Mountain Lions in Mo

[grizz1]

I have mixed emotions about the big cats taking up residence in my state and the recent actions taken by the MDC. I guess they are keeping true to their laws that pertain to the citizens but still don't know how wise their decision was.

A Mountain Lion was recently caught in a live trap and was taken in to the department. They returned the cat to the location it was caught and released it because we have no season on Mountain Lion in Mo. The trapper is not allowed to keep it and evidently the Dept is not either because it was not a threat to any one at this time.
A large male was killed by a group of Amish hunters last fall 20 miles South of where I live and they were not fined because they felt it was a threat to them and their livestock.

Northern Mo, as is much of the state, heavily involved in farming and livestock production with a dense population of people compared to the West where these cats seem to be coming from. I have strong doubts that the cats are going to be welcome in my area with cows bringing $2500.00 a head and yearling calves bringing a thousand or more. I know if I see one in the cow herd in my pasture season will be opened immediately and I'll just have to suffer the consequences later. Just have the feeling that there is going to be trouble sooner or later and the Dept is not going to pay for any damage just like they don't pay for crop damage from deer or vehicle accidents caused by wildlife.

It has been interesting over the last few years to hear the tales of Mountain Lions in Mo. There has been a steady stream of rumors about sightings, game camera pics, dead deer hanging from trees and calves that have disappeared but we have to start taking it more seriously when one has been killed by a car in Kansas City, the Amish hunters shot one, another one was shot about 2 months ago and now one has been caught alive in a trap. There have been a couple more confirmed cats that are still roaming free and who knows how many more.
The Dept is getting blamed for "stocking" them to control the deer herd, don't believe this is true but you can just imagine the talk at the coffee shop. This is why I am uncertain about the recent actions the Dept took. Not sure what they should have done but also unsure if North Mo has room for big cats.
Your thoughts and/or ideas are welcome.

[4Pointer]

Many year's ago Here in New Jersey while Bow hunting in the pines ,, I seen a large Mountain Loin chase and kill a small deer ,, Well I didn't see it kill it .But I heard the Cry's of the deer . Told folks about it and they laugh at me and ask me if I was drinkin ..
Well a week later a small town not far from where I hunt posted in the News paper THAT NO CHILD WILL BE ALLOWED TO WALK HOME FROM SCHOOL DUE TO A MOUNTAIN LOIN WAS SPOTTED OUT IN THE WOODS BY THE PLAY GROUND .. No room for loins in Jersey .. I know all the farmer's and cattle rancher's don't want them .. just my 2cents .

[Kt29]

Nice read Grizz. Its interesting how Fish and Game depts. operate.
For decades here in the Dakotas, ranchers complained about the big cats being a problem. Many a cow were taken down, and many horses badly cut up by the cats. Nope, no cats in this area was their reply. Low and behold one days several years ago we have a big cat season. They do have a quota on cats for the Badlands area and no quota for areas out side of that. Every year since the start of a cat season, they have had no problem filling the quota for cats, and usually well before the end of the season. My thoughts are that they new more about how many cats were around than they were letting on. Wouldn't surprise me if that was the same scenario in your area. Cats pretty much become active after dark, so they arn't often seen, even it there are a number of them around. Hope your Fish & Game gets it all sorted out soon.

[grizz1]

When I was in Custer 2 years ago, was talking to a Native American at Crazy Horse, he showed me a pic of a big Tom he had taken with his bow and dogs. When I asked where he hunted he said "about 300 yards out back". He said there were many of them and had been for years. This did not surprise me at the time, looks like the kind of habitat I expected to find the big cats in, although I know very little about them.

Our Dept keeps saying they are moving into our area looking for new territory and over crowding in the Dakotas, possibly following the Missouri River drainage most of the way. They also have said so far they have all been males and therefore there will be no population growth.

I can remember ( not long ago) that we had no Bobcats in Northern Mo but there was a season for them South of I70. If a bobcat was taken it had to be tagged by the dept and many of them were taken South of I70 but (none) were taken on the North side of the highway. The highway just kept them at bay I guess. About 4 years ago they opened season on them state wide and Bobcats are being taken on a regular basis now. I've seen 3 this fall, cut one of them with an arrow, my cousin has taken 3 from his farm alone, quite a few were taken by deer hunters this fall. Some local trappers I've talked to say they are catching a couple per week. It doesn't bother me that we had no season on bobcats until recently because we were not seeing many at all. What does seem odd is the fact that in the last 5 years the population has exploded compared to all the past years I've lived here.
Makes me wonder if the big cats may do the same. In my lifetime I've seen dramatic changes in wildlife populations in my area, we now have no quail for example,very few rabbit, turkey became over populated and then were nearly wiped out and now back on the road to recovery. The deer herd has went from almost nonexistent in the 1950's to over populated in 2007 to present. Our lifetime is very short compared to the overall scheme of the world, just makes one wonder what the next 50 years will be like and what will my grandsons be hunting or NOT hunting.