Local houndsmen Tyler Tuttle and Kash Jewkes were feeding their dogs on Bott Lane between Castle Dale and Orangeville on Monday afternoon when they noticed a fresh mountain lion track in the snow. They followed the tracks into a thick willow patch and jumped the lion. The duo released some of their dogs and after a short pursuit, were able to get it treed.
Division of Natural Resources Officer Chuck Lawrence responded along with Emery County Sheriff’s Sergeant Brook Smith and Deputy Dallon Cologie. The lion was tranquilized in order to relocate it to another location away from town. After the cat was tranquilized, it fell asleep high up in the tree. Castle Dale City Mayor Danny Van Wagoner was assisting with the situation and was able to have Castle Dale’s fire chief Ignacio Arrien respond with a truck.
Arrien raised Lawrence up into the tree and they were able to safely bring the lion to the ground. The female lion was approximately 1.5 years old and weighed about 70 pounds. She was physically in good shape and had been reported by local farmers to have been living off deer in the area. DNR placed a GPS tracking collar on the lion and she will be relocated to a safe, undisclosed location.
