Mountain Lion Quota Upped Fifty Percent for This Season - KXNet - Bismarck/Minot/Williston/Dickinson

Mountain Lion Quota Upped Fifty Percent for This Season

North Dakota wildlife officials are increasing the mountain lion quota by fifty percent for the upcoming season.

Zone 1 will have a quota of 21 cougars. That's up seven from last year. There will be a limit of 14 in an early season from Aug. 31- Nov. 25.

There will also be a late season with a limit of seven lions that runs through next March 31.

Zone 1 is basically the area west and south of the Missouri River.

Zone two is the rest of the state, and has no quota.

Randy Kreil is the wildlife chief for the game and fish department.

He says there is no shortage of lions in the state. Kreil says well over 100 lions have been killed in one way or another since 2005, the first year North Dakota had a mountain lion season. That year five lions were taken.

The game and fish department is trying to get an idea of the lion population in North Dakota. They have just begun a three year study and have several lions collared in the state to learn more about them.