What would you do if you came home and found a mountain lion on your front porch eating your dog? And worse, it decided to attack you in defense of its kill?

It was about 4 p.m. when Richard Rasmussen came home from work. As usual he parked his truck and walked toward his house, but quickly noticed on the porch a mountain lion looking right at him. The cat was eating his 12-year old Border Collie when Richard interrupted him. Slowly backing up to his truck, Richard grabbed the rifle he always kept handy, as many ranchers do. By the time Richard made it back to the porch the mountain lion was out of sight. Not knowing where the cat went he walked up to the porch. In an instant the mountain lion came darting around the corner of the house lunging directly at Richard.

Instinct kicked in and Richard lifted the gun and fired as the cat slid into him and off the porch onto the ground. Fortunately the shot was a direct hit to the head and killed the cat. The intensity of the moment kicked in and Richard realized what had just happed and how fortunate he was to be unharmed.

Richard lives on Farm Creek Road between the small towns of Tabiona and Hanna, Utah. Even though this was the first time Richard has seen a cougar on his land in the 20 years he lived there, he frequently sees tracks in the winter. However, when news got out about the lion attack, there were mixed feelings about just how to address this startling issue to the public. Just how does the general public and the mainstream media feel about a mountain lion being killed in self defense?

Two different newspapers did a story on the attack. However, after reading both articles you think you are reading about two different incidences. A local paper covered the story in depth with the title of the story reading, "Hanna man shoots mountain lion on his front porch". The story proved to be noteworthy and followed the events that actually happened. There were quotes from Richard and his family and also the Fish and Game. However, when one of the bigger newspapers in Salt Lake City ran a short story on the attack, you thought Richard Rasmussen was an escaped convict. The news story's title reads, "Cougar's killer off hook". Below is a list of some key points that were addressed:

* Cat "apparently" was running toward him

* The mountain lion "apparently" killed the man's dog

* The man, "apparently" a rancher

* The man "appears" to have been defending himself

* The mountain lions "attempted" attack

* It is illegal to hunt mountain lion

* Mountain lions seldom attack and had more to do with territory than with drought

Apparently the facts of the attack were a little unclear in the article and gave a portrayal that this poor mountain lion should have been spared and Richard was lucky to have not been charged. That is what mainstream media, special interest groups and the Fish and Game may want you to hear. This issue isn't about cougar attacks on people, but about cougar populations that are out of control.

What you won't hear about in the papers is the fear that Mr. Rasmussen felt. No, this is not the fear of just about losing your life or being injured, but the fear of killing a mountain lion in self defense and having to prove your innocence to the Fish and Game. Mr. Rasmussen, immediately following the attack, didn't move the dead mountain lion or the partially eaten dog, but went to his mother's house next door and called the Fish and Game to report the incident and wait. Richard's understanding of the "system" may have saved him a lengthy investigation that could have included heavy fines and penalties.

When the Fish and Game showed up and there was a dead mountain lion just off the porch of the house, their main concern was proving Richard's version of the story. Did the bullet angles match up to the positioning of bone fragments and teeth? Was there something they could find that would contradict the story that Richard related? Their job was to determine if the killing of this animal was justified.

Fortunately for Richard and his family this story is about a dead mountain lion and not a dead or seriously injured person. Fortunately for Richard, he was the one who came home first and not one of his kids who would have been unarmed. Or, what about Richard's 81-year-old mother who was outside weeding in her garden next door at the time of the attack. Is this "cougar killer" really of the hook? Unfortunately, mainstream media and the Fish and Game would like you to think so. Moreover, the mainstream media and special interest groups would like you to think nothing more, or at least not the real story behind our predators.

Cougars kill the sick and old, and then move on to anything else that is around. Reports show that a single mountain lion will kill up to one deer a week. There are two main adversaries to a trophy 30-inch class mule deer. A lucky hunter and a mountain lion. A herd-dominating buck during certain times of the year doesn't like company. During summer the bucks will gather together in bachelor groups and have many eyes and ears to spot any oncoming dangers. However, when a buck reaches the later part of the year they become loners in the sense of the word. They perch atop a ridge by themselves, isolated from the main herd. This isolation makes them very vulnerable and an easy target for a stalking mountain lion. Many great, mature bucks have been taken down not by the gun, but by the elusive mountain lion.

California State Legislation placed the mountain lion under protection in 1971 and a general perception was that the mountain lion numbers were very low. During 1979 to 1985, a study was done on the North Kings deer herd bordering California and Nevada. The focus was to find the reason the deer herd declined from an estimated 17,000 animals in 1950 to about 2,000 animals in 1988. The conclusion was surprising but clear that the deer herd's lack of recovery was related to heavy predation. The mountain lions were controlling the depressed deer herd, and were not benefiting the population by taking only the weak and old. They also found overlapping and home range sharing between mountain lions. Therefore, lion populations were not limited by the need for exclusive territories and reproduction continued within this high-density population.

The study concluded with the following realization: The magnitude of the problem can be understood when we consider that the ratio of deer to mountain lions has apparently declined from an estimated 750:1 in 1950 to about 30:1 in 1988. Deer populations cannot meet the needs of the mountain lions and maintain their numbers with the heavy predation that these ratios bring. This is especially true when you consider the additional predation from coyotes, bears, and bobcats.

The Arizona Game and Fish Department (AGFD) is conducting a new study on the declining population of Desert Bighorn Sheep in the Goat-Stewart Mountain Complex. The AGFD will evaluate the mountain lion as one of the main believed causes of the Desert Bighorn Sheep decline. However, Arizona has many documented past studies on this issue. In 1995, 15 bighorn sheep were captured and released within the study area. The fates of all were documented. Of the 15 released, 12 died, and 10 of these deaths (80%) were attributed to known or probable mountain lion kills. But, comparing it with other studies made in Arizona, this represents a higher rate of predation.

What does this mean for us? The cause is speculative and the difference in the predation rate on the bighorn sheep population calls for further investigation. Therefore, the AFGD is again starting another study. Why are predation rates widely different among the same type of studies? Some studies show lion predation as a minor mortality factor. In contrast, other studies show mountain lion predation as a major factor in declining sheep populations.

Another thing to consider is the declining mule deer in this same target area of Arizona. Since 1994 the deer herds are declining and remaining very low. Again, according to all of the studies, it may be possible that the declining mule deer population may play an important role in the increased desert bighorn sheep susceptibility to lion predation.

In Oregon, statewide complaints about damage caused by cougars have increased: 36 in 1986, 151 in 1992, and 163 in 1991, more than 700 last year according to registered complaints to the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW). However, some feel the sightings are unreliable and an inappropriate method of determining lion status.