The Cougar Fund
  • Our Work
    • Education
      • The Cougar Fund has educational resources for a wide variety of ages and groups.

      • Wild Lives
      • Overview
      • Programs & Resources
      • Books & Videos
    • Science & Conservation
      • The Cougar Fund was founded to help ensure the conservation and protection of cougars.

      • Overview
      • The Cougar Fund & B-Wild Mexico
      • Protecting Females & Kittens
      • Conservation Research
      • Cougar Researcher Bios
    • Advocacy
      • Learn what is happening in your state and how you can help protect these incredible animals.

      • Overview
      • State by State
      • How to Help
      • Donate
  • About the Cougar
    • Overview
    • Family Life
    • Living with Cougars
    • Conflict Prevention & Coexistence
    • Cougar News
    • Historical Timeline
    • Books & Videos
  • About Us
    • Our Mission & History
    • Our Team
    • Programs
    • Policy Comments
    • Partners
    • Frequently Asked Questions
    • Contact
  • Get Involved
    • Donate
    • Volunteer
    • Gift & Estate Planning
  • News + Media
  • Search
  • Menu Menu

Hunting: Just a right or does it come with responsibilities?

February 27, 2014/in Uncategorized, Blog

 

cougar_coyote

photo credit Laurie Iverson USFWS

Seventeen states constitutionally recognize the right to hunt and fish and eight more are planning to introduce amendments to guarantee  this same right to their citizens in the 2014 legislative session.

Recently, there have been numerous high profile cases of hunters enjoying their right to hunt,  but clearly failing to understand the responsibility that goes with that privilege, when they end up “mistakenly” killing an animal they do not have a license for.  Large carnivore hunting seems to generate more excitement and as a result, more mistakes.

Examples of such “mistakes” range from  shooting a five hundred pound adult grizzly that was misidentified as a black bear, to the more recent slaughter of three cougar kittens in South Dakota. Their combined weight was less than ninety pounds, but they apparently looked liked “trophies”  in-the-moment.

We might expect there to be a reasonably simple equation when it comes to the right to bear arms to kill animals…

License+ gun + required hunter safety certification=knowledge of your target +willingness to wait for a shot that is close enough and accurate enough to identify what you are shooting.

Sadly, what should add up to accountability often becomes 2+2=5, with 5 being  “it’s not the hunter’s fault”.  So the dichotomy becomes: who is the victim -the hunter or the 25 pound kitten?

The Cougar Fund was interviewed by The Rapid City Journal following the deaths of the three kittens in South Dakota. We emphasized the avoidable tragedy of non-target killing and also started to look for solutions to prevent the situation being repeated.

South Dakota and several other states that allow “sport hunting'” actually have no education or identification programs to prepare hunters for the unexpected spatial illusions that they claim to experience. An opposing comment to the newspaper interview  stated:

“These lions could well have been the hunters’ first encounter ever with a mountain lion, and judging the size of a lion in the woods, especially at a distance and without other lions nearby to help make a size comparison, can be a difficult thing to do.”

This kind of comment makes the hunter appear to be the victim, and nothing could be further from the truth. When you accept the right to use a lethal weapon you must also expect to be held where to buy valtrex over the counter accountable for how you use it. Are you excused when you have not taken a particular route before or cannot see clearly, or cannot judge distance,  when you are driving a vehicle?

Just as distracted driving is not socially or legally acceptable, then “distracted hunting” by poor light, distance or excitement must,  logically,  be equally unacceptable.

The precursor to accountability must not only be claiming your state sanctioned right to hunt but also not to hide behind the excuses of  perceptions being ‘different’ in the field. After all, isn’t this what hunting actually is?  Being in the field!

Colorado and New Mexico have already adopted  programs that  expect the hunter to accept the responsibility that goes with the right to hunt. Both of these states have mandatory education and identification certifications for mountain lion hunters. When there is no doubt that someone has achieved a standard of knowledge through a course administered by their state, then there is no longer an excuse to avoid the consequences of poor judgement or inexperience.

The questions that are asked AFTER  the kittens were killed in South Dakota..

“wildlife officers and biologists who review each mountain lion kill quiz hunters about the distance of the shot and the available lighting to determine if they should have known a mountain lion was too young. Hunters may be new to the sport or get overly excited in the field and that sometimes makes animals look bigger at first or from a long distance,”

full story here

…should be answered BEFORE the hunt, by hunter education and identification standards.

Sport hunting is not predator control or a management tool. “Sport” is actually defined as a competitive physical activity, an amusement, a hobby or entertainment. We could question whether killing vital components of our environment should be considered amusing or entertaining in the 21st century, but we can certainly challenge whether any other competitive physical activity has such unequally matched players. A mountain lion, especially a kitten, or three are no match for a pack of dogs, a high caliber weapon and a whole bunch of excuses.

