[scm007]

OK, why does WA allow cougar hunting? I've been told many times that deer hunting is a necessity otherwise they will overgraze because there aren't many natural predators left, yet WA issues cougar hunting licenses. Doesn't make sense to me. EDIT: Took out the pictures after I settled down a little. Someone was talking to me about how fun it would be to shoot a lion.

[TrailPair]

Doesn't make any sense to me either. Simple biology.....populations of any animal group is determined by food availability. If the deer over graze then there will be a die off.....fewer deer means more plant growth....means more deer popultaion...means more grazing.....the cycle continues. But what really bothers me is this notion of "wildlife management". How can humans (our ever poplur govenrment entities) have the audacity to try to control and "harvest" wildlife through "controled" hunts, when they can't even control themselves?!?! Way to many humans encroaching into wildlife habitat!

[Backpacker Joe]

I think you're underestimating the mtn lion population in this state!

[pink flamingo thief]

I think that they do not shoot a lot of cougars since Wa. banned hunting with dogs. Only the hardcore hunters, or lucky one would even get a chance to shoot at one. I'm sure most hunters buy them on the chance they would get a shot while hunting deer or bear.

[MtnGoat]

My two cents on cougars...if'n ya gotta hunt 'em, do it straight up and stalk and find it yourself. If they are hard to find, well, that goes with the territory.... they're supposed to be hard to find, they're predators who survive in spite of encroachment, because they are hard to find. Shooting a treed cougar isn't exactly sporting, IMO. (If you can't tell, not a big fan of using dogs. )

[Malachai Constant]

I do not think cougars are anywhere endangered but do not think hunting them with dogs is a good idea. Bear baiting was also banned in the same initiative and it seems even worse. I think allowing hunting forces the cougars to have a healthy fear of humans, bear baiting on the other hands habituates bears to garbage

[Backpacker Joe]

I agree with both of you, if only because none of us hunt either. Believe you me, hunters of those animals were devastated by that legislation. Oh well. It isn't as if the hunting of them was banned!!!

[RayD]

[TeeJay]

I know a guy in Montana who hunts cougars with dogs. He shot ONE cougar after his dogs treed it several years ago. He still hunts with his dogs every year, but it ends when the dogs have treed the cougar. The dogs get the thrill of the chase and did their job and they go home. He takes a picture of each cougar they tree and puts them on the wall next to his stuffed one. The dogs do make it "easier" (or actually give you the chance to see one)...but its still work following your dogs off trail for miles as they chase the lion. Seeing working dogs do what they were bred to do is quite a sight.

[scm007]

[RayD]

[Malachai Constant]

[Damian]

I like the idea of treeing the cat and then snapping a picture. That approach turns the whole concept back into a real sport for man and dogs IMO. I never have understood why anyone would wanna shoot a poor ol bear out there trying to make a living eating grubs and berries. Especially by baiting it with a rotting pigs head. Why would someone want to shoot a cougar for that matter, let alone any of those fine large beasts in the photos. Why the heck would someone shoot a giraffe? These "why" questions are rhetorical, as you can't explain why you like something. I respect those who hunt legally, even if its not something I understand or would take up myself.

[scm007]

I respect their right to hunt, but I do not respect them in the least. I'm talking about those who hunt predators and sensitive animals. It's one thing to kill a deer and eat it, but it's quite another to kill an elephant, take it's tusks, and leave it to rot, regardless of how many elephants there are. But where there is a will, there is a way... illustrated by the dead lions, leopards, rhinos, elephants, giraffes, jaguars, etc. that I posted. If you kill an animal for sport you damn well better eat it. I wouldn't go fishing, club the fish, and then chuck them back in the river. And don't bring up this sustainable use garbage... grizzly bears, lions, mountain lions etc. aren't a natural resource to be farmed because we don't eat them. Granted, you or I might understand the 'why' of blowing Simba's brains out, but we don't have to. If an animal isn't thriving in the wild, than we shouldn't hunt them, period. I don't care if gunning down a lion is fun to a select few, it endangers the well being of the species, which we all enjoy and should be banned. So I bring my post back to the cougars. If, according to the experts, there aren't enough of them in the wild to cut down on the deer population, why do we allow hunting of them? I said HUNTING, not killing. If a cougar is attacking me or any other person, I'll blow his head off, but there are permits issued to go hunt cougars in the WILD, that is just plain retarded.

[Damian]