The mountain lion, Felis concolor, or cat of one color, is also known as cougar, panther, ghost cat, catamount, and puma. The mountain lion is the largest feline carnivore in North America. Adults are tawny to chocolate-brown with black tips on their ears and their long tails.
Mountain Lion Facts
On average, females measure 7 feet from nose to tail and weigh between 70 and 100 pounds. Males may reach up to 8 feet in length and weigh between 130 and 150 pounds. The largest recorded mountain lion weighed in at 276 lbs.
Mountain Lions in Urban Environments
One of the quickest ways to suspect the presence of mountain lions is to be aware of the cat's preferred prey, their sign, and tracks.
In urban areas along the coast of Oregon the Columbian Blacktail Deer are plentiful so it is likely mountain lions are not far away.
Dogs and Cats are easy Mountain Lion Prey
Cougars will feed on easy prey like house cats and dogs. A spike in pet disappearance might predict a mountain lion in the neighborhood. The risk to domestic pets is greater if fed or left outside at night. Cougars will eat pet food left outside and animals that are chained outdoors for the night.
You can feel the excitement we felt watching our first video of a mountain lion, aka Puma concolor, walking at night near our home in 2020.
How many toes does a Mountain lion have?
Mountain lions like the canine (Dog) family have four toes on each foot. And like dogs, the big cat has a fifth toe higher up on each leg.
This fifth toe is called a Dewclaw. This digit or toe is non-weight bearing and will usually only show in substrates such as soft snow or mud.
Track Description
Front tracks measure - 3"1/16 to 4” L. by 2 ¾” to 4”5/16 W. Cat tracks will look almost round and rarely show claws. Hind tracks measure – 2"15/16 to 4"1/8 L. by 2"9/16 to 4"3/4 W.
How to measure the footprint of a Cougar or Dog
- To measure any track, begin by measuring its width at the widest point.
- Then, for the overall length, measure starting from the heel, measure out to the longest point of the animal's claws.
- If the track has no claws showing then measure starting from the end of the heel pad and measure out to the longest digit of the toe.
- Then assuming the track has no claws showing then measure starting from the end of the heel pad, and measure out to the longest digit of the toe.
Use these measurements to decide if the tracks fall within the average measurements noted above. If it does, check again to see if any claw marks are visible, make sure to measure the track length including claws if they are showing.
How to tell the difference between Cougar and Dog tracks
Cats have retractable claws Dogs don't
Dogs do not have retractable claws or nails as cats do. Large dog tracks are often mistaken for cougar tracks because of their size. Unlike dogs cougar tracks rarely show their claw marks in tracks
This is a good cue for the searcher. Cats show their claws in tracks only about 10% of the time, whereas dogs show their nails 100% of the time.
The track photo on the top of the page is a great example of the roundness of a feline print.
How to identify Mountain Lion Scat
Mountain Lion scat is: ¾” to 1” average in diameter. The scat is tubular and segmented in shape with at least 1-blunt end. Scat often contains deer hair, bones, and grass varying in size and shape.
Non-Typical Scat or Poop
An example of a non-typical scat, cougars when gorging on fresh prey, will leave a pile of scat that is non-typical and no longer distinctly segmented. Instead, it leaves a large pile of soft poo with no recognizable tubular shape.
And Mountain Lions, in my experience, rarely cover their scat or poo.
Interpreting Cougar Scat Video
See the video Interpreting Cougar Scat.
Other types of Cougar Sign
Scent Scrapes
Cougars and mountain lions scrape together piles of debris, which may include mosses and leaves as in the photo example. Scent scrapes can measure up to 1 ft. in diameter.
Cougars communicate their territories by scraping debris into a pile using their paws and then urinating on the scrape. These scent scrapes are territorial intersections where other cougar areas overlap.
To confirm the cougar scent scrape yourself, bend down, and give the pile a quick whiff. If it has a strong cat-like scent, it's a cougar scrape.
Cougar Reproduction
Mating Season: from December to March but can happen at any time during the year. Gestation: 82-96 days. Litter size: 2-4 kittens.
Mountain lions can:
- Bound 30 to 40 feet running
- Leap 15 feet up a tree
- Climb over a 12-foot fence
- Travel many miles at 10 mph
- Reach speeds of 50 mph in a sprint
- Takedown adult elk
Mating
Mating Season: from December to March but can happen at any time during the year. Gestation: 82-96 days. Litter size: 2-4 kittens.
