Flying back from a cancelled flight request we took a circuitous route back to base over some serious SW Montanan backcountry doing, umm, "area familiarization...... OK, we were looking for elk and just enjoying the scenery.
It was a good day for wildlife. Saw lots of elk and goats. Pilot suddenly says "what was that? Might have been a wolf, it was big and fast. Too big to be a coyote"
I say to turn around, so he pulled a real tight turn. We're about 150 feet off the deck when my nurse says all he can see is two mule deer when I spot them. One huge cat and one small one hauling ass from cover to cover.
So rare to catch em out like that especially in the middle of the day. The theory we came up with was momma was giving hunting lessons to Jr.
One of the coolest things I've ever seen from the helicopter. I'll never forget it.
Cool story bro 
Those things are always in the back of my mind when I hike around here
Never seen one though, thankfully
I saw 3 yesterday and it was awesome.
You're story is reasonably interesting, though.
Saw 2 cougars today
ptper - I saw 3 yesterday and it was awesome.You one upping son of a bitch!
You're story is reasonably interesting, though.
In all my time in the backcountry I've only ever seen 3 others. And, obviously, never from the air like that.
I felt like Marlin Perkins, w/o Jim and the net gun.
I've seen a cougar once in the wild. It was some pretty cool shit. Just caught a glimpse of it as we were turning a corner in some gnarly backcountry in southern idaho. After it ran down into a ravine we went to poke around where it was and down in the ravine there was a tiny deer fawn chasing a butterfly or some shit not giving a fuck. Lets just say there is a pretty high chance that deer didnt make it through the night.
Seen 2 in my life and I am out in the roughlands quite often
you are lucky
some guys never see one
They are supreme predators and masters of nature
I've seen two. Both were way too far away to get a good look. The first was 6 months ago walking home there was a sick on eating near a dumpster. This was in the middle of the night, I initially thought it was a golden retriever or yellow lab. It was so damn dark. Then i saw it movements and knew right then.
The second one was about two weeks ago. From my couch I can see the ski slopes at Keystone resort. I don't mean kind of see the slopes I live just a couple hundred yards from the gondola and chair lifts. I often see elk and or moose on the ski runs in the summer. Last week I looked up and saw a mountain lion going into the trees. It lasted all of 5 seconds. I reached for my binoculars and it was gone. 
Cool story indeed bro. I saw my first one a couple weeks ago hiking up in the Uintas. Luckily I saw him first and was able to just check him out for awhile from a distance.
I saw one in Big Cottonwood Canyon in Utah. That Canyon has Brighton and Solitude Ski Resorts at the top. If anyone is familiar with that canyon there is a power station about a mile up the canyon. It was right there eating road kill at 4:30 in the morning.
That's really cool and definitely a rare treat!!
I saw one when I was way younger in the Sierras while hiking in to fish a secret spot with my gramps...was just a quick flash as it went across the creek. Was cool but sketchy also, big kitty! That was only time I ever got to see one. I've spent a lot of time in the backcountry and have probably been seen by thousands of them. There so elusive!
Seen quite a few bob cats though, there fucking killer!!
VU OP lucky day today
Awesome animals, and a treat to see in person. I'm jealous.
Years ago when i was guiding in the cedar mesa area we were stalked for several hours by one. It was on the rim and followed us on and off for most of the day. That was my second cat sighting, and a spooky one. Usually it's just a glimpse and then gone and you wonder if you even really saw it. The one in the canyons was curious and not attempting to hide itself.
I didn't sleep much the next few nights.
FlowWithTheGo - I've seen two. Both were way too far away to get a good look. The first was 6 months ago walking home there was a sick on eating near a dumpster. This was in the middle of the night, I initially thought it was a golden retriever or yellow lab. It was so damn dark. Then i saw it movements and knew right then.That's pretty cool... The sick one feeding is very sketchy
The second one was about two weeks ago. From my couch I can see the ski slopes at Keystone resort. I don't mean kind of see the slopes I live just a couple hundred yards from the gondola and chair lifts. I often see elk and or moose on the ski runs in the summer. Last week I looked up and saw a mountain lion going into the trees. It lasted all of 5 seconds. I reached for my binoculars and it was gone.