Lion Killing Ranchers!!!!

[Idcurs]

[WillowsCowboy]

[Walkerdirt]

[Chris Todd]

I'd curs. You are talking about country that is basically my backyard. Over the past 10-years I have caught more than my share of lions in this country. Most of them have stayed in the tree. Which doesn't make some of the locals happy. I haven't found but one dead lion in all that time. It was a approximately 6-months old kitten. But when I found it. It had been dead for some time. If it was fresh. And I didn't think another lion had killed it. I would have called the GandF. Which is all you can do if you are finding dead lions. Blaming ranchers without any proof won't get you anywhere. Some of the worst I have seen for this kinda stuff has been other houndsmen. Once you break the game laws and kill a animal. You are no longer a hunter you are a poacher and a criminal. I do believe that. But once again the best thing you can do is let the GandF handle it.

[driftwood blue]

Well said Chris

[TomJr]

Well said Chris, IF this is true then report it to G&F. If a rancher wants to kill a few lions the tags are over the counter and seems like it would be easy to find enough hunters... just ask their friends and family to buy a tag and join them for a few trail rides then its all legal.

[Benny G]

“POS ranchers”. Perhaps we should start a thread titled “POS wannabe lion hunters”? The challenge is to catch a LIVE lion! Heck, any dog can catch a dead lion!

[Deff]

I'm a rancher. The old saying that Farmers buy everything retail and sell wholesale is still true. Livestock are a commodity that we have very little say in the price received. Over time the market tends to osculate right at break even levels. When prices are above break even, everyone makes a little money. When prices fall below, only the most efficient ranches stay in business. Predator losses can make the difference between passing the ranch down to the next generation or going broke. I'm sure there are some reactionary folks that hate cats and shoot on sight. As for myself, I feel justified in protecting my property if a cat, bear, wolf or coyote is killing cattle or hanging around my calving grounds. I ranch entirely on private land and allow public hunting for deer, elk, moose, black bear, lions, coyote, wolf, turkeys and mountain grouse. We average around two or three hunting parties each day throughout the general big game hunting season. Most of the local houndsmen know that it is fine to turn out if they spot a track on my land in spite of the fact that I have always kept and love to turn out a couple of all purpose ranch hounds (trashy Lol) of my own. If someone were to create a lot of drama about finding a dead predator on my land, my place could well become another one of those "locked up ranches".

[Goose]

[Hollowpoint]

I've found dead deer that mountain lions killed in the national forest, nobody cared. Nobody Cared!

[driftwood blue]

Hey hollow point, that is natures way of things.
what are you going to do? go feed them wal-mart Special Kitty every day?
yes Lions will kill deer and unless they are hunted the deer will sure over populate and so will other animals. if you havent noticed the lion population in your beloved state is pretty big

[Hollowpoint]

Driftwood, I understand the mountain lion, deer dynamic. It was my attempt at sarcasm, I wouldn't call California (my beloved) state, but it is where I hang my hat for now. I can assure anyone reading this, my dogs have read and understand all the state regs regarding what they are allowed to pursue and what is prohibited.