[mg39]

Depends on what you mean by kill the predator first. If he sees a cougar/wolf coming towards his livestock, he should, IMO, try to scare it away first and then kill it as a last resort. However, if you mean going out into the mountains, etc. to kill off cougars and wolves because they might kill his livestock, then I say emphatically no. We share this world with those animals, and we ought to leave them alone whenever possible. As for cougars which might kill kids or other people, there's a much better chance that kids or other people will be killed by other people, yet we don't respond by killing off everyone. Leave the cougars alone.

[rwfromkansas]

I am no animal rights activist, but I agree with you.

[sweetliberty]

Here is some interesting information about cougar attacks.

Mountain Lion Attacks On People in the U.S. and Canada

[Alas Babylon!]

Ok. I won't disagree with you. I wouldn't be too disturbed if they were OUT there but NOT hanging around my pastures. But farmers and ranchers should protect their stock. If a predator starts taking stock, then it acquires a bad habit that probably will be repeated (depending on the livestock taken, it's easier than hunting swift deer. For example, my goats and poultry aren't very fast.). When that occurs, the animals needs to be tracked and killed. Other than that, you're right; let it alone.