Press Releases from the Iowa Department of Natural Resources

For immediate release: december 15, 2009

Mountain Lion Shot Near Marengo

A mountain lion was shot near Marengo, Monday afternoon, by a deer hunter 
participating in Iowa's second shotgun season.

Raymond Goebel, Jr., of Cedar Rapids, was hunting with a group, 4 miles 
southwest of Marengo.  The group had decided to sit around 3:30 p.m., and 
watch for deer on the move. Goebel looked over his left shoulder and 
something caught his eye about 15 yards up in a tree.  He looked through the 
scope on his gun and couldn't believe what he was seeing.

"It is what I thought it is," Goebel said.

About 30 minutes passed when another hunter in the group a short distance 
away stood up. Goebel waved him over and pointed to the figure in the tree. 
After discussions about the legality of shooting it and gaining approval 
from the landowner, Goebel shot the cat.

Brad Baker, state conservation officer with the Iowa Department of Natural 
Resources, said the mountain lion weighed about 125 pounds, and appears to 
be a female from the wild.  Baker said the condition of the teeth and claws 
and the lack of markings from ear tags lead him to the conclusion.

Ron Andrews, state furbearer biologist with the Iowa DNR, said this is the 
first confirmed female mountain lion in Iowa.  All other lions confirmed in 
Iowa were young males.

This is the first confirmed sighting in Iowa in more than five years, and 
the fourth mountain lion killed in Iowa.  Mountain lions have no protection 
in Iowa and while the Iowa DNR does not encourage people killing a lion they 
come across, it is not against the law.

There had been reports of a mountain lion in the Tama area that Andrews 
investigated and he said the evidence did not point to a mountain lion, but 
it was difficult to find because the investigation occurred in the summer. 
Andrews receives two to three reports of mountain lion sightings per month 
from across Iowa, but finding confirming evidence is difficult.

These animals in the Midwest travel great distances in a short time looking 
for other cougars, he said.  "They are not here in great numbers," Andrews 
said.  "But this shooting will likely prompt many additional unconfirmed 
sightings. Our experience investigating these reports has found that more 
than 90 percent are mistaken identity for bobcats, yellow-colored dogs or 
deer, which are the same color as mountain lions."

Goebel said he plans to have a full body mount of the mountain lion.  The 
DNR will receive the stomach contents, and tissue and blood samples for DNA 
analysis.

 Media Contact: Ron Andrews, state furbearer biologist, Iowa Department of 
Natural Resources, 641-357-3517.

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