Kansas wildlife biologists confirm mountain lion sighting... Options

[tugboatwa]

http://www.kansas.com/news/story/1020277.html

Kansas wildlife biologists confirm mountain lion sighting

BY COURTNEY LOONEY, The Wichita Eagle

* Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks officials said a mountain lion was photographed by a deer hunter northwest of WaKeeney, in Trego County.

After more than a century of rumors of mountain lions in Kansas, state wildlife biologists confirmed this week that a live mountain lion has been found in Kansas.

"We have literally dozens and hundreds of mountain lion sightings turned in to us," said Mike Miller, Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks spokesman. "Usually the pictures are so blurry, you can't see any detail."

On Oct. 12, a man hunting in northwest WaKeeney in Trego County made not only a discovery, but history, too. The man snapped photos of what this week became the first verified, live mountain lion in Kansas since 1904.

"We don't know the origins of the animal, but we know this is legitimate," Miller said. "Pictures have been verified."

Kansas wildlife officials said the mountain lion was photographed after the animal walked into a pile of corn that was near a tree stand occupied by a deer hunter.

The hunter grabbed his camera and took multiple photos. The mountain lion encounter is believed to have lasted less than a minute.

"They could live here year round. We don't know," Miller said. "But this is the first photograph that we have seen that we can verify and say that is a mountain lion."

This is the second mountain lion to be found in Kansas since 1904, but the first live one.

In November 2007, a young, male mountain lion was shot by a landowner in Barber County. Kansas Wildlife said it is illegal to hunt mountain lions because they are classified as a protected animal. The only exception is if the animal is on private property and poses a threat to the landowner.

Mark Downing of the Cougar Network, a nonprofit organization based in Colorado dedicated to studying cougars, said mountain lions are not often found in Kansas because the open prairie is not good habitat for the animal.

"Mountain lions need three things: cover, prey and water," Downing said. "There isn't enough of that in Kansas."

Charles Cope, a state wildlife biologist, said there may not be many mountain lions living in Kansas, but there may be some traveling through.

"Nebraska has reported 30 to 35 sightings this year," Cope said. "The thing is that they'll cover anywhere from 25 square miles up to 300 square miles on their home range. They travel huge distances. One in Nebraska could be the one in Kansas."

Downing said there is a possibility that mountain lions could live near wooded river corridors in Kansas.

No matter how many people believe that a population of mountain lions exist in Kansas, it has never been officially confirmed, Downing said.

"A population cannot go undetected," Downing said. "There would be roadkill and other sightings and we have never had documentation of this happening in Kansas."

Miller said he doesn't expect the excitement to go past the releasing of photos, but he is glad Kansas Wildlife was able to confirm the sighting.

"When something like this gets publicity, a lot of people are going to say, 'I told you so,' " Miller said. "All we're going to say is this is the first verified, live mountain lion in the state."

Downing took his first look at the photo of the confirmed mountain lion on Tuesday afternoon. It took him only a few seconds to verify what Kansas Wildlife has already confirmed.

"That tail definitely looks like a classic mountain lion," Downing said.

[bushmaster]

I'm not too surprised.. They border Colorado... I think their range is a whole lot bigger than people think. If they can confirm they're in Kansas, they could be anywhere. It's like wolf sightings in Washington. Until the wildlife dept. confirms it, they don't exist in WA...

This post has been edited by bushmaster: Oct 21 2009, 11:18 PM

[COGrizzly]

Keith Foster where are you?

This is not the first confirmed ML in Kansas in recent years.

[Furious_George]

A lot of cougar reports lately. I wonder if there is a population growth or they were always in these states and there is just an increased interest on the subject.

[Incorrigible1]

A lot of cougar reports lately. I wonder if there is a population growth or they were always in these states and there is just an increased interest on the subject.

Having managed gunstores and hunting departments in sporting goods stores much of my adult life, in Nebraska (now home to breeding cougar populations), and having a keen interest in the animal, I can state that the cougars have expanded into my state, reclaiming portions of their previous historic range in only the last twenty years, or so. They were eliminated/extirpated in the early 20th century, and did not exist in at least this state. They are now not uncommon.

[COwatcher]

Now too bad that was not a BF in that picture.....The hunter had a camera and was in a deer stand. Darn

There are so many animals that are not supposed to be. Like the Colorado wolverine. or the Grizly bears in the Sawatch or the Sangres.

Years ago you could walk into the mall and see venders selling exotic pets like mountain lions and tigers in special vending set ups. It does not supprise me to see that a mountain lion is in Kansas,,,, or that a Tiger chased a horse and rider in the midwest. Or that Doll sheep live int eh mountains above George town.

[bushmaster]

I think it just shows how resilient nature can be despite our (mans) best efforts.

[TKD]

,,,, or that a Tiger chased a horse and rider in the midwest.

Never heard of that one...

[CedarGiant]

or the monk parrots thriving in Chicago:

http://chicago.about.com/b/2008/11/25/the-...f-hyde-park.htm

[woodmizer]

Time for a bounty?

[TKD]

Time for a bounty?

For the Parrots or the lions?

[Incorrigible1]

Not cougars, but of probable interest to readers of this thread is the increase in bobcat populations just across the Missouri river from me. From yesterday's Omaha World Herald:

COUNCIL BLUFFS — Bobcats are becoming more active as their ranges and populations expand in western Iowa. As a result, their bodies frequently are showing up along local highways after being struck by local motorists.

Steve Lewis, fire captain at Station No. 6, recovered the body of a male bobcat this week along Old Lincoln Highway near Mud Hollow Road.

“I was just coming to work this morning, and it had just got hit,” he said. “There was a black squirrel not too far from it, and I'm thinking maybe he jumped up there for that black squirrel and got hit.”

Several bobcats have been reported hit recently, said Brian Smith, Pottawattamie County game warden for the Iowa Department of Natural Resources.

“In the city limits of Council Bluffs, this is my third in the last three weeks,” he said.

One was found on a gravel road off Railroad Highway, and the other was on Highway 6 near Railroad Highway, he said. There have been reports of bobcats showing up on remote cameras, too — cameras deer hunters set up to determine the animals' pathways.

“This time of the year, they're out all hours of the night or early morning. And with the amount of traffic out there, obviously you're going to have animals hit by cars,” said Matt Veon, a park ranger at Lake Manawa State Park. “I hate to see wild animals end up like this.”

The male cat found this week was almost 3 feet long and 21 inches tall at his hindquarters, Lewis said. He estimated that the animal weighed at least 40 pounds.

[OKBFFan]

..and there are no cougars this far north in Oklahoma.. thats why someone hit one on the interstate a few years ago in Purcell, and a friend saw one near the prison in Lexington out east... but there are no cougars here. Nope nope..