Mountain lions (also known as cougars) can be found just about anywhere deer are, but are frequently found in rocky areas with mountainous terrain (like the West Coast). Mountain lions primarily hunt deer as their primary source of food. They’re more active at night, so you will most likely never see them with your own eyes, or if you do see one, it’s just a glimpse of them running away. Although they are scared of humans, they are still dangerous animals you don’t want around your property. Keep your family, pets, and livestock safe by protecting your property from mountain lions using these few tricks:
Keep Deer Away
If you frequently have deer grazing on your property, your property may become a hunting ground for mountain lions. To stop mountain lions from visiting your land, stop feeding the wildlife they prey on. Prevent deer from grazing by installing a tall fence (over 4 feet) around vegetation or fruit trees.
Deer love to graze on bushes, and mountain lions also hide in them. To keep your property safer, it’s generally a good idea to remove bushes and replace them with low-lying plants. Consider planting “stinky” vegetation that deer stay away from like lavender, daffodils, marigolds, rosemary, foxglove, or poppies! Deer may dislike the smell of these plants, but to us, they smell wonderful and add color to the yard!
Keep Livestock Safe
Keeping your livestock safe is key to stopping mountain lions from preying on them. You should install enclosures so your livestock can stay inside to keep them safe at night. Build a barn or install a tall fence—mountain lions can jump up to 15 feet vertically. If you opt for a fence, ensure it is well-constructed and trimmed with barbed wire.
Clean up after your animals.
Mountain lions, like most predators, are attracted to the smell of blood and will quickly show up at your doorstep. Treat your animals’ injuries as soon as possible and clean up any blood that may be left behind. If your livestock had babies recently—congratulations! But make sure you clean everything up. Clean up any blood left behind from birth. The same goes for a dead animal—ensure the carcass is disposed of properly and not left out to rot.
Don’t tether your animals!
Tethering your animals may seem like a good idea to keep them in the area or safe, but it makes them easy prey. When your pets or livestock are tethered, they cannot move around freely, so they cannot evade or escape an attack. If you continually tether animals outside, it makes your property more susceptible to predator attacks. Predators will visit your property more often if they know they can score an easy meal.
Set Alarms Around Your Property
You can use outdoor alarm systems to deter predators. Use timed alarms or motion alarms with high-frequency pitches to keep predatory animals like mountain lions away. Timed alarms require more effort because they will need to be adjusted frequently depending on when the mountain lions in your area hunt. Sunrise and sunset differ day by day, so you can’t use the same alarm times and expect the same results.
Motion alarms are better because they will go off whenever something comes near. However, this isn’t limited to just predators. You can easily annoy your neighbors or your family with these alarms. After all, we want to scare away predators—not your grandma!
Use Nite Guard Solar
No need to worry about scaring your family when you use The Original Nite Guard Solar. Nite Guard Solar emits no noises, but it is super effective at keeping predators away. It’s solar-powered so you never have to worry about changing batteries or hooking it up to a power source. It emits a red flashing light at night and imitates blinking. Install Nite Guard in every direction around your property and your livestock enclosures to ensure they stay safe. Follow the directions on our guide for mountain lions to ensure your Nite Guard product works the best for these predators.