We often see signs posted on the trails around here warning of cougars. Every now and then, offtrail I'll see a big deer skeleton stripped of meat. Deer is one of cougars favorite prey. A big cougar can reach almost 200 pounds. I'm a fairly big guy, but it impresses me to realize that a big cougar can sneak up on a big deer and have lunch. Several years ago, a homeowner out here shot a video (shown on the news) of a cougar chomping down on his full-grown german shepherd and jumping over the backyard fence with it. I guess I don't know if bear spray would work on a cougar. For starters, I guess you'd have to have enough warning to use it, and a person may not. That being said, when I'm on the trail I carry a very stiff walking stick with a sharp metal chisel tip.