If you found the reporting above valuable, please consider making a donation to support it here. Recent studies have shown lions kill more prey meat than they need, leaving behind free meals for birds, insects and other scavenger critters to feast on. Christopher Allen Whiteley never learned to drive . The adult male mountain lion was killed legally by a deer hunter, according to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. HOOD COUNTY, Texas (CBSDFW.COM) - A 28-year-old man who was reported missing in a rural area of North Texas was found dead from a possible mountain lion attack earlier this week, authorities said. Hunters and trappers may voluntarily submit harvest reports when they kill a mountain lion, but most do not, making historic data on the numbers of lions killed by hunting and trapping in Texas a guessing game. Mountain lions are considered a non-game species in Texas, according to Texas Parks and Wildlife. The department also called fatal mountain lion attacks "extremely rare.". Christopher Allen Whiteley, 28, was found dead in a . Tracker: It's only a matter of time before mountain lions return to NH Ste 200-408 I Spring, TX 77386 (281) 869-5511, Texas Fish & Game Publishing A hunter in Texas shot and killed a mountain lion on a ranch as it approached a feeder, media outlets report. The 143-pound cougar was killed Saturday by a lease hunter on the ranch in Freer, Texas, a town about 120 miles south of San Antonio, KIII reported. He weighed about 160 pounds, according to a TPWD spokesperson. The 143-pound cougar was killed Saturday by a lease hunter on the ranch in. His mother, Kimberly Spruill, told OHanlon that its been hard to find peace since her son died. Reports that Whiteley was killed by a mountain lion emerged just days after his death. A mountain lion was spotted on private property in Rowlett more than 100 miles away from. DNA Reveals Mountain Lion Killed in Arkansas Born in Western U.S. It's the first time a mountain lion has been killed in Arkansas since 1975 in Logan County. He has covered the Texas Rangers since 2014 and started reporting on the Dallas Cowboys in 2016. The big cat weighed in at 150 pounds and was 68 inches long from nose to buttocks. 2020 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. Do Mountain Lions Attack Humans? Here's What the Data Says State and County Officials Disagree on Whether Mountain Lion Killed The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department later confirmed another sighting of a mountain lion near Princeton in Collin County. If you want a guarantee or canned Texas Mountain Lion Hunt, I've seen some in the $5000 - $8,000 range and you should take your business there. MINERAL WELLS, TexasThe Texas Parks and Wildlife Department will be taking a closer look at a mountain lion killed this week on State Highway 337, just north of Mineral Wells. It was completely unexpected, said Terrell. The Texas Parks & Wildlife Department measured the mountain lion Saturday. December 6, 2020. "It appears we have two conflicting reports from two agencies that are experts in their field," the Hood . McGee says the one mountain lion species native to Texas lives out towards El Paso and this is the only one hes ever seen killed in Texas. Both victims died from rabies, not from the physical injuries. CELESTE, Texas - A mountain lion killed over the weekend is likely the same one thats been spotted across North Texas. It kills to eat but does not necessarily practice any sort of conservation ethic. Confirmed sightings are usually in far West Texas and in southwestern parts of the state near the Mexican border. This is premium content. Texas Mountain Lion Hunt - Pricing, Features, and More Mountain lion sightings are very uncommon in the North Texas area. He has been writing for OutdoorHub for nearly five years, but anybody he is close with will tell you he has been telling hunting stories for far longer. Texas game wardens have a strong hunch that the nearly six-foot long, 160-pound male mountain lion might have been the very same lion spotted just a few weeks ago further south. 3431 Rayford Rd. Officials with the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department will be studying a mountain lion (cougar) road killed by a high school student north of Mineral Wells. Sport and Recreational Hunting There are rarely confirmed sightings of mountain lions in north Texas but the state's parks and wildlife department on Tuesday said its biologists had verified a sighting on private property. Officials from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department couldnt find evidence of a mountain lion attack at the scene, or on Whiteleys body. According to a story at KHOU.Com a Graford High School student was driving home from basketball practice when he hit the giant cat while it was . Ste 200-408 I Spring, TX 77386. What Are Those White Sheep In The Hill Country? The mountain lion is a large, slender cat, with a long rope-like tail. These felines are quite large. Their range goes from British Columbia, Canada all the way to Texas, including states like Utah, Nevada, California, and others. The