Mountain Lion · State-by-state

Mountain Lion hunting regulations.

Mountain lions (cougars, pumas, panthers) are the largest cat species in North America, occupying the Western mountains and increasingly recolonizing parts of their historical Eastern range. Mature toms range from 130-180 pounds with home territories spanning hundreds of square miles. They're solitary, ambush-hunting deer specialists, with population density limited primarily by deer density and intra-specific competition.

Huntable in 14 US states

Most lion hunting in the West uses trained hounds to track and tree cats during the hunting season. California prohibits lion hunting entirely; Washington and Oregon prohibit hound use. Most other Western states (Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, Utah, Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada) run season-limited lion hunts with quotas. Texas, where lions are unprotected, treats them as varmints with year-round take. Florida's panther subspecies is endangered and not huntable.

State-by-state legal status

50 states + DC

Tap a state to view mountain lion regulations and other species huntable there. Bield Hunt does not yet publish specific season dates or bag limits — verify with your state F&W agency before hunting.

Status legend

  • YGeneral season
  • DDraw / limited entry
  • PPrivate land / specific zones
  • SSpecial permit / depredation
  • RRestricted (subspecies / units)
  • -Not huntable

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