Coyote or Mountain Lion?
Posted by Nikki Louis on January 30, 2007
Q: I live in Lake Co. in Northern CA. We are aware of coyotes, mtn. lions, bobcats, etc., in our rural area. Last night, a young deer was killed on our property. Our dog chased off the predator before we could see it, leaving the kill behind. But, sometime during the night it (or something else) returned to the carcass and completely removed it from the property, leaving no signs of it having ever been there. Which predator(s) would you attribute this behavior to?
Thank you,
Nikki
Habitat: field/meadow
State: California
Habitat: field/meadow
A: Living here in the East, I don't have any experience with Mountain Lions but we do have our share of Coyotes. I can't imagine any Coyote dragging off an entire deer unless it was very, very small. So, from your description and location, I think it's quite plausible that a Mountain Lion is the predator that both killed the deer and dragged it off. I know people get quite nervous about Mountain Lions living nearby but I think in most cases, if enough natural food is present, they'll not harm humans. Of course, as you noted, they will take domestic pets and farm animals at times.
John Wiessinger ( January 31, 2007)