Mature Lion or Not?

[weber240]

Hoping to get some this forums expertise whether this cougar my camera stumbled upon is a mature cat or not? I am not experienced with cougars and was only in this area to scout for elk and deer. Appreciate anyone's input.

[MADMAX]

3 year old
Probably a female

[redi]

Adult

[carpsniperg2]

  Adult female

[Houndhunter]

Adult and I wouldn't rule out Tom

[KFhunter]

mature tom 

[rainshadow1]

From that one angle...

The head looks a little narrow, like a female, but the sway back and slightly haggard look could mean it's skinny, so it's possible it's a Tom. They're VERY hard to tell apart except in the most healthy cases.

It looks very long, like it's quite mature. Definitely not young, but it's just not BEEFY like a Tom should be.

My initial reaction is "Old. Tired. Possibly over the hill, can't hold territory, and has become transient." Male or female is still in doubt with that assessment.
    But then I look at coloration, and it's not really gray and the color is smooth...

Cats are tricky! But it's not young. Not at all.

[brew]

has anyone asked the cat what they identify as ? 

[rainshadow1]

has anyone asked the cat what they identify as ?

I guess that's the main factor these days, isn't it...

[KFhunter]

From that one angle...

The head looks a little narrow, like a female, but the sway back and slightly haggard look could mean it's skinny, so it's possible it's a Tom. They're VERY hard to tell apart except in the most healthy cases.

It looks very long, like it's quite mature. Definitely not young, but it's just not BEEFY like a Tom should be.

My initial reaction is "Old. Tired. Possibly over the hill, can't hold territory, and has become transient." Male or female is still in doubt with that assessment.
    But then I look at coloration, and it's not really gray and the color is smooth...

Cats are tricky!

the length is why I called tom, they're longer torso.   The front legs look pretty heavy, the ear twitched back pulls the face longer and sooths the blocky head toms get.   The rear legs are thick and heavy

all of it tells me a nice tom 

another thing is there's not really much of a primordial pouch that females get, toms can get them too, but not like females who've nursed

[Iveexcaped3]

Old enough to remove from the area.

[WAcoyotehunter]

I would say it's an adult female

[KFhunter]

I would say it's an adult female

I ain't arguing with this guy 

[AppyMtnBoy]

Can't say, I'm not a biologist...

[pd]

I would say it's an adult female

I ain't arguing with this guy 

X2.

[Jingles]

Old enough to be taken

[nwwanderer]

Regardless, thanks for the share!!!

[Okanagan]

Plenty old enough to shoot, and then some.  Cougars IME retain juvenile spots and bars inside the legs, especially inside the front legs, up to another year or two after they leave their mother.  The spots/bars get fainter all the time, fading out slowly. 

I have seen young adult, independent cougars that were operating solo that still have faint spots and bars inside the legs.  Technically, according to the WA State Game Regs. it is apparently illegal to kill such a cougar, though it is virtually impossible to see the faint spots in a calling situation.  Weird law given how long cougars retain juvenile spots.

Anyway, the cat in the photo above has no trace of juvenile spots/bars inside its legs that I can see.  It's a grown up.

[MtnMuley]

That's a large adult female in my eyes.

[weber240]

Thanks for all the input everyone. This cat was from a game cam I had out in ID about two weeks into the archery elk season. None of the horned type showed up on camera, maybe due to the cat. But maybe since it was skinny there isn't any game in the area Pretty cool though none the less. I have a few seconds on video of it strolling through. To be honest it's the first coug I've ever got on camera. I always see prints but have never caught one on cam nor in real life while out in the woods. Again, thanks for your comments. 

[HighlandLofts]

Was that taken on Camano island

[idaho guy]

Was that taken on Camano island

He said from a game cam in ID. It’s a mature female in my opinion. Definitely an older cat but not “over the hill “ old it looks  skinny because it probably hasn’t eaten for little while. Same picture of that cat after making a fresh kill it will look very plump in my experience.