State officials say a hunter in north-central Nebraska has killed a mountain lion that circled in front of him while he was hunting for deer.

The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission reported Tuesday that the hunter killed the 150-pound male mountain lion on Saturday northeast of Ainsworth in Brown County. That was the opening day of the November firearm deer season.

The hunter left his hunting blind and noted the animal walking parallel to him, about 35 yards away. The mountain lion made eye contact with him and circled in front of the hunter, who then fired.

An investigation concluded the hunter was justified in killing the animal.

Nebraska law says someone can kill a mountain lion without a permit only if it stalks, attacks or “shows unprovoked aggression.”