How often do Cougars feed?
Lions kill 1-2 deer a week hiding and guarding carcasses while feeding on them for several days.
Caution: if you discover a deer or elk covered or partly covered in debris. Leave the area immediately and report the site to SAR Command. Mountain lions will protect their kills and may be aggressive. One lion can consume up to 20 or 30 pounds of meat in a single meal.
The Mountain Lion diet consists of:
- Elk
- deer
- bighorn sheep
- mountain goats
- moose
- beaver
- coyotes
- porcupines
- raccoons
- mice
- ground squirrels
- rabbits
- skunks
- birds
- cats
- dogs
Tip: Mountain lions will prey on other lions if no other animals are available.
Protect your pets
Dogs and cats left outside overnight when chained with an active lion in the area are easy prey. Don’t feed pets outside or leave pet food feeding bowls out. Pets left outside at night may draw in hungry cougars.
The odds are better you will be struck by lightning than attacked by a Mountain lion.
- Range - Mountain Lions may cover 25 to 785 square miles.
- Lifespan - Mountain Lions live an average of 8-10 years in the wild and can live up to 20 years in captivity.
- Lifestyle - Mountain lions live solitary lives. A mother mountain lion and its kittens live together until the kitten is old enough to survive on its own.
- Breeding Habits – Female mountain lions breed for the first time between one and a half and three years of age.
- Lion kittens lifespan - 1 in 6 survive dominant males that kill juveniles within their territories.
- In California, Fish and Game laws protect the big cats from hunters.
- 75% of kittens do not live to be two years old.
Bounty Hunting of Mountain Lions
Bounty hunting of Mountain Lions began as early as the 1600s in North America. Early settlers feared predators believing they hurt game populations. By the 1900s, predators were killed in astonishing numbers. The killing of so many predators had a disastrous effect. The loss of wolves and cougars led to an overpopulation of deer and other herbivores resulting in overgrazing, increased erosion, and a decline in the long-term health of ecosystems.
Human and Cougar Conflict
A scientific review of attacks by mountain lions in the United States and Canada starting from 1890 through 1990. Indicated there were 53 mountain lion attacks on humans during this period. Nine attacks resulted in 10 human deaths and 44 non-fatal attacks. At least 10 attacks since 2000 in the U.S. resulted in death from lion attacks.
- Oregon has remained attack-free for more than 100 years. This number could change based on a suspected cougar attack in Oregon.
If you meet an aggressive Mountain Lion -
- Always maintain eye contact, and never turn away from the lion.
- Stand up straight, with arms above your head to appear larger.
- Back away very slowly for when the lion is guarding a kill or den.
- Throw rocks or sticks and yell at the animal if it approaches.
- Fight back If the cougar does attack.
- If you play dead with a Mountain Lion, you will be.
*Remember above all. DO NOT RUN! No cat can resist the instinct to give chase.
Hiking and camping in mountain lion habitat
- Do not hike alone
- Go in groups of adults supervising children
- Avoid dawn and dusk excursions.
- Keep children close to you as they are especially drawn to children.
- Pick up, small children. This predator sees small children as easier prey.
- Do not approach a lion. Most mountain lions will try to avoid confrontation, so give them a way to escape.
- Do not run from a lion. Running may stimulate a mountain lion's instinct to chase.
- Do not crouch down or bend over. A human standing does not resemble a mountain lion's natural prey.
- Do carry Bear Spray.
Defending against an aggressive Lion
- Do all you can to appear larger. Raise your arms. Open your jacket if you are wearing one. Wave your arms slowly and speak firmly in a loud voice.
- Fight back if attacked. Mountain lions usually try to bite the head or neck area; try to stay standing and face the attacking animal.
- The eyes of cougars are especially sensitive. Use any sharp object, pen, or stick, to jab into the eye socket.
Bear pepper spray is a recommended deterrent for use against an aggressive and attacking lion.