Hood County Sheriff's Office said authorities found a body in a wooded area near the 15000 block of Howell Road in Lipan, about 65 miles west of Fort Worth, earlier this week after a man was reported missing. Texas - Mountain Lion Foundation According to a story at KHOU.Coma Graford High School student was driving home from basketball practice when he hit the giant cat while it was crossing the road. Mountain lion killed in Hunt County is likely same animal spotted A team of biologists will then come out to examine the animal and through a DNA sample, they can determine where the mountain lion may have come from. Investigators found another set of footprints in addition to Whiteleys at the scene, but its unclear whether they are connected to his death. We have documented at least 32 mountain lions killed by vehicles in our study area since 2002. Texas Parks and Wildlife Department officials say a mountain lion hadn't been spotted in Palo Pinto County in at least 15 years. These Valuable Pennies Are Worth Thousands, Counseling Services Offered After Three Children Killed, Two Hurt In Ellis County, Frisco to Open New State-of-the-Art Public Library This Saturday. Mountain lions once ranged more extensively than any other mammal in the Western Hemisphere. Last year, a hunter killed a 200-pound mountain lion in Palo Pinto County, just about 65 miles west of Fort Worth, the Forth Worth Star-Telegram reported. . Texas game wardens have a. "We stand behind the preliminary findings of the Tarrant County Medical Examiner's Office that rule out a suicide and a homicide on the death in question.". . The American lion's scientific name is Puma concolor, and is sometimes referred to as "the cat of many names.". . The TPWD recently said that a man found dead in a wooded area in Lipan did not die from a mountain lion attack, as was first suggested by the Tarrant County Medical Examiners Office, according to information released by the Hood County Sheriffs Office. According to the department, mountain lions can be found in much of Texas and rarely create conflict with people. A governmental trapper with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) who specializes in tracking and removing mountain lions was called to help, the sheriff's office said. Are mountain lion attacks common? Human activity brings conflict Its a pretty cool process to be involved in, especially in an instance like this where theres no telling where the mountain lion came from! Rare sighting of mountain lion caught on video in North Texas, Man was not killed by mountain lion in Hood County, Texas Parks and Wildlife says, Fort Worth officer shoots, wounds armed man Saturday, police say, Want a new home in the heart of Fort Worth? Serial public masturbator caught again while eyeing women in Walmart, Missouri cops say, Pot vote has Oklahoma hungry to rake in green from Texas, Fire that damaged historic hotel in Granbury breaking hearts along the Brazos River, High school girl working out in sports bra punished while boys run shirtless, ACLU says, Doctor pressured patients into getting unnecessary brain treatments in Texas, feds say, Nothing Bundt Cakes celebrates Oreos birthday with cake giveaway. Mountain Lion - Texas Native Cats Its fur is a light, tawny brown color which can appear gray or almost black, depending on light conditions. There was a mountain lion spotted outside of Dallas in Rowlett just about two weeks before this happened in Hood County. Mountain lion attacks girl, 9, playing hide-and-seek FAQ's - Mountain Lion Foundation Here are All of North America's Recorded Fatal Mountain Lion Attacks "Hood County Sheriff Roger Deeds always airs on the side of caution when it comes to the safety and well-being of the citizens of Hood County and will continue to alert them of any safety issue that may affect them," the sheriff's office added. The mysterious mountain lion still roams Texas, but has - Dallas News In addition, there was a lot of inconsistency with what you would expect to find in the wounds. The cougar is also commonly known as mountain lion, puma, mountain cat, catamount, or panther. LIPAN, Texas (CBSDFW.COM) - The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department said Sunday it does not believe a mountain lion attack occurred at the spot in a rural North Texas area where a missing man was found dead. Keenan Crow is an outdoor writer who graduated from Central Michigan University with a degree in journalism and creative writing. The Hood County Sheriff's Office says that they have closed the death investigation of a Lipan man who was attacked by an animal in early December, the office said Tuesday. "It looked like a claw mark from a cat.". He was a mature male, and Id estimate he was about 200 lbs. North Texas hospitals recognized in annual best hospital list, Man trimming trees in Southlake dies after accidentally touching power line, police say, In Texas jails, deaths from failure to give proper medication are shrouded in secrecy. The hunter stopped to show off the kill at Muy Grande, a convenience store and sporting goods resource that hosts a well-known deer hunting