A wildlife technician in Idaho experienced a tense moment when she unexpectedly came face-to-face with a mountain lion family.
While investigating the death of a GPS-collared mule deer buck in the Owyhee region of southwest Idaho, the technician discovered that an adult mountain lion and two juveniles were feeding on the carcass. She managed to record the encounter, and Idaho Fish and Game later shared the footage on YouTube to demonstrate the proper response in such dangerous situations.
At the start of the video, the technician is seen standing fairly close to the big cats. She can be heard shouting “Go on! Get!” several times and using an airhorn to scare them off. Throughout the encounter, she keeps her camera aimed in their direction while backing away slowly and maintaining her composure.
According to Idaho Fish and Game, anyone who encounters a mountain lion should never run, turn their back, crouch, or hide. Instead, individuals should keep facing the animal and retreat slowly, ensuring the lion has an escape route. Making oneself appear larger—by waving arms, shouting loudly, or throwing objects—can also help drive the animal away.
“Encounters like this one are exceptionally rare,” Idaho Fish and Game wrote on Oct. 31. “It represents a potentially risky worst-case scenario where a lion refuses to back down. Generally, such encounters involve a mother protecting her young or a single lion guarding a cached kill.”
Wildlife technicians seldom meet mountain lions directly, as these animals are typically shy and avoid humans. Their instinct is to flee, especially when people make loud noises—a routine precaution technicians take when investigating potential lion kills.
Studies in the Owyhee area show that mountain lion predation is the leading cause of death for mule deer and California bighorn sheep. Because of this, Idaho Fish and Game staff know they may encounter lions whenever a GPS-collared animal’s signal indicates a possible death in those regions.
