This has turned into a good conversation! [/align][/align]My personal opinion......for what it is worth......I have already had contact with the FEDS and asked many questions, even some of what folks think are the ridiculous ones, but I figured what the heck I had their ear, I asked. In fact I asked 25, and they answered. I will link you to that.[/align][/align]http://www.trackincats.com/questionslash.php[/align][/align]My feeling about the study that is going on is nothing more than the pro cougar, eco freaks forcing our government agencies to do something or there will be lawsuits!! There is a Recovery Plandocument that says we agree to study and search for cougars every five years. This has not been done, until now. The people that want to prove the EASTERN COUGAR has survived are waiting for this.This would keep them or put them on an Endangered species list and become protected. The only panther (cougar) that is Federally protected is the Florida panther, which even that cat needs to de-listed since they brought Western cats in to repopulate( gene pool gone bad) They suffer a loss of habituate and are being hit by carsor killed by other panthers. Even though we know there is no way to PROVE and EASTERN cougar since there is NO DNA data base to compare to make a real and positiveanalysis.These are free roaming non -listed mountain lion sub species.[/align][/align]Some are asking the hunting laws for the mountain lion, cougar, puma. That is a great question and one of our goals. BUT what will it mean?? EACH STATE will have to set their laws and boundaries for this cat if proven they exist in that state. That means MONEY will have to be allotted in each budget for this animal. I would guess it would be a large sum. They willneed agents that are specially trained to deal with this animal. Special equipment would need to be purchased for this large predator.Then if you didhave a livestock or pet killed, would the state be responsible to pay you foryour loss?What about a human attack? The state of California now is budgeting for these losses. [/align][/align]I hope as the FEDS do their study they don't even step on the brakes......keep trucking! I do not want to see this held up for 20 years determining if this Eastern cat is here or not! I also think they need to be DE-listed inALL states from the Endangered Species list. Too much time and money is spent through our tax dollars on an animal that does not require this protection.Take thenumbers of mountain lionsin all the Western statesplus others that have proof the cat existand don't forget howmany are in cages, what's the total?? I don't think we are about to see this animal go extinct any time soon, if ever.[/align][/align]What we do needis safety precautions per state. We need a management plan if they are here. We need not to go to jail or pay fines if you have to protect your animals or selffrom this cat! Then if we start seeing too many of these predators, part of the management plan would be a controlled hunt by the government agencies or make it a Big Game animal. All we need in some "Common sense" [/align][/align]Cougardaville[/align][/align]