Are there any wild cats in Nebraska? The answer to that question is yes. Nebraska is home to 3 different species of wild cats. They are the bobcat (Lynx rufus), the Canada Lynx (Lynx canadensis), and the mountain lion (Puma concolor). All 3 of these big cats are native to Nebraska. However, mountain lions and Canada lynxes were expatriated from the state in the 19th century. Both of these species are being seen again in Nebraska due to the fact that populations of them in neighboring states are recovering and expanding over the border into Nebraska.
Mountain lions in Nebraska (Puma concolor)
Due to the fact that they live over a wide geographical area, mountain lions have a long list of regional names. In recent years, their scientific name was even changed from Felis concolor to Puma concolor. Some common names that mountain lions go by are cougar, panther painter, Andean Mountain lion, and puma.
According to the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, mountain lions are a native species to the state of Nebraska. However, due to habitat loss, a population decline in deer, and an all-out effort to eradicate all predator species, they were expatriated from the state by the late 19th century.
As far as anyone knows, they stayed expatriated until the 1990s. In 1991 an adult mountain lion was shot by a hunter near Harrison, Nebraska. That was the first confirmed sighting of a cougar in Nebraska in over 100 years.
Today there are small breeding populations or at least areas where female mountain lions have had offspring at the Pine Ridge region of northwest Nebraska, the Niobrara River Valley, the Wildcat Hills, and Northeastern Missouri River Bluffs. The first 3 areas have verified populations, while the last one does not.
Of the 3 populations, only the population in the pine ridge area is large and well enough established for the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission to come up with an estimated population. According to Sam Wilson, who is the furbearer/carnivore program manager for the NGPC, as of the most recent survey, there were an estimated 34 mountain lions in Nebraska’s pine ridge.
They come up with their population estimate using a consensus between two different estimation methods. The first is the mark-recapture method. The second is the capwire method which utilizes genetic material from hair and scat sample.
The cougar population in Nebraska is a product of population expansions in the Rocky Mountains of Wyoming, and Colorado, and the Black Hills of South Dakota. They are part of a larger western population and move back and forth across state borders. See
In Nebraska, the mountain lion is an apex predator.
Where are mountain lions typically found?
Mountain lions live on all three of the American continents. Their range begins in Canada’s Yukon territory and extends south through parts of North America, Central America, and South America to the southern tip of Argentina.
In Canada, the biggest populations of them are in British Columbia and Alberta. On the other hand, in the United States, they mainly live in the western states and Florida in the southeast. In Florida, the cougar is called the Florida panther.
What do mountain lions look like?
To visualize what a mountain lion looks like, picture a giant house cat with short, brown fur. Mountain lions are much larger than domestic cats, though. Average house cats weigh in at around 10 pounds, while male mountain lions can weigh over 200 pounds.
These large cats have muscular slender bodies, rounded small heads, and upright ears that are oval at the tip. Another characteristic that mountain lions have is their muscular long tails, which account for almost one-third of the entire length of the animal. They use their long tail for a counterbalance, moving it from side to side as they navigate through uneven terrain.
Mountain lions have a tan coat of short, coarse hair over most of their body. The area around their nose, the tip of their tail, and the tips of their ears are black. Their belly, the area above their upper lip, below their lower lip, and their chin are all white. They also have a sprinkling of dark hair on their backs. There are some coat color variances between different geographic locations.
Mountain lions are the second largest cat in the western hemisphere, smaller only than the Jaguar, (Panthera onca). However, worldwide, the African Lion, ((Panthera leo) and the Tiger, (Panthera tigris) are also larger.
Male and female mountain lions are phenotypically identical in every respect except for size. Males are 30 to 40% bigger than females. Though sizes vary considerably throughout the cat’s geographic range, an adult male typically weighs between 110 and 180 pounds, 50 to (82 kgs). A rare few of them grow bigger than 200 pounds (91kgs). Female mountain lions or queens average between 80 and 130 pounds (36 to 59 kgs). Adult males or toms will reach a length of 6 to 8 feet (1.8 to 2.4 M) from their snout to the tip of their tail. On the other hand, adult females are 5 to 7 feet long (1.5 to 2.1 M).
A fun fact is that despite their large size, they are not taxonomically classified as big cats because they cannot roar. Leopards, for example, are smaller than mountain lions, but since they can roar and cannot purr, they are classified as big cats, while mountain lions are not. Another interesting thing that I can mention here is that mountain lions purr.
Since they purr and cannot roar, mountain lions are in the Felis genus, while big cats that cannot purr and can roar are in the Panthera genus.
As of the year 2017, mountain lions are taxonomically divided into 2 sub-species. The first is (Puma concolor couguar) or northern cougar. Northern cougars range through North America, Central America, and possibly northwestern South America. The second sub-species is (Puma concolor concolor) or southern cougar. These cats range only in South America.
What do mountain lions eat?
