Fish and Game searching for cougar

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FISH AND GAME WORKING WITH ISU TO CATCH COUGAR

Written by Jennifer Jackson, Regional Conservation Educator

Typically mountain lion sightings are rare in Idaho. Sportsmen and wildlife watchers alike recognize how elusive these animals can be in a wild setting—often to the chagrin of those hoping to catch a glimpse of North America’s biggest cat. Even when the Idaho Department of Fish and Game conducts deer and elk flights from helicopters, it is still rare that mountain lions, or cougars as they are also known, are observed.

This has not been the case, however, on the East bench of Pocatello over the past few months. Cougar sightings from Sister City Park to Idaho State University (ISU) have been reported to Fish and Game. This past weekend there was another lion sighting at ISU. The single mountain lion was apparently observed chasing deer through campus.

Though the thought of a large predator on ISU’s campus may seem alarming, Fish and Game wants to stress that there is no need to be overly concerned about this sighting.

Mountain lions have always been a part of the wildlife around Pocatello, and some would be surprised how often they move around and through Pocatello without incident. Human-lion interaction will undoubtedly increase as a result of urban expansion into current mule deer and lion habitat. Because mule deer are a primary food source of mountain lions, urban and suburban deer populations can draw the cats into human settings as evidenced by the mountain lion seen chasing deer on ISU campus.

Here is the good news. Up to this point, the ISU cougar is behaving like it’s supposed to. It is chasing deer and is not approaching people. Unfortunately, its hunting habits are occurring in the wrong place.

Fish and Game and ISU Public Safety are currently working together to address the situation. Tuesday afternoon, Fish and Game set out two mountain lion traps in the vicinity of the cougar sighting. So far, only a skunk and a cat have been caught.

“The lion traps are large cage traps which cannot harm the mountain lion, non-target wildlife, pets, or people passing by,” said Corey Class, regional wildlife biologist for Fish and Game. Class encourages people who encounter these traps to leave them alone. Human activity may prevent the traps from working, or place too much human scent in the area for the traps to be effective. While these trap set-ups are not always effective for catching cougars, they have worked for Fish and Game in the past.

“It is difficult to capture lions due to their elusive behavior, large home ranges, and wariness”, Class said.

A mountain lion’s home range is very large, of which the ISU campus may only be a small portion. This makes trapping the animals difficult because they may only be in the area a few days of the week. According to Class, the mountain lion very well may move on.

“From the information we have, it sounds as though this may be a sub-adult mountain lion still trying to find its place in the world. Human disturbance may make the ISU area unattractive to the cat”, said Class.

As an additional step, Fish and Game is cooperating with a local mountain lion hunter help locate the cat using hounds. This is not a fool-proof plan. On Wednesday night, the hounds were placed on strike platforms and driven around campus with no success. The hot dry conditions of summer prevent good scent trails for the dogs to track.

If the mountain lion is detected using this method, Fish and Game will attempt to tree the cat with the hounds and tranquilize the animal. If successful in capturing the mountain lion, Fish and Game will release it in suitable habitat in the backcountry of Idaho, far from Pocatello.

Class says that this cat is a good candidate for capture and release as it has shown no aggression towards humans or pets.

So what do you do if you encounter a mountain lion?

● Do not run. It will likely trigger a chase response in the cat.

● Remember to keep eye contact and back away slowly.

● Make yourself look as large and intimidating as possible. Spread your arms apart, and shout loudly.

● It is particularly important to avoid female lions with young accompanying them.

● Any urban mountain lion sightings should be reported directly to Fish and Game. Here in southeast Idaho, you can contact Fish and Game at 232-4703. If Fish and Game cannot be reached, you can also contact your local police department or sheriff’s office.

People are reminded to make positive identification prior to contacting officials. Fish and Game and ISU public safety have had several mistaken cougar sightings reported.

Mountain lions are large cats, tawny to grayish in color, weighing 80-200lbs. The tail, which can range in length from 2 ½ to 3 feet, is rope-like in appearance (not bushy) and has a black tip.

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