Adult males use their hind feet to scrape duff into a small pile to declare their territory. Females generally occupy ranges from 20 to 60 square miles. Females breed first at two or three of age, then every 18 to 20 months thereafter. Young may be born at any time of the year. Gestation period is 88 to 97 days.
Litters range from one to six, generally two or three.
Damage is often random and unpredictable, but when it occurs, large numbers of livestock can be killed in short periods of time, a behavior known as surplus killing. The number of depredation permits issued by the Department of Fish and Game has increased substantially in recent years. Now that people and mountain lions occupy so much of the same geographical areas in California, encounters are expected to increase. By feeding deer, raccoons or other wildlife in your yard, you will inadvertently attract mountain lions, which prey upon them. Roaming pets are easy prey for hungry mountain lions.