BigGameHoundsmen.com

This was in the local paper today.


MISSOULA (AP) — An international wildlife protection organization has petitioned the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks to end mountain lion hunting in the state.

The group Big Wildlife cites a Washington State University study that says hunting mountain lions leads to more dangerous encounters between people and the big cats.

Ron Aasheim, spokesman for Fish, Wildlife and Parks, said the agency has seen a press release from Big Wildlife about the petition, but hasn't yet seen the petition.

Aasheim said any such request would have to wait until the annual process of setting hunting quotas. The Fish, Wildlife and Parks Commission begins the process each fall.

"It's a very public process that would include public input," Aasheim said. "The commission and department would take it under consideration, and the commission decides if it wants to enact any changes." Big Wildlife spokesman Brian Vincent said the group has made similar requests in Washington and Oregon.

"The reason we're involved is because of a pretty critical report released recently by Washington State University that says cougar populations are struggling, due to liberalized hunting and aggressive lethal control," Vincent said.

The study, by Robert Wielgus, director of university's Large Carnivore Conservation Laboratory, concluded that killing large numbers of cougars creates social chaos among the species.

Wielgus said hunters often target adult males, which act as a stabilizing force in cougar populations. The adults police large territories and drive out or kill young males.

With the adults gone, Wielgus said, the "young hooligans" run wild. He said most cougar conflicts with humans involve cats younger than 2 who are just learning to live on their own.

Big Wildlife called mountain lions a "keystone species" that helps sustain ecological integrity and preserve species diversity by contributing to the regulation of deer, elk and other animal populations.

Montana sold 3,903 mountain lion licenses to residents and 145 to nonresidents last season. Those hunters took 350 cats, well below the statewide quota of 459

That's so damn funny!, When I still lived in Washington and did some depridation work for them, the majority, and I mean 85% or better of the problem cats were sub-adults. That's what I saw, and the Game dept. also had recorded. I moved when they started giving out permits again, but there was no hunting at all for years. The old cats took all the prime ground, and shoved the young ones down into everybodies, yards. Of course that is just fact and common sense, we didn't use a computer to figure it out.

Ya there so called facts from there studies are really screwed up. Wonder how many people are paying for an education in wildlife at that Idiot Factory also known as the U of Washington. I also like the warm fuzzy feel they give to sub-adult lions that are trying to prey on people by calling them hooligans. They want people to think of them as teenagers out just doing harmless pranks. There propaganda is stupid but lots of average people believe 100% of what the see on tv or read in a newspaper. The only real good thing is Montana has F and G personell that have conducted real long term studies on lions and this load of BS isnt gona fly. dgarrett

I just read the same article published in the Billings Gazette this weekend. Who in the hell do those people think they are? They literally have no clue. The MT FWP just published an article in Montana Outdoors on Mountain Lions in Montana not too long ago. They stated after years of studies that it was not necessary to eliminate lion hunting. There was another article that I read about how hunting with dogs was inhumane and unethical. These people just don't understand. Granted we in Montana may need to adjust or change our quotas to a certain extinct but to completely eliminate lion hunting would be a major mistake.

yes lion populations are so low that they are barely moving into states they haven't inhabited in over a century. if we will only protect them they can soon repopulate the entire continental USA to 4X the density of lions in africa. and they can help the wolves eliminate those disgusting & dangerous deer & elk. don't worry once all the deer & elk are gone we can feed them all the excess horses abandoned because of the ban on commercial slaughter & the coming ban on export of horses to canada & mexico. when will normal rational people finally start locking up the nuts or are we going to wait until we have to shoot them to restore order & sense?

You guys might want to take this just a bit more serious. These people are wanting you to think it is funny and laugh about it and call them stupid or go into childish name calling, but they are not doing this because they don't have to get into arguments with you they just need to show this commision they are professional and they have their $hit together and you don't and they will win this you can bet your sweet a$$ they will.
You should get with the utah federation of houndsmen, they have compiled alot of info and check out other clubs that have done the same thing . The more info you can get and even from other states,this will help you and you will look profesional and they will listen to you. Ban together, act like you are for the betterment of the lion like they do.

