Range

Puma concolor was historically the largest ranging land mammal in the Western Hemisphere, aside from man. A habitat generalist and highly-adaptive, the cougar once roamed the entire expanse of the lower 48 United States, up into the Canadian Yukon south to Chilean Patagonia in South America. As Americans, it is the animal we all most share in common, moreso than the bald eagle or the white-tailed deer.

Today, cougars are officially recognized by state game and fish departments in 15 states: Washington, Oregon, California, Arizona, Colorado, Utah, Idaho, Wyoming, Montana, New Mexico, Nevada, Texas, Florida (as subspecies Puma concolor coryii), North Dakota and South Dakota. Cougars are listed as endangered in Florida and protected by law in California. Increased sightings in the Midwest, including Nebraska, Indiana, Michigan, Wisconsin and Kansas, are leading to valuable scientific research on the possible viability of cougar populations in these states.

Cougars are legally hunted, almost year-round, in 13 states: Arizona, Washington, Oregon, Colorado, Utah, Idaho, Wyoming, Montana, New Mexico, Nevada, North Dakota, South Dakota and Texas. Cougar hunting is regulated by each state’s game and fish/division of wildlife office in al of the above states except for Texas, where the cougar is classified as varmint and may be killed at any time and in any manner, and with no requirement to report those cougar kills to Texas game officials. Cougars are hunted mainly with dogs.

Cougars also range throughout Mexico, central- and South America although the status of their range is not entirely known.