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Mountain Lion "to be destroyed"

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Dr_2_B

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Reading an account of a mountain lion attack on humans. In this case it was a great story of a dog recovering from surgery after fighting the cat off. Wildlife officials are to search for the mountain lion and destroy it. Just curious... anyone know who draws this duty and how it works? And of course what weapon do they hunt the thing with?
 
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any deer-capable rifle will work fine on cats.

don't know how it is done wherever that place is at, but here in sd pay for a tag and then go kill one.
 
My thought is its the local DNR, an possiable LE. They will also know of any local hunters that may have dogs to track the cat...just depends what state an what area.
 
I have a former supervisor from my medic days that became a game warden. Over the years he moved up and became a supervisor there and eventually wound up in a county that had lots of mountain lion activity. He started getting involved more and more with control and last I heard he became a "go to" guy for mountain lion control. Wardens from other districts would call him for depridation problems that the property owners didn't want to handle themselves and he would show up with his dogs to assist the resident warden. It became almost his full time job travelling around the state from case to case. Last I heard (several years ago when I talked to him) he was using the Winchester 88 .243 with low power scope that I sold him before he became a warden. Times have changed and he may be using something different now if he still does that kind of work.
 
I'd be curious about the details on this. Cougar attacks on humans are very rare. I admire these animals and hate to see them killed when not necessary - not that that's the case here, just a generalization.
 
Cougar sightings in this area are not rare. They venture into densely populated areas often. And if they hang around the state gets involved. Last year two juvenile mountain lions were killed by Co. State Fish and Wildlife officers with .22LR in Durango.
 
Mountain Lions are ferocious, and can be tough when not shot in the proper place, but any caliber sent to the right part of the lion will take care of one.
 
Mountain Lion attacks on humans- and pets- are becoming much more frequent than in the past. They have expanded back into ranges where they were not found for decades, and are moving into suburban areas, where they prey on pets fairly often.
In addition, because of limits on shooting them for the past 30+ years, many of them have lost the fear of man they once had. They are still mostly shy and curious, but a human who seems vulnerable may trigger the attack reflex . The problem is also made worse where suburbs expand into wilderness territory, and leave lots of nice greenbelt habitat for the big cats to roam in.
No easy answer- they are not all dangerous, but those who do attack humans pretty well have to be eliminated, or they will try again.
 
Everytime I read about, or hear about, a lion attack it always seems to be in CA.

Do you think it might have something to do with the ninnies from CA outlawing hunting of mountain lions in that state? I really don't think it could, as lions are peaceful animals that wouldn't hurt anyone or anything.

OK, my sarcasm mode is now off. Since we have altered the natural order of things, we need to be able to control the mountain lion population, and hunting is a valid and acceptable means of doing so. If you see a lion, and are not actively seeking them with dogs, (hunting), you have a problem. One that will just get worse as we fail to keep a balance to the mountain lion population.

BTW: I live in lion country. They are fun to hunt. :D

BikerRN
 
I read a story in one of the magazines a couple of years ago, a guy was hunting them, he took a very athletic approach, to be able to somewhat keep up with the dogs, and go where they went. He carried a Kimber 1911. The dogs would get the cat treed, and he could take his time and shot it how he wanted to.
 
I used to do a lot of Hiking in the upper high areas of the San Francisco Penninsula in the mid 1960s. In 1964 I was 11, and till 17, and getting a Car, I often spent all day out in the undeveloped areas, where, some species of Big Cats lived.

There were tan or fawn or buff color ones, and also sort of lightish charcoal Black ones.

I never had any problems, they impressed me as very polite, sensitive, self-possed Creatures.

Sometimes one would secretively pace me to the side some ways...and, I'd find a point where we could make eye contact briefly, and I'd say, in a friendly humorous way, "I see you!"


Lol...


I'd come around a corner on a subtle Deer Trail, and one would be standing there...about to bolt, I'd avert my eyes, and say "Oh, pardon me...just passing..." and I'd go softly to the side, and usually he or she would sveltly leave to the other side, if they hadn't bolted off already....





They are fine with me...


People are usually stupid, insensitive, un-aware, and not well self-posessed.


So, as far as ontological validity...I s'pose my regard and respects tend naturally to favor the intelligence and manners and bearing of the wild Cats...


I undersatand they will prey on those whom they accessas as non-reproductively viable, diseased, feeble, or stupid.


This is the tacit agreement of 'Nature'...and infinitely less offensive than people's preying on one-another.



And personally, if I had a Score Card, it'd read -


Troubles, disappointments, impositions, insult, predation attempts, injury or other damage to me from large wild Cats - "Zero"


Troubles, disappointments, impositions, insult, predation attempts, injury or other damage to me from domesticated-primates - "Enough to feel satisfied with understanding the drift..."


Lol...


I hope the Cat eludes his enemies...




Phil
l v
 
Why??!!!

I really hate reading animal stories like this one.

"Big cat encroached on my land & attacked my (whatever), so now we're gunna hunt him down & kill him."

Who's encroaching on who's land?

I'm all for hunting for sport, & if ever there's a "pest" animal... move it to another area... or... if it's an old cripple what's had a taste of human flesh, then by all means... PUT IT DOWN!

But to hear about an animal that is just "a nuisance", being put down because someone doesn't have the time (or resources) to re-locate said animal really bugs the poo.p out of me. :fire:

A couple of weeks ago, there was a pregnant woman "chased by a bear into traffic & subsequently, woman was hit by a car" :eek:.

