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Will we ever have a stable population of these?

Sligh1

Sligh1

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We probably have all been bombarded with the big cat pics this year. Becoming more & more common. Got this one today from a buddy in Wayne co iowa. I know of probably 6+ different cats or pics in vastly different areas. That’s what I know of - who knows what the real # could be?!?!?
Here’s my ????….
20 years ago folks said “oh my! I saw a bobcat!!!!” Before that about a decade I had never heard of bobcats around. It went from “almost no bobcats” to “you can kill 1 or multiple” in maybe 30 years maximum.
Bobcats are obviously different than the big cats. But by how much?????? Bobcats are nocturnal, shy, smart & very successful in Iowa’s timbered areas. If a 500-1000 acre farm can have 5-20 bobcats…. Why can’t a whole county support 5-10 cats long term?? Or even more. Not saying it’ll happen or folks want it. I’m sure lots will want to shoot the cats too!!! But is it likely or possible we have a continuous steady cat population here???
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It's an animal...if their needs for habitat, food, etc, are met...then yes, there could be a sustaining population IMO. Now...what level of population would that be? I don't know, but 5-10 per county like you suggest sounds plausible to me.

There are clearly "some" in the state now, and not just 1 or 2 randoms it seems.
 
Yes, I think we will begin to have resident lions, if we dont already. I think we will start to see more and more. I have read articles about their populations growing in NE, SD, and the rockies so we are going to continue to see more. NE & SD have breeding populations. Its really not even a suprise anymore when they are picked up on cam etc in IA, the past 2-3 years now it seems there have been multiple confirmations. There are enough timbered river corridors and cover in the Loess hills, southern, IA etc for cover. I just read an article this morning about IL beginning to get more confirmations as well, and they are protected in IL.
 
I am sure in twenty years it will be "normal" to have them around. I just hope we don't cave to a peta or like group and ban hunting of them. Should be treated as coyotes are in my opinion always open season and any weapon. Imagine the devastion even a sustainable population would have on deer, turkeys, rabbits, pheasants, and so forth.
 
This one from Pueblo of Santa Anna in New Mexico surprised me with it's diet. They could definitely thrive in Iowa. Wish they would eat more raccoons. The coyote kills surprised me.
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We'll never have a resident population unless they are protected. They are not stealthy enough I survive no restrictions on hunting them
 
Windlooker said:
Protect them all they want. Dirt nap if one walks by me. You’re part of the food chain in lion land. In the video posted a few days back if that dude has no gun he’s dead.
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They're not protected, so do what you want but being scared of them, especially in iowa, is a bit silly.

Don't get me wrong, I don't think lions belong in Iowa, they aren't native and we don't have enough wild lands for them to exist away from pets and livestock. I'm just not afraid of them. Now a grizzly bear would be another story.
 
There was a video on here somewhere where a cat was stalking a guy. He was backing up with a handgun. The cat was at about 10 yards, coiled ready to rush him and he fired. The cat backed up some, he fired again. The cat finally walked off. Btw. He missed both times. You have zero chance against a 200 lb lion. You are done.
 
Slick said:
I don't think the climate in Iowa suites their liking.
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Very adaptable animal native to North and South Americas until we ran them to extinction in our area. Same as we did for elk, bears, wolves, etc, and same as we almost did for whitetails, otters, turkeys, etc.

I do not see us sustaining a population in Iowa without them being regulated, and my opinion would be to not bother with that.
 
Windlooker said:
There was a video on here somewhere where a cat was stalking a guy. He was backing up with a handgun. The cat was at about 10 yards, coiled ready to rush him and he fired. The cat backed up some, he fired again. The cat finally walked off. Btw. He missed both times. You have zero chance against a 200 lb lion. You are done.
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Maybe, then again all of north America has seen less than 30 deaths from big cats in recorded history. Statisticly , that's basically zero. If they were really that dangerous, there'd be at least that many every year coming from the places where they have populations.

How many people have been killed by livestock or dogs in that amount of time?
 
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