Tough ladies fight Cougar

[pwd72s]

https://www.yahoo.com/news/women-pinned-cougar-during-hand-042336789.html

NBC News
Women pinned cougar during 'hand-to-hand combat' to save friend trapped in its jaws
Dennis Romero and Tim Stelloh
Updated Mon, March 18, 2024 at 5:12 AM PDT·3 min read
1.8k


Women pinned cougar during 'hand-to-hand combat' to save friend trapped in its jaws
A group of Seattle-area cyclists who helped one of their own escape the jaws of a cougar recounted their story this weekend, saying they fought the cat and pinned it down.

The woman who was attacked, Keri Bergere, sustained neck and face injuries and was treated at a hospital and released following the Feb. 17 incident on a trail northeast of Fall City, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife said in a statement.

Bergere said she spent five days at an area hospital and was still recovering.

Fish and Wildlife Lt. Erik Olson called the actions of her fellow cyclists "heroic" in the statement. But the extent of the cyclists' battle with the 75-pound cat wasn't immediately clear then.

Three of the riders — Bergere, Annie Bilotta and Tisch Williams — spoke to NBC affiliate KING of Seattle for a story Friday.

The trio, who have bicycled together for five years and ride competitively, said they were about 19 miles into a trek, near the Tokul Creek biking trails, when a pair of cougars suddenly ran up and one of them grabbed Bergere and dragged her off her bicycle.

"I just remember getting tackled from this side and ending up at the other side of the road pinned to the ground and hearing all the ladies rallying and fighting for my life," Bergere told KING.

The other cat ran into the hills, the cyclists said, while the four riders with Bergere mounted a counterattack to save her from the grips of the attacker's jaws, at that point around her face and exerting pressure.

"Erica and Tisch come over with sticks and a rock and we're hand-to-hand combat-battling this thing," Bilotta told the station.

Cougars use the extraordinary force of their jaws, said to exert about 400 pounds per square inch of pressure, to crush the skulls, neck bones and windpipes of prey, experts say.

For a time it seemed that the cat wouldn't relent as Bergere pitched in by doing anything she could, including poking at its eyes and nose, she told the Seattle station.

But about 15 minutes into the saga, the cyclists said, the cat weakened pressure on Bergere, and she was able to slip her face out of its jaws.

At that point, the women used a bicycle to pin the mountain lion down while help was en route, they said. Bergere was nearby, injured but alive.

"She would just give us a bloody thumbs up," Williams recalled.

Fish and Wildlife officers fatally shot the cougar and removed it for examination, later concluding that it had no diseases or abnormalities that might contribute to such a provocation, according to the agency's statement.

The second cat wasn't found.

Bergere expressed gratitude to her fellow riders.

"I know for a fact I would be dead if they didn't come back in, I would just be gone," she told KING. "That cougar had me."

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com

[Sooner or later]

Wow!

[pwd72s]

Definitely some "tough broads" in Washington State. But I wonder if they also were among those who voted to ban the use of dogs to hunt Cougar. This resulted in a Cougar population explosion, and there have been incidents in West Coast states. I'm thinking it's only a matter of time until a Cougar takes a toddler.

[GH85Carrera]

A valid reason to carry a pistol on bike rides.

[wdfifteen]

Originally Posted by pwd72s

Definitely some "tough broads" in Washington State. But I wonder if they also were among those who voted …. Blah, blah, blah.

Gots to get politics in to every story. Just gots to.

[pwd72s]

Not politics...just facts.

[908/930]

Only a young cougar playing. Many cougars around here very rare to attack people. I would like to know if she was off the trail on her own when Cougar attacked.

[Sooner or later]

I am generally against using dogs in animal hunts (bird dogs ok).

It seems to me that the dogs run the cat up a tree and the hunter finishes the job. If that is the case I can tolerate that. A brawl of a pack of dogs vs a cat I can't approve.

I did participate in one coyote hunt using greyhounds. It was the most brutal thing I have ever witnessed. The coyote ws quite the warrior and held his ground against a pack of dogs. Ultimately, the dogs won out and turned the coyote into a lump of fur. I was one and out.

