Wis. Considers Legalizing Cat Hunting

http://apnews.myway.com ^ | Apr 12, 8:06 AM (ET) | ap

[RedBloodedAmerican]

MADISON, Wis. (AP) - Feline lovers holding pictures of cats, clutching stuffed animals and wearing whiskers faced-off against hundreds of hunters at meetings around Wisconsin to voice their opinion on whether to legalize cat hunting.

Residents in 72 counties were asked whether free-roaming cats - including any domestic cat that isn't under the owner's direct control or any cat without a collar - should be listed as an unprotected species. If listed as so, the cats could be hunted.

The proposal was one of several dozen included in a spring vote on hunting and fishing issues held by the Wisconsin Conservation Congress. The results, only advisory, get forwarded to the state Natural Resources Board.

Statewide results were expected Tuesday.

La Crosse firefighter Mark Smith, 48, helped spearhead the cat-hunting proposal. He wants Wisconsin to declare free-roaming wild cats an unprotected species, just like skunks or gophers. Anyone with a small-game license could shoot the cats at will.

At least two other upper Midwestern states, South Dakota and Minnesota, allow wild cats to be shot - and have for decades. Minnesota defines a wild, or feral, cat as one with no collar that does not show friendly behavior, said Kevin Kyle with that state's Department of Natural Resources.

Every year in Wisconsin alone, an estimated 2 million wild cats kill 47 million to 139 million songbirds, according to state officials. Despite the astounding numbers, Smith's plan has been met with fierce opposition from cat lovers.

Critics of Smith's idea organized Wisconsin Cat-Action Team and developed a Web site - dontshootthecat.com. Some argue it is better to trap wild cats, spay or neuter them, before releasing them.

In Madison, about 1,200 people attended the Monday evening meeting at the Alliant Center - more than the 250 or so in a typical year, but less than the 3,000 or so who took part in a debate in 2000 over whether to allow hunters to shoot mourning doves.

One of the attendees was Katy Francis, who wore cat ears, whiskers, a cat nose and a sign that read, "Too Cute to Kill." For Francis, "The cat hunting thing brought me out because it was very extreme."

[Trust but Verify]

My sister lives in a semi-rural area where many people will keep a couple of horses or goats, chickens, and the like. She had horses and goats but currently raises just poultry.

They have two barn cats that wandered into the yard one day and decided to stay. They do not bother the chickens at all, however she has had oppossums getting into the barn and stealing eggs. The barn cats are not feral, just semi-domesticated and they do a great job keeping rodents under control. One of the barn cats has gone missing in the last couple of weeks. My sister fears one of her neighbors took this hunting proposal to heart and killed the cat.

[winner3000]

(The number of Moo Shoo pork specials at local chinese resturaunts has skyrocketed.... )

It reminds me of this Weird Al Yankovic song: Cat in the Kettle!

[winner3000]

(The number of Moo Shoo pork specials at local chinese resturaunts has skyrocketed.... )

It reminds me of this Weird Al Yankovic song: Cat in the Kettle!

[brewcrew]

I wasn't kidding about the taxes, just about shootin' cats (which doesn't interest me in the least).

[sergeantdave]

Allow me to buy you a clue:

Hunters trespass on land, regardless of signs or no signs. And no, I don't patrol my property 24/7 to catch people who abuse the land. Neither does the sheriff.

The bodies of dead people fill pages, shot by hunters who are "sure" of their targets.

Ditto for damage to fruit trees, fences, houses and buildings.

Hunting cats will multiply these problems.

Now let's see your proof that more anti-hunters post their land than hunters. And 80 by 100 ft yuppie lots don't count.

[porte des morts]

Wow, thanks for the clue.

The fact that people tresspass has nothing to do with allowing the hunting of feral cats. By not passing this law, tresspassing will not go away. The two are not related in any way. People who do not hunt other game are not going to take up cat hunting, so the number of people that would tresspass would stay the same.

Pages of people shot by hunters? If it averages more than 2 per year in WI I would be shocked. Several years no hunters died even from heart attack or other causes.

Well almost all anti-hunters I am aware of have their land posted. Yes hunters post their land also, but that is to preserve it use for themselves and not the general population. I have hunted all over WI, for a very long time, and never been refused after asking permission.(From a property owner who is a hunter.)

