Cougar question

[DoubleJ]

If there's an elk herd in the area, can a person reasonably assume that there are cougars in the area too?  I ask because the couple of spots I've tracked elk, I've not cut a single cougar track.  I know the elk are there, just not sure about the cats

[shedcrazy]

You would think so

[JimmyHoffa]

Something to consider doublej is what the ground is like.  Elk have a lot of weight bearing down on relatively small, sharp hooves.  Cougars have those big, wide paws with soft, rounded edges.  I only find good cougar tracks in mud and snow.

[wraithen]

I seem to find them in the middle of roads. They are about 6 inches long, pretty narrow, and dark with bits of deer hair.    Oh! You meant the kind of tracks left by paws!

[DoubleJ]

I seem to find them in the middle of roads. They are about 6 inches long, pretty narrow, and dark with bits of deer hair.    Oh! You meant the kind of tracks left by paws!

can't remember seeing anything but bear scat either

[JimmyHoffa]

doublej, are you looking for them in mason co.  (I think you said you were in mason before)  I've heard that there are an absolute metric butt-load of cougars there and that more than a handful were shot during this year's deer season.
I heard a lot were spotted following deer.  I think they follow what is most abundant.  On the west side of the peninsula there aren't so many deer like the east side, but lots of elk unlike the eastside.  On the westside, they are usually following around a herd.  On the eastside, sometimes they are around the herds, but also have deer, rabbits, livestock and pets.  One followed the sequim herd and could be seen walking around the edges of the berry farm for a week, then left town.

[DoubleJ]

doublej, are you looking for them in mason co.  (I think you said you were in mason before)  I've heard that there are an absolute metric butt-load of cougars there and that more than a handful were shot during this year's deer season.
I heard a lot were spotted following deer.  I think they follow what is most abundant.  On the west side of the peninsula there aren't so many deer like the east side, but lots of elk unlike the eastside.  On the westside, they are usually following around a herd.  On the eastside, sometimes they are around the herds, but also have deer, rabbits, livestock and pets.  One followed the sequim herd and could be seen walking around the edges of the berry farm for a week, then left town.

I'm in Mason county but I was looking around Raymond. 

[AKBowman]

DoubleJ- I've found them on the major creek bottoms in that general area this time of year. I think the elk use the bottoms of major creek drainages for easy travel along the gravel and tue cougars follow them down there. That or like someone already posted it may be that is where I could see te tracks b/c of the mud. I've seen them there and also on the bottom edge of steep clear cuts. If there is a trail that follows the bottom edge of a clear cut horizontally I seem to pick up pics of them on those trails.