TAYLOR COUNTY, TEXAS – A Taylor County man and his friend were calling for coyotes Friday night when the unthinkable happened - a 150-pound mountain lion appeared in their sights.

The mountain lion was shot around 8:30 p.m. from 50 yards away with an AR 223 by Aaron Getty, 24, and Tyler Terrell, 21, on a ranch just east of Tuscola.

“It was completely unexpected,” said Terrell.

Y’all believe me now, I’ve said it before we have lions around Jones county and Taylor county. Crazy story after not... Posted by Tyler Terrell on Friday, January 24, 2020

The hunters also used a FOXPRO call to lure in the mountain lion before it was shot, Terrell said.

The Texas Parks & Wildlife Department measured the mountain lion Saturday.

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The big cat weighed in at 150 pounds and was 68 inches long from nose to buttocks. It’s tail alone was 32 inches long.

Terrell said another one of his friends killed a mountain lion in New Mexico, but this is the first time he and Getty shot one in the state of Texas.

According to the TPWD, a hunting license is required for shooting non-game species such as mountain lions. However, there are no closed seasons, bag limits or possession limits.

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Non-game species can be hunted at any time on private property, per TPWD officials.

To learn more about hunting non-game species, click here.