DeKalb County woman describes backyard encounter with mountain lion
ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (KQTV)-- A recent mountain lion sighting near the St. Joseph area has residents talking and taking extra precautions, especially those living near wooded and rural areas.
Wildlife officials said Mountain Lion encounters in Missouri are rare; however, one DeKalb County resident shared her story as she came face-to-face with the animal just steps from her home last spring.
“I let my dogs out at night, and it was just in my back field, along the fence by my big tree, and he was just standing there doing his own business, and my dogs actually scared him off,” Jessiy Hayes said.
Hayes lives in a rural area where wildlife sightings are not uncommon. Despite her close encounter, she said she was never terrified of the mountain lion.
Neighbors in the area have shared stories of their own close calls, raising concerns about safety.
“He minds his own business, but just recently this person was out doing his cattle and he did get scared because of one of them was was trying to attack him,” Hayes said.
Hayes raises chickens and other farm animals on her property. She said the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) permitted her to shoot the animal if it poses a threat to her livestock.
According to the MDC, there were five confirmed mountain lion sightings in the state in 2025.
MDC Spokesperson Maddie Fennewald said large cats are highly mobile, which means they can travel long distances in a short amount of time, making sightings unpredictable.
"By nature, mountain lions are very mobile and most of the mountain lions that we get in Missouri just kinda wander through...Since Missouri has so much open space its a luck of the draw if we spot them,” Fennewald said.
The MDC also recommended keeping pets indoors when possible, securing livestock and avoiding walking alone in areas with dense vegetation when mountain lions are most active.
According to the National Park Service, mountain lions are typically more active during dusk and dawn.
The Idaho Fish and Game reports that mountain lions are seen throughout the year, but observations and incidents tend to increase during the winter months due to fresh snow making their tracks more visible, along with increased numbers of deer and elk moving onto their winter ranges.
also emphasized that encounters between humans and mountain lions in Missouri are extremely rare.
"Most of the mountain lions are going to be coming from (the) Western States of Wyoming, South and North Dakota, Colorado and Texas," Fennewald said. "We don’t have any proof of an established breeding population in Missouri."
She said sightings like these serve as a reminder that Missouri is home to a wide range of wildlife. While encounters are rare, residents are encouraged to stay alert and informed.
