The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department has new rules to try to manage the state's mountain lion population.
The rules came into play with the start of the new hunting license cycle on Sunday, Sept. 1, to go along with some protections for the large cats that took effect in May.
Commissioners voted unanimously to ban the canned hunting of mountain lions and to require that live mountain lions not be held in traps for longer than 36 hours. Canned hunting involves trapping a lion and releasing it in an enclosed area for trophy hunting.
Texas joins 16 other states regulating the hunting and trapping of the species. Violating the new rules is a Class C misdemeanor, which could result in a $500 fine but no jail time.
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