Mountain Lion Hunting in Idaho

MOUNTAIN LION HUNTS: $8,500
With Hounds - 5 Days: August 30 - June 30 of the following year

We hunt with dogs either late in the year or at the beginning of the year, especially when there is snow. We have taken clients out the last few years. Our knowledgeable cougar guide has trained dogs to get you to your cat! He will pick you up and take you on snowmobiles up the trails and around the area, following the dogs. The guide follows his dogs, who, hopefully, have treed a cat. This is your opportunity to shoot! It’s a great adventure to hunt these animals.

Below are some of the regulations for hunting mountain lions:

Hunters may pursue mountain lions ten months of the year in Idaho and can buy multiple tags in a single year. Electronic calls can be used in a limited number of hunting units. Nonresident deer and elk tags may also be used to harvest a black bear or mountain lion.

In Idaho, cougar hunting with dogs is permitted, with the requirement of having a valid "Hound Hunter Permit" if you intend to use a dog for hunting any big game animal, including mountain lions; this means you can use trained hunting dogs to track and tree cougars during the designated hunting season, often preferred for their excellent scent tracking abilities.

Trained hunting dogs are used to track the cougar's scent, typically driving it up a tree where the hunter can then make a shot.

Mountain lion hunting, also known as cougar hunting, is permitted in Idaho from August 30 to March 31. You can hunt with a variety of weapons, including bows, rifles, and crossbows

General Rules from the Idaho Fish and Game:

• Kittens, Female with Young: Neither spotted mountain lion, young, nor female mountain lions accompanied by spotted young may be taken. Evidence of Sex must be left attached to the hide of any mountain lion taken.
• For mountain lions, external evidence of sex (either scrotum, penis, or testicles for males, or vulva for females) must be left naturally attached to the hide until the mandatory check requirement has been satisfied.
• Retrieving Meat: Hunters are not required to retrieve meat from a harvested lion. Bag Limit: No person may take more than one mountain lion per legal tag in his or her possession. Capturing Mountain Lions: No person may trap, snare, or otherwise capture or hold any mountain lion.
• Big Game Feeding Sites: Hunting or pursuing mountain lions within one-half mile of any active Fish and Game big game feeding site is unlawful. Mandatory Check and Report: Any hunter harvesting a mountain lion must check and report their kill within 10 days of the date of kill.
• To check their kill, hunters must present the skull and portion of the hide with evidence of sex attached to an Idaho Fish and Game conservation officer, Idaho Fish and Game regional office, or other official checkpoint for removal and retention of a premolar tooth and to have the hide tagged with an official state export tag.
• DISCLAIMER: These rules and regulations are subject to change. It is your responsibility to know the most current regulations!

Set out on an exhilarating mountain lion hunt with Bitterroot Mountain Outfitters, Inc.  Join us in the adrenaline-pumping experience of tracking mountain lions from a truck or snowmobile, accompanied by our skilled hunting hounds. Feel the rush as the hounds pick up the scent, and the chase begins. A thrilling adventure that will leave you with unforgettable memories.