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What Part of the Country Are Cougars More Common?

Cougars, also called pumas or mountain lions, inhabit a wide variety of territories throughout America that include mountains, forests and grasslands. It's one of the widest ranging mammals found in the United States. State fish and game departments found established populations in 15 states and additional sightings in 5 states where they don't normally exist. They are shy animals and hard to find in the wild. Most sightings in western suburban areas occur because the cougars cannot find sufficient wild food and begin exploring the pet food scents left in the open by humans.

History
- In the early years of America, cougars roamed freely across the entire United States. Between the hunting of cougars and human encroachment of their natural habitat, their populations in the East decreased to the point of nonexistence. The cougars moved steadily westward to avoid human settlements and by the early 1900s they inhabited only territories in the western half of the U.S. However, their populations in the West decreased considerably as ranchers hunted them regularly to protect livestock until the early 1970s when bounties on cougars where removed and governments began controlling cougar hunts.
Range
- A female cougar's range can extend up to 140 square miles, although the average is about 54 square miles. Territories for the female may overlap, though the males stick to one male per territory. The male's range averages approximately 150 miles. They establish a population where ever food is plentiful. Fish and game departments recognize established cougar populations in Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Idaho, Montana, New Mexico, Nevada, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Washington and Wyoming.
Growth
- As cougar populations increase in established territories, young cougars migrate farther from these areas to claim their own spaces. This migration has produced new cougar sightings in Indiana, Kansas, Michigan, Nebraska and Wisconsin where their numbers declined many years ago. Cougars are also venturing into suburban areas across the U.S. though fish and game experts believe these bold animals sighted in the eastern states to be escaped pets rather than wild cougars.
Control
- To control the growing cougar population, hunting these animals is now legal in 13 states: Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, New Mexico, Nevada, North Dakota, Oregon, Texas, Washington, Utah, Wyoming and South Dakota. Most states have open hunting on cougars during the winter months. Some states allow yearlong hunting, but fish and game departments have established limits on the number of cougars killed. Texas does not require permits and allows cougar hunting any time of the year.

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