Would 9mm deter a Cougar?

[buckfvr]

I don't think the 4" barrel for handgun hunting would apply if it was used for protection. And I would agree that the 9mm with
 ammo would work fine.

Sure it doesnt apply but why not have the tag and the legal weapon ?  Hes had his once in a lifetime close cat encounter, buying a gun now is a real long shot that it will happen again.   

[Oldguy]

I don't think the 4" barrel for handgun hunting would apply if it was used for protection. And I would agree that the 9mm with
 ammo would work fine.

Sure it doesnt apply but why not have the tag and the legal weapon ?  Hes had his once in a lifetime close cat encounter, buying a gun now is a real long shot that it will happen again.   

[Cougartail]

Can you carry a modern firearm during muzzleloading seasons?

[KFhunter]

Agree.

For protection run what you brung, always. A 9mm would smoke a cat, wolf or yotes.  I happen to know they can smoke a bear too, especially a small 150lb blackie, but most everyone including myself thinks its a bit light for bear protection.

If you want to tag and keep the animal then all hunting rules apply. Maybe they'll give you an exception and let you tag it, dunno.

If the cat was killed in self defense, then it gets surrendered to WDFW and tossed in the dump.

[KFhunter]

Can you carry a modern firearm during muzzleloading seasons?

You can *always carry a modern handgun for self defense while engaging in an outdoor activity.  It doesn't fall under the hunting umbrella of laws, until you "hunt" with it. If you "hunt" with it, then it needs to comply with hunting restrictions on handguns, if you tag a self defense killed animal, then you hunted it.  If you killed it under self defense, then it gets surrendered to WDFW and ends up in a dump.

*Other than felons etc, which couldn't muzzleloader hunt anyways.

[kselkhunter]

As mentioned 9mm is fine for a cat.  I always have a cat and bear tag in my pocket, so pack my 357mag with 5" barrel during archery season so can keep the animal.

That's rare to see a cat in daylight like that.  I frequently see them at night when hiking back to backcoutnry camp during archery elk season in our favorite spot.  Usually just the young ones, never see mature ones.  The young ones are very curious and like to follow us at night as we make our way back to camp from our evening hunt.  But they never advance inside 20 yards, and run off when we yell or chase them.  Can't legally shoot them in the dark unless it's self defense, and we always talk to them and dare them to show their face during daylight hours....they never do.  Lots of non-hunting backpackers up there, so not going to shoot a cat at night unless it's legally warranted or we'll end up with more trouble than it's worth.  But one of these days I hope to fill my cougar tag up there in daylight hours.

[KFhunter]

I put my TRL1 HL 1000 lumen weapon light on a cat in the dark, it stared at it ahwile, then I advanced on it, the cat spun around and ran into a stump 

[Rob]

Since we now know that a 9mm bullet will remove a human lung, I think it would do a find job on a thin skinned predator like a cat.

[Okanagan]

Ditto to several that a 9mm is plenty for a cougar, especially with an expanding bullet... if the operator can hit with it. 

When I was a kid old time hound men often used a .22 pistol to kill treed cougars.  Of course, that is usually at a non-moving target with plenty of time to aim. 

[Bob33]

Can you carry a modern firearm during muzzleloading seasons?

You can *always carry a modern handgun for self defense while engaging in an outdoor activity.  It doesn't fall under the hunting umbrella of laws, until you "hunt" with it. If you "hunt" with it, then it needs to comply with hunting restrictions on handguns, if you tag a self defense killed animal, then you hunted it.  If you killed it under self defense, then it gets surrendered to WDFW and ends up in a dump.

*Other than felons etc, which couldn't muzzleloader hunt anyways.

Remember that using a modern firearm to hunt big game during a muzzleloader season is not legal.

[bornhunter]

As mentioned 9mm is fine for a cat.  I always have a cat and bear tag in my pocket, so pack my 357mag with 5" barrel during archery season so can keep the animal.

That's rare to see a cat in daylight like that.  I frequently see them at night when hiking back to backcoutnry camp during archery elk season in our favorite spot.  Usually just the young ones, never see mature ones.  The young ones are very curious and like to follow us at night as we make our way back to camp from our evening hunt.  But they never advance inside 20 yards, and run off when we yell or chase them.  Can't legally shoot them in the dark unless it's self defense, and we always talk to them and dare them to show their face during daylight hours....they never do.  Lots of non-hunting backpackers up there, so not going to shoot a cat at night unless it's legally warranted or we'll end up with more trouble than it's worth.  But one of these days I hope to fill my cougar tag up there in daylight hours.

I was told if you are archery hunting and come across a cougar and you have a cougar tag you cant take the cat with a handgun but must take it with your bow. True? 

[Bob33]

As mentioned 9mm is fine for a cat.  I always have a cat and bear tag in my pocket, so pack my 357mag with 5" barrel during archery season so can keep the animal.

That's rare to see a cat in daylight like that.  I frequently see them at night when hiking back to backcoutnry camp during archery elk season in our favorite spot.  Usually just the young ones, never see mature ones.  The young ones are very curious and like to follow us at night as we make our way back to camp from our evening hunt.  But they never advance inside 20 yards, and run off when we yell or chase them.  Can't legally shoot them in the dark unless it's self defense, and we always talk to them and dare them to show their face during daylight hours....they never do.  Lots of non-hunting backpackers up there, so not going to shoot a cat at night unless it's legally warranted or we'll end up with more trouble than it's worth.  But one of these days I hope to fill my cougar tag up there in daylight hours.

I was told if you are archery hunting and come across a cougar and you have a cougar tag you cant take the cat with a handgun but must take it with your bow. True?

