Those cats are like ghosts. You may not see them for quite some time but never assume they aren’t around. Haven’t seen one in quite a while, but I see tracks now and then.
Yeah, I have seen some but more have seen me. They ARE ghosts.
There’s a Facebook Group named “santa cruz mountains lion & bobcat” where mountain residents post their trail cam videos. It is really incredible how many big cats are on the prowl every night in the Santa Cruz Mountains (southern San Fran Bay Area between the Bay and Santa Cruz). My wife spotted one hiking solo a year ago in the SC Mountains and really didn’t think much of it. I’ll have to ask her if she’s changed her mind. One was spotted on Tubbs Hill in downtown Coeur d’Alene about a month ago and people really got freaked out. The population here seems to be nothing compared to the California central coast.