Mountain Lion hunting

Also known as Puma, Cougar

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32 hunting trips from 25 outfitters starting from $3,500

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$3,500

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Where to hunt Mountain Lion

Mountain Lion, also known as puma, cougar, and under many other names, inhabits a wide variety of habitats throughout western Canada, the western United States, and in some areas of Mexico, Central America, and into South America. 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.

United States 26 hunts

Canada 6 hunts

Price distribution

Mountain lion hunts may sound expensive, but considering how much goes into preparation of the hunt - keeping and training a pack of hounds is a hard job - they are relative bargains. The prices start at about $3,500, and on the average cost $7,500-$8,000, depending on the area’s and the outfitter’s reputation for producing quality trophies. Mountain lion hunts can be combined with hunts after other felines, such as bobcat and lynx.

$3,500

$6,250

$9,000

$11,750

$14,500

Learn more from our blog story

There are lots of misconceptions about hunting cougar in general, and hunting the cats with packs of hounds in particular. It’s not much of a stretch to say there are two kinds of hunting: those who have reservations about hunting mountain lion over hounds, and those who participated in it. Our blog story tells you why it is an exciting and 100% ethical pursuit.

Aug 10, 2017

Cats, Dogs and Mixed Emotions: Hunting Mountain Lions with Hounds.

When to hunt Mountain Lion?

The season for mountain lion hunting may start as early as August, and last until January or February. Some states which believe to have an overpopulation of cougars have an additional hunting season in the spring as well. The length of the season often depends on whether the harvest quota has been met. Mountain lion hunts often depend on the snow. It is more difficult to see the tracks on dry grounds, and only the best hounds and houndsmen can shot consistent success without snow. Where snow cover is an uncertain thing, “on-call” hunts, when the client waits for the outfitter’s message to come and hunt are sometimes a good option.

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Hunting methods

There aren’t many options available for a cougar hunter. Baiting is impossible, as as they prefer the animals they killed themselves. The puma is too secretive and nocturnal to allow spot-and-stalk hunting. Calling is possible but success is very rare and even if a cat is enticed to come in you will have a hard time determining the size. By far the most efficient, and the most exciting way of hunting mountain lions is with packs of hounds. Hunters scout until a fresh track is found, and then a pack of dogs is released. The hounds will typically chase the cat until it trees, where they hold it at bay until the hunters arrive. The hunt is not a sure thing; the terrain is often extremely challenging and it is not always possible to get to the treed cat, and sometimes the lion gives the dogs the slip.

Rifle Hunting 28 hunts

Walk up With Dogs 24 hunts

Stalking 17 hunts

All methods (11)

Bush TV

Check out an amazing footage from outfitters and landowners properties.

Mountain Goat

Mountain Goat coming down a mountain in thick snow

Mountain Lion

A (New) Mexican standoff! Normally when you see mountain lions held at bay by the hounds, the cats are up on a tree, but not this time around.

Why hunt Mountain Lion?

Mountain lion is the fourth largest feline in the world, much larger than leopards. And yet, in spite of a dramatic increase in attacks on people, for its size, ability and distribution, the mostly shy and elusive cougar kills or maims a surprisingly small number of people. This is probably due to the fact that the pumas have never met with humans who wouldn’t be well-armed and competent hunters. To maintain the perception of people as not acceptable food, some degree of hunting pressure must be maintained. This concept is not easy to grasp for many people, because large felines raise a lot of emotions in humans. But this very fact ensures that hunting mountain lions, a time-honored tradition in the West, is also an extremely exciting (and very demanding physically) pursuit. Watching the hounds work and following mountain lions through rugged canyons is a one-of-a-kind experience.