Teddy Roosevelt called it "the lord of stealthy murder." But the name puma, cougar, panther or mountain lion will do.

Jared Wagoner used a bow to drop this Idaho mountain lion. Hunters took 441 lions in the Gem State in the 2007-08 season. Photo courtesy of Bearpaw Outfitters.

This mysterious predator stirs within the soul many dark emotions and a keen excitement that can only come from a creature near the very top of the food chain.

The big cat's secretive nature and isolated lifestyle make it difficult to determine how many really exist and exactly where they all roam. But wildlife managers throughout the Rocky Mountain West agree that their numbers are at the least stable and, in many cases, expanding.

Regardless of where you hunt, some things don't change.

"The three biggest necessities are food, cover and wild country," said Dale Denney.

Denney is a cougar-hunting guide in Idaho, Utah, Montana and his home state of Washington with 32 years of experience. Having treed 450-500 lions, and with nearly 250 filled tags and a previous world-record Pope and Young cougar to his credit, he's figured out the key patterns.

"Those three factors in a nutshell spell success for cougar hunting. It doesn't matter if it's mountain ranges or canyon country in any of these states," he said.

ARIZONA
Ron Thompson, the large-carnivore biologist for the Arizona Department of Game and Fish, said that the lion population in the Grand Canyon State is estimated at 1,500-2,000 animals and is expanding. The highest concentration of cats is located in the central part of the state and is generally associated with high chaparral.

While most hunters fill their tags by using of hounds, Thompson stressed the fact that there are numerous techniques beside the use of dogs that offer good potential for success.

"We have a number of individuals that harvest lions annually with predator calls and calls that imitate lions," Thompson said.

A review of harvest statistics from 2003-07 provided a snapshot of those areas that consistently gave up more cats. The leader of the pack was Unit 23 with a five-year average of 13 sport kills. Next in line was Unit 22 with 10, followed by Unit 33 with 9.6.

Additionally, the GFD is taking a unique approach to cougar control in areas where livestock depredation is a problem or where big-game species, such as bighorn sheep, may benefit from lion population reductions. While the standard bag limit is one cat per hunter per year, there are a few "multiple bag limit" areas where hunters are allowed to take more than one lion.

COLORADO
Mountain lions can be found in most parts of the Centennial State and have an estimated statewide population numbering between 3,000 and 5,000 animals.

"Lions are most abundant in the Front Range foothills and canyons or mesa country west of I-25," said Jerry Neal, public information officer for Colorado's Division of Wildlife. "They are more at home in brushy areas and woodlands than in forests or open prairies. While not as common, lions are also present in the plains areas east of I-25."

Colorado is unique in that it requires all cat hunters, guides, outfitters and houndsmen to complete a mountain lion education and identification course.