his gun and phone. With his left hand, he filmed the cat as it moved menacingly towards him, one slow step at a time
Erickson pulled out his gun and phone when he noticed the big cat. With his left hand, he filmed the lion as it moved menacingly toward him, one slow step at a time.
In his right hand, Erickson holds a Glock pistol pointed at the lion, primed in case it should strike.
During the video, Erickson can breathe heavily as he moved backwards with gun in hand.
“Go back,” he heard the lion warn firmly.
The lion begins to pick up its pace until it swings forward about 20 feet away with both front legs extended. At that moment, the Erickson fires a one-handed shot with the pistol in his right hand.
It’s unclear if it was a warning shot or if Erickson was aiming for the cat, but he darts forward a few yards before turning to face Erickson again.
The moment Erickson fired his gun, a cloud of dust formed where the bullet hit the ground
Erickson then fires a second shot causing the lion to walk away dejected and seemingly unfazed by his near-death accident
Erickson then fires a second shot causing the lion to walk away dejected and seemingly unfazed by his near-death accident.
Erickson uploaded the video, filmed with his left hand, of the encounter to Instagram, where he racked up 25,000 likes in just two days.
He posted it with the caption, “Not what I expected from elk hunting. Good thing I was packing!’
People commented on the video, expressing how lucky he was to have the gun and survive.
Mountain lions can be found all over Idaho. Game agencies estimate that there are between 20,000 and 40,000 cougars across the roughly 300,000 square miles of forest in the western states.
Attacks by mountain lions are rare and are unlikely to be fatal. There have been 27 fatal attacks from cougars recorded in North America.