Mountain lion?

[hunter399]

Look in the TREES?

Go back and look on windy day that sucker might fall out of tree.

[Ridgeratt]

Take the dog for a walk :

 

[Whitenuckles]

Lol.... I thought the dog was illegal. And YES I had her with us today. Tomorrow I have some beagles coming to visit.

[Blacktail Sniper]

If nothing vital was hit, it could easily survive. 

What bullets are you shooting, solids or an expanding type?

Do you have any idea what part/where on the body you hit, what area did the fur you were finding look like it came from?

What did the blood look like, color, amount, etc?

Any pictures of the blood or fur?

It was facing strait at me, when I think back, I think I was excited and scared at the same time. I aimed center mass under its chin. The blood is blood red, not lung or liver blood. The bullet was a hornady SST. I just don't understand how it could have gone that far. I shot it at 20ft. The thing rolled like it was hit by a car. I feel like crying. I should have used a 300 or 00buck. But everything I read said a simple 22 would due. I figured 556 was plenty. I know it's dead, but how far away did it die? That's what in my head right now.

From that angle, do you think there is any chance that it was a face/jaw hit? 

I have hit two deer in that spot, and while they bled quite alot, both were more than mobile and could easily have gotten completely away if given any length of time.

One I was able to get right on and follow it a little ways and get a second shot into it, the other I was able to tip it over with a quick follow-up shot before it got out of sight.

Good luck!!

[Blacktail Sniper]

Look in the TREES?

 

Also in any cubbie holes, brush piles, log piles, thick ferns or brush...you would be surprised how small a spot can hide an entire critter!!

[lokidog]

Bummer, hope you can at least get some closure and a skull from it.  On a positive note, if alive, it probably won't be back in your coop or anyone else's.

[NOCK NOCK]

Any update?  Cougars are 1 tough critter. I shot mine at 50 yards, broadside, .280 with a 140g. Bullet entered dead center of shoulder, and stopped between meat and hide on exit side. Dropped him in his tracks, but amazed the bullet didn't exit. This combo has blown right thru several deer on similar shot placements, and much greater distances.

Hope you found him, but if not, you prolly taught him to stay away, or saved some deer. 

[DOUBLELUNG]

Bummer, hope you can at least get some closure and a skull from it.  On a positive note, if alive, it probably won't be back in your coop or anyone else's.

Yeah that!  Give it a few days, look for birds and scavenger trails in the area, they should converge on the carcass.

[WA hunter14]

What kind of bullets were you using?

[7mmfan]

What kind of bullets were you using?

Pretty sure he said he was using an SST.

Yep, SST.

It was facing strait at me, when I think back, I think I was excited and scared at the same time. I aimed center mass under its chin. The blood is blood red, not lung or liver blood. The bullet was a hornady SST. I just don't understand how it could have gone that far. I shot it at 20ft. The thing rolled like it was hit by a car. I feel like crying. I should have used a 300 or 00buck. But everything I read said a simple 22 would due. I figured 556 was plenty. I know it's dead, but how far away did it die? That's what in my head right now.

[7mmfan]

With that said, my experience with smaller diameter SST's and close range shots is that they tend to detonate on impact. It's certainly possible that you made an ok shot, but hit something hard and the bullet never penetrated. Seems inconceivable that it could happen, but bullets do funny things at close range.

[WA hunter14]

Don't know how I missed that part about the bullet. Cougar are definitely not tuff animals when it comes to taking lead. If it really went 400 yards you had to of made a really bad shot unfortunately.  I've never seen or heard of one going more than 100 yards after being shot. Especially with a frontal shot it should have been completely immobile after being shot with a sst  (my favorite bullet) . Probably just grazed it barely. I haven't personally done it but I have seen people shoot them with 22lr in the lungs and they die within 100 yards.