As hiking, trail running and rock climbing season approaches for eagerly awaiting Utahns, the state’s Division of Wildlife Resources shared some suggestions on how to stay safe outside this summer, especially from confrontations with cougars.
While it’s much more likely you will be struck by lightning than attacked by a cougar (also referred to as mountain lions and pumas), it’s important to know what to do if you find yourself in confrontation with one of these Utah-native predators.
Since 1868, there have only been 29 fatal cougar attacks in North America, per the Mountain Lion Foundation, so with how rare the attacks are, the deadly encounters tend to make national headlines when they do happen.
During the fall of 2020, Kyle Burgess was trail running in Slate Canyon, just south of Provo, when he came across cougar cubs. After pulling out his phone to take a video of them, the cubs’ mother emerged and stalked the very frightened 26-year-old for over 5 minutes, per previous Deseret News reporting.
In a video that has since been viewed 8 million times on YouTube, Burgess demonstrated exactly what to do in the case of a cougar confrontation.
What to do if you run into a cougar
Utah’s Division of Wildlife Resources laid out steps you should take if you do come in direct contact with a cougar.
- Never run from a cougar, since that could trigger the cougar’s instincts to chase.
- Maintain eye contact.
- Pick up children and pets or keep them very close.
- Stand up tall.
- Do not crouch or squat.
- Make yourself look bigger by raising and waving your arms or jacket above your head.
- Talk firmly in a loud voice, back away slowly and leave the area.
- Fight back if you are attacked. Protect your head and neck.
- If you are aggressive enough, the cougar will probably flee.
Darren DeBloois, Utah’s Division of Wildlife Resources game mammals coordinator, added, “Typically, a cougar that is trying to prey on something will sneak up and ambush them.”
DeBloois added, “When a cougar lunges or bluffs a charge at someone, they are typically just trying to drive them out of the area because they have kittens or a kill nearby that they are trying to protect.”
This was true in Burgess’ case.
How to prevent a cougar confrontation in the first place
“Cougars are most reliably found at dawn and dusk in areas with high quantities of mule deer,” DeBloois said.
The Division of Wildlife Resources listed several precautionary steps to take to avoid a cougar confrontation:
- Do not hike or jog alone.
- Maintain awareness in cougar country while hiking or jogging, and avoid using headphones that block out your surroundings.
- Travel in groups and keep everyone together, including children and dogs.
- Make noise while hiking to alert cougars to your presence.
- Leave the area if you find a dead animal, especially deer or elk, since it could be a cougar kill.
- If you live in an area near deer habitat, do not leave children outside unattended, especially at dawn and dusk.
- As a deterrent, install outside and motion-sensitive lighting around your property.
- Trim vegetation and remove wood piles to reduce hiding places for wildlife.
- Bring pets and livestock inside at night or secure them in a barn or kennel with a top.
Where are cougars in Utah?
During the summer, cougars are most commonly found in foothills and in canyons, per Wild Aware Utah, specifically in pinyon-juniper and pine-oak brush areas with rocky cliffs, ledges, tall trees and brush.
Pinyon-juniper woodlands are common at elevations of 4,500 to 7,500 feet in dry and rocky areas.
Several places in Utah with notable pinyon-juniper growth include southeastern Utah near Arches, Canyonlands and Capitol Reef national parks; western Utah near the Great Basin; southern Utah near Zion and Bryce Canyon national parks, Cedar City, and near State Highway 12 and U.S. Route 89; and central Utah in Dixie and Manti-La Sal national forests, per the National Park Service.
Pine-oak woodlands typically form just above pinyon-juniper woodlands, in elevations ranging from 5,500 to 7,500 feet, per the Forest Service.
These brush areas are commonly found in the Wasatch Front, extending from Brigham City down through Nephi; in central Utah in Fishlake, Pahvant and Manti-La Sal; in southern Utah around Zion National Park and Kolob Canyons; and in the Uintas.
With that said, these areas cover nearly all of Utah’s good hiking, so it’s best to just take precaution on your adventures this summer, take a buddy and remember to not run if you have the rare chance of coming face-to-face with a cougar.