Cougars mainly prey on deer. In fact, on average, an adult mountain lion kills a deer once a week. They also prey on other animals.
In Nebraska, mountain lions prey on mule deer, white-tailed deer, elk, bighorn sheep, pronghorns, feral horses, coyotes, raccoons, rabbits, wild turkeys, miscellaneous birds, pack rats, various small rodents, porcupines, skunks, snakes, pets, feral cats, livestock, and any other native wild animals they can catch.
Mountain lion behavior
Mountain lions are solitary animals. It’s a Rarity to see 2 or more together unless during mating or in the case of a female raising young.
They have expansive home territories. In fact, an adult male cougar’s home range is normally more than 100 square miles and up to 250 square miles. They will sometimes mark their territory by leaving claw marks on trees. They also scratch up piles of leaves and or pine needles that they urinate on as a scent marker. Male mountain lions fight to the death sometimes to defend their territory.
Do mountain lions ever harm humans?
I’ve taken much of the following section from another one of my blog posts entitled “Are Mountain Lions Dangerous?” Found here.
Fatal mountain lion attacks on humans are extremely rare. In fact, there are only 20 records of fatal mountain lion attacks on humans in all of North America in the last 100 years. Don’t let that fact lull you into a complete sense of false security, though. There have been many more mountain lion attacks over the years that didn’t result in a fatality. Mountain lions are, in fact, dangerous.
A mountain lion is a formidably tough wild predatory animal. They can run 40 to 50 miles per hour for short bursts. Additionally, they can leap 18 feet vertically and 40 feet horizontally to catch their prey. These ninja-like predators typically stalk their prey from behind and then leap on an animal’s back. They then crush their cervical spine or larynx with their powerful jaws. They have a bite force of 750 pounds per square inch.
Here are a couple of recent examples of non-fatal mountain lion attacks on humans. See See
Some factors that cause mountain lions to attack humans
The majority of the time, mountain lions use their ghost-like skills to avoid human contact. On rare occasions, though, they attack humans. Below are a few of the reasons why.
- If the cougar has an injury or some sort of impairment that prevents it from killing its normal prey, it’ll be more likely to look at a person as potential prey.
- Male mountain lions engage in fights for territory. Some of their battles are to the death. A percentage of cougar attacks on humans are perpetrated by hungry young males that have been kicked out of territories with a more abundant food supply.
- Scientific data suggests that mountain lions that were orphaned at a young age are more likely to attack humans. This is possibly because they missed the part of their training where their mothers taught them that humans are to be feared.
Nebraska mountain lion hunting season
Nebraska has been holding mountain lion hunts in the Pine Ridge area since 2014. The NGPC looks at the latest population estimate to determine how many permits will be given out in any given year.
In 2022 the state of Nebraska offered 4 mountain lion permits for the Pine Ridge area. The permits were awarded through a random drawing to Nebraska residents who had submitted an application and paid a nonrefundable $15.00 application fee.
The Nebraska cougar hunt is always split into two potential seasons. In season #1, hunters are not allowed to hunt with hounds. As soon as all the permits are filled, the hunt is ended. However, if season #1 ends without all the permits being filled, the state will hold an auxiliary season that the unsuccessful hunters can apply to have their permits converted over to. Hunting with hounds is allowed in the auxiliary season.
Bobcats in Nebraska (Lynx rufus)
The Bobcat, which is also known as the red lynx, is a North American wild cat. Biologists believe that both the bobcat and the Canada lynx are descendants of the Eurasian lynx whose ancestors crossed into North America via the Bearing Sea land bridge.
Bobcats reside only in North America. Their range begins in Canada. Central British Columbia is the furthest north that bobcats live. Their range extends south through the United States and down into central Mexico. They are the most common wildcats in North America.
What do bobcats look like?
A bobcat is much smaller than a mountain lion and slightly smaller than a Canada lynx. An average bobcat is about twice the size of a domestic cat.
A bobcat is 2 to 3 feet long and weighs about 15 to 35 pounds. A Female bobcat is quite a bit smaller than a male.
These animals have a “bobbed,” short tail with black bands on its upper surface. Their tail also has a black tip on its upper surface but not the back. Their fur is usually gray to brown, with mottled dark spots that range from black to dark brown on their bodies. They also have black stripes on their inner forelegs and tail.
From a side view, you will notice that a bobcat is slightly higher at the rump than at the shoulders. Bobcats and lynx have long hind legs in proportion to their forelegs.
Bobcats have black-tufted ears. In other words, they have tufts of hair that poke up above their ears that are black at the tips. The backs of their ears, below the black tips, are black. In the center of the black of each ear, they have a single white spot. This gives the impression of a false eye on the back of each ear.
They also have a whiskered face that seems broader due to their long ruffled facial hair and whiskers. Their eyes are yellow with round black pupils.
What do bobcats eat?