Bear pepper spray must contain 1.3%-2% capsaicin and related capsaicinoids. The suggested spray distance is at least 25 feet in a cloud pattern lasting 6 seconds or more. Reference; USFS Cibola National Forest Website. US Fish and Wildlife PDF Bear Spray vs Bullets Bear Pepper Spray
Colorado 2019 Cougar attack
Colorado Parks & Wildlife February 2019. The hiker fends off the cougar attack by choking.
Washington State
Washington State Fish and Game Fact Sheet on Cougars Fatal Washington Cougar Attack 2018. Two mountain bikers attacked.
Recent Mountain Lion Sightings Coos County Oregon
- 3/05/ 2019 evidence of cougar kill William Tugman State Park. North trail.
- 5/12/2014 evidence of a cougar Tuesday down Mobilane Road, a gravel street near Charleston OR. Kinyoun said that cougar sightings could end up being anything from dogs and raccoons to a bobcat.
- North Bend for the second straight day, reports of a mountain lion sighting were on the North Bend Police logs for Tuesday, Sept. 8, 9:27 a.m., Chinook/Roosevelt, “Mountain lion sighting, occurred 9-7-15 @ approximately noon.”
- A woman reported Monday her husband had seen a cougar walking along the tree line at North Bend Medical Center in Coos Bay. Coos Bay Capt. Cal Mitts said officers who went to the center, 1900 Woodland Drive, were unable to find any tracks.
- “We have not had one in that area that has proven to be a cougar, but we have had sightings," Mitts said, referring to three or four reports in the last couple of years.”
- Cougar Warning, Aug. 27 Police in Florence have warned residents to be on the lookout for wandering cougars. There have been several sightings reported in the Munsel Lake Road area, around Coastal Highlands and Kingwood Street.
Verified Mountain Lion Attacks in California
Verified Mountain Lion attacks humans in California (1986 through 2014). The CDFW (California Department of Fish and Wildlife) defines a mountain lion attack as an incident resulting in direct physical contact between a human and a mountain lion resulting in bodily injury or death to the person.
CDFW considers a mountain lion attack to be verified only when a physician, law enforcement officer, or CDFW personnel finds a mountain lion that caused the injuries.
Guidelines for Living In and Visiting Mountain Lion Habitat by the USFS.
Recommended Reading The Beast in the Garden. Warning from Mark if you read Baron’s book you may never go outside again. The Cougar: Beautiful, Wild and Dangerous by Paula Wild. And Cat Attacks and True Stories and Hard Lessons from Cougar Country by Dean Miller.
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- Read about Oregon's Toxic Amphibian - Wing of bat, eye of newt….
- CWD also known as Chronic Wasting Disease. Read how Colorado's big cats are helping infected Mule Deer.
- More on CWD. Predators Fang
- Tips on Ticks
- Living the Wilderness Way
- Learn How to Track Animals
- Wasps Hornets, Oh My!
Have a Mountain Lion sighting or story? See the comments section below.
Sources: Mark J Wienert - Lifesong Wilderness Adventures. Busch, Robert H. The Cougar Almanac: A Complete Natural History of the Mountain Lion. New York: Lyons and Burford, 1996. Whitaker, John O. 1996. National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Mammals. Alfred A Knopf, Inc. p937. Wildlife of the Pacific Northwest by David Moskowitz. MOUNTAIN LION FACT SHEET By T. R. Mader, Research Director. Mountain lion facts USFS Defenders of Wildlife Mountain Lion Fact Sheet. Extreme Science, Mail Tribune, The World. Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife.
I lived in Applegate, over the east ridge from Panther Gulch for 15 years. Rode horses all over in that area, including the area S/SE of Williams as well. Over the years, I’ve seen probably 20 cougar in the wild. I used to have a queen who raised her kittens somewhere close by because she would sometimes hunt in my pasture. Once I saw her and an older kitten not too far east of my place. They’re awesome animals and I’ve never felt threatened by them, but I have great respect of them and would never put them in a challenging situation. I also saw several when I lived in the foothills of Carnation, WA. I followed a young male for about 1/2 mile on horseback one day. Also had a horse up there who was attacked and scratched up by a cougar (likely a young male who didn’t know better than to try to take down a healthy, 1000lb 7 yr old horse).
Hi Sal, thank you for sharing your big cat story. They are amazing animals. May I ask the general area where you live? We just captured a Cougar on our game camera. You may also consider setting one up to see the nocturnal animal traffic at your place. Here is the link to the short video of the Mountain lion.
