Cougar sighting poll

[NOCK NOCK]

In my adventures, I have seen 2 and killed 1.

Go.....

[Skyvalhunter]

There was probably a lot more you never seen that were close to you

[hunter399]

So we talking this year,or like how many I've seen in my lifetime.

Wish I would see one today ,does that count.

[Jpmiller]

I've seen three, two during August bear season and one while cross country skiing. Had season been open I easily could have shot one of the ones I saw bear hunting. All three were within 100 yards, two were less than twenty, none had the slightest care I was there.

[NOCK NOCK]

There was probably a lot more you never seen that were close to you

Speculation is irrelevant to the poll. 

[NOCK NOCK]

So we talking this year,or like how many I've seen in my lifetime.

Wish I would see one today ,does that count.

your pick 

[bigmacc]

Fortunate enough to have some old journals my great grandma kept, some are still readable and some are not, going back to 1921. From what we can see her and grandpa personally seen 4 from 1921 to 1969. Myself, personally have seen around 10 that I remember since the 60,s. The majority of those have been seen in the last 10-15 years. Some remember we seen 4 over a 1week span while preseason scouting a few years ago. Started buying tags a couple years ago and am actually starting to put effort into hunting them. While having a tag in my pocket I’ve seen 2  while deer hunting, neither presented a shot, one was killed after we put another fella into the area.

[lewy]

Seen about a dozen, killed two, called another in for a buddy who killed it. One I seen was solid black.

[Buzzsaw461]

I’ve seen one and it was only the back half running away from me. I was walking a fresh elk trail and he was watching it hoping I was an elk. Thank God he knew the difference because if he wanted me I would have been in trouble.

[Humptulips]

Over the years not sure how many I have seen while hunting and just being out. Probably about 30. Shot one while deer hunting. I've trapped 7. Of those 3 were killed. The others were released. Saw very few up until about 20 years ago. Since then, I've probably averaged seeing about one every other year while deer hunting. Have never seen a one while elk hunting. 

[Dark2Dark]

I’ve seen 6.5. Kinda interesting- it’s been three pairs. (Two were actually cubs/kittens and never saw the mom). Plus one single where we just saw a tail.

I shot one adult with my muzzleloader but could not find her that evening or the next day.

[scooby]

I've seen 2. First one was a few years ago turkey hunting in the 101 unit. Hen called for a while, walked down the road a half mile to the dead end, and on the return trip a cat was standing where I was calling. Giant tail, huge belly. Looked like a fat house cat but the size of a St. Bernard. I bought a 10mm two days later  In retrospect I'm sure turkey shot would have been effective enough if I needed it, but that stuff is expensive! It took a look at me and waved it's tail and trotted off in to the trees. Maybe 10 seconds of interaction total.

The second was while driving near Elma on a logging road. Caught a flash of movement a hundred or so yards ahead of me jog down the road and leapt in to the brush on the side. It was two seconds at most.

I'm not incredibly interested in predator killing. I'm not knocking it, it's just not my bag. I think if were to have the opportunity to kill a cat in NE WA I would since it's what the locals would do and I'm appreciative of how nice they are to a pretty liberal west-sider. Sounds like they need a few less cats out that way.

[bigmacc]

Just an addition for my dad. He’s been all over the Methow from the 1930,s up until 2018. He said he had only seen 2 cougars while scouting, fishing  or deer hunting up until about the early 2000,s. From then(early 2000,s) until he passed in 2018 he had seen around 9 I believe. He too never purchased a cougar tag until the last couple years he was alive. He always thought they were a treat to see one. Until they started showing up more and more. What really did it was when we walked into a particular area and found all those carcasses. Those dang things will clean deer out of an area and move on to the next, that area will recuperate then another one or two will move in and decimate the area again. Rinse and repeat.


Just a perspective. Like I said in my previous post and this one. It was a rarity to run into one in the “good ole days”, pre 1995, in fact it was neat to see one back then. Not so anymore. Like some have said, there’s a heck of alot more that we don’t  see but they see us. Stumbling into a “graveyard area”, full of cached kills in all different states of age and decay will certainly wake you up to the impact a cougar can have on deer in an area. It’s happened to us 3times now over the last 10 years. I can’t remember it ever happening back in the day. Sure you might find one every once in a blue moon but stumbling into areas where there are a dozen or more is a real eye opener.

