Hunters are typically successful on stalks early in the mornings as lions that fed during the night are still there at first light. Baited lions are hunted by waiting in a blind for a lion to feed or sometimes hunters stalk the lion on the bait. It’s actually quite common for lions to sit and observe their prey during daylight hours, usually just before sunset. Most hunting done by lions is under the cover of darkness; in the gloom of an African night they can easily observe and stalk their prey without the threat of detection. Once on the bait, lions are typically easier to shoot than a leopard. A couple of sightings involved captive mountain lions that escaped from licensed facilities in New York State. Another sighting involved a wild cougar that traveled through New York as it trekked nearly 1,800 miles east from its native population in South Dakota.