|
Wichita Mountains
Wildlife Refuge and adjacent Fort Sill Military Reservation
The Wichita Mountains Wildlife
Refuge and adjacent Fort Sill Military Reservation consists of 153,000
contiguous acres of protected land that is favorable for wildlife. Federal wildlife officials believe
there is a small resident population of cougars in the Wichita Mountains
Wildlife Refuge area, based on many reports in recent years. Two confirmations and seven credible sightings from 1990
to the present located in or
just over the border of the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge and Fort Sill are documented
below, in chronological order.
Date Description
| August, 1990 |
Male
cougar observed by USF&WS range biologist Chip Kimball. Sighting occurred
during a spot lighting survey of deer. Ms. Kimball had a very good visual
that lasted approximately 20 minutes.
Source: USF&WS |
| September, 1990 |
Cougar
sighting by a Fort Sill Natural Resources and Enforcement Division (NR&ED)
biologist and another NR&ED employee during a spot light count for deer.
Cougar sightings by hunters are reported frequently in this area.
Source: Fort Sill NR&ED |
| January, 1991 |
Cougar
observed crossing road by USF&WS range biologist Chip Kimball. Sighting
occurred during an ice storm. Ms. Kimball had a very good visual of the cat.
Source: USF&WS |
| June, 1992 |
Cougar
observed by USF&WS personnel inside Special Use Area north of Quanah Lake.
Very good visual.
Source: USF&WS |
| August, 1999 |
Sub-adult cougar observed by by USF&WS staff and volunteers during spot
light deer survey. Witnesses had a very good visual. Location 1/4 mile north
of Medicine Tank Pond.
Source: USF&WS |
| September, 2000 |
Cougar
sighting reported to Eugene Wheeler of the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife
Conservation (ODWC), who subsequently confirmed tracks. Location was in the
community of Meers just north of the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge
border. Mr. Wheeler is an avid hound hunter with extensive experience
hunting cougars in western states. This is the only cougar sighting outside of
the WMWR which he has confirmed with hard evidence.
Source: ODWC |
| March, 2002 |
Tracks
of sub-adult cougar located on northern boundary of WMWR southeast of
Tarbone Mountain.
Source: USF&WS |
| October, 2002 |
Sub-adult cougar observed by USF&WS personnel. Observer had a very good
visual.
Source: USF&WS |
| January, 2003 |
Cougar
observed by USF&WS personnel 1/4 mile inside west gate of refuge. Very good
visual.
Source: USF&WS |
Back to
Prairie page.
|