Home Forums Hunting & Shooting General Big Game Saw a Mountain Lion today

Was out deer hunting this morning. As we were heading back home, I happened to see some movement off to the side of the road. Couldn't really tell what it was until I saw the tail. I jumped out of the truck but by the time I got over there, it was long gone. That's the 3rd one I've seen, but the first I've seen in the daylight. Thinking about going back with a varmint call...

Amazing. Funny how you can live around predators and hardly ever see them.

They hunt in the day. Cept around rural areas. They make good rugs.

Quite a sight, aren't they?

In my 44 years in Colorado, with all the time I have spent in the outdoors, I have seen exactly 2 lions, and they were together, in November 2010.

I head to the hills at least once a year to try and call one in, with no success, though a few years ago I had smoking fresh tracks about 75yds from my calling spot. Calling one in is a bucket list item for me.

What's their status regarding the Possum Cops? Are they protected?

DF

This was the first year in 3 years that we DIDN'T see one during deer season. But did have a female with a cub on camera earlier this fall

I have seen nine here in the Black Hills.
Four during daylight.
Three at bewitching hour where it was,t light, but not completely dark.
Two in the headlights.

I have been getting consistent pictures on the camera in my back yard this fall.

Waiting for season to open Dec 26.

Certainly elusive animals. Rare to see one. Caught these on a trail cam set on an elk water hole that I like to hunt. Pretty cool I think.

I think that I've only seen 6 mountain lions in the wild. One from my kitchen window and 2 on the road within 1/4 mile from my house.

After 40 some years of buying a tag and hoping to see one while deer or elk hunting, a few years ago I finally booked a hunt in western Colorado and got this one...

They are a rare sight. I have seen two.

First was deer hunting in southeast Texas, midway between Dallas and Houston. Heavily timbered with lots of brush. About 40 years ago.

Second was pretty crazy. Driving down the alley where I lived one night. Heavily populated, with houses densely built (Plano, a north Dallas suburb of 330,000 people, surrounded by more suburbs). Lived very near a wooded creek. Was common to see coyotes and bobcats. This night, a mountain lion came over the 6-ft wood privacy fence out of my next-door-neighbor’s yard, running toward the creek. Crossed the alley just a few feet from my car. Happened about 10 years ago.

We used to see lions at my place in the Broadmoor Bluffs are of Colorado Springs all of the time. Mostly a female then once in awhile a male. I still see them but since the area has been built up all the way to the Cheyenne Mountian AFB, we see them less. I had to shoo one away from my mail box last year.

Seen 3, killed two of them... heard dozens more, some VErY close, but only while hunting them.

(I don't like to advertise how many call-ins don't result in a shot!)

Never seen one in the wild on accident.

I have seen 13 or 14, all in the Blue Mountains of SE WA state except 1 of them was across the border in Oregon. I saw 4 together one time. I have killed 2 of them while purposely hunting them. My buddy called the 1st one in while we were sitting together. I figured he would be the shooter but he didn't have his shooting sticks so I took the shot at 310 yards. The 2nd one I was tracking through the snow on the same mountain and finally saw it up the canyon 400 yards away and was able to shoot that one too. My wife and I ate both and enjoyed the meat. I sure miss those mountains!

I have never seen one. I don't spend a lot of time romping around where they live though. I have seen very few bobcats.

I've seen several over the years, mostly in
East Texas. They used to be pretty numerous
in the early pioneer/republic/statehood days.

Been told that I was fos the first couple I
saw. Must have seen a bobcat I was told.
Yeah, I know the difference between one
thing and another

Used to be a lot more rural in Collin county and around
than there is now
Years ago I dove hunted places in Frisco that were
dirt roads and huge maize fields that have multi
million dollar office complexes and condominiums
everywhere now. Dove and rabbit hunted around
where the cabelas is now

Have heard/seen them where they officially don't exist (per NE, MO and NY officials at the time). Here in UT, I haven't seen one yet, but have found their tracks over mine at least three times while out hunting in recent years. Hound hunters get a lot of them around here. State just declared open season: https://wildlife.utah.gov/guidebooks/2023-24_cougar.pdf

Bufaf: I used to Hunt up N/E and N/N/W of Spokane back in the mid 60's and later. Mule Deer Hunting up there was fantastic back then, BECAUSE.... there was a bounty on Mt. Lions!
Bounty gone now, hound Hunting gone now and the predators have ruined that once great Hunting area.
Sad what liberal idiocy does to so many and varied things.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

I have seen a few or more without being targeted exclusively and have a few very good stories. One story is as follows.



I drew a Valle Vidal, NM bull rifle tag that was late October. The first night dumped snow. After coming out of the woods around 11AM in the truck, my guide stops the truck and says “look at those bobcats” about 30 yards off the road. After watching for a few moments, we realized they were not bobcats but three young cougar kittens. As we were mesmerized by them, I went for my camera and trying to ease out of the truck. During this whole surreal experience, we never noticed the mother cougar halfway between us, sitting on her haunches halfway between us (literally 15 yards, maybe) staring at us. To put it bluntly, she was in the bald-ass open and we were looking through her. She blended in spectacularly perfect and I still can’t believe we didn’t see her. When we did notice her, it was a wow moment that I will never forget. Her eyes could cut glass. She never flinched, and slowly gathered the kittens and strolled off. I’m still amazed to this day….words can’t describe it. The camouflage was perfection but the gaze was indescribable.

Had another female on the ranch last fall. Caught movement in a coyote set. Looked like a young one. Called the CO to come help with the release. Two showed up, getting near the young cat the mother rose up from the sage moved not far.
The young one was released and both took off..

Osky