Cedar Rapids man defends shooting mountain lion

Gazette Staff/SourceMedia

Jan. 17, 2010 4:10 pm

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) - An Iowa hunter who shot a mountain lion last month has defended his actions.

Ray Goebel is unapologetic he killed the 125-pound male cat and says he'll eat the meat and have the animal stuffed.

That's despite criticism from the Pella Wildlife Company, a nonprofit wildlife advocacy group which says the lion didn't have to die.

The 48-year-old Goebel says he's surprised by some of the criticism after the killing.

Goebel was hunting deer last month when he spotted the lion.

He has said that it took him about 40 minutes to confirm that shooting it would be legal and the landowner didn't object.

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