Designed by the Mountain Lion Foundation to provide livestock owners an affordable means of predator-friendly animal husbandry.

Mountain lions are calm, quiet and elusive.  An opportunistic hunter, mountain lions eat prey that is familiar and easily available.  They hunt alone from dusk to dawn, taking their prey  -  primarily  -  from behind.  A mountain lion may kill a deer every one to four weeks.  They often drag their kill to another area and then cover it with dry leaves, grass or pine needles, to protect it from other animals and to reduce spoilage.  A lion can be expected to return to the kill several times to feed.

Mountain lions prefer areas with dense undergrowth and cover, and will leave an area where they perceive a threat.  The home territories of mountain lions can cover hundreds of square miles.  Although lions are solitary unless mating or accompanied by their young, their territories will often overlap those of the opposite sex, and only occasionally overlap with those of the same sex.

While many people believe that populations of mountain lions are increasing, and that fewer lions are being killed than ever before, scientific research does not confirm this.

Lions and Livestock Losses

Unlike wild animals, most livestock do not have the skills to protect themselves.  Thousands of years of breeding have made domestic animals dependent on people for protection.  In the United States, livestock owners have traditionally turned to government agencies to kill wildlife which threaten livestock production.  However, statistics show that even when lions are killed on the same property year after year, livestock losses continue.

Young, inexperienced lions that are more likely to prey on livestock move into vacant territories and continue the cycle of killing and being killed.  Where older lions are skilled in taking their preferred prey  -  deer  -  livestock kills are less likely to occur.  Some ranchers say that the best protection they have from mountain lions is an older, more experienced male lion established somewhere on the ranch.

Even completely eliminating lions from a geographic region will not prevent depredation.  If there are no lions to live in the territory, other predators, particularly coyotes, will fill the space.  Killing a lion for preying on livestock does not reverse or compensate the livestock loss, nor does it prevent future losses. Hundreds of taxpayer dollars are spent to kill each and every lion.  The only real solution is to prevent livestock depredation by creating safe shelters for domestic animals.

Materials List and Estimated Costs (based on purchases from 2003)

Quantity           Item                                                     Base Price                    Total Price

Lumber

5                      4 x 4 x 8 PT                                         $8.00                           $40.00

4                      4 x 4 x 12 PT                                       $13.00                         $52.00

37                    2 x 4 x 8 PT                                         $3.75                         $138.75

12                    2 x 6 x 10 PT                                       $7.50                           $90.00

16                    5/4 x 3 x 8 PT                                      $3.50                           $56.00

1                      2 x 6 x 16 PT                                       $12.00                         $12.00

3                      4 x 8 sheet of T1-11 Panel                    $22.00                         $66.00

6                      1 x 4 resawn trim                                  $4.25                           $25.50

Misc.

12                    Piers                                                     $3.00                           $36.00

12                    Bags of 90lb premix concrete                $2.75                           $33.00

8                      26" x 10' Galv. Roofing Panels              $8.50                           $68.00

6                      6' PT closure strips                               $2.00                           $12.00

1                      62" x 50' 11.5 ga chain link fence          $60.00                         $60.00

1                      36" x 72" prefab walk in gate                $27.00                         $27.00

2                      5 lb box of 16d galv nails                      $5.00                           $10.00

6                      1 lb special roofing nails                        $2.00                           $12.00

1                      Box Staples                                            $4.00                           $4.00

1                      Set Gate hinges                                    $10.00                         $10.00

1                      Gate latch                                             $10.00                         $10.00

12                    Simpson post base                                $3.50                           $42.00

12                    Simpson post cap                                 $1.75                           $21.00

4                      36" Simpson straps                                 $2.25                           $9.00

2                      8' drip cap                                              $2.00                           $4.00

3                      12" x 25' alum roll                                 $13.00                         $39.00

                        Misc. Expenses                                                                         $50.00

                                                                                                Subtotal:           $927.25

                                                                                                Sales tax:            $71.55

                                                                                                Total:                $998.80

                                                            Total Estimated Material Cost:  $1,000.00

After you have completed your pen, please send photos and comments to MLF.  We would love to hear your story and any suggestions you can offer to help other people assembling their pens.

Download a printable brochure of these pen plans.