(Warning Graphic) WATCH: Wyoming Bow Hunter Kills Mountain Lion With One Shot
The caption on @wpbast TikTok video is simple.
#lionhunting #wyoming
And while it does sum up the gist of the video, it definitely doesn't include the whole story.
Recent studies show that there are around 2,000 adult Mountain Lions currently living in Wyoming, though due to the reclusive nature of these animals it is hard to get an exact number.
Wyoming Game and Fish Department regulations allow several months of winter hunting in the state, including methods that use hounds.
Mountain lion hunting can be incredibly difficult and hunting in the winter and early spring is the best time because snow can make it easier to locate a lion track. Trained hounds are used to track and tree the Mountain Lions, which then allows hunters to shoot them. If you'd like to learn more about hunting Mountain Lions with hounds you can read this article.
In @wpbast video, you see a Moutain Lion already treed, with hounds at the bottom of the tree.
A bowhunter releases his arrow and gets a kill shot...
The Mountian Lion then tumbles out of the tree and lands on top of one of the hounds.
Warning, this video may be considered graphic.
@wpbast #lionhunting#wyoming ♬ original sound - Clay Allen147
Impressive right?
If you took some time to peruse the comments you will see equal parts praise for the hunter and criticism.
What surprised me was how many "hunters" criticized him for shooting an animal that he wasn't going to eat, claiming that he was a trophy hunter and not a conservationist.
In Wyoming, Wildlife officials set quotas for each management unit, and control how many Lions of each sex are removed. This helps ensure the health of the species as well as other species in surrounding areas...the definition of conservationism in my opinion.
Also, according to this article many people DO in fact eat Mountain Lion Meat, and apparently, it tastes like pork.
Have you had a successful Mountain Lion hunt? We'd love to see the pictures or video. You can send them to us in the My Country 95.5 Mobile App.