Recommend good weapons for defense against bobcat, coyote, mountain lion

[Eben Stone]

Please allow me to explain my scenario...

I live in Southern California. This means:

1) no concealed handguns, no daggers, no assisted opening knifes, no folding knives larger than 4" blade.

2) bobcats, coyotes, and mountain lions are common, and in my area, they are not afraid of people and there have been some incidents of coyotes jumping over a 6 ft brick wall to attack a toddler or small dog with adults just a few feet away.

I have already concluded the best weapon against these animals is a handgun. However, I cannot legally carry a concealed handgun, and to summarize, I'm unwilling to break the law. I'm looking for something I can use just as easily and legally in my own backyard as outside walking down the street.

What I am looking for, are *ALTERNATIVES* to firearms, for the sole purpose of self defense against bobcat, coyote, mountain lion.

Primarily, I would like to scare the animal away.

Co2 air horn?

If that doesn't work, and the animal gets close enough, what should I use as plan B?

Small axe?
Baseball bat?
Fighting stick?
Fighting knife?

I'm seriously considering both fighting stick and fighting knife.

Keep in mind that I'm not just concerned for my own safety, because if I'm in my backyard, I might also have 3 small poodles to protect. I could also be outside walking one of the dogs.

Your suggestions, both theoretical and from personal experiences, are welcome. Thanks.

 

[APBinNCA]

This is difficult, I confronted this question in a much less dangerous time. Not just from the animals, but from people calling the police.

I have older books that cover this, but I have heard everything is out the window now. I used to backpack into cougar habitat and found evidence of their presence. At the very least, you should have a walking stick so you can prod at the critter if he gets too friendly while keeping your distance. Obviously if you get jumped, all bets are off. I would also carry pepper spray, you can't carry bear spray legally nor can you conceal it. Air horns apparently don't work from what I have heard recently. The problem is anything that catches other peoples eye is eventually going to get you an interview and you have to decide whether you want to live or roll the dice. Most people roll the dice because they believe we have conquered nature. I always have a large knife when I am in the backcountry, but I can't carry that around near people. I have had some bad encounters with off leash dogs that almost resulted in somebody losing Mr. He won't hurt anybody. There is never an apology, always a threat because I am the one holding the scary weapon. And that isn't at the local park even.

Back on track, it is more about having something, anything, and knowing how to react to the different possible situations. I might consider a leather or kevlar wrap for one arm, many of these encounters involve the victim having to put their arm in the animals mouth to keep it off their neck. Ideally, you would put a stick in it's mouth and stab, punch, kick it. The books say to stab him in the nose, which you could do with a pocket knife. I personally don't want to be in a situation where I am that close unless I am jumped. I have day hiked into some areas with only a pocket knife and I feel very vulnerable.

I have family members who frequently get stared down by coyotes while walking the dog and they just have to 180 and go home. I personally won't go some places that I am familiar with from growing up any more. It stinks to let things control your behaviour, but living in a place that frowns on self defence with wild animals under unprecedented stress, I don't see a solution. Even firearms, where legal. You will be treated like a criminal if you have to discharge a weapon in public. What if you witness somebody else being attacked, you can't do anything about it either. Encounters where somebody tries to intervene usually go badly for somebody and not always the original victim. You can't really shoot an animal once it is on somebody without risking shooting the victim.

This whole situation is very hard for me because I grew up right at the wild land/urban interface and the number of attacks were low enough to ignore, but still gruesome enough to be cautious. There is just so many pieces to this now that I am kind of happy I don't have to deal with it, but miss the simpler times. But I know plenty of people that still do and I don't have a real solution. The above is just throwing stuff at the wall, I don't know why I am even hitting post.

 

[Multum in parvo]

Animal attack in my country means hiking over an alpine meadow and standing before a mother cow that defends her calf (3-4 publicly known incidents per year). We do have a handful of bears, wolfs and lynxes but they are only trouble to livestock.

A longish walking stick and an utility knife (of your local legal carry length) and with a bit more pronounced finger guard would be my suggestion if you are around in the countryside.

For your backyard maybe a strong air/CO2 rifle as a simple deterrent? Not sure if there is a legal power limit in your place.

