Posted on 03/01/2012 1:20:03 PM PST by SmithL
Democratic lawmakers may attempt to oust California Fish and Game Commission President Daniel Richards as early as next week following outrage over his legal killing of a mountain lion on a recent Idaho hunting trip.
Assembly Democrats on Wednesday were looking into the possibility of a legislative resolution that would remove him from the board, one day after Richards sent a letter to the Legislature, the governor and other state officials defiantly defending the killing, mocking critics for their outrage and saying that - contrary to beliefs that the shooting was purely a trophy kill - he did, in fact, eat mountain lion.
"Do you really think a California commissioner is actually obligated to follow California laws across these United States? Really?" Richards wrote on Fish and Game letterhead in a two-page correspondence. "Did I try to change California's laws subversively? Did I encourage anyone to circumvent our rules and regulations? ... While I respect our Fish and Game rules and regulations, my 100 percent legal activity outside California, or anyone else's for that matter, is none of your business."
Richards, a commercial Realtor and developer from Upland (San Bernardino County) who has been on the commission since then-Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger appointed him in 2008, came under fire after a blog posted a photograph of him grinning as he holds up the dead mountain lion. The website, Western Outdoor News, quoted him saying, "I'm glad it's legal in Idaho."
Through a spokeswoman, he declined to comment Wednesday.
It is permissible to hunt the big cats in Idaho, but California has banned the practice since 1971, and voters have twice renewed the restriction in the years since. Richards told the blog that he shot the cougar with a .45-caliber rifle in January after spending eight hours on a $7,000 hunt...
(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...
I am so sick and tired of anyone associated with government, fish and game oversight, or land management, that I made some unfortunate comments on the thread yesterday concerning this guy. If he was operating within the law, his critics should stuff it. I was wrong to criticize him.
Understanding that he may be the tipping point on his commission, it’s important he be supported.
Your initial take on things was much better than mine.
BTTT - Best description of what’s at stake.
I know what you mean about anyone associated with the government. They all are immediately suspect but not all are typical.
When it comes to fish and wildlife, they used to be pretty good folks for the most part but there has been a definite change. In Michigan it was when the DNR (Department of natural resources) began morphing into the DEQ (Department of environmental quality)
Lots of times I park outside the DEQ field office when I wander on the state land. One day I parked and started walking away when I heard another vehicle pull in. It was one of the older guys working out of that office. He never even looked at my truck. After he went in the building another much younger guy pulled in. He went right on over looked in the windows of my truck and even wrote down my license plate number.
LOL!
I read it and I agree. Thanks for the ping. I appreciate it.
Thanks for the comments. Doesn’t that frost you, what a person would do something like that.
I agree with your comments, and appreciate hearing what you had to say.
As the article states, the guy compared his hunt to those in California who go to Nevada to gamble. It would be interesting to see a “resolution” demanding removal of any California politician who has gone to Reno or Las Vegas. After all, it’s illegal in California to gamble and they are held to a higher standard (that’s what they are pushing so it’s time to push it right back).
Seems like a waste of a beautiful animal, but I understand the need to control the population.
I am not impressed with people who kill ONLY for the fun of it. Hunting for meat, I have no problem with that.
Do you eat beef?
Chicken?
Do you have a leather chair, belt or jacket? What about shoes?
I can go on....
Punctuation is our friend.
Nice car...
LOL!!!
Tell that to the Indian Tribes...!!!
That sums it all up.
And we will shoot a dog chasing cattle...if we don't know the dog. We know our neighbors..and they know us. We ALL know...if you have a dog that chases livestock...it's probably going to get shot eventually.
I actually go hunting coyotes, bobcats for fun. I'm not out to impress you, or anyone else.
Chicken & beef are meat. Wipe off your glasses.
I have no problem with a sustainable harvest of animals for productive purposes, not to include stuffed animals & cat’s paw ashtrays.
It’s the killing purely for fun that I have a problem with.
I do not object to killing neighborhood varmints of any species. I’ve done it myself, but take no pleasure in it.
I hunted as a young man, but 2 things ended my hunting:
1. Drunk hunters.
2. I decided the animal’s life is worth more than my entertainment.
I'm so glad you have no problems with "a sustainable harvest" of animals that you think are "for productive purposes". Shall I salute you comrade?
I decided to help the overall environment in my part of the country....
Too many coyotes, too many predators....over all....Decimating the quail, song bird, rabbit, prairie chicken, turkey, deer population.
Saving some prey animal's life...from a predator is worth it to me. I guess it's all how you look at things........
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