BOZEMAN — A quiet evening walk turned into a startling wildlife encounter for a longtime Figgins neighborhood resident who came face to face with a mountain lion a few weeks ago.
Jennifer Grace, who has lived near Morning Star Elementary for more than a decade, said she walks her dog, Obie, “around three to five times a day” when working from home. The trail she frequents wraps around the Figgins neighborhood — a path she knows well. But on April 30, she met an unexpected visitor.
“I have worked as a wildlife biologist for decades. I grew up in mountain lion habitat all throughout the West. I’ve never seen a mountain lion,” Grace said.
WATCH: A Bozeman woman encountered a mountain lion while walking her dog near Morning Star Elementary
Grace recalled walking to the exact spot where the encounter happened. Obie barked in a way she immediately recognized as unusual.
“He was halfway between me and those bushes right there, and he was barking. I had the sixth sense like, ‘uh-oh,’ that's not a normal bark,” she said.
When she realized her dog was face-to-face with a cougar?
“I was scared. It’s one of those things, like, do I protect my dog? Do I protect the cat? Do I protect myself?” she said.
The mountain lion eventually ran off. Grace called her husband to bring bear spray — a precaution she says was necessary.
“I’ve been around enough animals to know that just because you see it leaving doesn’t mean it’s gone,” she said.
In the days following her encounter, multiple social media posts surfaced from other residents reporting mountain lion sightings in the area. That prompted Grace — and others — to contact Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks (FWP).
Morgan Jacobsen with FWP confirmed that one of their game wardens checked the area but did not locate a mountain lion. “We’ve been monitoring that area,” he said. Jacobsen informed me that FWP is monitoring the area to determine whether the cougar needs to be removed.
Jacobsen explained that mountain lions in populated areas are often younger cats establishing their home range. Urban deer can also attract them into towns.
He advised residents not to feed neighborhood deer and offered safety tips: travel in groups, make noise, carry bear spray, and keep it easily accessible.
“If you do encounter a lion, make yourself big, make a lot of noise, and defend yourself by whatever means you need to,” Jacobsen said.
Grace tells me bear spray was a necessity on her next walk.
Although the encounter was frightening, she called it a reminder of life in Montana.
“We live in Bozeman. We come here for the wildlife. That’s just part of life here,” Grace said.
FWP urges anyone who encounters a mountain lion to report it immediately.