This I found online but can’t verify the sources and validity…

A Guide to California BB Gun Laws

https://youtu.be/yP26JgxlJZk With respect to BB guns, California law states that: It is generally legal to own a BB gun in California. However, it is illegal for a person under the age of 18 to own a BBG without parental permission. Under California Penal Code 20170, it is against the law to...

www.shouselaw.com

 

[gigadeath]

A good old pilgrim walking stick. It served both functions. 100% compostable and biodegradable. Use only when necessary (in other words, basically never).

 

[Eben Stone]

This is difficult, I confronted this question in a much less dangerous time. Not just from the animals, but from people calling the police.

I have older books that cover this, but I have heard everything is out the window now. I used to backpack into cougar habitat and found evidence of their presence. At the very least, you should have a walking stick so you can prod at the critter if he gets too friendly while keeping your distance. Obviously if you get jumped, all bets are off. I would also carry pepper spray, you can't carry bear spray legally nor can you conceal it. Air horns apparently don't work from what I have heard recently. The problem is anything that catches other peoples eye is eventually going to get you an interview and you have to decide whether you want to live or roll the dice. Most people roll the dice because they believe we have conquered nature. I always have a large knife when I am in the backcountry, but I can't carry that around near people. I have had some bad encounters with off leash dogs that almost resulted in somebody losing Mr. He won't hurt anybody. There is never an apology, always a threat because I am the one holding the scary weapon. And that isn't at the local park even.

Back on track, it is more about having something, anything, and knowing how to react to the different possible situations. I might consider a leather or kevlar wrap for one arm, many of these encounters involve the victim having to put their arm in the animals mouth to keep it off their neck. Ideally, you would put a stick in it's mouth and stab, punch, kick it. The books say to stab him in the nose, which you could do with a pocket knife. I personally don't want to be in a situation where I am that close unless I am jumped. I have day hiked into some areas with only a pocket knife and I feel very vulnerable.

I have family members who frequently get stared down by coyotes while walking the dog and they just have to 180 and go home. I personally won't go some places that I am familiar with from growing up any more. It stinks to let things control your behaviour, but living in a place that frowns on self defence with wild animals under unprecedented stress, I don't see a solution. Even firearms, where legal. You will be treated like a criminal if you have to discharge a weapon in public. What if you witness somebody else being attacked, you can't do anything about it either. Encounters where somebody tries to intervene usually go badly for somebody and not always the original victim. You can't really shoot an animal once it is on somebody without risking shooting the victim.

This whole situation is very hard for me because I grew up right at the wild land/urban interface and the number of attacks were low enough to ignore, but still gruesome enough to be cautious. There is just so many pieces to this now that I am kind of happy I don't have to deal with it, but miss the simpler times. But I know plenty of people that still do and I don't have a real solution. The above is just throwing stuff at the wall, I don't know why I am even hitting post.

Thanks for the info. I basically live in a city, but its also kinda near the edges when looking at the map. I'm only a few blocks away from wilderness, and it doesn't help that the city has expanded maybe 300x in size over the past 20 years.

 

[Eben Stone]

Animal attack in my country means hiking over an alpine meadow and standing before a mother cow that defends her calf (3-4 publicly known incidents per year). We do have a handful of bears, wolfs and lynxes but they are only trouble to livestock.

A longish walking stick and an utility knife (of your local legal carry length) and with a bit more pronounced finger guard would be my suggestion if you are around in the countryside.

For your backyard maybe a strong air/CO2 rifle as a simple deterrent? Not sure if there is a legal power limit in your place.

This I found online but can’t verify the sources and validity…

A Guide to California BB Gun Laws

https://youtu.be/yP26JgxlJZk With respect to BB guns, California law states that: It is generally legal to own a BB gun in California. However, it is illegal for a person under the age of 18 to own a BBG without parental permission. Under California Penal Code 20170, it is against the law to...

www.shouselaw.com

Good suggestions, thanks, but I would want something more robust than a utility knife. If I could find something *LIKE* a trench knife that is legal, that would be ideal.

 

[lasta]

I think anyone here should be able to make one of these:

 

[Multum in parvo]

Good suggestions, thanks, but I would want something more robust than a utility knife. If I could find something *LIKE* a trench knife that is legal, that would be ideal.

