[tlavoie]

Cougars and wolves will generally leave people alone, but will be very interested in your pets. Wolves may try to lure dogs out of the yard, but kill them as competition, while cougars may take an unleashed dog on a bush walk.

We have both where I live, but I don't usually worry too much about off-leash trail walks during the day. Night time though, I just do leashed up road walks.

[jml7c5]

Yes, the risk is very, very low. Probably in the same ballpark as being struck by lightning. (Though I do know someone who was stalked by a cougar while they were hiking alone. So there's at least something to feel nervous about.)

[tlavoie]

Oh, absolutely. And just knowing that despite almost never seeing one, you know they see you.

I've been to a talk by a local guy who survived an attack by a young grizzly. The feeling of pure helplessness that he expressed was... something.