Commission Agenda Item 6
November 6, 2025
- Item Type: Briefing
- Presenter: Jonah Evans
Texas Mountain Lion Research and Monitoring Plan
I. Executive Summary: Staff will present the Texas Mountain Lion Research and Monitoring Plan to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission (Commission).
II. Discussion: At the direction of the Commission, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) staff developed the agency’s first plan for mountain lions. The plan acknowledges the limitations of the Department’s current mountain lion monitoring efforts and emphasizes the need for stronger, science-based data. It provides a framework for future monitoring, research, and sustained stakeholder engagement. The briefing will outline a brief history of actions by the department, stakeholder input, key management objectives, research needs, and planned next steps for implementation.
The final plan has five primary goals:
- Assess Population Status and Trends
- Build a Modelling Framework
- Maintain Populations Within Objectives
- Mitigate Human-Lion Conflicts
- Address Knowledge Gaps
The plan was drafted using feedback from the 2024 Mountain Lion Stakeholder Working Group and was further reviewed by stakeholders representing landowner, producer, and scientific perspectives. The Commission directed TPWD staff to develop a reporting module within the Texas Hunt & Fish smartphone app and staff will provide an update on the progress of this project.