Rare Lion Picture and Iowa's First Snow

You've likely heard the stories of big cat sightings from your outdoors buddies and seen the blurry trail camera pictures of the elusive Puma.

Photo courtesy Jerry England taken near Winterset.

I personally enjoy reading up on the commentary and analysis on http://www.iowasportsman.com/ as we all investigate the evidence and some try to dispel rumors that 100+ lbs of feline fur, claws and teeth are walking around the deer woods with us. Jerry England sent his picture to ABC5 and the DNR who now confirms an Iowa Mountain Lion in Madison County.

The fact is mountain lions roam across Iowa and much of the Midwest and Plains states. According to Polk County Conservation there have been over 1,000 reports of Cougars in Iowa since 2000, but only 6 have been confirmed with a track, a picture or a carcass. Though these big cats can track over 1,000 miles, their average home range can vary from 30-125 square miles to 90-300 square miles. A few of us have been lucky enough to see these reclusive creatures first hand, but not unlike that mature trophy buck you only see a handful of times each year -these animals prefer to see and remain unseen.

With plentiful food and enough cover to remain undetected, it seems logical lions will be found from time to time here in the state. As people continue to expand into the countryside, and outdoorsmen place more cameras afield, more sightings will likely come in and we'll be happy to share them with you as we receive them. I personally am honored and excited to know that I share the Whitetail woods with another keystone species like the Cougar. Here's some excellent info from the DNR.

Joe Leto in Parkersburg waking up to snow 10-22-13.

Shifting gears, the weather pattern is cold and potentially snowy -great news for outdoorsmen.

Clippers are fast moving, low moisture storm systems.

An Alberta Clipper system is pushing through today with the first snow since May for Iowa. Another storm will push in tomorrow (23rd) with enough accumulation to possibly turn the grass white from NW into central Iowa.

Picture from Sally Jacobs in Vinton.

Enjoy the snow/cold while it lasts! After a couple of hard freezes, we'll warm up by the weekend.

Tony's first Archery Deer. Double lung, nice shot!

Congrats to blog reader Tony on his first deer with a bow, and good luck to all out there this season.