Another confirmed mtn lion in Kansas! Some bird hunters found a big female shot to death and missing a paw.
https://www.ksn.com/news/kansas/dea...as-game-wardens-investigating/1744368885

I saw that too, but we’ve been told for 30 years we don’t have them so it can’t be true. Lol

Yeah i dont understand why KS wildlife and parks has denied the fact that we have them here, even if they are just passing through. When we started getting more confirmed sightings in the last 15 years or so they claimed that they were all transient young males. But this one is a large female so they cant claim that anymore either.

My LEO says that they deny a breeding population not that they are actually here. They say they don't have the budget nor the man power to regulate another program which they would have to do if there was a genuine viable population. I have no doubt about the, being here just not enough to get excited about. Kind of like pheasants unfortunately.

The last I knew, there were not any confirmed breeding pairs in the state,just transients,mainly young males.

Correct for KansasAce.

Our DNR says the same thing as far as not wanting to have to spend for transient animals. I have however been shown pictures from game cameras with kittens that could not have made any extended journey. I can't blame the DNR, and as for us trappers and hunters seeing the mythical status bestowed on Lynx in Minnesota and the restrictions their presence can cause trappers you folks should be very happy Your Fish and Wildlife folks don't recognize them.

Osky

Yeah, you are probably right about the restrictions that they could cause Osky. When i was a kid Wildlife and Parks denied them being here period. At least now they acknowledge that they are here even if only passing thru. But its kinda hard to deny with all the trail cam pics and physical evidence.

They're definitely some around but if one a thousand sightings in Ks are true I'd be surprised. I spend more time outdoors than a lot of people and are constantly looking for sign and only once in my yrs have I possibly seen lion sign. It was either a very very large bobcat or smaller lion. I know a lot of people who claim to have seen a lion that have never seen a bobcat in the wild. People will see what they want to see when they dont get a good look at something.

Yes sir, i agree that people see what they want to see especially people who spend little time in the outdoors. In fact just a year or two ago there was a guy that lives in the middle of our calital city Topeka that claimed to see a mtn lion in the street in front of his house. I would never say impossible but very unlikely. Reports like his one give less validity to the all other reported sightings. Probably for every one legit report there are hundreds maybe thousands of bogus ones.

I don’t understand the logic behind pretending they are not there. It seems to me the solution is simple if they don’t want to deal with the cats is to release all regulations regarding them before they establish population. Allow any and all take methods and set the season all year. Then you wouldn’t have to deal with it at all. Pretending they don’t exist while protecting them just makes a problem that will inevitably need the funding to correct.

Read my earlier post no one is denying they are in Kansas. They are not recognizing them as a viable breeding or manageable sized population. The regulations are clear you may dispatch one if they are doing or about to do damage to property or livestock. No big deal anyone that has walked around the Flint Hills, Konza Prairie or Ellsworth bombing range knows there I is a lot of ground and lots of places mythical beasts could roam and no one would know any different. It's just cool to see pictures and realize they are around, not so cool that someone would just shoot one and then take a paw!

If they truly exist, then one nutty, lefty, judge can declare them a rare endangered animal that will need full protection. I have heard that a lion can claim 500 square miles or more as a territory. That 500 square miles will have to be shut down to all hunting and trapping,,,, also better put in another 25 miles or so buffer zone,,, and that's for just one lion. If there is at least 10 or 12 then the entire state will need to be shut down to all hunting and all trapping. Just let them not exist.

Rickey

Anything is possible. Back in the '90's there was a moose just north of town. People had pictures,made the local paper and was reported being seen over east till it got over by the indian reservation and that was the last anybody had seen it. Had to have wandered from at least 8 to 10 hours away likely more.

Same Here in Minnesota

Trust me! It's a good lion now. Need more like it.

Yeah i remember the moose sightings back then. Thats the only time i know of in recent times of a moose in Kansas. Mtn lions and black bears are becoming a bit more frequent. I can think of at least 5-6 bear sightings in Northeast KS over the last 20 years. One just a few years ago in Franklin County and another in Lyon County spotted by some locals and on a trail camera.

A couple of years ago there was one treed in North Tulsa in a backyard if I remember correctly. It was all over the news and was a transient young male, so that could possibly happen in Topeka but I'd lay 1000 to 1 odds it was something else. Down here people see black panthers at night crossing the road, never see one in the daytime. Imagine that,LOL.

We've always had some around off and on you just don't see them too often or hear of them from a reliable source. I watched a young one cross the road a while back at dusk,the dog on the back backed of the edge of the truck when we crossed the scent trail.