Here's a few panther encounters from the Mountains.
They usually referred to them as panthers (or painters). Lion was used to refer to the African lion, and cougar shows up very rarely.

From James Pattie:
I was aroused from slumber by a noise in the leaves, and raising my head saw a
panther stretched on the log by which I was lying, within six feet of me. I raised my gun gently to
my face, and shot it in the head. Then springing to my feet, I ran about ten steps, and stopped to
reload my gun, not knowing if I had killed the panther or not.

Description from Osborne Russell:
THE PANTHER
This animal is rarely seen in the plains but confines itself to the more woody and mountainous
districts its color is light brown on the back and the belly is a sort of ash color: its length is 5 ft
from the tip of the nose to the insertion of the tail which is about 1/2 the length of the body it is
very destructive on Sheep and other animals that live on high mountains but will run at the sight
of a man and has a great antipathy to fire

From Ruxton:
One day I got a shot at a panther (painter), but did not kill it, as my old mule was so disturbed at
the sight of the beast, that she refused to remain quiet. The prairie between the Del Norte and the
mountain, a distance of twelve or fourteen miles, is broken into gulleys and ravines, which intersect
it in every direction. At the bottom of these is a thick growth of coarse grass and grease-bushes,
where the deer love to resort in the middle of the day. I was riding slowly up one of these
cañons, with my rifle across the saddle-bow, and the reins thrown on the mule’s neck, being at
that moment engaged in lighting my pipe, when the mule pricked her ears and turned her head
to one side very suddenly, giving a cant round at the same time. I looked to the right, and saw a
large panther, with his tail sweeping the ground, trotting leisurely up the side of the ravine, which
rose abruptly from the dry bed of a watercourse, up which I was proceeding. The animal, when it
had reached the top, turned round and locked at me, its tiger-like ears erect, and its tail quivering
with anger. The mule snorted and backed, but, fearing to dismount, lest the animal should run off,
I raised my rifle and fired both barrels at the beast, which, giving a hissing growl, bounded away
unhurt.

From Rufus Sage:
Previous to reaching camp I rode along the base of a small mountain, some distance to the right
of the main party, in quest of game; there I caught glimpse of the first panther I had yet met with.
Jumping from my horse, I thought to give him a passing shot, —but he, neither liking my looks
nor the smell of gunpowder, made hasty retreat to his mountain home.

From Townsend:
Early this morning, a large panther was seen prowling around our camp, and the hallooing of
last night was explained. It was the dismal, distressing yell by which this animal entices its prey,
until pity or curiosity induces it to approach to its destruction. The panther is said to inhabit these
forests in considerable numbers, and has not unfrequently been known to kill the horses of a
camp. He has seldom the temerity to attack a man, unless sorely pressed by hunger, or infuriated
by wounds.

From Catlin, describing the combined bowcase and quiver carried by many of the Natives of the West:
Their bows are often made of bone and sinews, and their arrows headed with flints or with bones,
of their own construction, or with steel, as they are now chiefly fomished by the Fur Traders quite
to the Rocky mountains. The quiver, which is uniformly carried on the back, and made of the
panther or otter skins is a magazine of these deadly weapons, and generally contains two varieties.
The one to be drawn upon an enemy, generally poisoned, and with long flukes or barbs, which
are desi6•ned to hang the blade in the wound after the shaft is withdrawn, in which they are but
slightly glued; -- the other to be used for their game, with the blade firmly faslencd to the stlaft,
and the flukes inverted; that it may easily be drawn from the wound, and used on a future occasion.

Shoshone Indian, by Miller, carrying a bowcase quiver.

Good stuff K. I admire the way you find so many references to a subject and get them transcribed onto these threads.

Am hoping now for a follow-up thread on wolves and mountain men!

I've done a few posts on wolves, mainly about he different types, and how coyotes were considered wolves.

I'll see what I can find on interactions between the trappers and wolves.

The rabid wolf attack at the rendezvous of 1833 is the first event that comes to mind.

man I bet they though cap and ball revolvers were the best thing as soon as they could get them

I'd take me an 1858 over a single shot pistol for sure

There's quite a bit of discrepancy about the wolf attacks that year, there were basically two rendezvous about a mile apart and some reports were that there were two rabid wolves because both camps were attacked but other reports say they were not attacked on the same night so there was only one rabid wolf. I tend to think there were more than one because there seems to be multiple attacks at both camps. Several people were bitten and some died or went crazy, (one man ran off and was never found) some livestock and horses also died. Interesting event for sure.

They referred to coyotes as brush wolves in most cases. But I believe the attacks were from wolves not coyotes. See what you can dig up, Townsend gives a good report and also Charles Larpenteur. Joe Meek also gave an account to Francis Victor if I remember right.

At that Rendezvous Joe Meek was chastised for having been wandering around drunk as a skunk and it was wonder he hadn’t got bit by one of the rabid wolves. His response was if it hadn’t been cured it’d probably been killed!

good read thanks for posting,

Always an interesting read. I don't recall hearing much before about poisoned arrows. South American but not Plains Indians, anyone say what and how the poison was made?

Got a chuckle out of panther “didn’t like his looks”

The very few references I have seen are older, seems as the 19th century went on, it fell out of use.