I have spent the last 15 years fishing the back country,taught survival to young troubled kids in tha cascades, Hiked cross country up on some of the headwaters of the oly pen and have seen one cougar,running from me!I have seen plenty of sign and fresh kills around a week old but I do not feel threatened!If god wants to feed me to a cougar so be it but I think I stand a better chance of being eaten by Ike!