How long should it be and how much do you want to spend on it?

That's what I had in mind for an utility knife you can buy 5-6 of them to throw then in your truck, backpacks etc.

Craftsman's Knife HVK

Knife developed and adapted to meet the needs of craftsmen, with a blade made from Japanese knife steel. It features a unique function for attaching the holster around a button on your work clothes so that it does not come loose whilst still being easy to remove. The blade is made from 2.5 mm...

shop.hultafors.com

 

[Multum in parvo]

Not sure about Cali legal, but the Ka-Bar Fixed Blade 1266 makes for a good sticker.
You would need at least an additional Swiss Army knife for any utility needs though.

 

[Eben Stone]

I think anyone here should be able to make one of these:

Great for the backyard, not so much for walking the dog down the street.

 

[Eben Stone]

Not sure about Cali legal, but the Ka-Bar Fixed Blade 1266 makes for a good sticker.
You would need at least an additional Swiss Army knife for any utility needs though.

That is exactly what I had in mind. I absolutely want one of these. Thanks.

 

[deafficianado]

A cane with a concealed sword for when your outdoors and a sharp katana for the backyard.

 

[Toothpick]

Bear spray should work on anything. Super strong pepper spray I think is what it is. I don’t think these animals actively hunt humans. Danger comes when you startle them. So if you are out and about where these animals are around make your presence known.

 

[Ad Astra]

Air soft sonic grenade.

Basically a plastic shell that pops loud when the CO2 cartridge is initiated. Buffing one at any animal would cause it to exit rapidly, I would think.

AA

 

[NorthernSoul]

Felines are ambush predators. They prefer to pounce on prey from behind by surprise. They have little reason to attack a human unless threatened or cornered. Coyotes are pack animals and less dangerous as individuals. They hunt mainly for food. Bear spray is good, but no help in close quarters. Walking stick and a strong knife might help. The goal is just to drive them off if you do get attacked.

 

[johnnylighton]

What county(íes) do you hike in?

 

[APBinNCA]

Alright so a small knife, walking stick and pepper spray. I have a 3 inch utility knife that I got from knifecenter and it’s leather holster fits in my pocket with just the end of the handle visible. I know of women that carry their pepper spray in a pouch with a 2 straps right below the grip on their walking stick. You might be able to position for easy access well trying to prod the critter away then you would have time to grab the knife.

I understand where you are at and know the specifics of these attacks and I want to caution people reading that many of the wild animals are in fact following humans. They are not behaving according to normal behavior due to several stresses recently combined with loss of habitat gradually. Their was a cougar that got into an urban neighborhood in San Francisco recently. If it was a pregnant female, it wasn’t, and it were to raise its young in this environment, its behavior would radically change and so would you every generation after. That is already the situation in Tahoe with the bears. If you encounter one while out for a walk, they might charge you if they think you are going to interrupt their dumpster snack. This is not wild bear behavior historically. People and pets are being mauled on their back porch to get access to food. The coyotes in suburbia already approach dog owners and have run them off and eaten their dog in cases I know of personally. Historically, they would try to lure pets from backyards to avoid the humans.

 

[Esox]

If you're down to a knife, you're getting bit. The idea is to keep them away. If spray, either stream or fog (look into the differences) isnt an option, used aggressively, you could do much worse than one of these.

Twisted Hickory Sapling Walking Stick - https://www.brazos-walking-sticks.com/twisted-hickory-sapling-walking-stick/

Hickory wont break, it will splinter if hit hard enough but remain functional. Worst case, you'd have a stick in each hand. Bruce Lee would even be cautious lol.

 

[Ravenonrock]

Not foolproof, as a few times things have escalated, but my early warning system has been working steadily the last 13 years. Bears coming down the mountain, plenty of coyotes and the occasional cougar, not to mention aggressive birds of prey. I feel safer when she’s with me (most always) fearless, loyal and certainly got us out of a jam more than once. Also pulled us in more than once, but I’ve got her back. Luna…

 

[Eben Stone]

What county(íes) do you hike in?

Mostly Los Angeles county (extreme north), Angeles Forest, Northwest county. Sometimes Kern county.