Chris -<br><br>Sounds like you did a great job - hope the mare heals up OK. Is it just me, or was that a pretty ambitious cougar? I've laid eyeballs on them a few times and see the scat frequently (NOT here in Illinois, Willie!) - except for 3 deer kills I found at various times, seemed like they mostly were eating bunnies and birds (and the occasional dog if I understood the scat correctly). I only lived in cougar country a couple of years, so most of my sightings have been incidental to other "business" - I'm curious what you make of the attempt to take down a horse.<br><br>One quick story: Once upon a time... We came across a freshly cougar-killed mule deer - night before. Set up a dry camp in a natural "blind" in a prevailing downwind direction about 100 meters away, hoping to catch a glimpse. Should have stayed up all night; gave up about 1/2 hour after moonset. Heard nothing, but next morning - deer was gone. A few drag marks, then just splay-footed pug marks. Tracked it about 1/2 mile up to higher ground - quite an outpost - where we found the carcass - now minus the meat on a ham - stashed up in a scruffy conifer - I mean, UP a tree. Must have tossed the carcass "over its shoulder" and walked off - and we never saw anyplace where it touched ground, other than an occasional scrape (dangling hoof, we assumed). Strong bugger!