Ex-Broncos defensive lineman Derek Wolfe hunted a massive mountain lion in Colorado this week ... and at the end of the day, a wild photo shows the Wolfe got the better of the big cat.
The former NFL player detailed his insane journey to nab the mountain lion in Grant on his social media page Thursday ... saying it all started after he got a call on Tuesday that the animal was terrorizing a rural neighborhood in the city.
Wolfe said he was told the mountain lion had killed two of a woman's dogs ... and was "nervous what he might do next."
The 32-year-old avid hunter and fisherman said he then set out to kill it.
He explained on his IG that after discovering a ravaged mule deer that he assumed the big cat killed, he hiked up thousands of feet of rough terrain ... and eventually encountered the mountain lion.
"Exhausted, dehydrated, cramping," Wolfe said, "I drew back my [bow] and sent an [arrow] through him."
Wolfe said he then had to drag the beast's carcass back to his truck ... falling off a 10-foot rock face in the process.
Wolfe, who played in the NFL from 2012 through 2020, wrote in the comment section of his social media post that he estimated it weighed about 195 pounds. As for its height, Derek stands at 6-foot-5 ... and the cat seemed to be bigger than him.
Several ex-NFL players were astounded by Wolfe's catch ... with former Rams star Michael Brockers saying, "That’s Crazy bro."