Iowa

According to Iowa's Department of Natural Resources records, the last cougar to be killed in Iowa occurred in the South West portion of the state in 1867. In recent years, the first confirmed cougar was killed in December of 2009 in Marengo, Iowa by a deer hunter.

Please consider donating to the Cougar Fund by visiting our Donate page, or by shopping in our Store. Thank you.

Since that time sightings and reports have consistently increased. Many believe that young male cougars from Colorado or the Black Hills of South Dakota are being pushed out of the territory where they were born may be the source of these cats.

News

Subscribe to News via RSS

Mountain lion attack suspected

NCNewsPress.com | 2010-05-12

Sidney, Iowa —Lynn Benson of Sidney was cutting lumber in a tree line of his property on the morning of Saturday, May 1, down in a draw when something caught his eye.

Learn more...

Iowa man who shot mountain lion is unapologetic, group says lion didn't have to die

13 WHO NBC - Iowa | 2010-01-16

An Iowa hunter who shot a mountain lion last month has defended his actions.

Learn more...

State should outlaw killing of rare species

State should outlaw killing of rare species | 2009-12-21

What a sad day for the state of Iowa when beautiful species as the mountain lion is killed for no other justification than to have a taxidermist mount it into a full mount.

Learn more...

Panthera: Mountain lions in Iowa? Maybe next year.

Panthera, Huffington Post | 2009-12-21

On Monday afternoon, a hunter in eastern Iowa had the rare luck to see a mountain lion. Mountain lions, like most wild cats, are secretive creatures and are notoriously hard to see in the wild. And, not only does this hunter get to see a mountain lion, he gets to see the first one that has been seen in the state in 5 years.

Learn more...

Whoops: Mountain Lion Shot Near Marengo Male, Not Female

KCRG-tv | 2009-12-17

Turns out the mountain lion shot by a Cedar Rapids hunter north of Marengo Monday wasn’t a female after all.

Learn more...

Beautiful animal needlessly slaughtered

Desmoines Register | 2009-12-18

The Department of Natural Resources has said that mountain lions typically leave humans alone unless cornered. I hope Goebel does not consider himself a hero in this slaughter. He sat 40 yards away and shot the nonthreatening lion using a rifle with a scope.

Learn more...

Iowa Deer Hunters Kill Mountain Lion

Fairfield Voice -Will Merydith | 2009-12-16

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources is reporting that a deer hunter shot and killed a male mountain lion near Marengo, Iowa. Raymond Goebel of Cedar Rapids was hunting with a group just outside of Marengo when he spotted a Mountain Lion up in a tree. Goebel shot and killed the cat, which weighed in around 125 pounds.

Learn more...