My name is Sal one morning at 7:20 I was having coffee watching our cat eat outside suddenly it took off like a jackrabbit and standing below my window was a beautiful mountain lion long enough to take two pictures it turned and looked at me then took off I still have the pictures going to keep an eye out when grandkids visit with a weapon for sure. The day before my wife and granddaughter were outside playing and came in because of hearing something in the brush thinking it was a bear that we see quite often. 11 -26- 2020 is when we seen the lion.
Hi Melissa,
Yes cougars and bear do occupy the same area’s. Cats can have much larger territories than bears as a rule depending on abundance of food. Even though black bears are classified as predators they are not in direct competition with mountain lions. See the list in the article of prey species for the big cat. Ursus americanus mostly feed on grasses, insects such as ant larvae and in Oregon a variety of berries in season. Interestingly, male bears tend not to have classic territories as we might expect. They will roam wide area’s in search of food. Female black bears on the other hand do have territories and mark them by dribbling urine as they travel. Though, female bears will forage outside of their territory especially if they are looking for a specific food source. Recommended book – The Great American Bear by Jeff Fair & Lynn Rogers. Check your local library.
Thanks so much for posting.. I have seen quite a bit of bear scat in this area of Oregon . It’s very close to the Umpqua river. I would also like to know if the bear and mountain lions will occupy the same territory. Do they have dens that are nearby? Like neighbors? Lol
Hi Melissa, thank you for your qreat question. Yes, mountain lions do have a scent. Especially their scent scrapes. These are often piles of small debris pulled in using its front paws similar to a house cat. The cougar then urinates on the pile. The scent scrapes are used to communicate with other lions in the area. These piles as I can attest are quite odoriferous. And you can sometimes pick up this strong cat smell by a scrape. But I don’t think this is what you were smelling in your tent. I’m quite sure you picked up Bear. Black bear. Ursus americanus. I think the “sour” would also describe the old humid dirty laundry smell you’re describing. Another way to describe the smell of a black bear is “old greasy french fries.” The smell that permeates the local burger joint. Next time you go camping at the same spot. See if you can find any bear sign such as scat. Bear scat is usually black, full of grass. Or maybe berries this time of year. Around 2-inches in diameter. And see if you can scent the bear. Let us know. Thanks Melissa.
Mark, I have a question re: mountain lions. . do they have a distinct smell? I have been camping in an area where mountain lions have been spotted, and one night, I was in my tent and over come by an odor that was unlike anything I had smelled before… Almost like dirt laundry that was wrt and sat outside in humid weather…lol. don’t know how else to describe it
Hi Rena,
Thank you for sharing your mountain lion story. I would like to see your pictures of the tracks if you would share with us. And if you have taken photo’s of the scat we would like to see those photo’s. Do you have a lot of deer near your home?
I understand in many places the Whitetail populations have grown to the extent that the numbers of car accidents have increased to dangerous levels. Having the deer’s natural predator keeping the Whitetail populations under control is beneficial for everyone while keeping the deer populations healthy.
We know that mountain lions were here first but I understand your concern for you and your family’s safety. Sounds like your intuition is working good and warning you about the big cats. We have lions were we live. They usually follow the Elk as these large animals are cougars #1 food in Oregon. So when the Elk are around we find cat sign. Keep us updated on what the Wardon says.
The Missouri Department of Conservation encourages anyone with information about a mountain lion sighting to file a report with the Mountain Lion Response Team at mountain.lion@mdc.mo.gov.
Informational link by the Missouri Department of Conservation.
Thank you Rena.
