In Oklahoma, it seems like everyone has a mountain lion story. A cousin who spotted one at dusk. A neighbor with a blurry game camera photo. A friend who swears they saw one cross the road.

The Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation says most of the time, those stories are hard to prove without clear evidence. But over the past few years, better technology has helped show that some of those stories are real.

ODWC has long acknowledged mountain lions travel through Oklahoma, but experts say, without evidence of reproduction (proof of kittens), biologists couldn’t say the animals lived here permanently.

For the first time in state history, ODWC has confirmed photographic evidence of mountain lion kittens in the state, a major development that suggests the big cats may be settling in, not just passing through.

“That's the first step and the key step in having what would be considered an established population,” said ODWC Senior Programs Director Jerrod Davis.

A Mountain Lion Comeback Story, With No Help from Humans

Early settlers wiped out mountain lions in Oklahoma in the 1800s. And despite rumors, ODWC says the state has never released mountain lions.

According to ODWC, mountain lions have been quietly and remarkably repopulating on their own, likely dispersing from established populations in western states like Colorado, New Mexico, and Texas.

“They want to be here. Some of them do. That’s good,” Davis said. “Most of the time, when you see a population come back, it's because of translocation or relocation, very rarely do you get to see an organic reintroduction or reintegration of a wild species without really any human involvement.”

Since the agency started tracking mountain lions 26 years ago, it’s confirmed 85 sightings, with a noticeable increase in the past five years. That’s thanks in part to help from landowners and better trail camera technology.

Catching Big Cats On Camera in Oklahoma

Pawnee County landowner Mitchell Dobson is one of those landowners helping track sightings. He’s spotted mountain lions on trail cameras near his property in Blackburn multiple years in a row.

“We butt up against the Arkansas River, and every picture we have, it’s just traveling close to the river, headed north,” Dobson said.

He’s also the owner of Dobson’s Barber Shop in Sand Springs, a place known for its hunting stories, taxidermy on the walls, and plenty of friendly debate.

“Lot of stories. Lot of lies,” Dobson said with a laugh.

But his stories about mountain lions are real and have been confirmed by ODWC wildlife biologists. And it’s changed how Dobson deer hunts.

“I don't go in too early in the morning anymore, but when I come out [in the evening] it looks like the sun's coming out with all my flashlights,” he said.

The Most Mountain Lion Sightings in Oklahoma

Osage County has the most confirmed sightings by far at 26.

That’s where Alissa Loftin leases hunting land and had a moment of disbelief when her trail camera picked up something unusual in October.

“We were like… what is that?” she said. “We've got a ton of deer, a ton of raccoons, a ton of varmints out here, and you catch pictures of a thousand birds, then you get something like that, you're like, whoa.”

Her camera caught a clear photo of what appears to be a mountain lion moving through her hunting lease near Sand Springs.

Image Provided By: Alissa Loftin

“This is their land, we're just borrowing it from them,” said Loftin. “I really want to see it in person, but I don't know, they're so sneaky.”

Mountain Lion Kittens On Camera in Oklahoma

This week, ODWC confirmed trail cameras in Osage County and Cimarron County showed something even more rare: mountain lion kittens.

“It was a surreal moment,” Davis said.

Two kittens with their mom were spotted in a picture from Osage County in the daylight in October, and then three cubs and a different mom were captured in a nighttime photo in Cimarron County in December.

What Mountain Lion Sightings Mean

Biologists believe the combination of more cats moving in and better trail cam technology is helping paint a clearer picture of Oklahoma’s growing mountain lion presence. They say it’s a good thing because it shows the state’s ecosystem is strong.

“They’re what’s considered an indicator species,” Davis said. “They’re an indicator of the health of the habitat and the ecosystem they’re coming into. As a wildlife manager, it confirms we’re doing something right.”

Mountain Lion Monitoring Continues

Even with the new confirmation of mountain lion reproduction in Oklahoma, the state will continue to monitor, track, and confirm sightings.

“Every one of those online reports goes directly to me if it has something that we feel is potentially a mountain lion or potentially evidence of a mountain lion. I'll get back with you, and we'll set up a time to go through that evidence and see if we can confirm another mountain,” said Davis.

In 2024, ODWC received 229 reports of mountain lion sightings through the department’s online reporting portal. Only nine were confirmed.

“The majority of our online reports, if there’s a picture attached, it's going to be a bobcat or an orange tabby cat. That's probably 70 percent of what we get, other felines, but just not a mountain lion,” said Davis.

ODWC Senior Programs Director Jerrod Davis says they investigate every report to make sure any evidence provided came from Oklahoma, then go to physical locations to make official confirmations. They look at identifying features and size references.

“You look at the things around them, it's in bunch grass that's up to your knee [the animal] is not even out of that, [that’s not a mountain lion].”

Learning to Live Together

In Oklahoma, mountain lions primarily prey on whitetail deer, not people.

“This is a large predator, but it belongs here. They coexist with populations of humans in many other states. They can coexist with us here,” Davis said.

It’s illegal to kill a mountain lion in Oklahoma unless it’s actively threatening a person, pet, or livestock.

As for Alissa Loftin, she doesn’t mind sharing her land on one condition.

“They’re totally welcome here as long as they stay away from my trophy deer,” she said.

And back in the barbershop, Mitchell Dobson hopes that from now on, any new mountain lion stories will come from his customers.

“The last few years, it’s been spotted on the other side of the river, and I hope it stays there,” he said.