Post by Bobcat on Oct 26, 2003 8:36:38 GMT -5
Hey Rich......How close are you to Ireton??
Date posted online: Saturday, October 25, 2003
Ireton farmers kill mountain lion
By Jesse Claeys, Journal staff writer
IRETON, Iowa -- Authorities have confirmed that the animal shot and killed by farmers near Ireton Thursday night was a mountain lion.
"I know it is a confirmed mountain lion shooting because I have seen it," said John Sells, state conservation officer with the Department of Natural Resources.
Sells said it has not been determined if the lion had been domesticated or was living in the wild. The lion had a full set of normal claws and teeth, Sells said, which would indicate it could be a wild cat.
The mountain lion was shot in a corn field five miles north of Ireton by farmers, Sells said. Russ Gradert said he was working in the field when he spotted the 113-pound male cat around 4:30 p.m.
"I thought, 'What was that?'" said Gradert, who farms corn, soybeans and raises livestock. "I knew it wasn't a coyote, but I didn't know what it was."
After conferring with family members, Gradert, along with his cousins Brian and Warren Gradert, decided that since there were livestock and children in the area, the animal should be put down.
"It was never scary. The animal was never threatening. I think it was just lost," Russ Gradert said.
Sells said James Mahaffy, a biology professor from Dort College in Sioux Center, examined the stomach contents of the lion Friday and found either a racoon or a badger. Sells said the stomach did not contain any evidence of domestic animals or livestock being consumed by the cat.
Sells has the mountain lion's carcass and said tests will be preformed to try and learn more about the animal.
"We are going to try to do some DNA testing that may help us link it to the wild," said Ron Andrews, fur specialist for the Iowa Department of Natural Resources.
Andrews said the lion is only the second mountain lion possibly linked to the wild found in Iowa during the past two years. A mountain lion was found near Harlan, Iowa, in 2001, the first seen since the 1860's.
"In the Western United States, some of the areas of those states are getting a few more reports of mountain lion sightings, which would indicate the population is expanding," Andrews said.
Mountain lions can travel around 60 miles a day, Andrews said. And, he said, hunting of the big cats has decreased, possibly allowing populations of the cats to grow and spread into Iowa and other states. A mountain lion was captured in Omaha earlier this month, making it the first confirmed sighting in eastern Nebraska.
Andrews said mountain lions will leave an area when people are detected, and making noise and waving hands should scare the animal off.
"If you stand your ground with these mountain lions, they are going to be out of there quickly. They would rather not be seen," Andrews said.
The mountain lion's fur is now at an area taxidermy shop waiting to become a trophy for Russ Gradert.
"Oh, it's gonna be a huge trophy," Russ Gradert said.
Date posted online: Saturday, October 25, 2003
Ireton farmers kill mountain lion
By Jesse Claeys, Journal staff writer
IRETON, Iowa -- Authorities have confirmed that the animal shot and killed by farmers near Ireton Thursday night was a mountain lion.
"I know it is a confirmed mountain lion shooting because I have seen it," said John Sells, state conservation officer with the Department of Natural Resources.
Sells said it has not been determined if the lion had been domesticated or was living in the wild. The lion had a full set of normal claws and teeth, Sells said, which would indicate it could be a wild cat.
The mountain lion was shot in a corn field five miles north of Ireton by farmers, Sells said. Russ Gradert said he was working in the field when he spotted the 113-pound male cat around 4:30 p.m.
"I thought, 'What was that?'" said Gradert, who farms corn, soybeans and raises livestock. "I knew it wasn't a coyote, but I didn't know what it was."
After conferring with family members, Gradert, along with his cousins Brian and Warren Gradert, decided that since there were livestock and children in the area, the animal should be put down.
"It was never scary. The animal was never threatening. I think it was just lost," Russ Gradert said.
Sells said James Mahaffy, a biology professor from Dort College in Sioux Center, examined the stomach contents of the lion Friday and found either a racoon or a badger. Sells said the stomach did not contain any evidence of domestic animals or livestock being consumed by the cat.
Sells has the mountain lion's carcass and said tests will be preformed to try and learn more about the animal.
"We are going to try to do some DNA testing that may help us link it to the wild," said Ron Andrews, fur specialist for the Iowa Department of Natural Resources.
Andrews said the lion is only the second mountain lion possibly linked to the wild found in Iowa during the past two years. A mountain lion was found near Harlan, Iowa, in 2001, the first seen since the 1860's.
"In the Western United States, some of the areas of those states are getting a few more reports of mountain lion sightings, which would indicate the population is expanding," Andrews said.
Mountain lions can travel around 60 miles a day, Andrews said. And, he said, hunting of the big cats has decreased, possibly allowing populations of the cats to grow and spread into Iowa and other states. A mountain lion was captured in Omaha earlier this month, making it the first confirmed sighting in eastern Nebraska.
Andrews said mountain lions will leave an area when people are detected, and making noise and waving hands should scare the animal off.
"If you stand your ground with these mountain lions, they are going to be out of there quickly. They would rather not be seen," Andrews said.
The mountain lion's fur is now at an area taxidermy shop waiting to become a trophy for Russ Gradert.
"Oh, it's gonna be a huge trophy," Russ Gradert said.
