 During the early years of ranching , cougars were considered on par with wolves in destructiveness . According to figures in Texas in 1990 , 86 calves ( 0 @.@ 0006 % of a total of 13 @.@ 4 million cattle & calves in Texas ) , 253 Mohair goats , 302 Mohair kids , 445 sheep ( 0 @.@ 02 % of a total of 2 @.@ 0 million sheep & lambs in Texas ) and 562 lambs ( 0 @.@ 04 % of 1 @.@ 2 million lambs in Texas ) were confirmed to have been killed by cougars that year . In Nevada in 1992 , cougars were confirmed to have killed 9 calves , 1 horse , 4 foals , 5 goats , 318 sheep and 400 lambs . In both cases , sheep were the most frequently attacked . Some instances of surplus killing have resulted in the deaths of 20 sheep in one attack . A cougar 's killing bite is applied to the back of the neck , head , or throat and they inflict puncture marks with their claws usually seen on the sides and underside of the prey , sometimes also shredding the prey as they hold on . Coyotes also typically bite the throat region but do not inflict the claw marks and farmers will normally see the signature zig @-@ zag pattern that coyotes create as they feed on the prey whereas cougars typically drag in a straight line . The work of a cougar is generally clean , differing greatly from the indiscriminate mutilation by coyotes and feral dogs . The size of the tooth puncture marks also helps distinguish kills made by cougars from those made by smaller predators . 
 During the early years of ranching , cougars <a href='uninflect' title='1'><mark>were</mark></a> considered on par with wolves in destructiveness . According to figures in Texas in 1990 , 86 calves ( 0 @.@ 0006 % of a total of 13 @.@ 4 million cattle & calves in Texas ) , 253 Mohair goats , 302 Mohair kids , 445 sheep ( 0 @.@ 02 % of a total of 2 @.@ 0 million sheep & lambs in Texas ) and 562 lambs ( 0 @.@ 04 % of 1 @.@ 2 million lambs in Texas ) <a href='uninflect' title='2'><mark>were</mark></a> confirmed to <a href='been_done' title='3'><mark>have</mark></a> been killed by cougars that year . In Nevada in 1992 , cougars <a href='uninflect' title='4'><mark>were</mark></a> confirmed to <a href='been_done' title='5'><mark>have</mark></a> killed 9 calves , 1 horse , 4 foals , 5 goats , 318 sheep and 400 lambs . In both cases , sheep <a href='uninflect' title='6'><mark>were</mark></a> the most frequently attacked . Some instances of surplus killing <a href='been_done' title='7'><mark>have</mark></a> resulted in the deaths of 20 sheep in one attack . A cougar <a href='null_genetive' title='8'><mark>'s</mark></a>killing bite is applied to the back of the neck , head , or throat and they inflict puncture marks with their claws usually seen on the sides and underside of the prey , sometimes also shredding the prey as they hold on . Coyotes also typically bite the throat region but do not inflict the claw marks and farmers will normally see the signature zig @-@ zag pattern <a href='null_relcl' title='9'><mark>that</mark></a>coyotes create as they feed on the prey whereas cougars typically drag in a straight line . The work of a cougar <a href='drop_aux' title='10'><mark>is</mark></a>generally clean , differing greatly from the indiscriminate mutilation by coyotes and feral dogs . The size of the tooth puncture marks also <a href='uninflect' title='11'><mark>helps</mark></a> distinguish kills made by cougars from those made by smaller predators . 
During da early years of ranching , cougars was considered on par with wolves in destructiveness . According to figures in Texas in 1990 , 86 calves ( 0 @.@ 0006 % of a total of 13 @.@ 4 million cattle & calves in Texas ) , 253 Mohair goats , 302 Mohair kids , 445 sheep ( 0 @.@ 02 % of a total of 2 @.@ 0 million sheep & lambs in Texas ) and 562 lambs ( 0 @.@ 04 % of 1 @.@ 2 million lambs in Texas ) was confirmed to done been killed by cougars dat year . In Nevada in 1992 , cougars was confirmed to done killed 9 calves , 1 horse , 4 foals , 5 goats , 318 sheep and 400 lambs . In both cases , sheep was the most frequently attacked . sum instances of surplus killin done resulted in the deaths of 20 sheep in one attack . A cougar  killing bite is applied to tdaback of the neck , head , or throat and they inflict puncture marks with their claws usually seen on the sides and underside of the prey , sometimes also shredding the prey as they hold on . Coyotes also typically bite the throat region but do not inflict the claw marks and farmers will normally see the signature zig @-@ zag pattern coyotes create as they feed on the prey whereas cougars typically drag in a str8 line . The work of a cougar generally clean , differing greatly from thdandiscriminate mutilation by coyotes and feral dogs . The size of thedaoth puncture marks also help distinguish kills made by cougars from those made by smaller predators .