The Cougar believes  that every wildlife agency must provide education that will reduce non-target killing, and they must have consequences, not excuses, for the hunters that violate the responsibilities that accompany their rights.

https://cougarfund.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/CougarFundBlack.png 0 0 Penny https://cougarfund.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/CougarFundBlack.png Penny2014-02-27 21:14:232014-02-27 21:14:23Hunting: Just a right or does it come with responsibilities?

Stay Connected

Comments Box SVG iconsUsed for the like, share, comment, and reaction icons

... See MoreSee Less

2 weeks ago
View on Facebook
· Share
Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
View Comments
  • Likes: 13
  • Shares: 2
  • Comments: 0

Comment on Facebook

Wow! A high five to Wyoming Game and Fish for helping this young disperser quickly learn where NOT to hang out. The lion, that Mike Boyce our very experienced carnivore biologist, identified from size and behavior was taking cover in a well utilized public park, which is getting more and more use with longer evenings and melting snow. The lion was shooed from his hiding place into an area of wonderful habitat-riparian, cover, and food. We also have to commend the comments in the interview that highlight, not feeding deer, leashing pets when walking in the area, the rarity of attacks, the shyness of lions and their constant presence with no problems, their unpredictable birth and dispersal cycle, and the diversity of their diet, from deer to coyotes to porcupines. Strobe light deterrents were placed in potential future hiding places and Mike found no further evidence that the lion had returned. Thank you for your efforts to keep things WILD! ... See MoreSee Less

Link thumbnail

Lion hazed from R Park

jhdaily-wy.newsmemory.com

By Billy ArnoldJACKSON HOLE DAILY A big, wild cat was hiding under a f
1 month ago
View on Facebook
· Share
Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
View Comments
  • Likes: 14
  • Shares: 1
  • Comments: 0

Comment on Facebook

How cool is this? How long did it take you to find the mountain lion in this photo? Another example of animals co-thriving on the landscape. Food is central to survival, reproduction is central to continuation of the strongest of the species. Some eat vegetation, some eat meat, some eat a variety, but ALL are necessary to maintain the perfect structure of the natural world.

How cool is this? How long did it take you to find the mountain lion in this photo? Another example of animals co-thriving on the landscape. Food is central to survival, reproduction is central to continuation of the strongest of the species. Some eat vegetation, some eat meat, some eat a variety, but ALL are necessary to maintain the perfect structure of the natural world.Very Close Encounter...

In 15-years of living year-round in Montana, I had yet to spot a mountain lion. So, to capture images of one the past 2-days was very rewarding. To also spot a large bull elk within 5 feet of the cat was a special wildlife encounter I'll never forget! Strange thing is though, the elk didn't seem too concerned. It stood there for 10-minutes grazing, even occasionally making eye contact with the resting cat, then casually wandered off. Now the lion had just devoured most of a Bighorn sheep it'd killed this week a half-mile away, so it had a full belly, but the bull couldn't know this. Instead, I suspect the elk felt confident he could defend itself with its sharp antlers. The cat probably realized this too. Yellowstone National Park's Northern Range. Nikon D7200, Sigma 600mm, 1.4X teleconverter, tripod.
... See MoreSee Less

1 month ago
View on Facebook
· Share
Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
View Comments
  • Likes: 72
  • Shares: 7
  • Comments: 7

Comment on Facebook

Very easy!!

Under five seconds. I'm sure hes smart enough to find a smaller meal, one that won't kill him :p

Josh Ellis

2 seconds to find the cougar

About five seconds, if that!

It took less than 10 seconds to find themountain lion.

I love these posts but here's a real challenge. It's such a rush when you finally see the cat. m.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=442895464547722&id=100064818157608&set=a.222353563268581&eav=Afbq65...

View more comments

Video image

Interesting, we've all seen our dogs chug on grass and waited for the inevitable vomit! Now (in spite of the dramatic music😁)we see a Florida panther doing the same. Dedicated panther biologist, Mark Lotz says "I have found plenty of scats with grass in them. More than what seems typical from just eating off the ground. I've also found vomited grass several times. Why do they eat grass? to aid in digestion, rid themselves of intestinal parasites, gain some nutrients" ... See MoreSee Less

1 month ago
View on Facebook
· Share
Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
View Comments
  • Likes: 14
  • Shares: 1
  • Comments: 0

Comment on Facebook

EXPLORE

Our Mission & History
Frequently Asked Questions

ABOUT THE COUGAR

Overview
Cougar News
Living with Cougars

CONNECT

Sign-Up for E-News
Contact Us
Volunteer
Employment

GIVE

Donate Now
Shop – Coming Soon

The Cougar Fund is 501(c)3 non-profit
EIN: 31-1796418
P.O. Box 122
Jackson, WY 83001

Signup for our Newsletter!

Photography & Video by Thomas D. Mangelsen and Wild Nature Media.
© The Cougar Fund. All rights reserved.

What To Do Wednesday: Issue #1Tuesday Tribute: Fulton Farm, Nebraska
Scroll to top