This is the muzzleloader WAC: https://app.leg.wa.gov/wac/default.aspx?cite=220-414-060

"In addition to the above requirements, it is unlawful to participate (hunt) in a muzzleloading hunting season using a firearm that does not meet the following specifications for a muzzleloader. However, a modern handgun may be carried for personal protection. Modern handguns cannot be used to hunt big game or dispatch wounded big game during a big game hunting season for muzzleloading firearms.:

This the archery WAC: https://app.leg.wa.gov/wac/default.aspx?cite=220-414-070

"It is unlawful for any person to carry or have in his possession any firearm while archery hunting in the field during an archery season specified for that area, except for modern handguns carried for personal protection. Modern handguns cannot be used to hunt big game or dispatch wounded big game during an archery big game hunting season."

I suppose an enforcement officer could interpret it differently, but to me it would be illegal to use a handgun to kill a big game animal for a reason other than self defense during an archery or muzzleloader season.

[Platensek-po]

As mentioned 9mm is fine for a cat.  I always have a cat and bear tag in my pocket, so pack my 357mag with 5" barrel during archery season so can keep the animal.

That's rare to see a cat in daylight like that.  I frequently see them at night when hiking back to backcoutnry camp during archery elk season in our favorite spot.  Usually just the young ones, never see mature ones.  The young ones are very curious and like to follow us at night as we make our way back to camp from our evening hunt.  But they never advance inside 20 yards, and run off when we yell or chase them.  Can't legally shoot them in the dark unless it's self defense, and we always talk to them and dare them to show their face during daylight hours....they never do.  Lots of non-hunting backpackers up there, so not going to shoot a cat at night unless it's legally warranted or we'll end up with more trouble than it's worth.  But one of these days I hope to fill my cougar tag up there in daylight hours.

I was told if you are archery hunting and come across a cougar and you have a cougar tag you cant take the cat with a handgun but must take it with your bow. True?

Not true. You most definitely can.

[kselkhunter]

As mentioned 9mm is fine for a cat.  I always have a cat and bear tag in my pocket, so pack my 357mag with 5" barrel during archery season so can keep the animal.

That's rare to see a cat in daylight like that.  I frequently see them at night when hiking back to backcoutnry camp during archery elk season in our favorite spot.  Usually just the young ones, never see mature ones.  The young ones are very curious and like to follow us at night as we make our way back to camp from our evening hunt.  But they never advance inside 20 yards, and run off when we yell or chase them.  Can't legally shoot them in the dark unless it's self defense, and we always talk to them and dare them to show their face during daylight hours....they never do.  Lots of non-hunting backpackers up there, so not going to shoot a cat at night unless it's legally warranted or we'll end up with more trouble than it's worth.  But one of these days I hope to fill my cougar tag up there in daylight hours.

I was told if you are archery hunting and come across a cougar and you have a cougar tag you cant take the cat with a handgun but must take it with your bow. True?

The spot I am referring to in my post is in Oregon, and yes I can harvest the cougar during legal daylight hours with my revolver as my revolver meets the state's minimum handgun caliber size regulations.   I can harvest the cat with any legal weapon: archery, muzzleloader, handgun, rifle, or shotgun as long as the weapon meets the state's requirement.  OR regulations allow for harvesting bear and cougar during archery season with a handgun (or any legal weapon).  For WA state, Bob33 posted the relevant information above.

[Platensek-po]

As mentioned 9mm is fine for a cat.  I always have a cat and bear tag in my pocket, so pack my 357mag with 5" barrel during archery season so can keep the animal.

That's rare to see a cat in daylight like that.  I frequently see them at night when hiking back to backcoutnry camp during archery elk season in our favorite spot.  Usually just the young ones, never see mature ones.  The young ones are very curious and like to follow us at night as we make our way back to camp from our evening hunt.  But they never advance inside 20 yards, and run off when we yell or chase them.  Can't legally shoot them in the dark unless it's self defense, and we always talk to them and dare them to show their face during daylight hours....they never do.  Lots of non-hunting backpackers up there, so not going to shoot a cat at night unless it's legally warranted or we'll end up with more trouble than it's worth.  But one of these days I hope to fill my cougar tag up there in daylight hours.

I was told if you are archery hunting and come across a cougar and you have a cougar tag you cant take the cat with a handgun but must take it with your bow. True?

This is the muzzleloader WAC: https://app.leg.wa.gov/wac/default.aspx?cite=220-414-060

"In addition to the above requirements, it is unlawful to participate (hunt) in a muzzleloading hunting season using a firearm that does not meet the following specifications for a muzzleloader. However, a modern handgun may be carried for personal protection. Modern handguns cannot be used to hunt big game or dispatch wounded big game during a big game hunting season for muzzleloading firearms.:

This the archery WAC: https://app.leg.wa.gov/wac/default.aspx?cite=220-414-070

"It is unlawful for any person to carry or have in his possession any firearm while archery hunting in the field during an archery season specified for that area, except for modern handguns carried for personal protection. Modern handguns cannot be used to hunt big game or dispatch wounded big game during an archery big game hunting season."

I suppose an enforcement officer could interpret it differently, but to me it would be illegal to use a handgun to kill a big game animal for a reason other than self defense during an archery or muzzleloader season.

But there is no muzzleloader season for cougar. That only applies to animals that have a muzzleloader season. You most definitely can hunt bears with a modern firearm during archery or muzzleloader seasons. You cannot hunt with a modern firearm if you are hunting a muzzleloader season, as in you have a muzzleloader tag for elk and it’s during the season you cannot hunt elk with anything other than a muzzleloader or archery. You definitely could target bear or cougar during that time and use a modern firearm. I wouldn’t mix both at the same time though.