Horses, Wives and Mountain Lions

[JohnP]

I am fortunate to have a wife who not only has bought me most of my guns and gun safes but she also has joined me on many of my hunting trips.   Could explain why we have been married for so long.

Many years ago we decided to take the horses and hit the mountain for at least a week or maybe longer. We took two saddle horses and two pack horse and enough rations to last a lifetime.  It was probably one of the most relaxing and enjoyable time of our life.  No phone, no TV, ”no nothing” except a beautiful mountain and a lovely sky each night.  We saw everything there was to see on this particular mountain, coyotes, coatimundi, javelina, bear, gray fox, deer, bear, everything that is except a mountain lion.  On the morning of the sixth day we started our journey back down into the valley and civilization. We were on a very narrow path on the side of the mountain  which was iffy even on a good day, one miscue by the horses and it's over the edge.  About a quarter of the way down we ran into what had probably been a mini landslide sometime ago.  A lot of loose rocks on the path and fairly deep.  We decided it would be better to dismount and lead the horse down rather than try to ride them through this treacherous section of the trail.    We decided she would lead and we tied one of the pack horse to the tail of her horse and the other to mine.  About halfway through this stuff I looked across the canyon and sitting on a rock about 300 yards away was a very big cat.  I pulled the rifle out of the scabbard and tried to get my wife's attention, I didn't want to shoot and have her horse goes bonkers and pull both of them off the mountain.  Although all of our horses have been shot off of I just didn't want to chance it on this very dangerous mountain side.  Try as I might I couldn't get her attention and in short order the cat got up and disappeared back into the mountain.  When we finally got through it and was able to ride again I told her about the cat.  She said I should have shot as she could of handled the horses.  I told her I wasn't sure and I didn't want to spook the horses and have her and the two horses go over the mountain side.  As wives are a dime a dozen but a good horse is hard to come by.  Being the gentleman that I am I will not repeat what she said.

[Hawks Feather]

You were a brave man John and now you are much wiser.

Jerry

[pitw]

Dang I'd have loved to hear her :roflmao: :roflmao:.  Excellent story John and an even better decision .

[Yotehntr]

 :roflmao:  Very risky there John!  :roflmao:

[FinsnFur]

I seen the topic title and thought there was a sidewalk sale going on.

[vvarmitr]

Man, I love adventure stories like that.

I'd have done the very same thing for Coyote Kate, but the Ex I would have used as puma bait.
Don't worry guys .... I would have shot it before it bit her.  Wouldn't want to be accused of poisoning an animal.
:roflmao:

[KySongDog]

That story reminds of the ad in the paper that said.........

"Wanted: Good woman who can cook and owns a fishing boat.  Send pictures of the fishing boat."

[Dave]

Great story, but what happened to to "Shoot first, ask questions later!"