Camouflage Queen: Tracking Down the Elusive Mountain Lion in Yellowstone National Park

Camouflage Queen: Tracking Down the Elusive Mountain Lion in Yellowstone National Park - The Ghost of the Mountains

Few creatures inspire as much awe and wonder in the wilds of Yellowstone as the elusive mountain lion. Known by many names - puma, cougar, panther, catamount - this magnificent predator has earned its reputation as the phantom of North America. As the largest cat in the contiguous United States, the mountain lion once ranged over much of the continent. But loss of habitat and eradication programs have reduced its numbers and range dramatically. Now, one of the last strongholds of the mountain lion is Yellowstone National Park. Here, in the remoteness of the high country, the cats still follow age-old routines of hunting, roaming, and raising cubs while mostly avoiding detection by human eyes.

Yet catching sight of a mountain lion, even in Yellowstone, is exceptionally rare. Wildlife lovers can hike for years in prime lion habitat during dawn or dusk hours when the cats are most active and never glimpse one. But experienced guides know the signs to look for to indicate the phantom's presence. Scrapes on trees where the big cats mark territory and caches where kills are stashed to feast on later are telltale clues. Fresh tracks in mud or snow - the size of a human handprint or larger - confirm that the master hunter has passed by stealthily.

Those fortunate few who do spot a Yellowstone mountain lion invariably describe it as a magical, once in a lifetime moment. The glimpse is often brief as the lion slips away into thick forest or rocky slopes. But the vision remains etched in memory forever after. Conservationist Harley Shaw dedicated decades to studying Yellowstone's mountain lions and had just a handful of direct encounters. He writes rapturously of watching a lion amble down a trail one winter's day: "I was mesmerized by the easy, casual rhythm of his walk and by the rippling of his huge muscles under the tawny skin." Writer Craig Childs tells of a close pass with a female lion surprised in her kill site: "Our eyes caught for a fraction of a second when time slowed down, the cat and I staring directly at each other."

What else is in this post?

1. Camouflage Queen: Tracking Down the Elusive Mountain Lion in Yellowstone National Park - The Ghost of the Mountains
2. Camouflage Queen: Tracking Down the Elusive Mountain Lion in Yellowstone National Park - Solitary Hunters on the Prowl
3. Camouflage Queen: Tracking Down the Elusive Mountain Lion in Yellowstone National Park - Learning the Lay of the Land
4. Camouflage Queen: Tracking Down the Elusive Mountain Lion in Yellowstone National Park - Spotting Prints and Scrapes
5. Camouflage Queen: Tracking Down the Elusive Mountain Lion in Yellowstone National Park - Following Fresh Tracks
6. Camouflage Queen: Tracking Down the Elusive Mountain Lion in Yellowstone National Park - Seeking Out Favorite Hangouts
7. Camouflage Queen: Tracking Down the Elusive Mountain Lion in Yellowstone National Park - A Rare Glimpse of Glory
8. Camouflage Queen: Tracking Down the Elusive Mountain Lion in Yellowstone National Park - Respecting the Wilderness Code

Camouflage Queen: Tracking Down the Elusive Mountain Lion in Yellowstone National Park - Solitary Hunters on the Prowl

Far ranging and fiercely independent, mountain lions are consummate soloists. Once lion cubs mature and leave their mother's territory, they live out their lives on their own separate domains. Adult males stake out turf of up to 300 square miles while females patrol smaller areas of around 75 square miles. Within these solitary spheres, the big cats survive by hunting fleet-footed prey on rugged Western landscapes from British Columbia to Patagonia.