Despite their comparatively small size, bobcats are aggressive, tough predators. At times, particularly during the winter, they prey on large mammals that are much larger than they are, such as deer. However, their regular diets mainly consist of smaller species of mammals, reptiles, birds, and carrion. When they take up residence close to a residential area, their menu might occasionally also include small agricultural animals and small pets.
Interestingly, they even prey on venomous snakes even though they are not immune to the venom. They accomplish this by using their quickness to pin the snake’s head down with a paw, after which they dispatch the snake with a quick bite to its spine behind the head.
The venomous snakes in Nebraska are the Eastern Copperhead, the Western Massasauga, the Prairie Rattlesnake, and the Timber Rattlesnake. See
Hunting and trapping bobcats in Nebraska
Bobcats are classified as furbearers in Nebraska. You can legally hunt and trap them. For information on all the regulations pertaining to bobcat hunting and trapping in the state of Nebraska, visit the NGPC website. Here
Canada lynx in Nebraska (Lynx canadensis)
The Canada Lynx is sometimes also known as the Canadian Lynx. They are medium-sized wild cats that live in the boreal forest in the mountainous areas of Canada and the northern United States. They are 1 of 2 North American members of the “Lynx” genus. The other one is the bobcat.
The U.S Fish and Wildlife Service listed the Canada lynx in the contiguous United States as threatened under the Endangered Species Act in the year 2,000.
Historically, Canada lynx were widely but very thinly distributed in Nebraska. On 3 different occasions when lynx were captured or sighted in Nebraska from 1890 through 1917, the incidents occurred either along the Platte River or in the northeastern portion of the state.
After 1917, Canada lynx disappeared from Nebraska until 1974, when a lynx was taken along the Missouri river. In 1983, a lynx was shot in Knox County. Also, between 1999 and 2005, 3 lynx were trapped in western Nebraska. All 3 of these western Nebraska lynx had radio collars from the Colorado Parks and Wildlife Department. The one surviving Colorado lynx was tranquilized and returned to Colorado.
Canada Lynx in Nebraska apparently comes from two different expanding populations. Lynx in the northeastern part of Nebraska travel there from the Great Lakes region, while lynx in western Nebraska come from southwestern Colorado. See
Canada Lynx Characteristics
What does a Canadian lynx look like? The Canadian Lynx closely resembles its close relative, the bobcat but with some differences. First of all, they are slightly larger than bobcats. They are up to 35 1/2 inches (90 cm) long and 26 inches (65 cm) tall. Additionally, they weigh up to 37 and a half pounds (17 kg). While the tail of a bobcat is short or “bobbed,” a lynx’s tail is shorter still.
Lynx don’t have the black bands on the topside of their tails that bobcats have. However, they do have black tips on the ends of their tails. One more difference is that the black tip on a lynx’s tail surrounds the entirety of the tail as if the tail had been dipped in black paint. On the other hand, a bobcat’s black tip is only on the top side of the tail.
Canada Lynx have long thick grey fur in the winter. By summertime, they have shed their grey fur and have a thinner, shorter reddish brown hair coat instead. Their color is more uniform than that of bobcats. While bobcats have black spots and mottled coloration over their entire body, Lynx are solid tan except for some mottled darker brown spots on their legs.
Canadian Lynx have triangular pointed ears with black backs and long tufts of black hair on the tips. The hair tufts are much longer than a bobcat’s. They also have drooping flared facial ruff of white hair on the sides of their face beneath their chin.
Their eyes are green with round black pupils.
Lynx have long legs in proportion to their bodies, with their hind legs being slightly longer than their front ones. This gives their body a peculiar, downhill-sloped appearance.
Canadian Lynx have almost comical-looking oversized fur-covered paws. They put their larger feet to good use. Their large paws function like snowshoes, allowing them to travel and hunt on top of the snow. Canadian lynx feet can keep almost twice as much weight from sinking into the snow as those of a bobcat. This is why they range over the deep snow country of northern Canada while bobcats do not.
What do Canada Lynx eat?
Mice, squirrels, ptarmigan, grouse, ducks, deer, Dall sheep, and caribou make up a minor portion of a Canadian lynx’s diet in regions where these prey animals are available. However, over most of their range, their preferred food is Snowshoe hares.
Lynx and snowshoe hare
The Canada lynx is very dependent on snowshoe hares as a food source. In some areas, hares comprise 75 percent of their total diet. In fact, their population density is directly correlated with the snowshoe hare population.
Canadian and Alaskan Canadian Lynx and snowshoe hares go through what is known as the Lynx-Snowshoe Hare Cycle. When food sources are abundant for hares, their population increases very rapidly since they can have several litters per year. When hare populations are at their peak, there can be as many as 1500 animals per square kilometer,” 3913 per square mile”. At this time, the population of Lynx and other predators are also at their peaks.
In Oregon, Canada, lynx would chiefly be dependent on snowshoe hares as prey animals. However, they also feed on deer, squirrels, various other small mammals, birds, and carrion.
