 The gray wolf and the cougar compete more directly for prey , especially in winter . Wolves can steal kills and occasionally kill the cat . One report describes a large pack of 7 to 11 wolves killing a female cougar and her kittens . Conversely , lone female or young wolves are vulnerable to predation , and have been reported ambushed and killed by cougars . Various accounts of cougars killing lone wolves , including a six @-@ year @-@ old female , have also been documented . Wolves more broadly affect cougar population dynamics and distribution by dominating territory and prey opportunities , and disrupting the feline 's behavior . Preliminary research in Yellowstone , for instance , has shown displacement of the cougar by wolves . In nearby Sun Valley , Idaho , a cougar / wolf encounter that resulted in the death of the cougar was documented . One researcher in Oregon noted : " When there is a pack around , cougars are not comfortable around their kills or raising kittens ... A lot of times a big cougar will kill a wolf , but the pack phenomenon changes the table . " 