competition. The lion was an adult male that weighed about 160 pounds, she said. Although mountain lions are a rare spectacle in northeast Texas, they're common in parts of the state's southern and western regions, Garcia said in an email. Game wardens say a licensed hunter was in the Celeste area in Hunt County Saturday afternoon. Despite some of the latest stories you may have caught here on OutdoorHub, mountain lion attacks on humans are quite uncommon, but anyone who shoots one while hunting is asked to call the Texas Game Wardens. God knows what happened out there. A mountain lion will usually leave distinctive teeth marks, OHanlon said. Black markings decorate the tip of the tail, ears, and around the snout. The mountain lionalso known as the cougar, puma, panther, or catamountis a large cat species native to the Americas. Copyright 2020 by KSAT - All rights reserved. Historically they could be found anywhere from the . Mountain lion hunter kills cougar on ranch in Freer, TX | Fort Worth Description Body length: 3-4 ft. Tail: 2.5-3 ft. Report of Hood County Mountain Lion Attack Disputed by Wildlife The uncertainty surrounding Whiteleys death hangs over his family. there are no black panthers in Texas; no one has ever captured or killed a black mountain lion. On Wednesday, a . Mountain lions are considered non-game animals by the state and can be hunted at any time by anyone with a valid Texas hunting license. MINERAL WELLS, TexasThe Texas Parks and Wildlife Department will be taking a closer look at a mountain lion killed this week on State Highway 337, just north of Mineral Wells. lease hunter on the ranch in Freer, Texas. Lily A. Their bodies are mainly covered in tawny-beige fur, except for the whitish-gray belly and chest. High-schooler kills 'massive' mountain lion crossing North Texas highway North Texas has come down with big cat fever once more, and this time, mercifully, Joe Exotic isn't involved. Whiteley was found dead in a wooded area near his girlfriends house. List of fatal cougar attacks in North America - Wikipedia There is some evidence to suggest that a dog could have attacked Whiteley, but not enough to be conclusive. According to the Mountain Lion Foundation, the mountain lion Puma concolor or Felis concolor is known as a cougar or panther, depending on the region. The couple had set up a trail camera on the edge of their property near Lake Ray Hubbard thatcaught the lion walking byaround 4 a.m. that morning. LIPAN, Texas (AP) Texas wildlife officials on Sunday said there was no evidence that a mountain lion or any wild animal killed a 28-year-old man, disputing a medical examiner's preliminary finding in the case. Last week, media outlets reported that a mountain lion had been caught on video . / CBS Texas. A trail of DNA evidence collected over the years shows this particular mountain lion had traveled through New York, Michigan, Wisconsin and Minnesota. Cost: Texas cat hunts are $3,000 plus $3500 after your cat is killed. The mountain lion can weigh upwards of 200 pounds and it can move like well, like a cat. Stay up to date with the latest hunting, fishing, and outdoor news from the Lone Star State and beyond! Status: True. This mountain lion was shot, killed near Tuscola Friday, Jan. 24. Mountain Lion | National Wildlife Federation 75-170 pounds. TheFirearmBlog // Bear & Mountain Lion Get Treed By A Pack Of Hounds At The Same Time On. But the report also notes that 12 cougar . December 17, 2020 Its then up to law enforcement to decide whether to investigate further. However, in a statement to the Hood County Sheriff's Office, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department said experts investigated the scene where the body was found and did not find evidence of an attack by a mountain lion. Its range spans from the Canadian Yukon to the southern Andes in South America and is the most widespread of any large wild terrestrial mammal in the Western Hemisphere.It is an adaptable, generalist species, occurring in most American habitat types. Authorities identified the man as Christopher Allen Whiteley, 28, and it was determined preliminarily at the Tarrant County Medical Examiner that he died from a wild animal attack. Klein says the lion weighed more than 200 pounds and has an official Boone & Crockett score of 15 4/16 inches (the world record cat scored 16 4/16 inches). The sub-population in Florida is known as the Florida panther . independent local journalism in Dallas. Its size (total length) ranges from about 6. In North Texas, rarely seen - and 'just massive' - mountain lion killed All rights reserved, Nov. 22 by a woman and her boyfriend in Rowlett, sighting of a mountain lion near Princeton in Collin County, Bobcat Kitten Recovering From Dart in Eye, Coyote Caught on Camera Stealing Candy While House Cat Watches, Novak Djokovic Denied' US Entry Ahead Of Indian Wells, Joe Biden Asked To Intervene, Check Your Change! Biker's death near Seattle is Washington's first cougar fatality in 94 If you have any photos or videos of cougars in Texas email them to [emailprotected]. Copyright 2023 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. He