A few answers:
Are there many cougars in your area?
The local newspaper says the cops have been chasing a cougar away from the west side of Okotoks the last two weeks . . . . that's ten minutes from where Abby and Keeper live.
The cops found a cougar hiding under a car in south Calgary near an elementary school last year . . . . lost and frightened.
They're around . . . . rare to actually see one.
When the deer and elk disappear for days on end from around the house, you know something is going on.
Are cougars the same as mountain lions?
Pretty much the same.
Do you carry anything for protection, besides the camera?
Honestly . . . . no.
Bears are the thing I'm usually avoiding so I'm making sufficient noise to let them know I'm coming . . . . .
On this particular day, there were people spaced at about half kilometre intervals and most had dogs, so we weren't alone. Abby and Keeper were the only dogs with their leashes actually attached to them. This isn't the time of year you'd expect to see a bear.
True story . . . . . last spring, only about two kilometres from this spot, a man and woman were hiking when they spotted two cougars. One cougar jumped the guy, a big guy, who shook it off, grabbed it by the paws and did the discus-throw turnaround and tossed it about 20 feet or so . . . .
When the elk disappear, look out!!!
Rick C
www.goldentales.ca