[pwd72s]

Originally Posted by Sooner or later

I am generally against using dogs in animal hunts (bird dogs ok).

It seems to me that the dogs run the cat up a tree and the hunter finishes the job. If that is the case I can tolerate that. A brawl of a pack of dogs vs a cat I can't approve.

I did participate in one coyote hunt using greyhounds. It was the most brutal thing I have ever witnessed. The coyote ws quite the warrior and held his ground against a pack of dogs. Ultimately, the dogs won out and turned the coyote into a lump of fur. I was one and out.

Hounds are used to tree the cougar, then Bang. Never was my idea of sport, but to each their own. Today? Not sure about Washington, but in Oregon, the state now pays to have the same thing done when a cougar becomes problematic in an area. Keeping a pack of hounds is expensive, so many former hunters quit. Back in the day, it was legal to hunt Cougar year round in Oregon. My buddy & I would always buy a Cougar tag to go with our license and Deer & Elk tags. That way, we always had a valid reason to carry a rifle.

I can see your point on the Greyhound hunting. Not something I'd like to see or consider sport. Just removal of some vermin...so I can understand the why of it in Cattle or sheep country.

[Norm K]

Helluva story.

_

[Zeke]

Originally Posted by wdfifteen

Gots to get politics in to every story. Just gots to.

You beat me to it. Geez.

Originally Posted by pwd72s

Not politics...just facts. But I wonder if they also were among those who voted to ban the use of dogs to hunt Cougar

Not a fact.

[pwd72s]

Fact...the large city voters banned dog hunting...yet another case of the cities dictating to the rural areas. So yeah...a little political if you care to make it so.

[Bugsinrugs]

My three dogs flushed out a Cougar last year while hiking in the Tahoe National Forest. I was within 10 feet face to face with him/her. Mine was more than 75 pounds. Lucky for me I’wasn’t on his preferred menu. Hope that never happens again.

[pwd72s]

Originally Posted by Bugsinrugs

My three dogs flushed out a Cougar last year while hiking in the Tahoe National Forest. I was within 10 feet face to face with him/her. Mine was more than 75 pounds. Lucky for me I’wasn’t on his preferred menu. Hope that never happens again.

Also sounds like you were lucky your dogs were along.

[Bugsinrugs]

They took off like bats out of hell when they what they had disturbed. I probably had walked by him/ her many times before. If you see him/ her they have seen you 20 times before. Heard that somewhere.

[stealthn]

Amazing story…if true

[Bugsinrugs]

My story is true. Would have taken a picture but I was frozen by fear to even reach into my pocket.

[zakthor]

What i hear Cougars are pretty selective, dont attack larger folks. These women were all tiny.Never been a death of someone that weighed more than 120#.

Mace is much safer than a gun, is a much better choice because you wont see the cougar until its got you and your rolling around on the ground with it. Handy knife seems like a great idea.

One lady in this case had a tiny pen knife with 1.5” blade tried stabbing it and they said it was useless - thin little toy knife coudnt penetrate its skin.

Different time a Friend was bike riding down logging road with dog. Cougar appeared out of nowhere, two loping strides next to the bike, then lept ahead and stuck its nose up dogs ass, then vanished off the trail. Guy said he thinks dog alive because it had a flea bath that morning and didnt smell like food. Dog had no idea. All Happened in an instant.

Personally im all for people getting eaten by cougars. Dont like it stay out of the woods.

[stealthn]

Originally Posted by Bugsinrugs

My story is true. Would have taken a picture but I was frozen by fear to even reach into my pocket.

I’m not sceptical of yours, 2-3 woman against a 75lb cougar; ever try to wash a house cat? It’s a whirling dervish of claws and teeth, now make it 5 feet longer and add 75 lbs. I’m glad the lady is ok though.

[speeder]

Originally Posted by pwd72s

Fact...the large city voters banned dog hunting...yet another case of the cities dictating to the rural areas. So yeah...a little political if you care to make it so.

How do you know that large city voters did that? Oh yeah, because anything that gets voted statewide or nationwide has to win in cites, where the people actually are. Fence posts and mailboxes can't vote.

One person/one vote. You got a problem with that?