Mountain lions in the mix

Mike Rand has seen more mountain lions than usual in the past two years around his home south of Carbondale. He’s lived full-time above the KOA campground on Highway 133 for four years. “My family’s had this land since the ‘60s,” he told The Sopris Sun. “We’ve always had cats here. We used to have bighorn sheep in the backyard but that went away in the mid-’70s when more houses and dogs came.”
He’s surprised at the amount of lions he’s seen. “You usually don’t see mountain lions, they see you,” he explained. “It’s really only skilled hunters and people who are looking for them who know how to see them.”
Rand was one of several people from Rifle to Aspen who responded to a social media request in mid-February about recent mountain lion sightings. Some sightings involved an injured lion, lion cubs and other animals — wild and domesticated. Some were caught on surveillance cameras. Some were photographed in the moment. Others were simply memories. Most of those with whom I spoke were surprised at seeing the lions. Some were awed. None wanted a lethal remedy. For the record, not all who responded were interviewed.
Rand, in his late 40s, said he’s seen more elk on his property in the winter. He blames development in Snowmass and elsewhere for pushing the elk out. “The cats follow those animals,” he said.
One of Rand’s most recent encounters with a lion occurred in late November, early December. He works at the Aspen-Pitkin County airport and often leaves the house before dawn. One morning around 3:30am, he recalled, “I heard clicky-clicky, and I looked up and saw a freaking cat sitting on the top of the garage, looking at me as I walked to the car.” Only about six-feet separated Rand from the cougar — an easy leap for the cat. “So, I kind of grabbed stuff. I have a wood kiln, and there’s a lot of chunks of wood,” he said. “I took one of the shovels and just kind of walked with the shovel up to the car and got in the car.”
According to Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW), which manages mountain lions (Puma concolor), the projected statewide population of independent lions (not including kittens) is around 3,800 to 4,400. Puma concolor was classified as a big game species in 1965 and is largely managed by hunting. “Mountain lions have benefited from regulations on take and management actions that have resulted in increasing populations,” said Travis Duncan, CPW’s public information supervisor, in an email.
The agency updated its West Slope Mountain Lion Plan in 2020 and is currently working on the East Slope plan. One management goal for the Western Slope is to have a stable mountain lion population.
CPW’s reasons for an increase in sightings reflect Rand’s observations and not necessarily an over-abundance of cougars. Duncan explained that mountain lions live in this area year round and follow deer and elk to lower elevations in winter. “These lower areas are also where we see more human development,” he explained. “With the increased technology, like doorbell cameras, we are starting to see images or videos of this elusive animal more often.”
Andrew Matuszeski’s security camera caught a lion about five-feet from his Missouri Heights home early one morning in late November. “I took the dogs out; and it had rained the night before and I saw the tracks right by where I park my car,” he told The Sopris Sun. “I was pretty sure it was a cat and I knew it couldn’t have been from earlier because the rain the night before would have wiped out [the paw prints]. So I called inside and told my wife to check the tape and she found it immediately.”
Local ecologist Delia Malone also said that an increase in sightings doesn’t have to do with a sudden surge in population. “[Humans] are recreating more than ever. We’re building more trails and roads and houses in their habitat,” she told The Sopris Sun. “There’s dramatically more of us and where there’s more of us, there’s likely to be more sightings of the critters if they’re here.”
Neither Rand nor Matuszeski have reported sightings to CPW. Both would prefer to live and let live. “I spent my whole life spending time out in the backcountry,” said Matuszeski, originally from southern California. “I love these animals. I think it’s one of the best parts about living up here.”
Rand is fully aware that, in this area, we all live in mountain lion habitat and have to learn to live with the animals. Pondering his close call with the cat on the garage roof, he said, “If I did go out that way, it would be a good way. My kids could say ‘my dad took on a mountain lion!’”