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1. The Hunter of Muck Creek

   A rancher near Spanaway Lake achieves local fame after a brutal showdown with a family of cougars.

   Oct 12, 1893The Seattle Post-IntelligencerPacific Avenue, Tacoma, Pierce CountyStrange But True

2. A Cougar Attacks in the Salmon Hatchery

   A hungry cougar terrorizes a local salmon hatchery, leading to a desperate defensive battle involving dogs and a rifle.

   Oct 23, 1903The Evening StatesmanIlwaco, Pacific CountyStrange But True

3. The Girl and the Cougar of Ferndale

   A peaceful encounter between a child and a wild animal in the forests near Ferndale highlights the proximity of wilderness to the early settlements.

   Aug 29, 1893The Seattle Post-IntelligencerFerndale, Whatcom CountyStrange But True

4. The Heifer-Hunting Beast of Kamilche

   A two-year-old cow goes missing, and a hunting party tracks a massive cougar to its end.

   Jun 13, 1892The Seattle Post-IntelligencerShelton, Mason CountyStrange But True

5. The Hunter and the Cougars

   A Skagit County hunter recounts a harrowing, split-second encounter with a pack of cougars while stalking deer in the snow.

   Feb 13, 1893The Seattle Post-IntelligencerBurlington, Skagit CountyStrange But True

6. The Skagit Cougar’s Poisoned Last Meal

   A bold mountain lion terrorized a Sedro farmstead, but an ingenious local farmer ensured it was the predator’s final raid.

   Jan 14, 1886Seattle Daily Post-IntelligencerSedro-Woolley, Skagit CountyStrange But True

7. The Predator of Hutchinsons Creek

   A Danish settler in a local farming community takes matters into his own hands after a cougar targets his livestock.

   Jun 22, 1894The Seattle Post-IntelligencerAcme, Whatcom CountyStrange But True

8. The Marauder of the Poultry Yard

   A venerable, toothless cougar met its end after a spree of terrorizing local goose pens.

   Mar 14, 1893The Seattle Post-IntelligencerSultan, Snohomish CountyStrange But True

9. The Cougars of Spangle

   Predators roam the countryside, prompting fears for the safety of children and local livestock.

   Dec 27, 1892The Seattle Post-IntelligencerSpangle, Spokane CountyStrange But True

10. A Cougar at Twenty Feet: A Hood Canal Family's Close Call

    Walter Bywater was walking a Hood Canal trail with his wife and child when a seven-foot cougar crouched to spring. A Scotch terrier and a quick rifle shot changed the ending.

    Jul 20, 1892The Seattle Post-IntelligencerSeabeck, Kitsap CountyStrange But True

11. The Terror of the Middle Valley

    A massive cougar that plagued local settlers with livestock raids finally meets its end through a cunning trap.

    Nov 10, 1892The Seattle Post-IntelligencerCathlamet, Wahkiakum CountyStrange But True

12. Cougar Crashes a Point Roberts Dance

    A celebratory night out for local youth turned into a brush with a mountain lion, resulting in a frantic rescue mission.

    Jan 22, 1893The Seattle Post-IntelligencerPoint Roberts, Whatcom CountyStrange But True

13. Carrier Pigeons and a Cougar on Rainier

    A Puyallup party pushes toward the summit, sending dispatches by carrier pigeon and shooting a cougar for its skin.

    Apr 9, 1895The Seattle Post-IntelligencerMount Rainier, Pierce CountyStrange But True

14. The Logging Camp Cougar Standoff

    A Christmas-season encounter on a trail near Snohomish leaves a local hotelier shaken when his revolver fails him.

    Dec 29, 1879Puget Sound DispatchSnohomish, Snohomish CountyStrange But True

15. A Yakima Boy's Death Struggle with a Cougar

    A teenage boy hunting on the reservation fought off a mountain lion with nothing but his bare hands and a stream for a weapon.

    Jun 20, 1889The Yakima HeraldTieton River, Naches, Yakima CountyStrange But True

16. A Close Call in the Columbia River Gorge

    A young woman on horseback survives an encounter with a starving cougar.

    Jun 23, 1903The Evening StatesmanWoodland, Cowlitz County

17. Close Call with a Cougar in Orting

    Two children playing near the Carbon River were nearly snatched by a massive cougar before a quick-thinking visitor intervened.

    Jun 12, 1892The Seattle Post-IntelligencerCarbon River, Orting, Pierce CountyStrange But True

18. The Mountain Lion Hunter of Chelan

    A local hunter brings in a massive cougar as regional reports note the predator is terrorizing the deer population.

    Feb 1, 1894The Seattle Post-IntelligencerChelan, Chelan CountyStrange But True

19. The Touchet Cougar Hunt

    A mountain lion has descended into the timber near Touchet, sparking a local hunt as livestock producers fear for their herds.

    Aug 8, 1903The Evening StatesmanTouchet, Walla Walla County

20. The Cougar Who Saved a Cyclist’s Life

    A Tacoma engineer recounts his miraculous escape after a mountain lion knocked him upright on his bicycle during a terrifying encounter.

    Apr 15, 1899The Seattle StarTacoma, Pierce CountyStrange But True

21. Tragedy in the Woods of Lewis County

    A young girl is taken by a cougar during a brutal winter storm near Ethel.

    Mar 3, 1893The Seattle Post-IntelligencerEthel, Lewis CountyDisasters

22. A Terrifying Two-Mile Stalk in Snohomish

    After an unarmed rancher was cornered by a massive cougar, a dramatic rescue mission ensued to drive the beast back into the brush.

    Dec 18, 1892The Seattle Post-IntelligencerPilchuck Road, Snohomish, Snohomish CountyStrange But True

23. A Close Encounter with a Cougar

    Two young boys on a hunting trip in the Deschutes River valley survive an unnerving standoff with a massive mountain lion.

    Feb 1, 1892The Seattle Post-IntelligencerDeschutes River, Olympia, Thurston CountyStrange But True

24. Cattle Dog Saves Teen from Cougar Attack Near Spokane

    An 18-year-old hunting cattle narrowly escapes a mountain lion's spring, thanks to his loyal dog's fierce counterattack.

    Apr 22, 1909The Newport Miner (Newport, WA) 1899-CurrentSpokane, Spokane CountyStrange But True

25. King County Stops Paying for Wildcat Scalps

    Commissioners keep the bounty only for cougars and panthers—and end the days when wildcat scalps were burned as courthouse fuel.

    Apr 14, 1895The Seattle Post-IntelligencerKing County Courthouse, SeattleCity Hall

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