Ryan Headlee was taking a back road to his Kamloops, B.C. home after a hunting trip near Ashcroft when he came across a herd of six female deer.

One of them was separated from the larger group, and when Headlee pulled over, a cougar emerged.

"The cougar jumped up and he made a bit of a noise that I'd kind of describe as a snarl and he latched on the doe's neck," said Headlee.

"The cougar somersaulted the deer on the road and then tried to drag it down over the bank."

Headlee grabbed his phone and snapped a few photos before the deer was pulled down a nearby embankment.

"People see cougars ... to see what I saw is pretty profound — not too many people get to witness that."

'Chance of a lifetime'

WildSafe B.C. provincial co-ordinator Frank Ritcey agrees.

"It's very rare to see a cougar in this country," said Ritcey.

"They are very secretive animals ... so just seeing a cougar is a big thing, but seeing a cougar take down a deer, that's a chance of a lifetime."

Ritcey reminds dog owners to keep their pets leashed, saying cougars rarely attack people, but have been known to engage with canines.