Eureka deer hunter has similar predator encounter

By JIM MANN/Daily Inter Lake

Another stalking mountain lion was killed recently by a hunter in the Eureka area, a Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks official confirmed Wednesday.

Mark Utter was rattling for deer off Old Highway 30 about four miles outside Eureka on the evening of Oct. 30.

When he started walking down a spur road, he turned around and saw a mountain lion about 28 feet away, according to Tim Thier, the state wildlife biologist for that area.

"He shouted and the cat crouched and he thought it was possibly going to pounce, so he shot it," Thier said.

Utter left the area and reported the shooting. Thier responded to the scene, finding a young, 75-pound female that had been in good condition.

Thier said he is concerned about the potential for people to perceive that the mountain lion was purposely hunting a person. He does not believe that was the case.

"I think as much as anything, the cat was curious," Thier said, adding that it was likely lured in by the rattling and thought it was pursuing deer.

"I just think these cats are young and inexperienced and they are trying to hunt deer," Thier said. "They are instinctive and they hear something and they believe their ears before they believe their eyes."

But Thier said people such as Utter can't be blamed in these situations because they do feel threatened.

"We're not going to cite them because the cats certainly were very close and the people feel threatened," he said.

As a bow-hunting education instructor, Thier said he warns his students of the elevated risk of encounters with bears or lions they may face. Hunters wearing camouflage, quietly stalking in the woods, and using calls and scents can find themselves close to predators, he said.

"People, when they engage in these kinds of activities, they are going to have encounters now and then," he said.