I think You had take it very seriously here in oregon we sportsmen are out numbered by the popultion in the big cities and I feel our lion hunting was banned because we didn't take the anti's serious and ended up getting it banned for pursuit with dogs

just my 2 cents but I would take it seriously I hate to see it happen to other states

The Commissioners have to consider it before it even sees the regional meetings, after all the work they put into getting their precious premits for regions 1 and 2, I dont see it making a blip on the Commissioners radar. The outfitters raised hell with the premits limiting their winter income, I would hate to see the rucus they would raise if they wanted to do away with it totaly. The State has spent piles of money studying the lions in the state on how to manage them, I doubt they would like to watch that all that money go down the drain. Not to mention the $120,000+ a year they would lose in licence fees. I think its safe to say the State and the Commissioners are on our side in this matter.

Doogie wrote:The Commissioners have to consider it before it even sees the regional meetings, after all the work they put into getting their precious premits for regions 1 and 2, I dont see it making a blip on the Commissioners radar. The outfitters raised hell with the premits limiting their winter income, I would hate to see the rucus they would raise if they wanted to do away with it totaly. The State has spent piles of money studying the lions in the state on how to manage them, I doubt they would like to watch that all that money go down the drain. Not to mention the $120,000+ a year they would lose in licence fees. I think its safe to say the State and the Commissioners are on our side in this matter.

This is the attitude of most houndsmen and it is the wrong one. You can not sit back and think it is not going to happen to me because it will.
You are so wrong, Not one thing you have said is true. they will drop that money like it was a hot coal. Ask Oregon hound hunters ask California hound hunters ask Colorado Hound hunters, Ask Arizona trappers. You don't think they were any different than Montana? You are kidding Yourself. That is why I said take this more serious. DON'T THINK IT WONT HAPPEN TO YOU BECAUSE THEY CANT LIVE WITHOUT HUNTER AND OUTFITTERS MONEY. THEY CAN AND THEY WILL.

what part of

"The commission and department would take it under consideration, and the commission decides if it wants to enact any changes."

do you not understand?

The Commissioners have to take it into consideration before it sees the regional meetings where it can be discused in public, and we can verbaly voice our opinons on it. The Commissioners dont have to take it into consideration if they dont want too.

In all those states it was brought before the gerneral public as ballot initiatives. This isnt a ballot initiative its a recomendation to the FWP Commissioners, they dont have to do squat about it if they dont want too. At this point its up to the State and FWP Commissioners, not the gerneral public. Ive written my letter to the Commissioners, for now thats all we can do.

You boys better gear up, get together and start fighting this right now, Pacojack is right.

Doogie , I guess we will see who doesn't understand.
But for the rest of you I would NOT be like doogie and sit on your Big Fat A$$ and say this can't happen to me.

I have to agree with Mr. Pacojack, Once theses guy's get started and their funding is in place , Well you all know what is next Been there Done THAT in Maine . TRUST ME these people can not be TRUSTED

The anti-hunting threat to all hunting let alone lions is very real and here to stay. Laid back attitudes and houndsmen not coming together for the common cause is what will in fact lose our privileges to hunt mountian lions. The anti's have more money and people who stand together on the issues they fight for.
This will absolutely be put before our commissioners. Have you been to those meetings? . People presenting biological fact not BS Propaganda and heresay are the ones who will sound better. It can be put on the ballot as the demographic of Montana IS changing. I encourage all houndsmen and hnters and non-hunters as well to get together and work towards the common goal of preserving lion hunting by educating yourselves, your friends, and any one who will listen.

Bob, you bring up a good subject, where do these people get their money?
They are sueing the state of Colorado now because they didn't reindroduce the wolf. The reason they are sueing is, They say that the elk are killing all the aspen trees and the wolf would kill the elk. This is what the law suet is over...... Aspen trees
They have so much money and I don't understand where they are getting it. They are hiring big time laywers movie actors , who knows how many law suets they have in court right now. And we as houndsmen sit and say they wont do it to us because the state needs the money from hunting licenses.
My son gets to enjoy hunting but I don't think my grandkids will get to see hunting with hounds