Originally Posted By: Tom_L
Quote:
* In California, from 1986 through 1998, exactly two people died from mountain lion attacks, whereas in one year alone, over 4,000 people died in traffic accidents, including 800 pedestrians. This means that your car or someone else's car is ~2,000 times more likely to kill you than is a mountain lion. (A Detailed Calculation gives the ratio as between 1,150 and 4,300.)


Don't take it as a personal attack, but what you're suggesting here is based on a totally flawed premise. One thing has nothing to do with the other. Virtually everyone is involved in traffic daily. Comparatively VERY few people venture out into mountain lion terrain however and those that do for the most part don't do it on a daily basis. So statistically your principle is unsound because there are naturally going to be far more people hurt in traffic accidents than out in the bush. But that does not necessarily mean your chances of getting mauled by a mountain lion are really that low statistically.

Now your logic would make more sense if you actually knew just how many people on average do enter mountain lion terrain annually, then calculating the percentages.


Gotta love statistics. You can use statistics to confirm or deny just about anything lol. I'd like to see the statistics of hikers that actually ventured into bear country that were attacked by a bear. Probably still quite low, but more sobering than you might realize. I'd wager something like 0.5% (1 in 200), but still higher than lightning strikes.

Back to the point of preparation. They sell kevlar neck guard shirts to hockey players to protect against pucks and sticks, I wonder how they'd fare against the jaws of a 200 lb. cougar? (and I mean the cat, not the older woman looking to spice it up with a young lad ;))