Mountain Lions

[toby]

I called one in while elk hunting. It was less than twenty yards and I didn't see it until I moved and it ran, it could have been much close. This was one of my most memorable hunting experiences.

[wapiti792]

Last year in Laramie Peaks area WY. I was going to a buggling elk in the predawn and so was he or she. All I got was a quick flash out in front of me and caught it running up the rocks not making a sound. One of the coolest things I have ever seen in the wild  

[Bjorn]

I have not seen one but we live very near where they hang out. Our archery club range is closed this week due to a mountain lion incident over the week end.
A six year old boy was grabbed by a lion in a nearby park. He is going to survive and rangers are out looking for the cat. We have a big shoot coming up this Saturday and the range should be open Friday.

[TxAg]

I'd love to see one. Never have, though

[Keith Zimmerman]

Several years ago my buddies were sitting near a wallow in Unit 551.  They felt they were being watched and turned around to see a cat watching them about 50 yds away.

So they got up and moved several hundred yards to a new wallow.  Again, the same thing happened.

They havent been back since to the same wallows.

[fedora]

I was hunting mules Behind the university of utah. I was putting a stalk on a group of mulies trying to get ahead of them and had a mountain lion his and growl at me. I couldn't see him until I backed out and he bolted.  The next week two young toms were caught playing on camera in the parking structure on campus.

[Kyle Lancaster]

Keith,
  I was wondering if you had seen one on your recent hunt?

[FoCoBlackWidow]

Saw my first one with my flashlight on the way back to camp last Monday night. Terrifying.

[bowgy]

I was taking a hike with my dog a few month ago and one screamed in the brush about 50 yards away.  I snuck to where I could see it.  ( my dog really wanted to go the other way ! ) I don't think it ever saw me it just walked away

Much of Iowa is a land of square miles with blacktop and gravel roads going around those square miles. When we do get the rare cougar passing through the biggest problem is not the cougar, it is the knuckleheads riding around with rifles and beer that think they are going to be the hero that shot the cougar.  Six years ago one ran across a country grave yard near where we hunted. We were constantly being invaded by them driving in on us ready to shoot at anything out of their pickup windows. Although I think a cougar has the potential for being more dangerous than a black bear, that still does not justify the want to be hero cowards that were riding around trying to shoot them from the safety of their pickups.  Iowa needs a no random shooting or protected species law concerning mountain lions.

[Keith Zimmerman]

Hey Kyle, I didnt see it.  But 2 guys hunting with me saw one sneak in at 17 yds.

[JimB]

We have a few here.We are restricted to only about 2 months when we can use trail cameras and I've identified at least 4 different lions passing by a spot where I had a stand last year and have had 2 different cats pass a camera,the same day.During trapping season,I've had as many as 5 sets wrecked by lions in a single check,yet I have never seen one except over dogs or one that was called in.

They are efficient killers but for the most part are very afraid of man.There have been a few instances here,where lions have been killed in self defense but it is rare.I spend a lot of time in these hills,traveling before daylight and after dark and am sure cats must have watched me.I don't anticipate any trouble from them but try to stay vigilent and as prepared as I can be.
 
 
 
 
 

That huge cat at the end developed a yen for sheep and our government trapper took him out.I was really hoping to see that one,while hunting.

[John Scifres]

That is a huge freaking cat.  Any idea what he weighed?

[JimB]

No idea John but I was told it was 8' long,counting tail.Cat weights are often exaggerated and they due truly look heavier than they are,but I've know of at least 3,honest 180 lb lions and he looks in that class.I've mounted a lot of them and have yet to see any that actually were weighed and made it over 183 lbs,only unsubstantiated rumors of bigger and there probably have been a few but I believe a true 180 lb lion is very rare.It is often tough to find one 160 lbs.

I guess we'll never know on that one.I know that was the biggest track I've ever seen.What a waste.

[MikeNova]

Never seen one here in South Carolina but seems everyone but me has. Those black panthers science says don't exist seem to be all over the state also though I've never seen one either. Wildlife people say black panthers usually can be found hanging out with bigfeet!

[joe ashton]

Last Saturday a man hunting the same my I'm hunting had one close and hissing. I personally have never seen one.

We had the dnr denying they were here too, until it became too obvious. We have an invisible one in our hunting area, problem is I have found two more piles of sort of buried cougar poop with tracks this time. He obviously caught himself a deer this time, I was told the ones that were killed were eating raccoons and ferrule cats. I do not think it is as big as the one from Montana that was shown, but he has plenty big enough feet as far as I can tell. I hope that he stays invisible.

[Dave Lay]

I saw one about 20 years ago in southern Arkansas, we had heard them at night but that was the first and only one I have ever seen, it was stalking a deer, I was ground hunting and a couple does had passed at 50 yards or so, and it came behind them 5 minuites or so later,  I was hesitant to tell anyone knowing they wouldn't believe me...  my hunting partner saw one in NW Missouri a couple years ago, after we had seen its scat earlier in the hunt

[eidsvolling]

Originally posted by SteveB:
Sightings are notoriously unreliable - and we seem to have more of them in the NE than in states out west where they hunt them.

Also heard of dozens if not hundreds of alleged picture's. No one has ever posted one that didn't turn out to be an internet picture claimed to be from every state in the country.

With the exception of this one, at least:   Connecticut mountain lion crossed US before death  

More:    Genetic Testing Reveals Mountain Lion Killed in Milford Originated in South Dakota: Traveled to Conn. through Wis. And Minn.

[SteveB]

That one had something none of the rest ever do - scat, tracks, dna, AND A BODY.