[TommyH]

Was with a Buddie that harvested one a few years ago that was running right at him, it was something like 20 yards from him. Archery elk hunting I called 2 off the top of a open southern slope, watched them work their way down like 700 yards to down below me in really thick brush, no sidearm and no bow shooting lanes in that brush so I backed out. Another time archery hunting I repeatedly heard something in the shallow draw below me, thick brushy bottom there was no seeing in there, I was throwing rocks and boulders in there for 30 minutes, kept hearing stuff moving around.. I thought it might be an elk so had an arrow nocked, heard something sneaking up twords me real slow, it got to about 7 feet away until our eyes met threw the brush, his head and a paw was all I seen, I was drawn back all ready but I knew no way an arrow was making it threw all that brush accurately so just held drawn back until it slid backwards out of view. Was still hearing noise in the bottom so was still throwing rocks into there, must have finally hit one. Out runs 5 cougars! One stopped on the other side of the draw at one of the only shooting lanes at 62 yards, 60 pin was 1/2 inch to low, just below his belly.
Another time had a cougar and a yearling moose 50 yards away, each advancing and backing up from one another for a good while, then the moose abruptly turns and runs right at me with the cat right behind it.. I started yelling at her not to bring that cat my way lol, moose went by and the cat was nowhere to be found..? Not sure how it disappeared so close by. On my way back down to that spot I was on my mtn. bike with my bow in hand and arrow nocked, driving with one hand (not a good idea). I’ve seen a few others cross the road while driving.

[highcountry_hunter]

Seen 4 while hunting, killed 2 and a client killed another. I’ve seen at least a dozen at work in the last 10 years


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[MAVsled]

1968 through 1989, it was rare to spot a cougar. Only saw one cougar during that time.

...not anymore...
Fresh elk tracks abounded and yes, cat tracks in snow. Sometimes following the elk tracks.
Eastern elk season 2023, saw momma & 2 yearlings run across the logging road in the headlights.
On day 3, saw a young looking mtn lion up on the rockslide's edge, 200 yards away.

Day 5, came within 90' of a Huge tom cat as I crested a knob hill. It saw me about same time I saw him, bounded off and gone in 2 jumps. Had some big cajónes back there between the rear legs.

2024 will find me with a cougar tag in pocket. There're just too many cats, have to do something.
I hear, read that mtn lion meat is great table fare, so justifies taking in my book.

[wadu1]

I've seen 7 or 8 on Vancouver Island while hunting bear/deer. Two near Swan Lake south of Republic. One in Covington crossed the road going into a subdivision. Saw one get whacked by a car on Tiger Mountain. 

[doubletall]

I've only seen one other than game cam pictures on my property.  It was during modern deer this year.  I'd been sitting on a log for about a half hour.  When I stood up to move on I looked behind me and there was a cougar staring at me about 25 yards away.  I have a tag but by the time I got the gun up he was gone.

[CackleBird98]

Have seen 4.  1 pair of yearlings while tagging along on a buddies muzzy deer hunt, 400 yards, but we didnt have a rifle on hand.  1 ran across the road in front of me while out scouting a couple years back, and last year, opener of rifle elk, i smacked one at about 150 yards, but could never find it.  Been considering going up a few times this winter specifically to look for one.  Would be awesome to get one

[dilleytech]

I missed the poll but also seen multiple and killed 2

[Sir5Lboy]

Had a female and two kittens at the base of me tree stand opening morning


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[fly-by]

Missed the poll.  First one I saw was September 2015, the cat in my avatar.  Since that time I've seen 9 more on 5 separate occasions and have kept decent notes.  2 sightings involved a pair of juveniles, one was a female and 2 juveniles.  A couple seen while driving, two while on foot grouse hunting. In 2012 I was followed while x-c skiing but only saw the tracks on my way back down the hill.

[bigmacc]

Missed the poll.  First one I saw was September 2015, the cat in my avatar.  Since that time I've seen 9 more on 5 separate occasions and have kept decent notes.  2 sightings involved a pair of juveniles, one was a female and 2 juveniles.  A couple seen while driving, two while on foot grouse hunting. In 2012 I was followed while x-c skiing but only saw the tracks on my way back down the hill.

Yep, we have a cougar problem in this state and it’s only been getting worse since the 90,s. Depending on what part of the state your in, it varies regarding impact on herds. The correlation of growing predator numbers and the deflation of the country’s largest migrating mule deer herd (Methow herd, pre 90,s) is not a coincidence. My opinion.

[NOCK NOCK]

Crazy how many some have seen.
I spend ALOT of time in the hills and in the last 40 years have only seen 2. What’s ur secret?

[pickardjw]

I'd love to get on one this winter. Planning on a couple dedicated trips at least but not sure if I'm in high density areas.

Did see 4-5 bobcat kittens near Colville a few years back.

[ducks4days]

I got stalked by one while turkey hunting near the Klickitat river

Called one in while bear hunting in August

Only seen one while it was legal to shoot, and it was gone in a few seconds

[Griiz]

I saw one in the 90s, shot one with a muzzleloader in early 2000s and have see a couple since then. Have seen them on both sides of the state.

[bigmacc]

I just talked with a buddy who spent Thanksgiving with his in-laws over in the Methow, Thanks giving morning while bringing wood in from the woodshed something caught his eye, he turned and looked to see 2 cougars about 40 yards away looking at him over the top of a water trough! By the time he got to a rifle(in the house) both were gone. Happened up Rendezvous.

[bigmacc]

Crazy how many some have seen.
I spend ALOT of time in the hills and in the last 40 years have only seen 2. What’s ur secret?

I don’t know where fly-by is seeing all of them but there’s no shortage of them in the Methow.