Yeah I would. I would keep the hide and make a rug out of it.

I couldn't agree more. After reeding your post I believe you when you say you have quail and I commend you not only on what you do but your way of thinking as well. I wish the rest of the state would do the same.

My family has property in southern Ill. and we have pretty much done the same as you (less acres) some of it is for hay but most is left for habitat and hunting.

Don't get me wrong.. The farm is managed for cattle but that doesn't mean you can't do nice things for the wildlife too. They are not antagonistic goals really.If I had my way the rest of the farm would be planted down in stuff besides corn and beans and would have a lot more cover. Maybe next year this will happen but I will probably have to bang my head off a few brick walls before it happens. There are 4 places on the property that I would like to put in a system for game birds and another that I would like to manage for waterfowl. Takes money and we don't have unlimeted funds so we generally try to do things that work towards both parts of our goals. More feed for the cows and more feed for the animals. Millet works great as a cow feed and they shatter a lot of the seed onto the ground for gamebirds to chew on. This was a compromise on our part because there are things that would give the cows more feed but give the wildlife none. That's okay.

What we really want to to work on are about 20-40 acres of ground around some wooded areas that would be real good for improving deer and turkey habitat. We shall see how they work. Biggest problem there again is how to do this with available funds and benift both parts of the "business" (We don't sell hunting rights or anything like that. But I see it as my psyciatric business because it relieves a lot of my stress). the other thing we have planned, if we ever get on the rest of the farm, will be planting about 12 miles of windbreaks 4-5 trees thick. It will be nice but it will take a long, long time to get there. That is okay, my grandchildren can appreciate it in 40 years or so.

We looked at a place down South... Big place but don't know if it is going to happen... That place has...Potential to be something special.

Yes , with a bow but not a gun. Tan the hide

silent assasin thats not there fault, they have to survive somehow. but i would cap a yote if it was around noon. i dont want to blow my chance at the 14-18 pointer at my grandmaws

Triple S practice for grizzly and wolf?? Dont know where that came from , but one is a hunted species , the other is federally protected. I wouldn't shoot either unless it was to defend a life or I was on a legal grizzly hunt.

Back to my point. So you feel the feral cat problem should be a hunter issue? I take it you had a change of heart then and you feel the canned hunts are perfectly acceptable?

I know this question wasn't for me but I would like to answer it if I may.

Yes I think the feral cat problem should be a hunter issue, when it comes to the destruction of game birds, why shouldn't it? It effects the game bird populations thus effecting hunters no? I can't see how it's not a hunter issue. If not put in check great damage will be done by feral cats here in illinois.

Why shouldn't it? See my other post!

It effects song birds a hell of alot more than game birds! Should be a bird watcher issue no?

Well lets see. Animals which are "hunter issues" , ie either eaten , or taken for the value of the hide , which the latter happens to include a species which is considered a nuisance , but still worth money none the less , and are commonly mounted.
Does a cat fall anywhere in that category? Will you eat them? Will you mount them? Is there a market for their hide?

Take a look around. Have you noticed the NATIONAL media attention this subject has gotten just for showing up on referendum in Wisconsin?
I've seen (written) and heard some pretty nasty stuff about hunters in Wisconsin , just two days after the spring hearings. Alot of the negativity came from NON hunters. Notice I didn't say anti hunters?
Yeah , we're already having to defend our rights to hunt , trap , and fish , to anti hunters , who are viewed as extremists by some of the non hunting fence sitters. Now we have the fence sitters thinking WE'RE the extremists "dumb redneck drunken hicks" that want to start shooting cats also.
F'ing brilliant!

I absolutely DO think varmits should be kept in check by Hunters. Who else is suppose to do it or does it as well ?


And yeah, out west the Triple S's are well known and used often on grizzly and wolf. Neither are a wanted species, both are shoved down people throats and both get shot at a lot. Like you're proposing us do for feral cats ?

Would I take out a yote while hunting deer? Sorry I all ready have as a matter of fact quite a few and will again if I get the chance.
As far as the cat thing go`s