Videos Show Mountain Lion Is Sticking Around Lake Hudson

A mountain lion seems to be making itself comfortable in a Green County lake community.

We were the first to show you the pictures a homeowner snapped of the big cat last week. And if anyone needs more proof a mountain lion hanging around Lake Hudson, it’s now been spotted two more times – both on camera.

Video from two different home security cameras, on two different mornings, shows a mountain lion making its way through the yards of a lakefront neighborhood near Pryor.

“He was beautiful. He was so big. His paws were so huge. His tail was just incredible,” said Krista Hamilton.

Krista and her husband Ron had the first and closest encounter with the big cat as it slinked passed their bedroom window on a foggy morning last week. 

“I wake Ron up, ya know, "what is that, what is that," Krista said nudging Ron.

“I was like... 'Uh, that's a mountain,’” her husband said. “The fog probably brought him out that morning, give him a little extra cover. Just an amazing experience.”

Krista snapped some incredible pictures as it meandered across the yard and onto their deck.          

“He jumped off the corner where we're sitting. That was crazy,” said Krista.

While the mountain lion was a surprise, seeing wildlife out here isn't unusual.

“[We see] a lot of deer with their little spotted fawns,” said Ron.

The also see hawks, herons, bald eagles, squirrels, groundhogs foxes, and raccoons, just never a mountain lion until June 18th.        

It showed up at the Hamilton’s house around 6:45 in the morning last Tuesday. Then just after 2:00 a.m. the next day, it passed by their neighbor’s ring doorbell cam before jumping a fence. And at about 12:15 Monday morning, it carefully walked along a retaining wall behind a house a few doors down from Ron and Krista.

Right now Lake Hudson is about 16 feet higher than normal, so the Hamiltons think maybe the rising water is pushed big cat up into all those yards. 

The Oklahoma Department of Wildlife has confirmed about 20 mountain lion sightings since 2002, one of those was 5 years ago not far from the Hamilton's place.        

There's no documentation of a breeding population, but ODWC's furbearer biologist says it's only a matter of time.          

Ron believes the time is now for their big cat.             

“I think he lives around here,” he said. “I don't think there's any reason to fear him.”

And if it is settled in around the Hamilton’s property, they’re happy to share their yard with the mountain lion. They’ve even named him Monty.

“Just look at him as a creature that lives here and needs to continue to live here,” Krista said. “Nothing about him was like he was hunting or territorial. He was just walking along on his way to do whatever he does. There was nothing threatening about him.”

ODWC says there are no documented mountain lion attacks against humans in Oklahoma. Biologists say the big cats primarily go after whitetail deer as their primary food source.

If you come face-to-face with a big cat, don’t run; instead stay calm, quiet and back away slowly.