An analysis of mountain lion predation upon mule deer and elk in Idaho

This pioneering study in the Idaho Primitive Area provided the first rigorous picture of mountain lion predation on wild ungulates, based on years of tracking pumas in snow and examining kills. It documented how cougars selected mule deer and elk, the frequency of kills, and the role of prey vulnerability, showing that pumas often took young, old, or weakened animals and did not regulate prey populations in the simple way feared by hunters of the era. The work helped reshape attitudes toward mountain lions from vermin to a natural part of mountain ecosystems and established field methods for studying solitary cats in rugged terrain. It remains a foundational reference for puma predation ecology and influenced the shift toward science-based management of large carnivores in North America.