Mountain lion injures man in NW Montana

A man was injured Friday morning, May 26, after encountering a mountain lion near Boundary Mountain North of Libby, according to Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks.

Game wardens learned of the man’s minor injuries Saturday morning, and the agency announced the incident Monday in a news release.

The news release states the man told investigators he was bent over, hooking up a chain to drag out a log he’d cut for firewood, when he was struck from the side and knocked into a tree. He said he swung at the animal with his arm, striking it, and it ran off. He got up and ran to his truck and saw a mountain lion walking back toward the vehicle. He scared the lion off with his truck.

Game wardens and U.S. Forest Service law enforcement personnel met the man at the scene and verified he had superficial scratches to the side of his face and stomach. He did not seek medical attention.

Hounds trained to track mountain lions were brought to the scene and “hit” on a scent, but after several hours tracking up the mountain they were unable to find or tree the lion. At 11 p.m. the search was called off. The hot dry conditions and the length of time from when the incident was reported made tracking a challenge, wardens reported.

A trail camera was placed near where the incident occurred, but did not record any images of the mountain lion over the weekend.

Authorities say no further action is planned at this time.