Estimating cougar predation rates from GPS location clusters

Anderson and Lindzey developed and validated a method to estimate cougar kill rates by identifying spatial clusters of GPS locations and field-checking them for carcasses, then modeling which clusters represented kills based on the number and timing of locations. Working in Wyoming, they showed that cluster characteristics reliably predicted kill sites and prey size, enabling efficient, low-disturbance estimation of predation on deer and elk. The approach overcame the seasonal and detection biases of snow-tracking and became a standard tool adopted widely for pumas and other large solitary carnivores. The study is frequently cited as the methodological foundation for modern GPS-cluster kill-rate research in felids.