Mountain Lions Killing Bull Moose

[Founder]

So, I’ve got a question. Has anyone heard of a mountain lion killing a bull moose?
I ask because today I spotted a bull moose and he had a mountain lion hot on his butt, following him around. I didn’t see the cat make a play, but he was following that bull around, I think waiting for an opportunity.
My boy and I were talking about the odds of that cat taking down the bull.
In several days of hunting we saw very few deer in the area in comparison to years past, and I’m wondering if that cat has killed a bunch of the deer and now moose is all that’s left on the menu???
It was interesting watching. The bull didn’t seem overly concerned, but wasn’t liking that cat following him around.

 

[JakeH]

If he was able to get it on the ground and its legs out from under it I bet it is very possible. Doubt it would be able to break its neck but definitely could suffocate it like they do deer and elk by chomping the nasal cavity up.

 

[cacklercrazy]

So, I’ve got a question. Has anyone heard of a mountain lion killing a bull moose?
I ask because today I spotted a bull moose and he had a mountain lion hot on his butt, following him around. I didn’t see the cat make a play, but he was following that bull around, I think waiting for an opportunity.
My boy and I were talking about the odds of that cat taking down the bull.
In several days of hunting we saw very few deer in the area in comparison to years past, and I’m wondering if that cat has killed a bunch of the deer and now moose is all that’s left on the menu???
It was interesting watching. The bull didn’t seem overly concerned, but wasn’t liking that cat following him around.

You should've shot that cat!

 

[Hawkeye]

I'd be surprised if a mountain lion could take down a healthy bull moose. However, they would wreak havoc on any calf moose in the area. There are too many lions and bears in Utah. But I am sure the houndsman will chime in shortly and tell us that there are very few lions and bears and no mature lions and bears left in Utah.

Hawkeye

 

[264mag]

Bobcats can kill a deer

 

[DoubleDropMuley]

I’d think like any predator if it’s hungry enough it would give her hell to survive!!

 

[Blank]

I have seen the resulting damage to the area in the snow, where a mountain lion took down a mature bull elk. I was hunting the area up around Spencer Idaho, and we had a good heavy snowstorm. Only the bull's tracks going up the tight creek bottom, until it got into the trees. Then sheer destruction on the ground. There was a torn up area the size of a small parking lot. The bull was down in the middle of it all, about a quarter of the neck and shoulder eaten, and cat-scraped earth all around and over it. Only one set of kitty tracks leading away from the area. I sat the carcass for two days, and never saw the cat, only coyotes and ravens.

 

[huntin50]

Yes a lion can kill a bull moose. They get around their neck and suffocate blood supply. Have ran cats off bull elk kills. Amazing a friend had ran a bobcat off a dead four point buck kill. Bobcat about 30-35 lbs and buck around 200 lbs.

Lions are amazing animals.

It was another bad year for fawn recruitment on the Cache. I don't have the specific numbers but bobcat kills were significant again.

Lions are also hard on big bucks after the rut in winter time. Have two pictures of bucks over 190 lion kills.

 

[elkassassin]

Hunted Lion & Bear for 20 Years!

Never Found a Mature Moose Killed by a Lion!

Did See a couple of Calf/Yearling Moose killed by Lions!

Yes,They Can Easily take a Moose!

Seen Many of Elk Killed by Lions!

Moose Taste Better than Elk!

WTH?

 

[rmanwill]

Yep. Purchase that spot and stalk lion tag to have in pocket while out hunting. If the opportunity presents, do your part. Fish and game gave this tag to try to help out the poor deer numbers!!!

 

[Paul_Crawford]

Seriously Brian? BAM!! pc

 

[k22hornet]

A few years ago, I was reading an article on lions from British Columbia. Researchers had collared several lions and then followed them to kills.
One big boy, a tom of about 180lbs, only killed elk and moose, and was the only lion to focus specifically on elk and moose.

 

[Muleman]

Seen lions kill horses, 1 lion learned to make a living on wild horses. Need a few more lions like that.

