Mountain Lion Migrates Past My Mom's House

HELENA -- A mountain lion killed recently by a Lewistown hunter was radio collared three years ago in the Black Hills of South Dakota 450 miles away.

The lion was one of 65 collared to determine dispersal patterns of juvenile lions in the Black Hills, said Jonathan Jenks, a wildlife professor at South Dakota State University.

Another South Dakota lion was killed by a Montana hunter south of Custer in Treasure County, he said. Others in the study ended up in northwestern Minnesota and Oklahoma.

Mountain lions typically leave their mothers between 10 and 18 months of age. Because they are solitary animals, they look for territory that isn't already occupied by other lions, and often travel long distances.

The Lewistown lion was collared on Feb. 25th, 2003. It was killed by a Lewistown man on Dec. 31 in the Judith Mountains.