We live in a remote area in central Idaho. Sid (my wife) & I were enjoying our wake-up morning cup of coffee in the hot tub just after daylight this morning. She has the better game eyes. We typically watch the deer & elk on the mountain sides around us. It isn't unusual at all to hear the wolves howl while in the hot tub.

Sid was scanning the mountain side when she got a "different" look in her eyes. She immediately said she spotted something moving that wasn't either a deer or elk. I jumped out of the tub and grabbed the binoculars for her and set up the spotting scope for myself.

Sure enough, there was a cougar about 800 yards away just barely below the horizon. We watched it about 6-8 minutes while it put a sneak on an elk also grazing on the horizon. The cougar moved down into the trees when it got within 75 yards of the elk. The cat stalked onward towards the elk using the cover to close the distance.

The elk gradually grazed over the top, the cougar followed in the tree line. We have no clue if the sneak was successful, they were out of sight by the time the cat would have made the final rush.

This was Sid's first incidental sighting. She has been to 50+ trees, including leopards we have bayed with our hounds. I think she was as excited about this one as any.

Exciting way to start the day---good coffee, nice hot tub, and watching a cougar stalk an elk!

You never did ask me to go cougar hunting this fall.

Rich
DRSS

I didn't get to go much either. Generally I tree about 15-25 per winter. We will take 1-2 and release the rest.

The cancer operation on Nov. 12 pretty much curtailed the hunting this year. I did get out with a friend and catch one just so I didn't get totally skunked. It was also something I had to do psychologically .

One of these next years......

Pretty darn cool to live in an area like that.

It really is. We appreciate it. Of course, there is a downside if you like to shop in a city larger than 3,000 population.

It is 140 miles to Missoula, MT and 160 miles to Idaho Falls, ID--the nearest population centers.

We enjoy the solitude as long as we can get into "the world" once a month or so.

I was born not too darn far from missoula, but lived in colorado most of my life. I've been through once as an adult. Its beautiful up there. I live in central coast of Cali now and not quite as nice, although i did have a 40 lb bobcat at my front door the other day. I sometimes dream that I will be living somewhere like Idaho or Montana again. We'll see!

A 40# bobcat would actually be more of a trophy than this cougar in terms of the usual size here. Ours generally only run 18-30#.

Congratulations!

Jerry

Ours are usually only 20lbs or so also. Maybe he'll still be around next bobcat season...