Mountain lions are some of the most carnivorous animals found in North America. Although they are carnivores like all other members of the feline family, the exact specifics of their diet are often known – for example, how much they eat or which animals they prefer. In the article below, we’ll answer questions about what mountain lions eat and more!
How much do mountain lions eat?

Mountain lions can eat 20 to 30 pounds of meat in a single meal, especially if they have recently hunted a large animal. In comparison, people only eat about four pounds of food a day (and that’s usually the most!)
Mountain lions don’t always eat fresh food either. Although they do not collect trash like other animals, they have been known to bury their prey and eat their remains for nearly two weeks.
However, mountain lions may not always be successful hunters. As a result, although their main prey is deer, they can also eat small portions, such as mice or rabbits.
How do mountain lions hunt?

Mountain lions are known to be agile hunters, which means they are ready to hunt pretty much anything that doesn’t require a lot of effort.
Rather than struggling to track down and hunt prey, mountain lions are more likely to hide in treetops or other large coverage areas to ambush and kill their prey with a fatal spinal bite.
What do mountain lions eat?

As adventurous hunters, mountain lions are unlikely to give up their path when it comes to dining. Although they eat a variety of prey, from small rodents to larger predators, it appears that deer, especially mule deer, are the most common prey for most mountain lions.
However, while mule deer are preferred by most species, the Santa Ana Department of Natural Resources uncovered surprising information while tracking a mountain lion named Broken Leg, which they shared in this Facebook post. Over the course of 21 months, Broken Leg ate 35 badgers compared to 5 mule deer and 19 elk!
The complete Brokenleg diet for 21 months was:
List of Top 20 Mountain Lion Booty
Here is a list of 20 animals most commonly eaten by mountain lions:
- Deer
- Coyotes
- Raccoons
- Elk
- Wild boars
- Porcupines
- mice
- Rabbits
- Elk
- bighorn sheep
- Beavers
- Antelope
- Badger
- Birds
- Marmots
- Insects
- Wild horses
- Black bears
- Caribou
- Protein
Will mountain lions eat larger predators?

While mountain lions are more common to quickly eat deer, rabbits, and other smaller animals, they sometimes kill and eat larger predators such as coyotes and black bears. However, mountain lions do not usually target black bears and only eat them on those rare occasions when a conflict breaks out, usually due to a mountain lion getting lost in bear territory.
Are mountain lions dangerous to people?
You are more likely to have problems with man’s best friend than with a mountain lion.
Although mountain lions can easily kill humans, they do not view humans as part of the menu and are unlikely to attack unless they find themselves in a dire situation. They also try to avoid places where people live, which makes encounters unlikely.
As a result, while mountain lions can pose a potential threat to humans when encountered by chance, they are most often not considered a threat unless you step into their territory.
What do mountain lion cubs eat?

Like all mammals, mountain lion cubs start out by eating only their mother’s milk. It may take them up to seven weeks to wean and start eating solid foods. Until they can hunt on their own, their mother will bring meat to bedding for them to eat.
Once they are completely weaned, between four and six months of age, they can begin hunting their prey, usually smaller animals such as rabbits and skunks. As they mature and grow, they will be able to hunt larger prey until they learn to hunt and kill deer, elk and other common game animals easily.