DUVAL COUNTY, Texas — A hunter shot and killed a 143-pound mountain lion near Freer.
Muy Grande Country Store posted a photo of the lion on Facebook on Sunday evening.
The photo is of the store's co-owner, Kenneth Sharber, holding the mountain lion behind a pickup truck.
Sharber said the store was holding the "Muy Grande" Deer Contest this weekend when the hunter stopped by and told him he shot a mountain lion on a ranch near Freer.
He told Sharber he shot the lion as it was heading toward a feeder Saturday. The hunter allowed Sharber to take photos with the large feline before he left Duval County.
Sharber said mountain lions are not common in Freer.
"It's been 15 years since someone has brought in a mountain lion like that," Sharber said.
Meanwhile, Lt. Toby Murray with Texas Parks and Wildlife said mountain lions have been spotted in McMullen and Duval counties.
"There's not a lot but we do have common sightings in the area. They're mainly in McMullen and Duval Counties," Murray said, "We have them running all over the place but they're numbers are not very high."
Lt. Murray said these big cats are very elusive.
"They don't want to be seen and mainly hunt at night," he said.
