Bruce Leeson was hunting alone east of Mount Head when he encountered a cougar. He relates the incident:

Heartstopper
21 November 2005

For some unknown sense that I cannot explain, and without any conscious detection of sound, movement or smell, I was compelled to quickly glance over my right shoulder. I gasped to see a large cougar running low and hard straight at me from behind, closing fast from about twenty paces.

I whirled to face the cougar, flinging my rifle up to my shoulder. My
movement slowed the cougar to a stealthy crawl towards me. He was crouched low, his chin only three or four inches off the ground. I was sighting at his face along the barrel of my rifle as there was no time to take off the telescope caps. His eyes were locked on mine -- I have never ever
experienced such a intense stare. As he crept straight towards me I could see the points of his front shoulders pumping up and down behind his ears, his hindquarters appeared much higher -- they were kneading and bunching as he moved forward. At about 10 paces separation I knew I must shoot, or....

Still holding my rifle right on him I stepped one pace forward towards him and stamped my foot hard, hollering once at the same time. He stopped, stared directly at me for several more seconds, then relaxed. He stood up, looked off to the side, turned broadside, then took the most tremendous
leap I could have ever imagined. He landed about 20 feet off into the forest. He was in knee high grass, and now slowly began to circle me. He would take a few steps with the tip of his long, thick tail curled up and twitching, then he would stop, look at me and thrash his tail side-to-side in the grass. By this time I had my scope caps off, and was following him in my crosshairs. I had decided I would shoot him if he came for me again. In about a minute he travelled approximately a third of a circle around me, staying out about 60 feet. This took him to the top of a small rise in topography, the far side of which fell away from my view -- then he was gone.

Bruce Leeson