All true on mountain lion behavior. Well said. Sorry about your sheep. Looks like you need to get rid of some predators.
They haven’t bothered much around here, yet, because there aren’t many people or livestock in the area (short season range steers gone before fall at this high elevation). The lions tend to follow antelope, elk, etc., so far, and they don’t know what to make of us. They have been multiplying, though, and the drought is continuing somewhat (fewer ruminants around, makes ‘em hungrier). They tend to be more dangerous in areas with more human population than this (parks and the like).
A pistol is good for anyone very aware, fast and accurate enough with pointing (dark, no time to aim in the event of a lion attack), but carrying a light is very important. If it isn’t possible to have a light while out at night, one should look behind oneself often (seen and noticed by lions).
You’ll love this; we may not take a lion without a depredation permit unless it is in the process of taking stock. I lost the ewe on a Friday evening and called Fish and Game. They refused to send an officer and said that permits were now issued through a wild life biologist who would not be in until Monday. I contacted the fed trapper so to have someone to verify the kill. We wait until Monday morning and are denied the permit because we waited too long and might get an animal other than the perp.
Beautiful, eh? And people want to give the government more authority.