Beats the hell out of me. I've heard of people that lived in New Mexico and Colorado where mountain lions were pretty numerous and some of these people say they have never seen one for themselves. Now, you have seen them almost every day in California! Pick any prunes while you were in California?
I elk hunt in NM. This will be my third year. I love to wander through the meadows that are covered in snow, and look for tracks. Last year, I was looking at some mule deer tracks when I noticed mountain lion tracks. Two of them. One on each side of the mule deer track.
When talking to the land owners, one being 80 years old, and living on the property all of his life, he said he had never personally seen a mountain lion. The hired hand said he had see one only one time. There are enough mountain lions in that part of NM that there is a hunting season on them. I feel very fortunate to have seen a track.