Yellowstone's wide open spaces and plentiful prey provide prime terrain for the park's transient lions. Biologist Harley Shaw spent over six years intensively tracking radio-collared cats that passed through the northern reaches of the park. He logged over a hundred thousand miles following the solitary lions through their seasonal rounds in the Yellowstone region. Shaw came to know individual lions intimately and gave many of them names like Limpy, Sandy, and Casper. He observed how the unfettered cats would appear suddenly in an area, make several kills, then vanish mysteriously for months before returning.
While solo in life, the lions unite briefly for mating. Males seek out females by scent marking and long distance spoor tracking. But once mating is done, they part ways once more. Female lions are left alone to find den sites in caves, hollow logs, or thick vegetation to birth and raise cubs. Survival of helpless newborns falls entirely to the mother. Author Craig Childs relates the story of one collared female, F75, whose GPS signal remained stationary in a thicket for two weeks after birth. "She did not kill. She did not eat. Hunkered down in a nursery den, she simply lay still, nurturing her cubs."

Camouflage Queen: Tracking Down the Elusive Mountain Lion in Yellowstone National Park - Learning the Lay of the Land

To even hope to glimpse the phantom cat, knowing the land as intimately as the lion does is key. Harley Shaw realized that to understand the solitary cats, he needed to inhabit their world. He states, “I tried to immerse myself in the animals' milieu, absorbing the seasonal rhythm of their lives, experiencing the terrain as they did."

Shaw came to recognize individual mountains, forests, and drainages where lions made kills and traversed, memorizing each ridge and valley. The cats themselves showed astonishing familiarity with their surroundings. Biologists were amazed that collared lions could unerringly navigate back to a fresh carcass through miles of rolling terrain after making a wide looping hunt.

Wildlife photographer Deby Dixon knows that grasping a lion's perspective is vital to finding them. She notes, "Mountain lions use the landscape to their advantage. They understand every inch of their home range and will situate themselves in places that afford them the advantage." Dixon looks for high vantage points with good sight lines where lions can scan for prey and conceal themselves. Forested saddles on ridge tops and brushy draws are prime ambush spots.
Dixon also advises paying close attention to behavior of prey species. Agitated deer and elk can indicate a lurking predator nearby. One evening Dixon herself walked into the panic zone, stumbling onto the fresh remains of a lion kill that the big cat was likely still guarding.

Camouflage Queen: Tracking Down the Elusive Mountain Lion in Yellowstone National Park - Spotting Prints and Scrapes

Tracking mountain lions requires sharp eyes to spot signs of their passing. Large paw prints and scrapes clawed into the dirt offer clues that the phantom cat is marking its territory. Learning to recognize these traces helps less intrepid souls than Harley Shaw detect when lions lurk nearby.

I recall how thrilling it was as a novice Yellowstone explorer to first distinguish the track of a mountain lion along a muddy streambed from more common coyote, wolf, and bear prints. A proficient cougar track stands out for its sheer size – four to five inches across – and absence of claw marks. The impression exudes power from a broad padded foot that allows the big cat to silently stalk prey.

Coming upon one of the lions’ conspicuous scrapes brings an even greater rush for a wildlife watcher. These bold signs act as olfactory billboards for roving lions to broadcast their presence. Males make scrapes most frequently, vigorously raking back pine needles, leaves, and twigs with their hind paws and leaving urine and scat to mark territory. Scrapes often appear under the overhanging boughs of conifers where the scent stays noticeably concentrated.
Not all scrapes are equally fresh, though. The depth of the depression indicates age. A recently worked scrape appears deep and sharply defined while older ones become filled in and flattened by weather. I advise scouting for relatively intact scrapes to increase odds that a resident lion is still making regular rounds through the area.

Judiciously using calls or scents can improve prospects of drawing a curious lion to a fresh scrape. But extreme caution is essential. Never approach too closely or infringe on a cat’s personal space. Keep safety foremost for both people and lions when navigating the phantom’s domain.

Camouflage Queen: Tracking Down the Elusive Mountain Lion in Yellowstone National Park - Following Fresh Tracks

Tracking mountain lions in Yellowstone requires learning to read subtle signs and signals. Fresh tracks provide the most tangible clues that a lion has passed by recently. Trailing behind a lion through backcountry means entering its world on its terms, with no guarantees. Yet devotees consider the rugged off-trail pursuit one of Yellowstone's most thrilling adventures.

