Mountain lion, Felis concolor

Often called cougar or puma, this large feline preys on deer, elk, and domestic stock, particularly horses, sheep, goats, and cattle. It also eats rodents and other small mammals, when available. In one situation, according to Young (1933), a lone lion attacked a herd of ewes and killed 192 in one night. How-ever, 5 to 10 sheep killed in a single night is more typical (Shaw 1983).

Mountain lions, having relatively short, powerful jaws, kill with bites inflicted from above, often severing the vertebral column and breaking the neck. They also kill by biting through the skull (Bowns 1976). Lions usually feed first on the front quarters and neck region of their prey. The stomach is generally untouched. The large leg bones may be crushed and the ribs broken. Many times, after a lion has made a kill, the prey is dragged or carried into bushy areas and covered with litter. A lion might return to feed on a kill for three or four nights. They normally uncover the kill at each feeding and move it from 11 to 27 yards (10 to 25 m) to recover it. After the last feeding the remains may be left uncovered, and a search of the area might reveal previous burial sites (Shaw 1983).

Adult lion tracks are approximately 4 inches (10 cm) in length and 4 1/4 inches (11 cm) in width; they have four well-defined impressions of the toes at the front, roughly in a semicircle. Lions have retractable claws; therefore, no claw prints will be evident. The untrained observer sometimes con-fuses large dog tracks with those of the lion; however, dog tracks normally show distinctive claw marks, are less round than lion tracks, and have distinctly different rear pad marks.

Summary of Damage Prevention and Control Methods

Exclusion

Install heavy woven-wire or electric fences to protect poultry and domestic animals of high value.

Cultural Methods

Remove brush and timber near farm or ranch buildings.

Frightening

Night lighting, blaring music, or barking dogs may repel lions.

Repellents

None are registered.

Toxicants

None are registered.

Fumigants

None are registered.

Trapping

Leg hold traps sizes No. 4 and 4 1/2 Newhouse. Leg hold snares. Snares. Cage traps.

Shooting

Used in conjunction with predator kill watching, or calling.

Other Methods

The use of hounds trained to trail and tree lions is very effective.