They're elusive, powerful and usually want nothing to do with people. But mountain lions are out across Montana, and wildlife officials say knowing how to respond if you encounter one can help keep you, your family and your pets safe.WATCH THE STORY HERE: Mountain Lion Safety: What to know before heading outdoors in MontanaThe reminder comes after reports in Neihart that a mountain lion attacked someone's pet.Dave Hagengruber, Montana Fish, Wildlife Parks Region 4 communications director, says pets can be particularly vulnerable because their size makes them potential prey for mountain lions.Keep the pets under control, keep them indoors, or keep them close to the house. If they go roaming off into the hills or into the woods, they're at a bigger risk for sure, Hagengruber said.Mountain lions can also be attracted to areas where their primary food source, deer, is present. That means people don't necessarily have to be deep in the mountains to encounter one.If you have a dozen deer coming through your yard every night, that's food for a lion. So, the more deer that are around, the better the habitat requirement is for a lion, Hagengruber explained.Deer are most active around dawn, dusk, and at night, when mountain lions are also more active. The big cats can be found throughout Montana, particularly in mountainous, wooded and foothill areas, but simply seeing one is uncommon.We don't have thousands or tens of thousands of lions moving around, but they're out there commonly. And really they cover the whole state.As people continue hiking, camping and spending time outdoors especially with some hunting seasons beginning to open FWP encourages people to take some of the same precautions they use to avoid other wildlife encounters.The same kind of rules that we stress for avoiding bears apply. And that's travel in groups. If you have kids, keep the kids where you can see them, Hagengruber said.If someone does encounter a mountain lion, FWP says they should not run or turn their back on the animal. Instead, people should make themselves appear larger, make noise and create distance.Wave a jacket, yell, throw sticks, throw rocks, do something to let the lion know, I'm not something you want to eat, Hagengruber said. Just even encountering a lion is rare. They're out there, but they're elusive. They don't want to be seen. They're doing their best to stay away from people for the most part.FWP says giving mountain lions plenty of space, staying calm and knowing how to respond can help people safely share Montana's landscape with one of the state's most elusive predators. ...read more read less