Sometimes when a few dogs join us for the hike, Zima will disappear into the
mountains. If I don't see her, I will ask the dogs "where's Zima". At that they will
all begin to scan to ridges, looking for Zima. One of them usually spot her, and
the fun is over. I think Zima is play-stalking us, practicing her technique on a
group of friends.
Can't say I've ever seen a mountain lion stalking us up in the rockies, but
from the number of Cat carcasses we come across, there must be a few. Usually,
if the dogs or Zima (a coyote) get a whiff of a cat, they will turn 180 degress and
walk the other way, though they have been very friendly with a couple of bears
lately.
I have noticed that Zima constantly scans the sides of mountains looking for
deer, though. When she sees one or a group she stands perfectly still, except
for cocking her hear from side to side. She can see them even when I, looking
directly at them can't make them out, but the opposite is true too, sometimes
I can see the deer and have to point to them and say "deer" before Zima will
see them - another word Zima learned early in life. She runs the intervening
mile towards the dear, and then using shrubs for cover can usually get within
about 10 yards before the deer recognize her presence and scatter - that is
provided she hasn't rolled in a deer carcas before the hunt - then she can get
right up to them before they recognize a coyote in deer odor is among them.
She loves the chase and stalk, but I have never seen her attack a deer. Even
today, we met a family with a double sized dog - legs about twice as long
as you would expect. Zima greeted the dog, but stayed her distance - a bit
too tall for comfort, I guess.