Mountain Lion on the attack

[worldcat lemon]

A buddy, Dean, was hunting elk in the brushy hills of Western Washington. As he creaped through the reprod he was standing 15 yards from a lead cow and as he started to draw his bow the 6-8 elk he could see snapped their heads up, began barking, looking to his left. Dean slowly turned his head to the left and at 18 yards away a big cat was crouched in some tall grass, slowly waging its' tail preparing to attack the elk. Dean barked at the cat and the cat turned its' focus from the elk toward Dean, stopped moving its' tail, dropped its' ears back, and started digging in his rear feet. Dean drew his arrow, the cat stood slightly, and Dean buried the arrow behind the cats shoulder. The cat jumped straight up about 15', flipping, turning, and screaming while blood spewed from both sides.
The elk ran, Dean ran, and the cat stopped screaming. An hour later, Dean took his pistol back to the spot where he hit the cat, and found it about 18' up in a tree....dead! That cat never saw Dean til it was too late, but a few seconds either way and Dean could have seen a great attack by a cougar, or Dean could have been the cats next meal.
Cat was 6'8" long and 170lbs field dressed. Cats are actually good eating!

[weekender]

didn't know you could eat them i guess cause I never had the chance to hunt them. Great story, show some pics if you can. Congrats to Dean on making a fine shot in "heat of the moment", not something many people can do!