AUSTIN — On Monday, Texas Parks and Wildlife (TPWD) announced that the department will be seeking public comment on a series of proposed regulations that would limit existing laws about the trapping of mountain lions. The regulations would prohibit “canned hunts” — trapping mountain lions with the intent of releasing them for an easier hunt — and would set restrictions on the types of traps that landowners may set. 

In 2022, the nonprofit Texans for Mountain Lions, a “coalition of landowners, hunters, biologists, and organizations dedicated to the conservation of the Texan mountain lion,” per their website, submitted a petition to TPWD to advocate for updated trapping regulations. 

Texas tracks two mountain lion populations, one in South Texas and the other in the Trans-Pecos. Patricia Harveson — a professor at Sul Ross and a member of Texans for Mountain Lions — co-authored a paper submitted with the group’s petition that explores the challenges facing both populations. Harveson’s paper conservatively estimates there are over 250 mountain lions in the Trans-Pecos. 

Alongside fellow large predators like bears and wolves, mountain lions were hunted and pushed out of their habitats because of the threat they pose to livestock. In the early 1970s, they were declared a non-game species, meaning that they do not have protected status and may be hunted at any time on private property with a valid hunting license. Other non-game animals include bobcats, ground squirrels, porcupines and armadillos. 

Conservationists have been working since the early ‘70s to try to change the status quo. Richard Heilbrun, Wildlife Diversity Program director at TPWD, explained that part of the department’s job is collecting information and opinions from stakeholders, which include both conservationists and folks in the farming and ranching industry. “Wildlife status is a result of history and tradition,” he explained. “Over time, there have been a couple of requests to change the rules and regulations. That has built the momentum to get us where we are today.”

The proposed regulations would tighten regulations around the trapping of mountain lions, a practice with its origins in both livestock protection and recreational hunting. “Texas does not require traps set for mountain lions to be checked,” a TPWD press release reads. “Concerns have been raised that some mountain lions are left to perish in traps, which many consider to be inhumane and potentially damaging to the reputation of trapping and hunting.”

If adopted, the new rules would prohibit trapping or keeping mountain lions in a snare for over 36 hours. Hunters can be exempt from these rules if they implement a breakaway mechanism that allows animals over a certain size to free themselves from the trap. “One of the challenges is that a very large coyote trap can still catch a very small mountain lion, or a very small mountain lion trap can still catch a very large coyote,” Heilbrun explained. “The goal of this was to focus the regulation on mountain lion-specific trapping and not impact those who are trapping coyotes.” 

So far, Heilbrun had encountered “unanimous support” for the new rules, drafted with a wide array of stakeholders in mind. 

He hoped that folks in the Big Bend would turn out to offer their feedback. “Mountain lions are a powerful symbol of Texas,” Heilbrun said. “This proposal honors that symbol and gives us a chance to update wildlife regulations to reflect the ethical standards of our time –– while granting landowners and trappers the flexibility they need to still manage wildlife and livestock.”

To participate in the public comment period, visit: https://tpwd.texas.gov/business/feedback/public_comment/proposals/202405_mountain_lions.phtml. Responses will be accepted until May 22.