The Status of Mountain Lions in Iowa
The Status of Mountain Lions in Iowa
The definition of an enigma is a person or a thing that is mysterious, puzzling or difficult to understand. Perhaps one of the greatest enigmas Iowans puzzle over is the mountain lion’s population within our borders at any one time. From local coffee shop banter all the way to the halls of the statehouse, Iowans like to visit about rumored sightings, why they are here, where they come from and what kind of threat they pose. Occasionally, a rare lion is killed or confirmed traveling through Iowa, offering us a glimpse into their world, but usually leaving behind more mystery than fact. Regardless, this ultimate predator certainly captures our imagination today just as it has for centuries.
Historic Encounters
One undeniable fact is that more documentation of mountain lions has been in Iowa in the last few years than at any time since the early 1800’s. Another interesting fact we are seeing is the presence of more female cougars entering the state in the last few years. Since 2001 the DNR has documented nearly 50 confirmed or highly probably mountain lion sightings across Iowa. Interestingly, over half of those have been since 2019 and over 30 since 2017. Some of those may be multiple sightings of the same lion but sightings have increased.
There is certainly no better proof of mountain lion existence in our state other than death. In late August of 2001, a male lion was hit by a car on Highway 59 near Harlan, Iowa and made quite the splash in the news. The death of this cougar verified the existence of rumored sightings and got many Iowans talking. The next lion to die on Iowa soil was shot near Ireton, Iowa in Sioux County in Northwest Iowa during October of 2003. Three months later, hunters treed a male lion south of Confidence, Iowa in Wayne County during January 2004 and killed the male cougar.
In December 2009, a deer hunter shot a male cougar near Marengo, Iowa. Two years later in December of 2011 near the Monona County town of Blencoe, Iowa, a male cougar was shot by law enforcement. Des Moines police killed a mountain lion in the northern part of Des Moines in October 2012. On December 6, 2013, a large male cougar was shot and killed in Sioux County 4 miles south of Rock Valley, Iowa.
The first recorded female cat in recent times was in Ida County near Galva, Iowa in June of 2017. A DNR officer found the cat in a tree, suspected it of killing calves in the area, and then put it down. On December 9th of 2017, near Akron in Plymouth County another female cougar was killed, this time by a hunter. This lion wore a radio collar from Nebraska.
The largest cougar likely ever recorded in Iowa was shot December 4, 2022, in Webster County. The big male weighed between 165 and 170 pounds. Two coyote hunters then killed a 116-pound female cat in February of 2023 near Swisher in Johnson County.
The last two mountain lions that make the list have been very recent. On the night of Monday, November 6, 2023, a female lion was ran over in Osceola County. Five days later November 11, 2023, an 80-pound female put and end to by a hunter with a crossbow in Monona County.
The female killed in Johnson County last year had been in the area for upwards of a year, begging the question whether she may have had the opportunity to be the first female to rear kittens within our state in recent times had she lived long enough to do so. With these recent reports of females being along with plenty of males roaming through as well, the potential certainly exists for breeding to happen. It seems that most males that wander into our state however are doing so to escape territorial pressure from adult male lions in western states.
Why The Increased Population?
Iowa DNR furbearer biologist, Vince Evelsizer, shed some light on the topic recently when I asked why these cougars seem to be entering the state at a higher rate. “It’s the large toms that sub-adult males are trying to avoid in western states. Therefore, the young toms monitor scent markings closely because any young male an adult male comes across, it will go after and kill.” Evelsizer said.
This behavior can drive sub-adult males’ miles away from their original home. Evelsizer shared that DNA evidence from these cats show matching DNA from common established populations from states to our west. “Our cats show movement from west to east in their travel patterns, coming from the Black Hills region of South Dakota, Western Nebraska and more recently an uptick in cats coming from Wyoming.” Evelsizer shared.
Cats with western DNA are even in states farther east than us such as Kentucky and even Connecticut. Recently, radio-collared cats coming from Western Nebraska or Western South Dakota are traveling eastward and established residency in the Missouri River bluffs in the Northeast part of the state of Nebraska along our border for several recent years. There has even been one instance of reproduction in that area. This likely accounts for more common sightings and kills near Sioux County and the Northwest part of our state across the river.
Radio Tracking a Nebraska Mountain Lion
In November of 2021, Nebraska Game and Fish captured and collared a mountain lion that eventually made its way to Iowa by the end of the summer of 2022. The cat made it across the river and entered Mills County as early as August 21, 2022, and continued eastward that fall. It was tracked traveling near the Union/Ringgold County line by September 5th. In just twelve more days, it had traveled more than 80 miles east, crossing from Lucas County into Monroe County. By October 2nd, it was very near Fairfield, Iowa, and by October 13th was entering our far Southeastern County of Lee County. The cougar traveled the length of the state from roughly August 21st and left the state, entering Illinois by mid to late October, moving along a line roughly just south of highway 34 the entire time.
This tracking shows how a mountain lion covers ground and is here today and gone tomorrow in areas like the Great Plains. Iowa doesn’t hold the type of habitat that mountain lions prefer. The odds are low, but the possibility of generational growth is even lower. Iowa currently does not have a law on the books making it illegal to shoot mountain lions. These lions coming into Iowa regularly fall prey to hunters, trappers, or car strikes more than their western cousins.
How many lions are here at any one time is a question mark. But Evelsizer said, “We’ve had confirmed trail camera photos of mountain lions in Western Iowa, Southern Iowa, and East/Northeast Iowa this fall. Best estimate of a mountain lion population in Iowa since September 1, 2023, is 3-7 cats based on these photos.”
What we can say now that we couldn’t say for certain thirty years ago is that mountain lions are here. They are certainly not behind every tree, and it would be rare to see one, but scan your trail camera pictures closely. You never know what it might reveal.
by Troy Hoepker
August 2025
Here are our other businesses check them out
Also check out this Article from the August 2025 issue as well