was on his way to work on the morning of Dec. 2. Make a one-time donation today for as little as $1. Officials say the hunter saw the mountain lion when it walked up to a deer feeder. First published on December 5, 2020 / 9:30 PM. Want more content from FISHGAME.COM? Authorities said Christopher Allen Whiteley was last seen early Wednesday. Local nonprofit taking disabled individuals on hunting, fishing trips. Its really unique up here in north Texas, were just simply not in their range, McGee said. By Michael MarksAugust 30, 20212:12 pmAgriculture & Animals, Crime & Justice. State to study mountain lion killed on Texas highway - KVUE This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. This is the way I look at it, Spruill said. Dallas' independent source of Mountain lion eyed in Texas attack as officials warn to keep children It can run 50 miles an hour and clear a twelve-foot fence. Mountain lion roaming North Texas killed by hunter | Fort Worth Star A Texas medical examiner's office and wildlife officials are at odds over the recent death of a man who may have been killed by a mountain lion. The cougars Latin name is Pumaconcolorwhich helps scientists navigate the many regional names for the animal. Authorities said they checked a nearby wooded area and found Whiteley dead. Some might think seeing a mountain lion is a common occurrence in Texas, but its not. So, why did law enforcement say that Whiteley was killed by a big cat? Officials with the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department will be studying a mountain lion (cougar) road killed by a high school student north of Mineral Wells. In fact, they are the fourth-largest cat species in the world, behind tigers, lions, and jaguars. CNN A mountain lion attacked and killed a Los Angeles resident's pet chihuahua on an evening walk in the Hollywood Hills, according to KTLA . Estimating Texas Mountain Lion Population Is Like Herding Cats His body was sent to the Tarrant County Medical Examiner, where it was determined he died from a wild animal attack. The department also said it received the same conclusion from a U.S. Department of Agriculture wildlife services trapper. Its tail alone was 32 inches long. The wildlife agency said there have been no confirmed records of a mountain lion from Hood County. Wildlife officials say mountain lions are very uncommon in North Texas, and they suspect the mountain lion that was killed was the same one seen and photographed in the Dallas suburb of. After the accident, Palo Pinto County Game Warden Matt Waggoner was called to the scene to collect the animal. Petition Urges Mountain Lion Conservation in Texas - Treehugger Below is a list of physical characteristics that distinguish mountain lions from more . 2022 Texas Fish & Game Publishing. In the last 100 years, less than two dozen people have been killed by mountain lions in North America, and no human has ever been killed by a mountain lion in Utah. Yall believe me now, Ive said it before we have lions around Jones county and Taylor county. The cougar, known as P-56, was fatally shot on Jan. 27 after a property owner who had lost a dozen animals received a depredation permit from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, the . Lions in the Santa Monica Mountains - National Park Service Mountain lion spotted outside Dallas likely killed by hunter No other publication matches our coverage of hunting, fishing, guns, gear, tackle, conservation, outdoor news, and wildlife subjects. at the shoulder, that's nearly 3 ft. tall! The owners of property along Old Mill Road, about a half-mile north of FM 1564, found one of their horses had been mauled by a mountain lion September 30. That means a hunting license is required to kill the animal, but there arent closed seasons or possession limits. Hunting black bears and cougars with hounds is a controversial practice that is . Thanks for donating today. Theres a large mountain lion roaming around Dallas County, officials confirm. Youll likely have to tear one down first, Man arrested in fatal Dallas stabbing, police say. Killed by a mountain lion. The viral nature of the photos is understandable, because the cat looks, well, enormous. Christopher Whiteley, 28, was last seen on Wednesday and was. In Whiteleys case, that hasnt happened. "The safety of Hood County Citizens are my priority one, but please don't interfere with the process of locating the animal and stay clear of the area being actively worked by officials," Hood County Sheriff Roger Deeds said. The territories of female Mountain Lions will often overlap with those of other females. Texas woman arrested after smuggling. (Credit: Tyler Terrell). Copyright 2023 KSAT.com is managed by Graham Digital and published by Graham Media Group, a division of Graham Holdings. Man who killed mountain lion in self-defense stepped on the cat's neck while it had his wrist in its mouth Lowdermilk's family lives off FM 1660 in North Hutto. Texas man found dead in woods 'could have been killed by mountain lion Females will often stake out anywhere from 30 to 200 square miles as their home range.