Three mountain lions in the Badlands have been snared accidentally since mid-December in devices set out to trap bobcats.

Two of the cougars were trapped at one time northwest of Grassy Butte around Dec. 12, and the third was caught Dec. 22 west of Fairfield, which is between Medora and Grassy Butte, Greg Link, the North Dakota Game and Fish Department assistant wildlife division chief, said Tuesday.

"There is a lot of (trapping) activity for bobcats, and we know that can translate into mountain lions being caught. Those trappers have been cooperative in reporting when they do inadvertently trap a mountain lion, and they let us know about it," he said.

The pair of cats is believed to be a mother and offspring that were caught in snares about 100 yards apart.

The female weighed 102 pounds and was between 4 and 5 years old. The younger cat was between 1 and 2 years old and weighed 78 pounds, Link said.

"They were both found the same day," he added.

The latest caught cat was a male about 2½ years old that weighed about 150 pounds.

"They were all caught in neck snares, so the animals pretty much died immediately," Link said.

Trappers, too, are concerned about finding the wrong species of cat in their traps, said Rick Tischaefer, of the North Dakota Fur Hunters and Trappers Association.

"We're looking at it. We will put our thinking caps on to figure out what to do to reduce these incidental catches," he said.

Prices for bobcat pelts are "phenomenal, so there is a financial incentive (to trap)," he added. "As professionals, we have a responsibility to do something about it, not stick our heads in the sand and say, 'That's not right.'"

Four mountain lions were accidentally trapped last season. Three died, and one, caught in a foot-hold trap, was tranquilized and fitted with a radio collar, Link said.

That cat, a male between 2½ and 3½, has been traveling in a 207-square-mile area in the Badlands since November of 2006, said Dorothy Fecske, NDGFD furbearer biologist.

Since the mountain lion season closed in Zone 1 on Nov. 10, NDGFD has verified 14 lion sightings, including the snared cats, in the Badlands country that's considered the lions' primary range in North Dakota. Called Zone 1, that area sits west of state Highway 8 and south of state Highway 1804.

For 2007, NDGFD confirmed 55 mountain lion sightings, 51 in Zone 1, Fecske added.

NDGFD representatives have met with trapping organizations such as the North Dakota Fur Takers Association and the North Dakota Fur Hunters and Trappers Association on regulations and issues, Link said.

"We discussed ways to reduce the likelihood of this happening," Link said. "But it's obvious it can still happen."

(Reach outdoor writer Richard Hinton at 250-8256 or richard.hinton@bismarcktribune.com.)