Questions regarding Mountain Lion Attack

[Red Hawk]

I have to ask this because of the recent attacks of mountain lions. Actually a few questions. Why was the MT. lion put on the banned from hunting list in the first place? And do you think after so many attacks on humans, would they have give the go ahead to hunt them again?

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Live to hunt, hunt to live, be the eyes of the hawk

[gleninAZ]

It was at least ten years ago and I think like Oregon it might of started with banning use of dogs then the kitty huggers went for the full meal deal. Lion are all around Arizona and will rarely try to take a small child out of a campground but no deaths that I can recall. They are very territorial and so sneaky that the average person should never see one in their lifetime so to have multiple sightings in Calif. tells the real story that they need control. If they don't allow hunting then they at least need to allow fish & game to use dogs to thin them out in populated areas.

[akbound]

Hi all,

I agree, the cats need thinning. More importantly, they need reconditioned to fear humans. Because of all things.....we are on the food chain! But I disagree with letting Department of Fish & Game do it. That is a bad precedent! The last thing we need on government payrolls..are professional hunters. That is part of the logic of sport hunting....to control wildlife populations...and behavior. I do NOT want government taking that "tradition" and turning it into another government "mis"managed job(s).

If the cats need thinned....and they do! Reestablish "sport" hunting for that purpose! (Or for all I care, trap them and relocate them to places like....Palm Springs......San Diego.....San Francisco.....Chicago.....Hollywood......did I miss any other liberal strongholds?)

[j3k2c1]

The cats need to be thinned way down all over the country! Personally I see that when the cat population is up obviously the deer/elk are down and vice versa. If we were to reduce the cat population by 60-70% then we would have a few cats and more deer. this leads to less human-cat encounters and casulities. Also you see more deer during the season...

[Wolf killer]

Red Hawk
The Mountain lion became a ballot box issue. Aldo Leupold said game & fish departments needs to be kept at a long arms reach from the goverment. This allows sound science to decide what happens instead of emotions at the ballot box.

[Have 2 Hunt]

Has it ever worked out when people have tryed to harvest the prey while protecting the predator? In my oppinion you can't manage one portion of a food chain and ignore the rest. Look at the salmon seal problems in Wasington and the Pacific coast in general for that matter. You can't give a commercial fishing boat away and they close Puget Sound beaches to claming because the seal poop from the record number of seals has contaminated the beaches. I think our cougar problems are only just begining. Then comes the wolf problems and then the grizzly problems. I'm afraid it is not a good trend that has begun. I think it just boils down to too much politics and not enough common sense and science. I think too many decisions are left in the hands of big city voters who know nothing about the issue they are voting on. I guess that problem isn't just in wildlife management though. Too bad there isn't an easy fix.

[James B]

AK. You forgot DC. Would Lions stupe to eating liberals?

[ButchEgbert]

I'm new to this forum. Thought I'd join and try to figure out where I can join a deer hunting club in Central NC. I saw the section on the Mountain Lion attack and thought I'd take a peek at the comments. AKBOUND - I like your style especially where to relocate the mountain lions. Might even be able to get some volunteers to begin breeding the cats just for that purpose!

[Red Hawk]

Thanks for all the replies thus far. I am also curious if we as hunters are ever going to get a chance to hunt Mt. lions here in the states?

[j3k2c1]

Utah is giving out 425 tags this year which is up from 290 for the last 15 years. I think you can hunt cougars in Wyoming, colorado, arizona, new mexico, montana and Idaho as well. not sure though.