[monday]

"Cats don't have any natural enemies. What do you do if you are surrounded by too many cats? "

lol... tell that to my neighbors. They lose about one rodent killing cat a month to coyotes. It's a regular wild kingdom around here.

[Rhiannon]

I went college in Miami Fla and had lots of lizards there. The cats would eat the lizards. It was really funny to see just a lizard tail in a cats mouth. However the cats learned not to hunt frogs, since they would make the cats sick. Frogs would jump in the pools at night. It was a shame that cats learned not hunt frog since they are such a nuisance.

I do not believe that cats account for so many songbirds. There are a lot of natural causes of deaths for birds and cats are just one of them. Many people hate cats since they hunt at bird feeders. But if people insist on baiting the birds, they should not be surprised a hunter will come.

If feral cats become too much a nuisance in a specific location then eliminate them. Either trap or kill them.

I just hate people who insist that cats live an artificial existence inside, when that is not part of their nature. Then those people yell at us who let the cats out. My cats are fixed, vaccinated and go on walks with me and the dogs. They stay near home since they get fed regularly.

I have had one cat that would have made a great barn cat since she hunted and would actually train the other cats to hunt. My son who was young at the time got quite used to see dead moles, voles, mice and rabbits. Odd thing ,the cat would eat the brains of rabbits. I was sure glad I kept rabies vaccines up to date. Since she wandered more she disappeared and I always assumed a car got her. She was not that smart about cars.

I had another cat who hated to use the litter box so I had to let him out or suffer the consequences. He was real friendly and would wonder through open windows and go to sleep with neighbors. I had a collar and license and tag and id tag and when he did not come home at feed time, I went out hunting for him the next day. I found a neighbor down the road who said he came in through the front door. They said they called animal control. I said they knew the car was mine since he half a tail and was quite identifiable. They were stupid. I went to animal control and got the cat back. They only hold them for 3 days in my county. The tags and collar were missing. This cat did not take off his collar so I knew that people were responsible.

I know people who hates cats and will do all they can to mess up their lives. I think it should be live and let live. But people alway was to interfere with other people lives and be busy bodies.

[Skooz]

My Feline Detection and Disposal Unit:

[monday]

"and I shoot cats for chasing my chickens. I hate chickens but keep a few around just because of the cat population."

?lol... this doesn't make sense. You keep chickens you hate around in order to attract cats you hate? sheesh..... You need to get a life.

[sionnsar]

Cats don't have any natural enemies.

Around here they do. Coyotes.

[Imaverygooddriver]

I don`t know if cats are good game for hunting but kittens make excellent bait for shark fishing.

[rang1995]

reminds me of the play--first she was using PUSSYCATS then humans to feed London

[monday]

"Hmmm, suddenly I'm torn on this issue. OK, expand the season to cats and birds. And how about a dime reward for each Grackle taken down."

Me too. I know cats kill song birds occasionally but they kill many many times more rodents. If the "poop machine" population goes up even a little because of this you can bet that the mouse and rat population will explode. Personally, I prefer cats to rats, but thats just me.

[RedBloodedAmerican]

Red meat off the bone! </gimli>

[RedBloodedAmerican]

When I was a kid my neighbor buddy had a cat who had its ears picked off by mockingbirds. Shredded stumps, it was amazing.

[monday]

"This has more to do with ant-hunters living in rural areas, than it does with anything else."

Actually it has more to do with some hunters behaving like dangerous jackasses than anything else. I am a hunter but I don't allow anyone I don't personally know hunt on my land.

[KidGlock]

[porte des morts]

Yes there are hunters that behave like jackasses. For the most part these are deer hunters during gun season. Very few bow/arrow deer hunters behave poorly. Also most squirrel, or turkey hunters are well behaved. The style of hunting has a lot to do with the attitude in the woods.

In the boonies were I live, city anti-hunters are buying up 40 plus acres and posting signs every few feet. They allow no hunting and openly tell anyone that will listen how terrible hunting/hunters are.(they also are at a loss when their seedling trees, and flowers are grazed to nothing).

[Arthur Wildfire! March]

Cat Hunting... Rush discussed this. He had a conniption.