Winter hunting habitat of pumas Puma concolor in northwestern Utah and southern Idaho, USA
Abstract
Pumas Puma concolor are stalking predators of large ungulates that usually cache their prey. We hypothesize that they require specific habitats to successfully stalk their prey and that they select cache sites based on some set of criteria. We tested these predictions during a study of predation by pumas on mule deer Odocoileus hemionus in south‐central Idaho and northwestern Utah, USA. We found cache points of puma‐killed deer in winter by locating radio‐collared pumas. We then located where pumas had killed deer (kill points) by tracks in the snow. We classified these kill points relative to the dominant forest type and association with open, edge or forested areas. At a subset of the kill points and associated cache points, we also estimated tree and shrub density, tree diameter at breast height (dbh), shrub height and slope. Pumas killed deer more often than expected (P < 0.001) in juniper‐pinyon habitat and in edge areas. Tree densities and dbh at cache points were significantly greater (P < 0.001) than at kill points or surrounding areas. We concluded that pumas relied on specific habitat characteristics to kill mule deer, and selected cache sites with older, larger trees.
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Studies suggested that forest edges provide the necessary structural components for successful hunting by pumas, and that use of edge areas allowed a puma to observe and ambush deer moving between open and forest patches.
“Studies by Holmes and Laundré [21] and Laundré and Loxterman [22] suggested that forest edges provide the necessary structural components for successful hunting by pumas, and Laundré and Hernández [40] concluded that use of edge areas allowed a puma to observe deer out in the open and to ambush deer as they moved between open and forest patches.”
From Landscape Analysis of Adult Florida Panther Habitat (2015) · cites this paper as [40]
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The Landscape of Fear: Ecological Implications of Being Afraid~!2009-09-09~!2009-11-16~!2010-02-02~!
Laundré, J. W., Hernández, L., & Ripple, W. J. (2010) · The Open Ecology Journal · doi:10.2174/1874213001003030001 · Cited by 882 · see citing works
“A 16 year study of mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) and pumas (Puma concolor) demonstrated that habitat structure is important in defining these levels of predation risk (Laundré and Hernández 2003).”
BackgroundSelf-citationLaundré, J. W. (2010) · Ecology · doi:10.1890/08-2345.1 · Cited by 160 · see citing works
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“This may be especially important for puma that are known to utilize edge habitats (Laundré and Hernández 2003; Laundré and Loxterman 2007).”
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“It can be expected that when faced with predators which require cover for ambushing (e.g. Laundré and Hernández 2003; Hopcraft et al. 2005), prey species can detect predation risk based on indirect habitat cues with higher accuracy and predictability than with a cursorial predator.”
BackgroundInfluentialUse of open, edge and forest areas by pumas Puma concolor in winter: are pumas foraging optimally?
Holmes, B. R., & Laundré, J. W. (2006) · Wildlife Biology · doi:10.2981/0909-6396(2006)12[201:uooeaf]2.0.co;2 · Cited by 63 · see citing works
“Deer used open more than edge areas (availability; Altendorf et al. 2001) however, pumas killed more deer in the edge areas (catchability; Laundré & Hernández 2003).”
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“…cougars (Puma concolor) made significantly more kills in edge and edge like areas (areas with trees with a visibility of at least 20 m) as these areas provided an opportunity for cougars to detect prey, while staying hidden during the stalking phase of the hunt (Laundré & Hernández, 2003).”
BackgroundForaging in the Landscape of Fear, the Predator's Dilemma: Where Should I Hunt?
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Self-citationImpact of Edge Habitat on Summer Home Range Size in Female Pumas
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“…2008; Husseman et al., 2003; Ruth et al., 2011; Schmidt and Kuijper, 2015 and references therein fHebblewhite et al., 2005; Kauffman et al., 2007; Laundré and Hernández, 2003; Podgórski et al., 2008; Schmidt and Kuijper, 2015 1 PeerJ reviewing PDF | (2017:05:18332:1:0:ACCEPTED 23 Jul…”
BackgroundLandscape Analysis of Adult Florida Panther Habitat
Frakes, R. A., Belden, R. C., Wood, B. E., & James, F. E. (2015) · PLOS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0133044 · Cited by 30 · see citing works
“Studies by Holmes and Laundré [21] and Laundré and Loxterman [22] suggested that forest edges provide the necessary structural components for successful hunting by pumas, and Laundré and Hernández [40] concluded that use of edge areas allowed a puma to observe deer out in the open and to ambush deer as they moved betw…”
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“Our 5 – 25-m site-level LHC measurements were designed from the attack radius of pumas, who exhibit higher predation success between 5 and 25 m (Laundré and Hernández 2003).”
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“The deer’s principal predator is the puma, a stalking hunter requiring specific habitat characteristics (Laundré and Hernández, 2003) related to visibility.”
BackgroundSelf-citationEvaluating the summer landscapes of predation risk and forage quality for elk (Cervus canadensis)
Paterson, J. T., Proffitt, K., DeCesare, N., Gude, J., & Hebblewhite, M. (2022) · Ecology and Evolution · doi:10.1002/ece3.9201 · Cited by 16 · see citing works
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“…studies, we expected that microhabitats with adequate amounts of stalking cover, such as those where felids have been shown to kill more prey (Laundré and Hernández 2003; Davies et al. 2016; Lehman et al. 2017), would be perceived by prey as risky (Altendorf et al. 2001; Hernández et al.…”
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“Panthers use edge as a hunting environment so the probability of presence will be higher close to edge environments [13].”
