Arizona Mountain Lion Habitat and Population Estimates

The state of Arizona encompasses 113,635 square miles of land. The main portion of Arizona's mountain lion habitat is distributed in a wide diagonal band across the state. Of this, the Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD) have the authority for managing mountain lions over 72,157 square miles of mountain lion habitat covering almost 63 percent of the state.

Additionally, an unknown amount of mountain lion habitat falls under the jurisdiction of the National Park Service (4,200 sq mi.), or is located on tribal lands (29,500 sq. mi). Data on mountain lion population estimates, suitable habitat, and human-caused mountain lion mortalities for these 33,700 square miles are unavailable to MLF at this time.

Based on a model that multiplies the mountain lion density estimates obtained from research done throughout the West by the amount of predicted mountain lion habitat, AZGFD estimates that there are between 1,000 to 2,500 mountain lions on their lands.

A 2003 in-depth analysis of management policies and mortality data by wildlife biologist D. J. Schubert concluded that Arizona Game and Fish Department's current mountain lion population estimates are suspect because:

1)      projections of suitable mountain lion habitat are not based on defensible biological information;

2)      projections are subjectively determined by regional personnel;

3)      projections can be (and reportedly have been) altered to increase population estimates;

4)      projections assume that habitat is saturated; and

5)      projections rely on estimates of mountain lion densities that are higher than the reported literature.

History of Mountain Lion Management in Arizona

In 1919, mountain lions in Arizona were classified as a "predatory animal" by the territorial legislature and a bounty of $50 was paid for each one killed. While Arizona reclassified mountain lions as "big game animals" in 1970, the bounty law remained on the books as a non-funded program until its repeal in 1990. During the 51 years Arizona's mountain lion bounty was in effect, 7,723 mountain lions were killed and turned in to the government for the bounty, and more than a third-of-a-million dollars ($386,150) was paid in an attempt to eliminate mountain lions from the state.

At the same time that lions were listed as big game animals, the Arizona legislature revised Statue 17-302 to allow the depredation take of mountain lions. In 1990, the state's depredation policy changed to require that there be an actual loss of livestock prior to lethal removal of mountain lions.

In the year 2000, Arizona Game and Fish Department established a predation management policy, which in part called for the killing of individual mountain lions or the suppression of resident mountain lion populations where ungulate numbers (deer, elk, big horn sheep, etc.) are considered to be below management goals, or when conducting transplants of species such as bighorn sheep and pronghorn. According to this policy, the department could increase the number of lions killed by hunters or trappers, or authorize department personnel and other individuals to kill mountain lions to achieve these policy ends. For several years AZGFD has increased quotas and bag limits in several of their Game Management Units (GMUs) in an effort to reduce the resident population of mountain lions, citing concern about the health and well being of bighorn sheep and mule deer populations.

In its 2001 Strategic Plan, the AZGFD stated that the goals of its mountain lion management strategy were to "manage the mountain lion population, its numbers and distribution as an important part of Arizona's fauna [and to] provide mountain lion hunting (including hunting with dogs) and other related recreational opportunities."  The department's stated objectives are to:

1)      maintain an annual harvest of 250 to 300 mountain lions (including depredation takes);

2)      provide recreational opportunities for 3,000 to 6,000 sport hunters per year; and

3)      maintain existing occupied habitat, and maintain the present range of mountain lions in Arizona."

 In 2003, Arizona Game and Fish Department, in accordance with its predation management policy, proposed intensive mountain lion removal projects in several western GMUs in conjunction with their bighorn sheep relocation program.  Arizona currently has a year-round trophy hunting season on mountain lions, as well as predator "contest shoots," in which prizes are given for shooting as many coyotes, foxes, bobcats, and mountain lions as possible.

 Human-Caused Mountain Lion Mortalities in Arizona
Since 1919, an estimated 16,949 mountain lions have been killed by humans in Arizona, with well over half of these deaths occurring since 1970 when mountain lions were classified as game animals. In 2003, the Arizona Game and Fish Department provided a gender breakdown of its mountain lion harvests for the years 1998 through 2001.  During this 4-year period 48 percent (541) of the total sport hunting take were female mountain lions.

Arizona Mountain Lion Mortality Breakdown by Type 1990 - 2004 *

* ADFG has not yet posted any mountain lion mortality data beyond the year 2004

Arizona's Killing Fields

Based on a lion-mortality density model developed by the Mountain Lion Foundation, Arizona averages 0.45 mountain lions reported killed by humans for every 100 square miles of habitat. The eleven western state average is 0.65. Using MLF's mortality ranking system, Arizona ranks 8^th amongst the 11 western states studied by MLF in reported human-caused mountain lion mortalities.

