Jim Collins was doing what generations of California deer hunters have done — calling in blacktails during the rut using a fawn distress call. What happened next is becoming more common across the West, and it’s reigniting the debate over mountain lion management that pits traditional hunting culture against a predator protection movement that’s gone too far.
Collins was six steps from being attacked by a stalking cougar when he spotted the cat and fired a single shot that sent it running. He’s alive today because California still allows hunters to defend themselves against mountain lions — barely. But the incident raises hard questions about whether the Golden State’s hands-off approach to lion management is putting people at risk while doing nothing for actual conservation.
California’s Mountain Lion Population Boom
California banned mountain lion hunting in 1990 through a ballot initiative pushed by urban animal rights activists who’d never spent a day in lion country. Since then, the state’s cougar population has exploded to an estimated 4,000-6,000 animals — up from around 2,400 when the ban took effect.
Wildlife managers can’t touch them unless they kill livestock or threaten humans. Even then, the process is so bureaucratic that problem lions often claim multiple victims before permits are issued. Meanwhile, attacks on humans have increased, and deer herds in some regions have been hammered.
The Controversy Hunters See Clearly
Conservationists argue that mountain lions are apex predators essential to ecosystem health and that attacks remain statistically rare. They’re right about the statistics — but statistics don’t mean much when you’re the one staring down a 150-pound cat that’s decided your fawn call sounds like dinner.
Hunters and rural residents see it differently. They live with these animals daily and understand that “coexistence” means different things when lions lose their fear of humans. Colorado voters just banned lion hunting too, despite wildlife managers warning it would lead to more conflicts. Idaho and Montana, by contrast, allow managed lion seasons that keep populations healthy while maintaining the cats’ natural wariness of people.
What’s at Stake for Sportsmen
This isn’t about eliminating mountain lions — it’s about whether science-based wildlife management still matters or whether ballot-box biology driven by people who’ve never field-dressed a deer gets to make the rules. Collins survived because he was armed and alert. Other hunters, hikers, and ranchers checking cattle might not be so lucky. Real conservation means managing all species responsibly, not turning dangerous predators into sacred cows that can’t be touched no matter the cost.
Key Points
- California deer hunter stopped cougar attack at six steps using firearm in self-defense
- State’s 1990 lion hunting ban has doubled mountain lion population to 6,000 animals despite increasing human conflicts
- Debate highlights tension between urban-driven predator protection laws and science-based wildlife management rural Americans depend on
https://www.outdoorlife.com/survival/six-steps-from-a-mountain-lion/ – September 09, 2026
