Nebraska Game & Parks Commission staff have proposed that for the first time, sport hunting of mountain lions be allowed in the Wildcat Hills of western Nebraska. The full Commission will vote on this proposal at their June 21, 2024 meeting in Ogallala. Mountain lions, also known as “cougars” and “pumas,” are native to Nebraska. After being absent from Nebraska for more than 100 years (they were killed or driven off by the late 1800s), they began returning to Nebraska in the early 1990s as laws in western states were changed to prohibit their unregulated killing. They were observed in the Wildcat Hills by the mid-1990s, and by 2013 sightings of kittens with adults confirmed that they had established a resident/breeding population in the Wildcats. No mountain lion attacks on livestock, pets, or people have been documented in the Wildcat Hills.

Sport hunting of mountain lions is not necessary to ‘manage’ their population size. Unlike other species like deer, mountain lions self-regulate their populations by maintaining territories, moving, and adjusting their reproductive rates.

Research shows that hunting of mountain lions actually increases rather than decreases the chance of mountain lion attacks on livestock, pets, or people (attacks that are extremely rare to begin with). First, sport hunting disrupts mountain lion social structure by removing key individuals that maintain that structure—particularly larger males sought by hunters as trophies. When these key individuals are killed, younger and less experienced mountain lions move in, heightening the risk of human conflict. These younger mountain lions are not as adept at hunting wild prey or avoiding humans, often exhibiting more boldness and curiosity than more experienced adults. Second, sport hunting can create orphans. While Nebraska hunting regulations prohibit killing a mountain lion “accompanying another mountain lion,” it is not unusual for mothers to spend considerable time each day away from her kittens hunting to support them. Young mountain lions rely on their mothers for food for 12-18 months, and orphaned young, too inexperienced to hunt wild prey, are forced by starvation to seek easier prey such as domestic livestock and/or pets.

Sport hunting has nothing to do with self-defense or protection of livestock from mountain lions. Nebraskans have the legal right to kill any mountain lion that is “stalking, killing, or consuming livestock” on their property, or if a mountain lion “stalks, attacks, or shows unprovoked aggression” towards any person. This legal right is independent of any sport hunting that might be allowed in Nebraska, and is sufficient to deal with individual mountain lions that may come into conflict with people.

Finally, there is no evidence that mountain lions—in the Wildcat Hills or anywhere else— “take too many deer” or other game species from hunters or otherwise harm ecosystems. In fact, the presence of mountain lions, native to most of North America for thousands of years, is now considered evidence of a healthy ecosystem, part of the necessary balance between predators and prey we destroyed by exterminating predators like mountain lions. Additionally, recent research has documented how mountain lions provide a valuable ecosystem (and human) benefit by preferentially preying on deer with Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD), helping control its spread.

Given these reasons, why then is Nebraska Game & Parks proposing sport hunting of mountain lions in the Wildcat Hills? Because despite its stated mission to serve as the steward of Nebraska’s wildlife in the best long-term interests of all people of Nebraska and that wildlife, “all” (in fact most) Nebraskans are ignored when that “stewardship” is put into practice--at least when it comes to Nebraska species like mountain lions. Nebraska Game & Parks has said that its goal in managing “big game species” like mountain lions is “maintaining long-term opportunities and access for hunters,” even though only 4% of Nebraskans hunt (and probably far less than that are interested in hunting mountain lions).

Look at the photo at the top of this petition, showing mountain lions “harvested” during Nebraska’s sport hunting season this January. Is this what “stewardship” of Nebraska’s wildlife looks like to you? Does this reflect your values and view of wildlife like mountain lions? Is this what you want to see in Nebraska’s special Wildcat Hills? If not, please sign this petition and share it with others; it will be submitted to the Commission before its June 21st meeting.

FYI: You don't have to use your real email address to "sign" this online petition (just put in a fake one). You also don't have to include your full name. However, if you live in Nebraska--particularly if you live in or near the Wildcat Hills area of Western Nebraska--please share the county in which you live in the Comments box (so the Commission can see which signers are Nebraskans).

If you’d like to help even more by sharing your views directly with the Commission, please contact your Commissioner (https://outdoornebraska.gov/about/the-commission/) and/or submit your comments via email to sheri.henderson@nebraska.gov

Keep up to date on Nebraska mountain lion news and videos/photos by visiting Nebraskans Living with Mountain Lions (https://www.facebook.com/groups/426003722258026).

Thanks for supporting Western Nebraska’s mountain lions!