Mountain Lion in the Neighborhood

[nautical_bouy]

Nothing is as simple as it looks when it comes to the ecosystem. It is very complex. Time is a very large factor. What did it look like 400 years ago? Were wildlife populations controlled by hunting?


Thats not allways true, sometimes people cause the animals to thrive,,, here in PA we have more whitetail deer than any state except TX and that state is many times larger than PA.

400 years ago there were no farm lands with corn and soybeans, no golf courses or lawns with lush grass, mainly only old growth forset browse.

When there is plenty of easy food animals come, people are that food supply, lawns, gardens, farms, pets, trash...
We attract and feed just about every part of the food chain with the way we live.

 

[Broke Down Ranch]

Let's not get in a debate over that whole rigamarole. That will get this thread locked.

EVERYONE has a right to their opinion on how they handle things. Myself, I do not intentionally try to break any laws and I think a cougar is one of the most beautiful cats on earth. And if I were seeing one in a different area, uninhabited by my family or animals I would love to just look at it and take millions of pictures. But I will not hesitate to shoot one if I see it anywhere near my property. Right or wrong, that is my choice. Some choose to not shoot - that is THEIR choice. Can we just leave it at that?

C'mon folks, let's move on past how right or wrong we think other's opinions are....ok?

 

[Miltonchix]

Quote:
Yes!
Thats why most large predators (wolf, grizzly etc.) were nearly wiped out in the lower 48.
Wild game populations are higher today, believe it or not, than they were at the time this country was settled. Mostly due to conservation and management which is funded almost entirely through the sale of HUNTING LICENSES.

 

[okiemommy]

dacjohns wrote:

[What did it look like 400 years ago? Were wildlife populations controlled by hunting?

Yes!
Thats why most large predators (wolf, grizzly etc.) were nearly wiped out in the lower 48.
Wild game populations are higher today, believe it or not, than they were at the time this country was settled. Mostly due to conservation and management which is funded almost entirely through the sale of HUNTING LICENSES.

Yes Wildlife populations were hunted by the Native Americans, the Spanish, The French, etc etc​

 

[dacjohns]

One last comment (I hope). As I said before, very complex. 400 years ago was the early 1600s, about the time North America began to be settled by the Europeans. How was wildlife "managed" then. Don't answer, a rhetorical question and food for thought.

We are trying to address in this forum a subject that touches on many undergraduate and graduate courses in addition to many theses.

Game is a subset of wildlife. Not all wildlife is considered game.

A lot of conservation and management is funded by the sale of hunting and fishing licenses. It is also funded by other means but I don't know the breakdown. Hunting is not the only management technique.

Look at the word controlled and think about what it means.


It is complex.

For what it's worth; I hunt and fish, I have a dgree in biology with quite a few classes in wildlife and ecology, I have worked in the field of wildlife. I don't think I am coming out of left field or that my comments are uninformed.


It's complex. No simple answers or causes.

 

[dacjohns]

Quote:
I'm sorry. I don't think I ever addressed the original post, just comments.

My suggestion is heavy duty cattle panel fencing and put the livestock in at night. If the cat decides to jump the fence it could probably do so. Also keep the surrounding area clear of anything that could be used as a step. I'm not a mountain expert and have only seen one in the wild but it climbed (ran up) a 40 foot cliff (road cut) with no problems using the small natural ledges on the cliffside.

This is from Wikipedia, not the best source but easy to get to.
"An exceptional vertical leap of 5.4 m (18 ft) is reported for the cougar. Horizontal jumping capability is suggested anywhere from 6 to 12 m (20 to 40 ft)."

A large guard dog may not fare well in competition with a big cat but its presence might be enough to keep the cat away.

Electric fencing, as was mentioned before, might also help.

 

[mom'sfolly]

dacjohns brought up cougars leaping ability and I think that might be the most critical issue. I think pumas are mostly drop killers, coming down from some high place to kill their food. You might look for tree that overhang runs and goat pens...but here is Texas you want that shade. Strong cattle fencing, electric fence and night time lock up might be the best preventative. Hopefully you're in an area like mine where there are more than enough deer to keep kitty happy.