Proceedings of the Seventh Mountain Lion Workshop

26 IDAHO MOUNTAIN LION STATUS REPORT · Nadeau
Lion Harvest
350
300
250
200
150
100
50
0
1960
1962
1964
1966
1968
1970
1972
1974
1976
Unregulated Harvest Regulated
1978
1980
Figure 2. Unregulated mountain lion harvest
from 1960-71, and regulated harvest from
1972 -1981.
Return Wilderness from 1964-1973 added
significantly to our knowledge. As a result
of the research, the mountain lion was
reclassified as a big game species in 1972.
Harvest was then able to be regulated and
resulted in some closed units, bag limits, and
shortened seasons. Mandatory reporting
was started in 1973, and a tag has been
required since 1975.
Populations of elk and deer continued to
increase across the state during the 1980’s
and early 1990’s, and the resulting mountain
lion population did as well. The apparent
increase in lion populations allowed the
department to increase opportunity for
harvest. Harvest continued to increase as a
result of liberalized seasons and increased
populations and peaked in 1997 (Figure 3).
DISTRIBUTION AND ABUNDANCE
Lions were distributed across most of the
suitable habitat in the state (Figure 4).
Management tended to keep lion
populations at a low density in developed
areas or areas with high road density.
However, most of the areas that received
high harvest lay adjacent to lightly roaded
reservoir areas that seemed to continue to
provide dispersing animals. Distribution
900
800
700
600
500
400
300
200
100
0
1982
1984
1986
1988
1990
PROCEEDINGS OF THE SEVENTH MOUNTAIN LION WORKSHOP
Harvest
1992
Year
1994
1996
1998
2000
Lion Harvest
Figure 3. Statewide mountain lion harvest.
The year on the x-axis represents the date the
season started, i.e. seasons run from fall
through spring.
Figure 4. Statewide mountain lion harvest by
management unit and lion DAU where
rankings are based on lions harvested/100mi 2
where very low=. 03, low=. 3-.5, moderate=.
6-1.0, high=1.1-2.0, and very high=2.6-3.0.
The shaded units have female lion quotas.