While mountain lion sightings are rare in Iowa, roaming cats are occasionally encountered by hunters and other residents. Photo: iStockphoto.com/EvgenlyQ
Two Iowa men killed a mountain lion while hunting coyotes at night this past fall, the Iowa DNR confirmed after the hunters contacted the agency.
According to the wildlife agency, the legally licensed hunters killed an adult female mountain lion that weighed 116 pounds. They were hunting near Swisher in Johnson County, which is located between Cedar Rapids and Iowa City.
Mountain lions were extirpated from the state decades ago, officials said, although sightings occasionally occur. These sightings likely are cougars moving from resident populations in other states while seeking new territory. Iowa DNR officials knew about the adult female since spring 2021 thanks to hunters’ trail cameras and other sightings.
“Mountain lions have no legal wildlife status in Iowa,” DNR officials said. “That means they can be taken and possessed by anyone at any time as long as legal methods and means are used to take the animal.”
Mountain lions are found or have been sighted in nearby or neighboring states including Wisconsin, Minnesota, Kansas the Dakotas and Illinois.