 A review of average annual mountain lion mortality numbers at the Game Management Unit level clearly defines Arizona's diagonal band of habitat with the highest concentration of mountain lion kills located in the southeastern quarter of the state. Game Management Units 27, 28, 31, and 32 in particular stand out with their disproportionate annual average mountain lion mortality numbers. An analysis of these GMUs from 1997 to 2001 shows a higher proportion of depredation takes than was experienced elsewhere in the state.  This coupled with sport hunting kills raised the annual average mountain lion mortality numbers to levels not seen elsewhere within the state.

 Mortality Breakdown 1997 to 2001 - Specific Game Management Units

Using MLF's mortality ranking system, the top five Game Management Units in Arizona where human-caused mountain lion mortalities were greatest were numbers 27, 31, 32, 17 and 21.  From 1997 to 2001, these GMUs accounted for 485 human-caused mountain lion mortalities.  During this time period, these GMUs were responsible for 29 percent of human-caused mountain lion mortalities while encompassing only 9 percent of Arizona Game and Fish Department's mountain lion habitat.

 Game Management Unit -27 is ranked as Arizona's number one killing field with an average mortality density rating of 1.8.  From 1997 to 2001, GMU-27 averaged 25 human-caused mountain lion mortalities per year and accounted for 7 percent of all the state's human-caused mountain lion mortalities.

Ongoing Mountain Lion Research In Arizona
In 1971, the Arizona Game and Fish Department began collecting scientific data on the state's mountain lion population.  This effort entailed a survey mailed to all sport hunters that had purchased lion tags.  The voluntary aspect of responding to the survey changed in 1981, when the Department began requiring sport hunters to report all mountain lion kills within 10 days.  In 1983, the additional requirement of loaning Arizona Game and Fish Department the skull or lower jaw of all killed lions was implemented to aid in the determination of relative age classes and for a collection of sample material to be used in future research.

 Concerns about the long-term viability of Arizona's mountain lion populations affected by rapidly expanding human populations and development is driving several current and proposed efforts to study mountain lions in fragmented or isolated habitats and determine their use of habitat linkages.  In the developing Tucson area, researchers and citizen volunteers are using non-invasive track surveys to monitor mountain lions.  In northern Arizona, National Park Service researchers are evaluating the affects of human recreation in Colorado Plateau parks on mountain lion activity and behavior, and U.S. Geological Survey researchers are studying human-mountain lion interactions in the Flagstaff area.

Killing Arizona's Mountain Lions In The Name Of Science

In 2001, under the auspices of a research study, Arizona Game and Fish Department and the Bureau of Land Management attempted to reduce the number of mountain lions north of Phoenix by 75 percent.  The justification for this "research" project was to see if the reportedly waning population of bighorn sheep in this region could be increased if a natural predation factor - mountain lions in this case - was reduced. According to a 2002 report by wildlife biologist, D. J. Schubert, the Arizona Game and Fish Department significantly increased its estimate of the mountain lion population in that particular Game Management Unit to justify killing more mountain lions. 

 Public Support For Mountain Lions In Arizona
Public support for mountain lions in Arizona appears to be strong.  Polling of Arizona residents in 2001 yielded several informative findings. A plurality of respondents believed that among wildlife species, the mountain lion was the best representative of the landscape and heritage of the southern Rockies.  Further, 76 percent of respondents agreed that efforts should be undertaken to restore parts of the landscape to its original natural condition to provide a place for mountain lions and other wildlife to live.

With regard to mountain lion hunting, only 29 percent of residents indicated that hunting should be banned outright, though 62 percent indicated the use of hounds to hunt lions should be illegal.  Importantly, 84 percent of respondents thought that Arizona Game and Fish Department should have reliable population estimates before making decisions regarding sport hunting. As has been found in other studies, those living in urban areas display more positive and protection oriented attitudes towards mountain lions and other carnivores than respondents living in rural areas. As Arizona continues to become more urbanized, the percentage of citizens who support protections for mountain lions might likewise increase.

These assumptions of public support were affirmed in the spring of 2004 when AZGFD decided to kill several mountain lions in Sabino Canyon, a popular recreation area outside of Tucson.  These lions were reportedly displaying aberrant behavior towards humans. The Arizona Game and Fish Department miscalculated the public's reaction to its plan. Conservation groups and several well-known mountain lion experts argued that killing the lions was unnecessary. Criticism also came from Governor Napolitano and several congressmen. The Arizona Game and Fish Department was ultimately required to hold a series of workshops to receive public input on its policies.