I live in the forest - was greeted by a Mountain Lion yesterday morning... help?

try not to leave food out and other stuff that would attract them.

Just always be alert. Never turn your back to any animal. Make noise when coming outside so they don't get startled. It doesn't need be loud noise. Maybe humming or talking is enough.

Install a bright light by your front door. Flood the whole area with light. Wild cats are nocturnal feeders and prowl from dusk until dawn. They do not like bright lights. Another idea is to carry a compressed air horn. They sell them for people that own small boats. They are LOUD and should scare off the cat. Remember, you're actually on his turf. Once wildlife gets the idea it's uncomfortable for them around your home they'll stop coming by.

a very large majority of the time the mountain lion is not going to be a problem. maybe have some spotlights installed outside that are on a timer. turn them on when you leave in the morning so you can see what is out there. maybe get an air horn to make noise with when you leave the house. make sure that whatever is out there knows they aren't alone before you go outside. the lights and the loud sound should take care of most wildlife i was camping one summer along a river in oregon with some friends and our dogs. i went down to the river to fill our canteens. i felt like someone was watching me. the river was maybe 20 feet wide there, on the opposite bank a mountain lion was getting a drink. we stared at each other for about a minute. then i went back to filling the canteens. next time i looked up the cat was gone. never heard it arrive, never heard it leave. i walked back to camp thinking "thank you mother nature" comment for dorothy c - coyotes are basically loners, and rarely are a problem for people. but they are successful predators. in the early 1900s they were not east of the mississippi - now they are found from central park to the california coast, and from seattle to the everglades

Proximity activated flood lights. They make pest electronic pest repellents that Emmit a high pitched sound that would annoy a big cat. This will work on coyote sized animals but not sure about a big cat. Spread Human Urine around the house or fence every so often. Make noise when you go out like when in bear country. Bells! A good tall wire fence.

I'm only thankful that I am not you. I live in a suburb of a big city, and last year I came face to face with a coyote. I was terrified, although he did not pay any attention to me. He walked nonchalantly away. How do others in your area cope?

That would be unnerving. Never leave the house without having a good look around with a strong flashlight, without making enough noise to let any animals that happen to be around know that you're there, and without giving them time to leave after you make the noise. As a general rule, the animals are no more keen to encounter you than you are to encounter them. Mountain lions (we call them cougars up here) are not known to go for adult humans much. Adult humans are taller than they are, after all, and don't look much like their usual prey. It has happened, but it's really quite rare. Your daughter is far more at risk than you, so I'd be extra vigilant when she is outside. Children are small enough to look easy to take out to a mountain lion.