While hearing her tell her story, they showed the DOW guys dart the bear & stuff it's drugged body into a bear transport/cage. The story was.... that while searching for the animal, the bear "didn't run away when confronted by humans (DOW personnel), so the bear had to be "put down". :scrutiny:

The pregnant women wasn't hurt by the "hit & run", & said if she knew what was going to happen to the bear, she wouldn't have said anything to anyone about the incident. :banghead: :fire: :mad:
 
Ditto on any deer cartdrige. Cougars are actually pretty thin skinned.
I've never really understood the cougar management here in WA state. Maybe that's why I'm not a game biologist...LOL. :D
The state through an intitiative several years ago outlawed hound hunting for cougars and bears, and their numbers skyrocketed as well as human contact. Several generations of cougar and bear lost their fear of dogs, grew in numbers, hence more sightings and contact.
Now though, they have pretty severely restricted the otherwise liberal seasons on cougar in some parts of the state this year. Something to do with male to female ratios. I wish I had known that before I bought a cougar tag for any incidental contact with one during deer season as I always do. Now that tag is no good to me unless I specifically target them out of deer season. Oh well...maybe a good excuse to go on a seperate hunting trip. :evil:
 
Where I live in Idaho I have in close proximity to me (mountains just a short drive north of me where I fly fish, hunt and camp). Coyote (actually right in town), cougar, black bear and wolves moving more south each year.

The only one that concerns me is the cats. All the others usually stay well enough away from us humans, but curiosity of them cats and their stealthiness keep me on my toes while up in the hills.

Its us moving into their habitat so I really dont want to see them put down, rather darted and moved possibly with tracking collar to ensure once they have encountered us two leggers to ensure they do have a fear of us.

But if they have lost that fear of humans, continue to move into populated areas after being moved away it could be time to act. That said I think any medium caliber weapon would be effective. They can go up to 200 lbs on a big cat, make that a monster cat!! So to be immediately effective and humane I think they would shy away from something like a .223 or the sort and use a rifle from .243 on up.

As for me I carry a .45 while going to the toilet at night in the woods, not ideal but its all i have. Untill I pick up a .357, .45 long colt, .41 mag or .44 mag for a bit more oompf and the possible encounter with a bear.
 
I see large off-road capable trucks with badges painted on them that are probably fish and game or forest rangers here in NorCal. They have what looks like Springfield M1A/M14 rifles mounted between the seats in them.
 
If they attacked, they should be hunted down...they are not pets that misbehave...why take the chance they will do it again, an next time kill.....up to about 1990 there were about 48 attacks in the U.S.....now check this out, from 2001 to 2008 there have been 48 attacks alone with numerous deaths.....ask these people what they think, that is the ones that lived, an the parents that lost kids...sure not all cougars attack, nor all bears, but when they do, it isn't time to play "Grizzly Adams" an ask the beaver to tell his friend the cougar to be nice...its time to grab a M1 Garand.

http://www.cougarinfo.org/attacks3.htm
 
We have a "few" cougars here in north central Alabama(none according to the "experts" but they are WRONG). Never heard of one attacking a person here BUT if I see one in my yard or ANYWHERE near my grand children, IT IS History! No questions ,no second chances ,no nuthin' Shoot,Shovel,Shut-up.
 
I'd be curious about the details on this. Cougar attacks on humans are very rare. I admire these animals and hate to see them killed when not necessary - not that that's the case here, just a generalization.
Click to expand...

Simple really. We hunted them too much and cut down too many trees and impinged on their food source too much.

They became endangered, so we stopped hunting them.

We sprawled, and we planted trees and bushs all over our big yards at the border between wilderness and urban areas.

Animals failed to read property lines, and spread into the area. With a strong food source, Cougar poulations rebounded. With years of no human hunting, Cougars lost the fear of humans. In the same way, with wolves removed from these areas, Cougars lost the fear of dogs.

Humans and dogs are now viewed as viable game animals.

Hunting cougar (especially with dog packs) in sustainable numbers would fix this problem by re-instilling a fear of manscent (and canine)

However, people who never set foot in the wilderness get all upset by this idea.
 
A friend of the family used to live in the Lake Tahoe area and owns and works with Bloobhounds to be mantrackers. Once in a while local authorities would come to call to have him and his dogs find the trail on some lost mountaineer or hiker.

I suppose local authorities could have a local hunter with a reputation and the required equipment and skills do the job for them in much the same way.
 
This is what happens when wildlife conservation practices are established by voter referendum. Voters who received their knowledge of wildlife from Walt Disney,et.al.
 
All these posts and not one person has alluded to the fact that we cannot have any wilderness areas that are restored to their natural state without restoring the apex predators that were indigenous. Google "trophic cascade" if you want to learn something.
 
"Shoot, shovel, and shut-up"

That's sort of similar to "it's not illegal, if you don't get caught," isn't it? Or perhaps "I'm only obeying laws that make sense to me, personally, and I know that I speak for all the real Americans here."

Doesn't that sort of torpedo our pretensions to being 'law abiding' gun owners, as opposed to the criminals we love to hold in contradistinction to ourselves? Perhaps if muggers adopted a 'shoot, shovel and shut up' policy, we'd 'see' less crime on our streets… Perhaps they just feel that laws against breaking into your house and taking your stuff are just governmental meddling into the common sense business of the people.

Sorry, but S, S & SU is the apotheosis of hypocrisy for the RKBA set.
 
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