Posted on 08/28/2010 5:51:19 PM PDT by george76
Many states need to re-work their predator estimates.
Time for another sit down with the local DOW ?
The first and last cougar I ever saw in NM was in 1959, at a sheep ranch south of HOPE, NM. It was dead, hanging on a fence next to a bunch of coyotes and golden eagles.
This is typical of agencies incapable of managing by gross balances and direct observations, relying instead upon sitting behind a desk with a computer. I would hate to tell you how bad the count errors are with Elk and wolves in Idaho. The populations are far to dynamic and mobile for this approach to work, ever.
Some of the problem seems to be the willingness of Journ-0-list types to create numbers to fit their political agenda.
Common sense says that native predator numbers are way up. Then there are the non-native , imported, Canadian wolves and...
I suggested that a few weeks ago.
Relocate these problem animals to three Az. counties on the border.
No U.S. citizens are allowed into those counties. The animals could live in a natural setting and have plenty of food. At least until word got out.
I am more concerned about the parasites that came in with them (forming hydatid cysts) than I am with their size relative to the timber wolf that was here. According to Val Geist, average wolf size can double or shrink to half just with variations in the food supply in as little as five generations.
We just got back from walking our dogs.
I always carry my pistol as we see cougar tracks here and have had bears spotted just up the road from us.
Not guilty!
Based on the new information, Game and Fish officials have introduced a proposal to increase hunting of cougars and bears to bring the populations back in line with the available habitat.
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My husband, an avid hunter, has been saying for decades that opening up more deer hunting permits in the Sandias would eliminate the food source and bring down the bear and mountain lion populations.
The Game & Fish won’t allow gun permits because of the high density of outdoor usage in the area so only bow hunting is allowed, and that is limited because the libs who hike, bike, camp and abhor hunting animals might have to see a deer run by with an arrow in it. The horror!
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