Discover the Largest Cougar Ever Harvested in Idaho

Cougars are the largest wild cat in Idaho. Also called mountain lions, cougars are mainly nocturnal and while they are common across the state, they aren’t spotted frequently. Cougar hunting is a common recreational activity in Idaho, and the hunting season for this big cat begins each year on November 1 and runs through March 31. Are you curious to know the largest cougar ever harvested in Idaho? Follow along to find out and learn more fun facts about these large cats.

About Cougars

Mountain lions are native to the Americas. You can find them from the Canadian Yukon to the southern Andes in South America. Cougars also have many names, depending on the region. They are sometimes referred to as pumas, catamounts, and panthers.

Size and Appearance

Cougars are unique wild cats. There are six subspecies, but until the 1980s, scientists believed there were 32 cougar zoological specimens. Cougars have round heads and large erect ears. On its hind paws, it has four retractile claws, while on its forepaws there are five. These large cats are also slender and muscular. They are strong and built for speed. Cougars are the fourth largest cat species.

Generally, cougars have one-color plain coats, but the color varies. Sometimes cougars have lighter patches of color on the underbody. Young cougars are born with blue eyes and ring markings on their tail. Although they are born spotted, as they grow, the spots become pale but leave dark spots on their flanks.

Since cougars are the fourth largest wild cat species, they are tall. Adult cougars are about 24 to 35 inches tall. Adult males are longer and heavier than female cougars. For example, adult male cougars are approximately 7 feet and 10 inches long, while adult females are 6 feet long and 9 inches. Some adult male cougars can grow up to 9 feet long from nose to tail. Cougars also have long tails. Their tails are about 25 to 37 inches long in larger cougars.

Not only are these impressive cats tall, but they are also heavy! Their weights are comparable to those of humans. Adult male cougars weigh about 117 to 159 pounds, while females weigh 75 to 106 pounds. Although these are the average weights, cougars can surpass 200 pounds. Interestingly, their size depends on where they live. Cougars closer to the equator are smaller, while those closer to the poles are larger.

Diet

Cougars are hypercarnivores. They are great hunters and prefer larger mammals. These large animals hunt and eat white-tailed deer, mountain goats, bighorn sheep, elk, mule deer, and moose. Although they prefer hunting for large mammals, they occasionally will eat smaller prey like birds, rodents, and domestic animals.

The only subspecies with a slightly different diet is the Florida Panther. They regularly consume feral hogs and armadillos. Wolves and cougars share space and resources at Yellowstone National Park. In this park, the cougars mainly consume elk and mule deer.

Predators

There are no known natural cougar predators. Humans are the only species that prey on cougars. However, this doesn’t mean they don’t run into conflict. Scientists have observed conflict between cougars and wolves as well as cougars and grizzly bears. These large predators all consume the same prey and will sometimes fight over a kill.

However, grizzly bears are typically stronger, driving away other predators. It’s more common for gray wolves and cougars to compete in the winter. Packs of wolves are stronger, and wolves are on record killing cougars. For instance, one report found that a female cougar and her kittens were killed by a pack of 7 to 11 wolves.

While a cougar stands a chance against a lone wolf, the odds are stacked against it with a pack of wolves.

The Largest Cougar Ever Harvested in Idaho

How Records Are Calculated

In 1887, with growing concerns over the possibility of losing hunting privileges and wildlife populations such as bison and elk being hunted to the brink of extinction, Theodore Roosevelt and others founded the Boone and Crockett Club for the purposes of conservation and wildlife management. This group also sets guidelines for and maintains trophy hunting records for big game animals, including the cougar.

So, when it comes to determining what garners a trophy record for cougars, the focus is not on the body size or weight of the animal but rather on its skull size. Scores are tallied based on the greatest length and greatest width of the skull measured to the nearest 1/16 of an inch and then added together; there is no reduction of fractions. A score above 15 for the cougar is in all-time record territory.

The score chart for the cougar states the following:

• Greatest length is measured between perpendiculars parallel to the long axis of the skull, without the lower jaw and excluding malformations
• Greatest width is measured between perpendiculars at right angles to the long axis

Consequently, hunters do not always report an animal’s weight as it is not a factor taken into account by Boone & Crockett for the organization’s trophy hunting records.

The Largest Cougar Harvested

The 26 largest cougars harvested in Idaho were taken before the 2010s. In 1988, Gene R. Alford shot the largest cougar ever in Idaho in the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness. It scored 16-3/16 and has remained the largest for almost four decades. This record-setting cougar can be seen at the Boone and Crockett Club’s National Collection of Heads and Horns, which now owns it.

The second largest cougar ever harvested in Idaho isn’t much smaller. Rodney E. Bradley in 2007 bagged an impressive 15-14/16 cougar. He kept the cougar and fully mounted it.

The Largest Cougar Harvested in the World

Douglas E. Schuk harvested the largest cougar in the world in Tatlayoko Lake, British Columbia, in 1979, and it scored a skull size of 16-4/16. Schuk took down the cougar with a shot from his .308 rifle before it could harm his dogs that assisted in the hunt. It wasn’t measured until later when Charles M. Travers acquired the skull. This cougar, largest ever harvested in the world, is very close in size to Idaho’s record.

Where Is Idaho Located on a Map?

Idaho is located in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is bordered by Washington and Oregon to the west, Montana and Wyoming to the east, Utah and Nevada to the south, and the Canadian Province of British Columbia to the north.