Use caution when you hunt the pine ridge.  You’re in mountain lion country!  This means that while you are stalking that deer, there’s something else in the woods that may be stalking you.

You are not the only hunter in the woods when you join us for your next deer hunt.  During the winter 2025 season, hunters harvested the unit limit of twelve mountain lions (6 females and 6 males) in the Pine Ridge Unit.  Six other lions were harvested in the Niobrara (2 females and 1 male) and Wildcat Hills (2 females and 1 male) units.  This is a win for land owners, hunters and, I believe, conservationists.  One of the male lions was tracked through our ranch and eventually harvested a short distance away on public land.

Because we share your concern for safety we will do our best to keep you informed of mountain activity in our woods.  Other than the fact that mountains lions inhabit the pine ridge, we have nothing specific to warn you about at this time.

According to Nebraska’s Game and Parks Commission (NGPC), mountain lions (Puma concolor) have roamed the Niobrara River Valley since 2001.  A resident reproducing population has existed since 2013.[1]  From our first observations, the NGPC has asserted that mountain lions are re-wilding themselves.  They are not being transported into Nebraska from adjacent states, but are migrating on their own as they search out suitable territories.

The Commission’s management goal is to maintain resilient, healthy, and socially acceptable mountain lion populations that are in balance with available habitat and other wildlife species over the long term.[2]  In general, we support the NGPC’s Mountain Lion Program, but also assert that public safety should remain a top priority.   So far, we think that program regulations come pretty close to meeting our needs.

Use Caution in Mountain Lion Country!

NGPC’s 2023 survey estimated that some seventy mountain lions inhabit the pine ridge region.  The challenge now is to manage this population as it grows with scientific monitoring and public hunting.  Still, opinions continue to differ with respect to the size and value of the mountain lion population.  Although we believe that NGPC’s population estimate is conservative, we have little to base it on other than reports from neighbors and their game cams.

I must admit that we have not experienced livestock predation problems.  We have seen, however, a decline in the number of deer on our property that has roughly correlated with increasing mountain lion sightings and neighbor reports.

Tips for Mountain Lion Encounters

Over the last ten years, mountain lion observations on or adjacent to our property  and, whether visual or photographic game cams, have become commonplace. Given what we know today, we have no specific threat to report.  Because we know that mountain lions inhabit the region, we urge our guests to maintain vigilance while hunting or just visiting our ranch.  Here are a few tips from the NGPC in case you encounter a mountain lion:[3]

• Do not approach a mountain lion.
• Leave the animal an avenue of escape.
• Stay calm, move slowly.
• Back away safely if you can. Do not turn your back to the lion or start running.
• Raise your arms or backpack to appear larger.
• Lift up your children to prevent them from running.
• If you are being attacked fight back. Mountain lions have been successfully driven off with bare hands. Use rocks, or whatever you can get your hands on. Try to remain on your feet or get back up if knocked down.

Be safe and don’t forget to report all sightings to the NGPC.

[1]  Lincoln Journal Star ,June 17, 2023.

[2]  Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, Frequently asked questions.

[3]  NGPC site “What to do in case of an Encounter”