That is definitely a cougar. You can kinda see the 3 foot tail that is about 4-6 inches in circumference. It' s hard to see. I' ve seen cougars up close and that is what it is. Take the photo to the Game and Fish people and see what they say. If they say it' s not a cougar then there is something wrong with them or they don' t want to look stupid because they tell everyone that there is no cougars where you live.