A cougar spotted on Topaz Lake resident's Terry Judge security camera.
Unlike bears, mountain lions don’t hibernate in the winter, and are actually more likely to be spotted during the cold months.
Deer are among their favorite prey, and they take advantage of snowy conditions to catch them.
“I was out shoveling snow on my property when this lion passed by me in broad daylight at about 2:30 p.m. on Jan. 3,” Topaz Lake resident Terry Judge said. “I did not realize he was present until I came in the house and reviewed my security cameras.”
Judge said the mountain lion came to within 50 feet of him and was on the security camera again at around 5:45 p.m.
He said a pair were spotted closer to Topaz Lake earlier that day.
"These dangerous animals are out and about in the daylight hours," he said.
While they tend to be solitary, mountain lions do come together to mate. Mother mountain lions will also have kittens with them until they're old enough to fend for themselves.
The Nevada Department of Wildlife has a list of tips for encounters with mountain lions at www.ndow.org/blog/living-with-mountain-lions/
• Do not approach a lion, especially one that is feeding or with kittens. Most mountain lions will try to avoid a confrontation.
• Do not run away from it or corner it—give it space to leave. Back away slowly if you can do so safely – running may stimulate the chase instinct that many predators have.
• Do all that you can to appear larger. Raise your arms. Open your jacket if you’re wearing one. If you have small children with you, protect them by picking them up so they won’t panic and run.
• If the lion is aggressive, throw stones, branches, or whatever you can get your hands on without crouching down or turning your back. Wave your arms slowly and speak firmly. What you want to do is convince the lion you are not prey and that you may be a danger to the lion.
• In the rare event of an attack—Always fight back. Lions have been driven away by prey that fights back. People have fought back with rocks, sticks, caps or jackets, garden tools, and their bare hands successfully. Remain standing or try to get back up.
