Considering they have had numerous sightings, and even lions that were killed for self defense reasons across the border in nebraska, I can't see why anyone in the Fish and Game there would have doubted they existed in Kansas.  Lions can travel a long way for food, mates, etc.  They are even over in Iowa, and parts further east.

Cool trail cam photo.....

You don't have to worry about the cats you see, it's the ones you don't see that you've got to worry about lol....

Seriously, I suspect most cats will be gone as soon as they hear or smell you.  I have heard some strange sounds sitting in my stand waiting for dawn to come.  Some are downright eerie, but I've never heard a cat.

Probably would send a chill up my spine if I ever did.

2 years ago my son and I spotted a large cat one day trapping and saw another cat one spring with a couple cubs. Here in North East Kansas.

We called KWP and they said we were seeing things, so I told them I will shoot the next one I see to prove it, They told me to leave them alone.

I did ask our new Game Wardon and he did say that they are here but not to many of them.

I almost forgot to tell everyone that 2 or 3 years ago we saw on the evening new that a big cat was hit on the interstate near the new Cabelas store in Kansas City Kansas.

After an optopsy they did say the cat has been feeding on wild game so they expected it to be wild.

Where in KS are you?

There was bill last year that didn't go anywhere that would have made killing a mountain lion legal even without a license.  The legislator said he wanted people to be able to protect themselves.  The bill failed when it was pointed out that it was legal for anyone to kill a mountain lion in self defense.

Probably see another bill this year after the latest sighting.

I can see why it might freak you out since you are not used to living with them but as time goes by you will get used to it. I have found their tracks on top of mine while doing the second trip while packing game out. They are sneaky critters and it is really hard to see one even if he is in your vacinity. I have a coworker that used to live out in KS and he swore that he had seen one there so it doesn't surprise me that they finally proved it. They are definitely spreading out.

I can't imagine too many people sitting in the dark in a tree and hearing a big cat wouldn't feel a chill in their spine or the hair stand up on the back of their neck.  This is a bit different than freaking out. Just a normal reaction to a big predator that can eat you being nearby.

Really, if you were in a stand in the dark and you heard the growl of a cat under you stand you would feel at a least a little uneasy?  Heck, I've heard strange noises that were not cats that gave me the heeby jeebies

I live in Northeast Kansas by Atchison, Law or not if one is getting to close it's gowing down. But for the most part when we do see one they are moving across a field pretty good trying to get away.

A couple years ago we had some farmers that lost a bunch of soring calves. After looking for them they found them stuck in a tree about 15 feet up. We don't know much about big cats around here but we figured that a big cat stuck it in a tree to come back to eat them later. The kwp said that cats don't do that and some one was playing a joke on every one. That's a lot of work to stick about 22 calves that weigh around 200 pounds up a tree. I guess we will never know.