So can they kill moose, yes. Do they regularly on full grown moose No

 

[jester]

I found a dead head in Wy 20 yrs ago ..warden would not let me keep it.. but said it was a lion kill and he witness the kill...same cat was tracked killed later in winter for cattle kills

 

[Ultimag]

with or without a tag should have killed that cat

 

[Ultimag]

So, I’ve got a question. Has anyone heard of a mountain lion killing a bull moose?
I ask because today I spotted a bull moose and he had a mountain lion hot on his butt, following him around. I didn’t see the cat make a play, but he was following that bull around, I think waiting for an opportunity.
My boy and I were talking about the odds of that cat taking down the bull.
In several days of hunting we saw very few deer in the area in comparison to years past, and I’m wondering if that cat has killed a bunch of the deer and now moose is all that’s left on the menu???
It was interesting watching. The bull didn’t seem overly concerned, but wasn’t liking that cat following him around.

If the cat was in the, area, the deer were more then likely sitting tight and not moveing much.
Ive seen similar scenario here in Montana, in certain units deer/ elk were scarce for the first couple weeks of the season, once the masses, thinned out the game in the, area, started reappearing.

 

[hawkbill]

I haven’t run into a bull moose killed by a lion, but have seen several cows and calf’s buried by lions

 

[SS!]

with or without a tag should have killed that cat

Cool so do you poach deer and elk too?

 

[Founder]

with or without a tag should have killed that cat

Not me!

 

[llamapacker]

I watched a mountain lion kill a 5 point elk. Relatively quick and efficient. I don't see why a moose would be that much more difficult.
Bill

 

[huntindad4]

Not a first hand account but I know a guy in northeast Kali that told me a game warden and government trapper told him of a collared Tom in that area that has been linked to roughly a dozen wild horse kills in a 6 month or so period. So I'd say if that's possible so is a moose.

 

[Michael Cameron]

So, I’ve got a question. Has anyone heard of a mountain lion killing a bull moose?
I ask because today I spotted a bull moose and he had a mountain lion hot on his butt, following him around. I didn’t see the cat make a play, but he was following that bull around, I think waiting for an opportunity.
My boy and I were talking about the odds of that cat taking down the bull.
In several days of hunting we saw very few deer in the area in comparison to years past, and I’m wondering if that cat has killed a bunch of the deer and now moose is all that’s left on the menu???
It was interesting watching. The bull didn’t seem overly concerned, but wasn’t liking that cat following him around.

Yes. I talked to a biologist in Colorado that had a cougar kill an adult bull moose wearing one of his radio collars. Bone marrow analysis showed the bull moose to be in good health. The kill occurred with just a skiff of snow on the ground. Michael Cameron

 

[Tiny]

It makes me laugh at all you split hoved hunters out there that see so many lions out and about but yet very very few get killed with a spot and stock tag. If there were that many lions around a few of you computer hunters would fill a tag once in a while but instead it's just a typical ***** session

 

[elkassassin]

This Shhitt Always Cracks Me Up!

A Big Tom Would Make Quick Work of a Moose!

 

[Goshawker1]

I think there is a lot is BS regarding this post.
So many if you claim to to witness first hand kills regarding lions.
Bull

 

[Michael Cameron]

I saw a web site " Cougars kill feral horses in Nevada's great basin". It was a study done by the university of Nevada Reno. They found both female and male cougars killed horses weighing over 1,000lbs. Female cougars killed more of these moose sized horses than the males.

 

[wildfin]

African lions kill elephant and giraffe , my guess is a mtn lion will have for dinner any animal it wants ,there choice .

 

[treedagain]

African lions hunt in packs. I would like to see a single lion take on a elephant

 

[mtnrunner260]

The recent UDWR podcast with the byu researcher mentioned a collared Tom killing moose

 

[WHT_MTNMAN]

It makes me laugh at all you split hoved hunters out there that see so many lions out and about but yet very very few get killed with a spot and stock tag. If there were that many lions around a few of you computer hunters would fill a tag once in a while but instead it's just a typical ***** session

Its easy to shoot a lion once it is up a tree. (Do not confuse that sentence with anti-dog sentiment) Just a matter of fact.
10-20 feet isn't hard.
It a little more difficult to shoot a lion you glass up because
1. When they are on the move they move quite a bit
2. They like to stay in the thick stuff unless actively moving in on a animal
3. When they bed they rarely bed in the open

but I'm sure you knew all of that.
I glassed up/saw 4 lions last year and killed exactly one. In the last 5 years I've seen probably 15+ lions ( some in Mexico) and we rarely kill any of them unless we call in the hounds.

