Kills are generally estimated around one large ungulate every two weeks . The period shrink for females raising young , and may be as short as one kill every three days when cubs are nearly mature around 15 months . The cat drag a kill to a preferred spot , cover it with brush , and returns to feed over a period of days . The cougar is generally reported to not be a scavenger , and rarely consume prey it have not killed , but deer carcasses left exposed for study was scavenged by cougars in California , suggesting more opportunistic behavior .