In a unanimous vote, 49 Nebraska lawmakers passed a bill last week that would allow for mountain lion hunting. The bill was combined with another measure that will allow hunters to donate deer meat to the hungry.

Senator LeRoy Louden (R – Ellsworth) introduced Bill LB928 after there were a number of increased sightings in Nebraska. Currently, state law only allows people to kill a mountain lion if they are endangering human life or livestock.

The number of mountain lions is still estimated to be at 60 statewide, but state officials say the population is increasing. Biologists have confirmed a small population of about 20 breeding mountain lions in far northwest Nebraska. There have also been 50 confirmed sightings outside of Pine Ridge, as far east as South Sioux City and Omaha.

The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission may now create a limited hunting season where up to four lions could be taken per year. Nebraska residents would pay $25 for a chance to win a permit in a random drawing. Nonresidents may attempt to purchase a permit at an auction.

The other measure on the bill would require Game and Parks to establish a program that funds the processing of deer meat for food kitchens through donations.

I gave the opening prayer at the legislature that afternoon, and was somewhat surprised there were no "nay" votes.

Nebraska isn't too bad a place to live after all!

And I, for one, am quite confident there are lions as far east as South Sioux City...but that's another story

friar

I am from the east coast so i dont know what im talking about. When i got home from the Ogalla the first time i went and looked them up and im pretty sure i saw lion tracks on the pine ridge. Though i never saw them i also found bighorn tracks and droppings.

quote:

Nebraska isn't too bad a place to live after all!

Give Omaha to iowa and it would be a great state!

quote:

Originally posted by kudu56:

quote:

Nebraska isn't too bad a place to live after all!

Give Omaha to iowa and it would be a great state!

Roger Roger!

Omaha is one Charlie Foxtrot

friar

That funny as 3 years ago game and fish claimed there was no lion in Nebraska. Friend of mine killed one a few years ago as it was threat to his son. Please do not lump Omaha in with Iowa.

We've had numerous confirmed sightings of mountain lions in Oklahoma so it wouldn't surprise me that they are also in Nebraska. Four years ago while hunting deer on the Rosebud Sioux reservation in S. Dakota (just a bit north of the Nebraska boarder near White River) I ran into a mountain lion stalking a couple of does. maybe their habitat is expanding.

My dad's side of the family is from the farm country about 40 miles east of Omaha. A cousin of mine still farms. The farmers there have been seeing lions every so often for years now.

Of course the officials of the Iowa DNR think all of these farmers are either drinking or half blind or any other thing they can say to deny their existence. Nevermind those silly tracks in the mud.