If you want a cougar san carlos indian reservation is deffinately the place to go. I'm at 5500 feet elevation and have only seen a few signs of cougars around here, but driving through the white mountains which is at 6500 feet ive nearly hit several with my truck, if you get out there soon you may catch some snow still and that is the time to hunt cougars they are the most active in the snow also the easiest to track. I dont know what means you would use to hunt the cougars Id use a pump shotgun with buck shot because up there in the dense ponderosa pine forests you are not likely to get a real long shot and half the time you think you are stalking the cat its actually stalking you, in that case i would deffinately have a guide being from out of state, cougars are unpredictable and vert stealthy creatures.


I was unaware of it untill today but arizona no longer considers cougars as a predatory animal they are now listed under big game so you cannot use buck shot on them any more.
methods of taking big game animals is restricetd to centerfire firearms, shotguns with use of slugs, archery and muzzle loading. good luck