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“Therefore, mountain lions probably selected areas both near and far from water because they contain relatively high prey densities and offer the cover needed for hunting and thermoregulation (Bleich et al. 1996; Laundré & Hernández 2003; Blake & Gese 2016).”
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Lehman, C. P., Rota, C. T., Rumble, M. A., & Millspaugh, J. (2017) · Wildlife Biology · doi:10.2981/wlb.00248 · Cited by 14 · see citing works
“Fine-scale plot size was similar to previous investigations (Laundré and Hernández 2003, Rearden et al. 2011).”
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Zimmermann, B. (2014) · NORA - Norwegian Open Research Archives · doi:10.2193/2006-306/abstract · Cited by 14 · see citing works
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“Within forests, cougars prefer areas near open landscapes and wetlands used by prey, and the transition between habitat types that provide stalking cover (Dickson and Beier 2002, Laundré and Hernández 2003, Cox et al.”
BackgroundInfluentialApprehension affecting foraging patterns and landscape use of mule deer in arid environments
Esparza-Carlos, J. P., Laundré, J., Hernández, L., & Íñiguez-Dávalos, L. I. (2016) · Mammalian Biology · doi:10.1016/j.mambio.2016.07.006 · Cited by 13 · see citing works
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Evaluating Potential Factors Affecting Puma Puma concolor Abundance in the Mexican Chihuahuan Desert
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“Based on these findings, and on the assumption that puma abundance is related to the amount of sign found in an area (Smallwood 1997), we classified this mountain range as an area of low puma abundance (Hernández & Laundré 2003).”
BackgroundSelf-citationLehman, C. P., Rominger, E., & Neiles, B. Y. (2020) · PeerJ · doi:10.7717/peerj.9143 · Cited by 6
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Perceived risk structures the space use of competing carnivores
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“…capture a variety of habitat features that pumas, culpeo foxes, and chilla foxes may partition (Johnson and Franklin 1994a; Jiménez et al. 1996; Laundré and Hernández 2003; Novaro et al. 2004), furthermore, they capture the heterogeneity of habitat within LBNP and can they can also mediate the…”
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Effects of puma on the diversity and composition of Neotropical mammals
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“In addition, in fragmented landscapes P. concolor has advantages over its prey since it may quickly move from one habitat patch to another (Chiarello 1999), and choose best conditions for a successful hunt (e.g. hunting cover; Laundré & Hernández 2003, Sunquist & Sunquist 1989).”
BackgroundInfluentialSelf-citationIs niche separation between wolves and cougars realized in the Rocky Mountains
Krawchuk, K. E. (2014) · ERA: Education and Research Archive (University of Alberta) · doi:10.7939/r3h41jv9f · Cited by 3 · see citing works
“Selection for forest edges or frequent kills at edges occur in this study area and others (Laundré and Hernández 2003; Holmes and Laundré 2006; Knopff et al. 2014).”
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Suraci, J., Lacey, L., Parsons, A., Cendejas-Zarelli, S. J., Stratton, A., Sager-Fradkin, K., Bergman, D. L., Ackerman, B., Phillips, K., Murphie, S. L., et al. (2026) · Current Biology · doi:10.1016/j.cub.2026.06.072 · Cited by 2
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Hazai nagyragadozóktól való félelem lehetséges hatásai a zsákmányaik viselkedésére
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Sympatry Increases Predation Risk for an Endangered Ungulate
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“…at hunting in areas with greater cover, such as shrubland and woodland habitats and areas with greater forage availability and lower visibility, such as valley bottoms and drainages (Benson et al. 2016; Blake and Gese 2016; Harvey et al. 2025; Laundré and Hernández 2003; Lehman et al. 2017).”
Tree Climbing in African Lions and Leopards
Kiffner, C. (2026) · African Journal of Ecology · doi:10.1111/aje.70212
- Authors
- Laundré, J. W., & Hernández, L.
- Affiliations
- Idaho State University (US)
- Instituto de Ecología (MX)
- Corresponding author
- Laundré, John W.
- Hernández, Lucina
- ORCID
- Laundré, John W.
- Venue
- Wildlife Biology
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 2003-06
- Volume
- 9
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 123-129
- ISSN
- 0909-6396 (ISSN-L)
- 1903-220X
- OpenAlex
- W2803133452
- Cited by
- 70
- References
- 0
- Citations by year
- 2026: 3 · 2025: 4 · 2024: 1 · 2023: 8 · 2022: 2 · 2021: 9 · 2020: 4 · 2019: 2 · 2018: 3 · 2017: 4 · 2016: 4 · 2015: 7 · 2014: 5 · 2012: 1
- FWCI
- 0.64
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Wildlife Biology (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Ecology › Wildlife Ecology and Conservation
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Ecology › Rangeland and Wildlife Management
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Ecology › Animal Ecology and Behavior Studies
- Keywords
- Puma concolor, winter hunting, prey caching, mule deer, kill sites, habitat selection, forest edge habitat, tree density, diameter at breast height, snow tracking, ungulate predation, southern Idaho
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