Lion Population in Your Area?

[liontracker]

How many of you think that the lion population in your area is far too low?
Just right?
Too High?

[Big Mike]

Thats a tuff question. In the are I hunt mostly now I feel the population is low. Another real good lion hunter who has been hunting the same area for 30+ years feels the population is low too. My reasoning is the lack of mature toms and sign of toms. Most of lions lions I catch have been 1-3 year olds which leads me to believe the population is over hunted. But I dont feel the population is any danger either. On big snow years we have a high harvest here, but bad snow years which have been more commen here lately we have had low harvests. One problem in out area is the mountain ranges are relitively small as lion pops are concerned, and have lots of roads. So when the snow flakes hit and all the hunters flock here from all over the state if a lion crosses a road he/she is toast. A lot of the younger hunters arnt using much descretion and kill everything they tree. I use to cuss the quota sysytem when it first came out but now im glad we have it!

But on the flip side there are a couple of other real good lion hunters with lots of years experience that feel the population is fine and increasing. So I cant really say who is right

Where I use to hunt is surrounded by bighorn sheep ranges where lions are actively being snared. We definitly have seen a decrease in the lion pops there.

Overall from talking with my hunting buddies , the south areas that dont get much snow the lion populations seem to be fine (except BH sheeep ranges). The North snow units are probably being overharvested.

A buddy of mine who does the lion control near one of our sheep ares has killed 31 lions since 2001 in about a 5-6 square mile area. He feels the lion pops ther havnt changed. But he also surrounded by endless miles of great lion country

[Mike Leonard]

LIONS ARE UNCOMMON CAUTIOUS! Ben Lilly

Big Mike,

Kill the coons at the feeder, that has nothing to do with coon density. A friend of mine today said Hmmm?

[Big Mike]

Good point Mike. Bighorns must taste like ice cream to lions!!

What about you AZ guys how are your lion populations doing?

[livetohunt]

Way too high but we cant hunt them here. When I see them running across the road in front of me on my way home from work day or night, we have too many. I only live a few miles from town.

[TomJr]

I would say just right in my little area. Due to prey population they are spread thin but the population definatly seems healthy.

[Plotts]

The average age of harvested lions is less than 3 and the percentage of females in the harvest is 50%.

Needless to say, even a 5 year old Tom is a rare commodity in Southeast Idaho.

As long as the MDI (Mule Deer Initiative) is in effect, lions will be "managed" for maximum harvest.

Our season is 6 months of either sex; however the lion hunters are still in control. The problem is that not all lion hunters view the situation the same way. We have our catch and release guys and our whack em and stack em guys.

The population is low and out of any type of social order.

[pegleg]

The az lion populations seem good to high. I have seen a trend of more and more young lions in populated areas. The prey base is higher and more consistent. The benefit of last years slow steady rains is evident in the bobcat populations everywhere I've looked . East of 191 it seems to be good and steady.

[wyatte]

Plenty of lions in the mountains but even more around the house's where the deer are, last year it snowed on Thursday afternoon until 9:00pm, I couldn't get out until Saturday after driving 30 miles + in 6" to 12" of snow I cut 4 deer and 1 lion track, but down around the house at 1800 ft elevation every one of my neighbors have seen one and a few years back I hit one with the truck coming out of a guys drive way.

[Lil Joes BigGame hounds]

Great question!
I think we have a good pop. in my corner of the state. It helps that we dont have alot of public land. So not a whole lot of weekend warriors. Seems to me our problem is our unit is to big or quota to small.

[Hound_Crazy!]

Hey Plotts I also live in southeastern Idaho and I could not agree with you more, the population has decreased big time in the last few years and now you have to travel a lot more just to find a track, its really a discrace. Its good to hear some people still can have a good time and catch plenty of cats.

[Brianshounds]

I to live in SE ID and i think that there needs to be a quota put back on like about 3-4 females then toms only or close totally so the cats can get some age on them.

[BuckNAze]

We have WAY too many, it seems like everyday Im hearing about someone seeing 1-4, depending on if its a mom with kittens. Heres a pic of 3 yearlings shot last night that were trying to get my bosses goats. There was a total of 4, the mom got away but apparently these 3 were shot. I did not shoot them, nor would I shoot all 3 but I think it may have been a game warden. My boss heard the shots at night, he lives in a rugged area with Big Horn Sheep around and the cats are plentiful. I got pictures and will post them up later tonight. Wish they would of just shot one to scare them away from messing with his sheep. Even though we have WAY too many of them it would still be nice to see them let go, 3 is a lot to take, even if they were just young ones. All there were males as well.

[BuckNAze]

wow knew that would happen, taken off

[liontracker]

That is fricken sick right there...and the mom didn't get away she is in the bed of that truck.
That "hero" with the "trophy"... well he got a proper education now didn't he....