I bought a bobcat tag this year and that was something I struggled with. Admittedly I’m a cat lover. Busted chops and all. I’m not targeting bobcats but if I caught one I would harvest it; tough as it would be for me.
I’m trying to grow as a trapper and it’s taken me decades to do so.
I’m not against hunting mountain lions but it’s not on my list of things to do.

I know of folks in the Grove Spring area that have seen them.

When you catch one , try to pet it .....you will change how you feel.....no Mas struggles

After reading some of the typical uneducated comments on this thread and the attacks against other posters for simply expressing their personal views I finally decided to chime in. My personal lion take is in the triple digits. I've taken lions in NM, AZ, and TX using traps, neck snares, foot snares, with dogs, and shooting over kills or some of the 32 encounters while out and about not in pursuit in those states. Most of those were taken for either livestock depredation or desert bighorn sheep protection. A few were taken because the season was open, I had a tag, and the opportunity presented itself. The last lion I took was 34 steps from my kitchen door and the full body mount is 12 feet from me as I type this. Just wanted to make sure some of the posters on here don't try to portray me as some animal rights activist. As a retired professional wildlife biologist, I support wildlife management by science-based principles and not by emotion or political agendas. Unfortunately, both sides of the predator equation are happy to support those avenues when it supports their own personal viewpoints as proven by some of the comments on this thread. The Iowa DNR is restricted by political mandate in Iowa from managing any lions that show up in the state based on science. They had requested back in August that the collared cat not be taken so they could learn more about movements of some of these dispersing animals. I do not fault anyone for legally taking a lion, even in this situation, as for most hunters it would be a once in a lifetime opportunity. Hunters are constantly reminded to show respect for harvested wildlife particularly when posting photos since wildlife is a public resource and our activities ultimately depend on public support even in those states with so called right to hunt amendments (read all the language in those, especially references to reasonable regulation). For those of you who profess to be Christians I'm dismayed you think you are superior to God as he created all living things for a purpose. I would never stoop to that level of arrogance in saying that any of the Creators creatures had no place on this earth or any right to roam this earth. As far as a threat. Last month while jogging an old closed FS road a lion walked across about 100 feet in front of me (I paced it off after changing to a walk). When I got to the point where it had crossed it was still standing 20 feet away in the brush. She (body characteristics) and I looked at each other and went on our way. I've been as close as 10 feet from unrestrained lions in the field while unarmed and never felt threatened. Attacks and fatalities from domestic dogs on humans and livestock dwarf those of wild predators. When I worked for USDA I used to advise ranchers, and still do, that if they had 1 round in their rifle and a wolf, a coyote, and a dog ran through their pasture they were dollars ahead to shoot the dog. Same advice goes for lions. My dog count won't be discussed here but I've been attacked three times in my life by dog packs. As someone who has dedicated their life to wildlife management for the public thank you to those posters simply showing basic respect for a living creature.

Did you not see the " guess the live weight " thread where a gutted steer was hanging from a front end loader ? That didn't offend me, nor did the pic of a dead lion. A dead animal that's going to be used is still a dead animal. Take the joint out of that horse's.mouth, it's high.

No one mentioned the road killed lion in Connecticut about 20 years ago. I think I remember right that it came for South Dakota and was trail cameraed across the top of the US for two years working that way until someone hit it with their car.....jk

X2 And no one was attacked for their comments either. Simply someone pointed out that they were concerned with a fellow trappers position on killing the cat, and wanted them to think it through more thoroughly, so if ever there was a vote on allowing legally killing them, they might vote to continue to allow it. Nothing more was meant by that. Face to face there would of been no question about it, but on here it's hard to decipher at times.

Even I, who thinks it's just fine and encourage anyone who wants to legally kill one to do so, think they could of done better with the picture. Even though it doesn't bother me personally, even seasoned veterans like Swamp Wolf in his recent deer picture with the bloody tongue hanging out for example, sometimes post pictures that aren't very flattering to the animals, and the ones sought out by anti's to use in their propaganda. So I can see what Smash was alluding to.

I can see that coytrpr thinks there is a need for loins and wolves somewhere in the US apparently and "kill them all" offends him/her. That's just fine, you're entitled to your opinion. I'm sure there are lots who would agree with you. Based upon your comments though, if it came down to a vote, I think you'd vote to outlaw killing them in Iowa, and that is not right in MY opinion. They don't need to track what they do in Iowa, they don't need to be in Iowa at all. We don't have large areas where they can roam for days avoiding people, pets and livestock. There is zero need to protect them here.

I looked at it on Facebook from Bernie's picture, if you wanna see some real stupid comments, lol... https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=1174678641430479&set=a.531717372393279