Mountain Lion

The mountain lion (Puma concolor), also known as the cougar, panther, puma, catamount, or “lion,” is a large cat native to the Americas. It is second in size on this hemisphere only to the jaguar. The mountain lion’s expansive range spans the Canadian territory of Yukon, the provinces of British Columbia and Alberta, the Rocky Mountains, and other areas in the Western United States. Their range extends all the way to the end of South America, inhabiting nearly every place and ecosystem inbetween. The puma inhabits every mainland country in North, Central, and South America. This makes it the most widely distributed large, wild, terrestrial mammal in the Western Hemisphere and one of the most widespread on Earth. The mountain lion is an adaptable, generalist species found in nearly every American habitat type. Though it prefers topographies with dense underbrush and rocky areas for stalking, yet also proves to live and hunt successfully in wide open country.

The cougar is a solitary and elusive animal that is primarily nocturnal and crepuscular, though daytime sightings occur. An ambush predator, it stalks a variety of prey, with its main food source being deer and other ungulates, and smaller animals like rodents. Cougars are territorial, live in low densities, and have home ranges dependent on the terrain, vegetation, and prey availability. Though large, cougars are not always the apex predator in their habitat, and may lose kills to bears and wolves. They mostly avoid people. Fatal attacks on humans are rare but have increased as human settlements expand into cougar habitats.

Hunting

Hunting these stunning creatures is challenging because these elusive animals are highly intelligent and adept at avoiding humans. Though it’s possible to spot and stalk mountain lions, hunters must be prepared to have their skills tested to the limit. Mountain lions can traverse vast territories quickly and stealthily, vanishing by the time a hunter reaches their last known location. Calling them has a higher chance of success than spot and stalk. And using dogs is invaluable for most mountain lion hunters, as they can swiftly pick up and follow the cats’ trails, treeing or cornering them so the hunter can get a clear shot.

Mountain lion hunting seasons are open in Washington, Oregon, Nevada, Arizona, Utah, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico, South Dakota, North Dakota and Texas, and the Canadian provinces of British Columbia and Alberta. There’s also some puma hunting in Mexico and Argentina.

The Boone & Crocket world record of the largest mountain lion hunted was in 1979 at Tatlayoko Lake, British Columbia. The skull measured 16 4/16 inches.

Check out what hunts are available below in our hunting directory