There is not a breeding population of Pumas in Oklahoma but sightings and evidence of cougars have been documented back to 1852, where two cougars were killed in the southwestern part of the state.............. Accounts continued into 1953 when an Oklahoma State University mammalogist documented tracks of a mountain lion southeast of Canton Lake in northwest Oklahoma................... Further reportings continued into September of 1984, where the refuge manager observed a mountain lion on the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge...........The most recent confirmed Puma sighted in the state was killed by a car.in 2011(likely a prospecting Lion from South Dakota)..................AS far back as 1957, the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation listed the mountain lion as a game species with a closed hunting and trapping season..................However, Agency personnel have never conducted population surveys or assessed habitat availability...............Isn't it about time for some action on this front as the Central Rolling Red Plains ecoregion is excellent habitat to restore a breeding Puma population with it being 60% rangeland with large blocks of private land holdings and a low human population density.............These are the physical characteristics which are conducive to attracting immigration by mountain lions from the Dakotas, Nebraska and possibly the Big Bend Region of Texas

Article Link:
http://www.news-star.com/article/20140530/NEWS/140539959

Wildlife

official:

 Mountain lions

 pass through 

Oklahoma

A Shawnee couple has had two

 recent sightings of what they

 believe to be a mountain lion, 

and wildlife officials say

 mountain lions do pass through 

the state from time to time.

 

 0

By Kim Morava 
Posted Jun. 1, 2014 @ 9:00 am 

A Shawnee couple has had two recent sightings of what they believe to be a mountain lion, and wildlife officials say mountain lions do pass through the state from time to time, although it’s rare for anyone to see them.

Ken and Glenda Kerbo have spotted a large cat the size of a Labrador Retriever near their home, which backs up to a large parcel of dense, wooded land, not far from Grove School.

What began as a quiet May evening in their backyard turned into more of an adventure. First, they heard a lot of birds squawking in the trees behind their home, followed by what Ken described as a “high-pitch” crying.

A few minutes later, a large cat emerged and they went inside to get their binoculars to better see the cat, which was less than 50 yards away.

Michael Bergin, senior information and education specialist with the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation, hadn’t heard of any reported sighting near the school, but said there have been a handful documented sightings of wild mountain lions in the state, including one struck and killed by a vehicle in 2011.

 “Mountain lions do pass through Oklahoma from time to time. Biologists believe these are generally transient animals that are on the move across a very large home-territory, often spanning hundreds of miles and multiple states,” he said. “Usually they are reclusive and stay close to dense cover and unpopulated areas, making it unlikely that most people in Oklahoma will ever see a wild one.”

While mountain lions have a distinctive appearance, Bergin said people often mistake other animals for mountain lions, such as large yellow dogs as well as wildlife such as bobcats, deer or coyotes.

“Adult mountain lions are generally large — often over 100 pounds — with tan coats and long tails that are about half the length of their body. Their tail and ears are black-tipped,” he said. “Wild mountain lions will generally avoid humans.”

During the sighting in Shawnee, the couple walked and followed the cat from a distance away, but they said it had a noticeably long tail that was 18 to 20 inches long.

“She looked the size of a Labrador — she was huge,” Ken said. Of course neither of them had a phone, or camera with them.

But Glenda did capture photos of a smaller cat in their yard in June of last year, and the couple thinks maybe this could be the same cat that is a bit older and bigger, but there’s no way to really know.

As far as wildlife officials, it’s hard to say for certain without some type of evidence whether it is a mountain lion.

Read more: http://www.news-star.com/article/20140530/News/140539959#ixzz33e1O0PVY


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OKLAHOMA

Mountain Lions

The mountain lion (Puma concolor), also known as the cougar, ranks among the most elusive and discussed of all of Oklahoma’s wildlife species.

The mountain lion can be identified by several distinguishing characteristics. Its tail is more than half the length of the body, it has black tips on the tail and ears, and is primarily tan in color. The size of these animals varies by sex. Males average seven feet long (from nose to the tip of its tail) and weigh around 140 pounds, while females average six feet in length with a body weight around 95 pounds.

Sightings and evidence of cougars have been documented back to 1852, where two cougars were killed in southwest Oklahoma. Accounts continued into 1953 when an Oklahoma State University mammalogist documented tracks of a mountain lion southeast of Canton Lake in northwest Oklahoma.

 Further reportings continued into September of 1984, where the refuge manager observed a mountain lion on the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge. The best habitat and area for current day sightings pertaining to the cougar could be the Rolling Red Plains ecoregion, located in far western Oklahoma. This region is made up of 60 percent rangeland (large blocks of private land holdings with a low human population density), ideal for mountain lion habitat. They may move into and out of the state along major waterways from New Mexico, Colorado, and the Texas panhandle. Cougars may even have home ranges that cover 200 square miles, and most wild cougars entering Oklahoma are young males searching out new territories.

Mountain lions are most active at night and may travel as far as 25 miles in a single night in search of deer (both whitetail and mule deer), the principal prey species for the mountain lion. The cougar generally hunts at dawn or dusk, but can be active during the day in areas undisturbed by man. An entire deer can be consumed in two nights. Mountain lions kill large prey species with regularity, usually one deer-sized animal is killed every six to 12 days. Mountain lions will almost always attempt to cover the uneaten portion of a kill with leaves or other debris.

The mountain lion can give birth at any time during the year, but the female only produce a litter once every two years, with summer being the peak time for kitten births. Once the male breeds the female, he leaves and the female is left to raise the young on her own. Her young usually consist of a litter of three to four kittens. These kittens are born blind, open their eyes at two weeks, and at six weeks the kittens are ready to eat meat. The young hunt for themselves at nine months and leave the mother after approximately 15 to 22 months. Juvenile males tend to disperse long distances as opposed to female juveniles who have short dispersal patterns. Mountain lions can reach life spans upwards of 18 years of age.

In 1957, the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation listed the mountain lion as a game species with a closed season. Agency personnel have not conducted population surveys or assessed habitat availability, making it impossible to issue clear statements about the abundance of wild mountain lions. One thing is certain, despite many rumors and claims to the contrary, ODWC has never stocked, relocated or released any mountain lions in the state of Oklahoma. Furthermore the agency has no plans to do so.