Mtn. Lions

[Boomerang]

What are my chances of seeing a mountain lion or bear if I go hiking off into the forest near Hermosa Colorado?

Thanks
Boomerang

[the Ferret]

There is an off chance however bears and lions, lions particularly are two of the most secretive and elusive animals around. If they see, smell, or hear you before you spot them, chances are you will never see them. I know of people who have lived in lion country their whole life without ever seeing one.

[Steertalker]

Probably zero chance for cats.  Maybe a bear.  In fact there are lots of bears in unit #74.

Along with what Ferret said, West Texas has lots of Mt. Lions, so much so that they are considered varmits and can be killed at anytime without a license in our great state.  With that said, I've never ever seen one.

[sagebrush]

I live in Utah,am 51, and in the mountains a lot. Until last year I had never seen one. And then last year I saw four. It didn't make a lot of sense unless cats have three cubs. It was a momma with three cubs that were almost the same size as her. I surprised them. They were coming down for a drink in a remote canyon. Pretty neat. Gary

[Wudstix]

I spend a fair amount of time in the brush.  I've seen one cat just outside (west) of San Antonio TX.  It was a mexican sub species and very grey in coloration.

[thetroutguy]

I have spent nearly my entire life in MT hunting and fishing and I have never seen one.  I have seen tracks occasionally after a fresh snow, but never been lucky enough to find a lion.

[Walt Francis]

I have been big game huting in Idaho and Montana for over twenty years and seen six mountian lions, without hounds.  As for bears, I quit counting the grizzly's at 67, the first ten years I hunted Montana.  I have seen about forty black bears in that time period.  For Colorado, I would think the chances of seeing either black bear or mountain lion would be better then mine.  However, there was a fifteen year period where I spent over a hundred days each years in the mountains.  That was before I started hunting whitetails.

[Roughcountry]

I can't speak to the Lion population in Colorado.

In the state of Eastsern OR we have a pretty high population of the big cats. I've seen four that wern't in front of my dogs. Of those I got a bow shot at one working the same buck as I was.

The big cats are expert string jumpers, could teach the class on it. She was at 15 paces and wasn't there when the arrow got there.

I think your best bet would be calling one. I've had one into the call and somehow it spotted me and I missed with a firearm. ( the state won't let me use a bow on the job) I'm now trying to figure out how to fool one into holding for a bow shot.

I have a buddy that just got one at 9 paces while wearing a guillie suit. I'm thinking that maybe enough to hold them for the draw, just outta curiosity.

If you want info on the call my buddy and I use drop me a PM in a couple days when my email is working again. Nothing getting in now, but still go's out.

[Basic Instinct]

I have seen 5 myself here in Oregon, I shot one of them in Oct of 05 140lb male. They are there, just do not see them most of the time before they see you.

[longbowfanatic02]

Can't speak on Col. but I have happened to walk up on one while searching out rattlesnake dens in the rimrock country in West Texas, have seen a couple more varmint calling and such probably not gonna see one unless you get into where they live.

[Roadkill]

I have seen them in CA and in NV.  We see them when hunting chuckar, and when down at the Mountain Warfare Training Center in Bridgeport, CA, I was outside all the time and spotted several as they moved from the Marines coming up valley.  They are like smoke-there, not there, no noise, no trace.  Love to see them.  Here in NV the ground is a lot more open, and you can spot them moving up ridge while hunting elk or chuckar.  I had to let one pass as I wa sinto elk 4 years ago.  Lion is the only tag we can buy over the counter here.  They like remote places.  I hope you do see one, it'll make your year.

[Tater]

In the 30 + years I have hunted the mountains of Colorado I have encountered two cats.
    Bears are a different story I usually see one or two a year while Elk or Deer hunting.

              Tater

[vizsla]

! have hunted for elk in colorado3 times we would see sign a lot some times still worm but nevewr a hair.  bears and cats they smell you comming for 4 days and hear you for 3

[One eye]

I saw one while mule deer hunting in Colorado back in 1994.  It actually laid down under my tree for about 30 minutes, which made for a tense time ;-)

I have always wanted to hunt them.

Dan