I have an Old Town Salty pedal drive which I really like. I’ve used Hobies a lot on guided trips but they’re too heavy and expensive for me to own one. There’s an excellent YouTube channel “Spilt Milt” that has tons of info comparing various brands and models:
As I recall, at the time of Reagan’s moratorium, cougars were mostly gone. I think estimates were <500 at the time. Newsome — father and son — on the other hand, pushed it into law via the animal rights angle.
I prefer the South Tyrol region north of Venice myself. That time of year skiing would be an option if you’re into that. Here are a couple pics from last summer. You can stop by Bolzano to check out the Otzi exhibit.
My grandfather hunted with a 30-40 Krag from the 1920’s well into the 50’s until his eyesight started aging out. He could’ve bought glasses, I suppose, but instead bought a Remington 721 30-06 with a scope and hunted with that the rest of his life.