John, I might also point out that seeing two cats 15 miles apart, unless in a very short time frame, might very well be the same cat, as they range over a very large area, especially when they run out of deer, pets, and children to prey on. I hope you don't think I am actually that callous John.

If you want a fight, suggest an open season on wild horses during a dry Nevada summer (that's every year). Those beasts commandeer the water and much of the grass, leaving deer and other critters struggling more than should be. Even though they weren't here until the dingbat Spaniards lost them in the desert, they are the ones with not just State, but Federal protection.

I saw a news clip a couple of months back where a mountain lion was roaming around in Great Falls, MT. Not just around the edges, but deep in the center of town, near where I've eaten at a mom and pop place on a visit.

I have a friend in another okay sized town that had grizzly claw marks on their torn up chicken coop, about eleven feet off the ground. My wife and were just visiting with other friends who ranch in wolf country. When they could be controlled as pests, they become wary. It was a few short years ago that they sat at the edges of fields like dogs, watching the hands hay and snatching pets and calves.

Probably, the worst wildlife can be town deer, especially the mulies, now and then they snort at folks and look a little aggressive. I think most wildlife are more predictable when they sort of know the pecking order, and it doesn't hurt to have a pistol near by.