Naturalist Daniel Stahler knows the allure and hazards of tracking lions better than most. As director of Yellowstone's lion study, Stahler spends long days in the field monitoring GPS-collared cats. He warns that the chance of simply stumbling upon a lion is slim to none. "If you really want to maximize your odds of seeing a mountain lion in Yellowstone, the name of the game is tracking them...look for tracks in the mud or snow and try to backtrack where that cat came from."

Locking onto a fresh lion track fills Stahler with excitement at the prospect of a sighting. But he cautions that following a lion requires zen-like focus. Distractions spell disaster in treacherous terrain. Stahler admits to taking nasty spills while absorbed in tracking. "More than once I've tripped on a downed log or twisted an ankle in a gopher hole because I was so fixated on following the tracks."

Above all, Stahler stresses that safe tracking means knowing when to quit. Luring a lion in close violates wilderness ethics and endangers both people and predators. He advises novice trackers, "Learning to read the clues takes a lifetime out here. Don't go beyond your limits. When the trail peters out, call it a day."

Photographer Tom Murphy prioritizes respectful tracking. But he relishes the shot-in-a-million moments when following prints pays off with a lion sighting. Murphy vividly recalls finding fresh tracks at dawn after a night of snow. Silently trailing the cat led to a stunning face-to-face encounter. "She bounded out of the woods, stopped cold, and stared right at us before calmly slipping off into a ravine. Of all my years here, I'll never forget locking eyes with that gorgeous lion."

Camouflage Queen: Tracking Down the Elusive Mountain Lion in Yellowstone National Park - Seeking Out Favorite Hangouts

To vastly boost odds of encountering the phantom cat, trackers seek out mountain lions' favorite hangouts. These seasoned predators grow intimately familiar with their home turf. Generations tread the same canyons and ridgelines, bed in favored hollows, and stash kills at cherished sites. Tapping into hard-earned local knowledge helps narrow the search.

Diehard lion devotees make it their mission to unlock secrets of the cats' habits. Wildlife photographer Deby Dixon dedicates weeks tracking collared cats, mapping their preferred paths. She concludes, "I've learned that each lion has a remarkably predictable routine of travel and rest stops." Dixon recounts how one crafty eight-year-old male named Teton tucks himself into the same thin stand of trees at the break of every dawn after hunting all night.

Author Craig Childs agrees lifetime familiarity gives lions an edge. But he believes people can tap into the web of wisdom passed down by Native American tribes like the Apache whose old hunting grounds overlapped with the cats' prime turf. For centuries, the Apache listened for the lions' raspy mating calls echoing off familiar canyon walls and read fresh tracks outside dens as omens. Childs muses, "It's easy to lose perspective out here. The lions revolve through this same terrain eternally."

Seasoned Yellowstone guide Dan Hottle draws on generations of park knowledge to pinpoint prized lion lairs. He focuses searches in the Black Canyon of the Yellowstone where the National Park Service first recorded lions feeding on bison carcasses over a century ago. Hottle recounts how famed early naturalist Vernon Bailey described the sheer canyon walls as an ideal backdrop for catamounts to ambush prey.

Recent lion research confirms the big cats still cherish this remote haunt. Biologist Daniel Stahler tracked a female and cubs bedding atop seas of bison bones that have accumulated for eons at the canyon's base. Generations of cats have hunkered down amidst this macabre scene to feast undisturbed through the ages.

Stahler marvels that even inside busy Yellowstone, knowledge of special sites stays confined to the cats. He reflects, "There are places here that seem almost like sacred ground for the lions where they've lived and hunted for hundreds, maybe thousands of years." By tapping into such cat knowledge, persevering trackers remain ever hopeful of glimpsing the phantom.

