POLSON - A mountain lion has been reportedly sighted within Polson city limits several times this fall, according to Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes Chief of Fish and Game Department Pablo J. Espinoza Jr. A sighting first reported over a month ago near the Polson Post Office. The lion was reportedly walking toward the parking lot of the Lake County Courthouse and has also been reported crossing U.S. Highway 93 near McDonald’s. It was most recently sighted by the old cemetery near the Hill Crest area more than two weeks ago, Espinoza Jr. said.

“It’s gone quiet and cold,” he said. “Maybe it moved on. I hope it moved on.”

Most reported sightings have been in the early morning around 2 or 3 a.m., Espinoza Jr. said.  

Regular morning patrols have not spotted the mountain lion, and searches with hounds near Hill Crest have yielded no fresh signs.

CSKT biologist Shannon Clairmont said the animal would most likely have to be put down if it is found by wardens in town.  It is probably a young animal that was pushed away from its mother and set out to find its own territory, Clairmont said.

Clairmont reported that fellow CSKT wildlife biologist Stacy Courville said the animal was likely fairly small.    

The authorities are continuing to search the areas where the lion has been sighted, and Espinoza Jr. advises residents to keep pets close to the house and indoors, and keep pet food indoors as well.

Citizens are encouraged to call the Tribal Police dispatch immediately if they see the mountain lion at (406) 675-4700.

This gives the Fish and Game Dept. a better chance to find and trap the animal, said Germaine White, the Information and Education Specialist at the CSKT Natural Resources Department.