I live in Missouri and before mountain lions even made their way back into the state, I was always afraid of one coming up behind me while going to my car after work late at night. Not long after this fear began, it was confirmed that mountain lions were being spotted in MO. My fear eventually left. Skip 5 years later, we moved to the country and we have a dog kennel on the other side of our back yard. I started getting that mountain lion fear again, that one would attack from behind when I go out to do the night feeding. Then my neighbor calls one night and said she had a mountain lion with cubs 4 in her yard. Then two weeks later, my step dad saw the momma around noon on the edge of our back yard. Just this morning, my mom saw her and two of her cubs, so we went tracking and found all kinds of paw prints from momma in the mud, paw prints from cubs in the snow, scat and even some claw marks where it appears the momma was digging for something in a hole. This is very unsettling because I have 3 children, my neighbors on both sides of us each have 2 children and we all have animals, including dogs, cats, horses and chickens. It wouldn’t be so scary if the momma didn’t have cubs, but the fact that she has cubs and crosses our property every night and sometimes during the day means that she isn’t so scared and shy of us and she has babies to protect. I left a message for the game warden since I have proof she is here. I took pictures of the prints and covered one with a bucket to preserve for the warden. I also took pictures of the scratch marks, the scat and bagged the scat for them. I just want them relocated. A female says there will be males populating the area and with cubs suggests that at least one male has already inhabited the area. I taught my kids mountain lion safety just in case they ever see one…..I can’t ban them from playing outside. This was our home first!
Great Story Melissa. You were brave thinking you had to protect your sister. Do you listen to your horse now?
Thanks form sharing.
When I was a teenager in Marin county California, I had planned to meet my younger sister at a redwood grove in the hills for a picnic. She left before I did and I rode my horse. Coming down the steep hillside, the mare suddenly stopped, whirled around and ran back up the hill. What is the matter with you? I asked her and tuned her back. She did not want to go down there, but she did so because I asked. We got down to the creek. Then I heard the most horrible sound I had ever heard in my life. It was wailing, deep growling and shrieking. Like a maniac raving, like a woman being killed, like something from outer space. In my adrenaline filled mind the only thought I had was that whatever it was, it must have my sister. I tied the mare to a tree and found a heavy limb to use as a weapon. I went hunting for that thing, whatever it was. Then I saw something moving on the other side of the creek. It was a mountain lion, flowing over the rocks like melted butter. I ran back to my horse and galloped out of there. Away up the watershed I came upon my sister sitting by the barn. Dis you hear that she asked? Yes, I said, I saw that.
Just before I moved away from California in 96, I was at a friend’s house in San Clemente a mile or two east of town. He lives in one of those housing communities (trac housing). Nice homes though. As I was pulling out of the community, turning west on El Camino Real, There was a Mt. Lion standing on the corner under a street light, with a black cat hanging limp in it’s mouth. It pranced across the street into the dark, and thats the last I saw of it.
Was very common to see “missing cat” signs all over. I believe most are taken by Coyotes and large Owls, but not this particular one this night. People never seem learn the lesson.
Hi Mark – thank you for the mountain lion info. Soooo sorry i missed your
presentation. Shared your lion info with a group of women I ride with on
Tuesdays. Most knew nothing of what to do in a lion encounter. They
thanked you very much for your time and trouble to put the information
together. We are better informed now as we ride through the woods. Again
thank you for sending it to me. Judi P.
Thank you! 🙂
Alexandria, thank you for sharing your great story. And congratulations on your first Cougar sighting!
I live in the Applegate Valley in southern Oregon. As a very active equestrian, I do a lot of trail and backcountry riding, and, while I’ve never seen a mountain lion (we call them cougars around here) on one of my rides, I’ve seen both cougar prints and cougar kills, mostly riding up in and around the foothills. Over the years, I’ve heard stories of goats, pigs and other livestock being killed by cougars here in the valley, and we’ve had recent sightings, including a cougar that killed a deer in plain sight close to the Applegate Cafe, not two miles from my property. Our cats and dogs live inside for the most part so no worries there, but I always bring my horses and goats in each night as well, just to be safe.
A few months ago, driving to meet some friends for a very early morning ride, I was especially glad I have this practice. It was about 4:30 am and still quite dark as I pulled out of my driveway and headed down the road in front of our house. I thought to myself “I’d better slow down so I don’t hit an animal.” It was maybe three seconds later that something jumped out from the right side of the road and landed directly in front of me before it bounded off to the left.
What I’d seen clearly in my headlights was my first and, thus far, only cougar sighting. I don’t know how long I drove, bug-eyed, mouth wide open, before I said, “Holy shit,” and realized what I’d just seen—a large, stunningly beautiful mountain lion not a half mile from my house!
I almost turned back to check on my goats, but I knew they were still warm and snug in their stall in the barn and the cat’s trajectory was heading away from my property.
But I’ll never forget that moment and I know now, for sure, we have cougars in our area!