As snow blankets the Vail Valley, evidence of all four-legged residents is captured in soft footprints across the white landscape. Hooves of many shapes and sizes appear, sometimes in abundant swirls, indicating the presence of entire herds of deer and elk. Where such activity is visible, the proximity of another four-legged neighbor is inevitable. Mostly invisible, mountain lions are sometimes lurking just a couple dozen yards away. Most of the time, we never know it.

Majestic, elegant and beautiful as they are, mountain lions are predators. Depending on the c

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