Mountain lions, wolves – can we share space with them? Share
By Rodney NelsonMy friend Saje bagged a mountain lion last month. The lion had been spotted within 30 feet of a neighbor's house one evening. After a quick check of hunting regulations on the Internet, Saje, her dad, and their dogs drove over to the neighbors, put the dogs on the trail and, after a trek through the snow, managed to tree the lion and Saje dispatched him with an old 30-30 that had belonged to her great-grandfather. Saje and her family immediately contacted the Game and Fish Dept. to report the kill and brought the lion in for inspection as soon as they could.
There was some question that the lion hadn't been taken legally as he was bagged in the night hours, but a neighbor's calf had recently been killed by a lion and it was ruled a depredation shooting. The Game and Fish Dept. handled the situation in a practical, common sense method and the lion was turned back to Saje. Neighbors with livestock, pets, and children were delighted to hear that Saje had bagged the lion. It is hard to share space with some animals that are bound to cause you trouble, but Saje did come under some fire with those who sympathized with the lion.
Lion's were extremely rare in the eastern two-thirds of the state until recently. They seem to be getting bolder and more common. Evidently their territory is expanding. I saw a horse in South Dakota that obviously had been wounded by a lion a couple years ago. I am sure some calves and colts that disappear have been killed by lions. It is hard to say how many cats and dogs have been killed by lions. Some hikers and bikers in the Badlands have had close encounters with lions. Nation-wide there have been about 250 non-fatal attacks of humans by lions and 50 some fatal attacks.
The lions aren't bad guys, they are just lions. They do what lions do. It is just a matter of how much space we want to share with them.
It is wintertime, a good time to read a book. One of the best books I have ever read is a book by Frank Glasser called Alaska's Wolf Man. Frank Glasser spent much of his lifetime in remote areas of Alaska and observed wolves in their natural habitat. Frank was not judgmental about wolves. He honestly observed how the wolves made a living. Frank's practical recording of wolf kills dispels a lot of myths about wolves and wildlife. We have heard a lot about how the wolves merely kill the old and the sick, which makes for healthy, happy, herds of caribou, moose, elk, and deer. Frank made the practical observation that the wolf kills what runs the slowest. In late winter, caribou cows, heavy with calf run the slowest in the deep snow. Wolves run alongside the exhausted cows, and often bite their tongues off before ripping their paunches open.-and we string up cattle and eclectricute them--killing is killing when you have to eat.............neither us or wolves are evil for killing to eat!-blogger Rick
.Frank reported areas of Alaska where moose had ceased to exist. While working as a predator control agent for the state of Alaska, he poisoned a lot of wolves in those areas. Moose populations rebounded dramatically within a short time.--yes, but was the land healthier for the increase in moose numbers???--blogger Rick
Our prairie states could support a lot more wildlife if we provided more habitat. It is easy for a lot of people to condemn the killing of any type of wildlife, but we have to remember that the main problem wildlife has is loss of habitat.
Just remember, every one of us lives on a spot of land that was once pristine wilderness
There was some question that the lion hadn't been taken legally as he was bagged in the night hours, but a neighbor's calf had recently been killed by a lion and it was ruled a depredation shooting. The Game and Fish Dept. handled the situation in a practical, common sense method and the lion was turned back to Saje. Neighbors with livestock, pets, and children were delighted to hear that Saje had bagged the lion. It is hard to share space with some animals that are bound to cause you trouble, but Saje did come under some fire with those who sympathized with the lion.
Lion's were extremely rare in the eastern two-thirds of the state until recently. They seem to be getting bolder and more common. Evidently their territory is expanding. I saw a horse in South Dakota that obviously had been wounded by a lion a couple years ago. I am sure some calves and colts that disappear have been killed by lions. It is hard to say how many cats and dogs have been killed by lions. Some hikers and bikers in the Badlands have had close encounters with lions. Nation-wide there have been about 250 non-fatal attacks of humans by lions and 50 some fatal attacks.
The lions aren't bad guys, they are just lions. They do what lions do. It is just a matter of how much space we want to share with them.
It is wintertime, a good time to read a book. One of the best books I have ever read is a book by Frank Glasser called Alaska's Wolf Man. Frank Glasser spent much of his lifetime in remote areas of Alaska and observed wolves in their natural habitat. Frank was not judgmental about wolves. He honestly observed how the wolves made a living. Frank's practical recording of wolf kills dispels a lot of myths about wolves and wildlife. We have heard a lot about how the wolves merely kill the old and the sick, which makes for healthy, happy, herds of caribou, moose, elk, and deer. Frank made the practical observation that the wolf kills what runs the slowest. In late winter, caribou cows, heavy with calf run the slowest in the deep snow. Wolves run alongside the exhausted cows, and often bite their tongues off before ripping their paunches open.-and we string up cattle and eclectricute them--killing is killing when you have to eat.............neither us or wolves are evil for killing to eat!-blogger Rick
.Frank reported areas of Alaska where moose had ceased to exist. While working as a predator control agent for the state of Alaska, he poisoned a lot of wolves in those areas. Moose populations rebounded dramatically within a short time.--yes, but was the land healthier for the increase in moose numbers???--blogger Rick
Our prairie states could support a lot more wildlife if we provided more habitat. It is easy for a lot of people to condemn the killing of any type of wildlife, but we have to remember that the main problem wildlife has is loss of habitat.
Just remember, every one of us lives on a spot of land that was once pristine wilderness
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