 

[Hawkeye]

The recent UDWR podcast with the byu researcher mentioned a collared Tom killing moose

Yes. The was a particular large male lion that primarily lived on elk and moose.

Hawkeye

 

[WannaB]

It makes me laugh at all you split hoved hunters out there that see so many lions out and about but yet very very few get killed with a spot and stock tag. If there were that many lions around a few of you computer hunters would fill a tag once in a while but instead it's just a typical ***** session

Wow, sensitive much? Glad you got a laugh from all us lowly "split hooved (not hoved)" hunters. Seeing and harvesting are very different. I would assume most don't walk around with Lion tags. Even if they did, there are a lot of scenarios when you may not shoot one...like if you are actively pursuing the animal you are intending to harvest. Maybe you don't ever see a Lion before it is up a tree...but in the wild, if you see a Lion, it usually isn't for very long; so a shot might not be an option.

 

[bullskin]

There is (or was?) a big tom living in Devil's Garden area that regularly killed mature wild horses. Wildlife officials say that is rare, but I suppose a moose is just a tall elk or horse with a looong face, so I do not doubt that they can kill them.

 

[bullskin]

It makes me laugh at all you split hoved hunters out there that see so many lions out and about but yet very very few get killed with a spot and stock tag. If there were that many lions around a few of you computer hunters would fill a tag once in a while but instead it's just a typical ***** session

No question that lions are difficult to spot. I have seen only a handful in over forty years of hunting, and in most cases these came to me while calling. That said, many hunters don't want to drag a lion out of the woods when we could be chasing deer or elk. If I could leave it to rot I would feel differently, but I just don't know many people who collect dead cats.

 

[huntindad4]

There is (or was?) a big tom living in Devil's Garden area that regularly killed mature wild horses. Wildlife officials say that is rare, but I suppose a moose is just a tall elk or horse with a looong face.

This is the one I spoke of above. Crazy to think about but not too shocking. They are incredibly tough.

 

[bullskin]

This is the one I spoke of above. Crazy to think about but not too shocking. They are incredibly tough.

I missed your post above, but agree that we are discussing the same animal. That is one tom I would like to see live a long and happy life--and take as many horses as possible with him before he goes.

 

[huntindad4]

I missed your post above, but agree that we are discussing the same animal. That is one tom I would like to see live a long and happy life--and take as many horses as possible with him before he goes.

It's funny, an old rancher up there with cattle on the Garden told me that's one cat he'd like to see stay!

The horses hurt the cattle grazing pretty bad but according to him he's never lost a cow to cats. Strange that big Tom was eating horses but won't mess with cattle.

 

[bullskin]

Come to think of it, I know of calves killed by dogs, coyotes and bear, but none by lions. A lion did kill three of my neighbor's llamas--all in one night. Ironically, she bought the llamas to protect her sheep! That much neck must be an opportunity too good to resist--like the squirrel that scolds from the very same tree I'm sitting against during a fall turkey hunt.

 

[BridgerMT]

Ive seen more cats than I care to count but that's mostly because a couple walker's are chasing them

I drag them dead suckers out every year to do my part to help the herds.

 

[huntindad4]

Ive seen more cats than I care to count but that's mostly because a couple walker's are chasing them

I drag them dead suckers out every year to do my part to help the herds.

And thanks for that!

 

[maxpower]

The recent UDWR podcast with the byu researcher mentioned a collared Tom killing moose

Yep, this one I think.

Episode 52: Researching cougars

DWR Game Mammals Coordinator Darren DeBloois and Randy Larsen, a BYU Professor in the Department of Plant and Wildlife Sciences, talk about mountain lions in Utah and the fascinating things we are learning about them through ongoing research studies.

wildlife.utah.gov

 

[ktg]

Seen lions kill horses, 1 lion learned to make a living on wild horses. Need a few more lions like that.

That would be the only lion I'd give a pass to.

 

[elkassassin]

LOL!

That's A GOOD KITTY There!

That would be the only lion I'd give a pass to.