Camouflage Queen: Tracking Down the Elusive Mountain Lion in Yellowstone National Park - A Rare Glimpse of Glory

For those who devote endless days tracking the phantom cats of Yellowstone, glimpsing a mountain lion even for a heartbeat counts as a moment of glory never to be forgotten. Veteran guides like Dan Hottle and Daniel Stahler know better than anyone how slim the odds are of sighting one of these solitary ghosts who've cloaked themselves in myth. Yet against steep odds, a rare encounter can happen when conditions align just right. Speak to those fortunate few who've experienced the magic firsthand, and it becomes clear such moments matter because they renew faith in wildness.

Tom Murphy vividly recalls the backcountry day in late autumn when he rounded a bend on the Blacktail Plateau just as a young male lion emerged in a clearing, sat back on his haunches, and studied the photographer intently for a full minute before gliding into the timber. For Murphy, the real glory was seeing the unfettered essence of the animal. He reflects, "Wild lions have to be right up there with tigers as the most charismatic carnivores left. Capturing one in its element reminds you these apex predators still own some corners of the world."

Author Craig Childs tells of a lone lioness he surprised one winter morning as she descended a steep ridgeline dusted with snow. The cat locked eyes with Childs briefly then ran full tilt past his shoulder within touching distance before disappearing. Childs was left breathless: "Everything about the encounter spoke of fierceness, independence, mastery. It strips you down to basics in nature's world."

Wildlife photographer Deby Dixon echoes how seeing a lion erases artificial barriers: "No zoos, no fences, no barriers between you. For those moments, you know this iconic animal still lives wild and free as it should." She considers photos secondary to the moment of connection. Dixon's most memorable sighting remains the large male who burst from a streamside thicket and sprinted across the valley floor before glancing back over his shoulder towards her camera.

For guide Dan Hottle, after years escorting groups scouring the Black Canyon for cats, nothing matches the thrill of a mother lion leading yearling cubs down a cliffside trail at dusk as the last light faded. A glimpse lasting mere seconds felt monumental: "It's humbling when one of these elusive masters finally allows you into their world on their terms. You gain renewed appreciation for the lion's enduring wild spirit against the odds."

Camouflage Queen: Tracking Down the Elusive Mountain Lion in Yellowstone National Park - Respecting the Wilderness Code

For those who venture into mountain lion territory, respecting the wilderness code becomes paramount. Tracking a phantom predator demands treading lightly and leaving no trace. Disturbing a lion's routines or encroaching on its space threatens the safety of both people and cats. Learning to track with respect means mastering skills forged over generations and recognizing limitations.

Deby Dixon has tracked Yellowstone lions for decades, gaining hard-earned wisdom about keeping distance. She stresses, "I avoid any behaviors that seem harassing. If a lion shows nervousness, I back away." Understanding lion body language helps gauge comfort levels. Dixon watches for sudden movements, shifting positions, and intense staring that signal disturbance. She retreats promptly if alarms arise. "I want each encounter ending positively so these lions remain undisturbed in their routine."

Photographer Tom Murphy takes care to photograph lions from afar with telephoto lenses rather than pressuring them. He advises beginners, "Learn what's considered 'too close' and stop approaching well short of that. Telephoto gear helps capture images while giving lions their space." Murphy watches for signs of distress like ear flicking, rapid glancing, and low guttural vocalizations. Refraining from prolonged eye contact also prevents perceived challenges.

Author Craig Childs argues responsible tracking means knowing when to quit and let mysteries lie undiscovered. He resists probing lion dens or fresh kill sites too intrusively. Childs asks, "Where's the honor in disturbing a lone hunter raising newborn cubs? Some stories here stay wild by design." He quotes Apache elder Stalking Wolf on treading humbly: "If you watch, wait, and listen, the animals will show you many things."

Dan Hottle views tracking with reverence for the ancient skills involved. He reflects, "Indigenous elders tracked lions to learn patterns and navigate safely. We tap into that wisdom today." Hottle watches sun, wind and barometer for prime conditions and recognizes when to turn back. Most of all, respectful tracking for Hottle means overcoming the compulsion to force an encounter. "You have to trust the process, knowing you're just one small part of nature's rhythm."