tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8013770732504059370.post7336181732051615855..comments2020-02-05T02:50:46.946-08:00Comments on Nugget Newspaper - Sisters, Oregon News, Opinion, Blog: Is it time to loose the hounds again?editorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18298399110078317876noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8013770732504059370.post-28652681333320254842012-05-07T16:30:26.877-07:002012-05-07T16:30:26.877-07:00Jim - perhaps another type of hound is in order:
...Jim - perhaps another type of hound is in order:<br /><br />http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sRvRuncKx4U&feature=youtu.bejfwellspdxnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8013770732504059370.post-2630574524632513212012-03-27T03:55:14.453-07:002012-03-27T03:55:14.453-07:00Exactly!. Love the part you said "That’s a sh...Exactly!. Love the part you said "That’s a shame. They’re beautiful creatures. Many of us love the idea that they are out there playing out their natural predator-prey drama in the forests of the Sisters Country"NG Newspaperhttp://www.ngnewspaper.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8013770732504059370.post-80216607995555036022012-03-23T11:01:32.713-07:002012-03-23T11:01:32.713-07:00How about severe penalties for people that feed th...How about severe penalties for people that feed the deer that are ultimately what draw the cougars into the urban interface? If we did not have a deer overpopulation problem, we would not have a cougar overpopulation problem.jfwellsnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8013770732504059370.post-37443969921953131882012-03-22T09:46:15.229-07:002012-03-22T09:46:15.229-07:00Jim,
Having lived in a home in Southern Californi...Jim,<br /><br />Having lived in a home in Southern California that bordered on mountain lion habitat for a half-dozen years, I have given the issue quite a bit of thought. I wouldn't let my kids play in the yard at dusk or after, and we lost a few large dogs in the neighborhood while we were there. <br /><br />California outlawed hunting of mountain lions in 1990, allowing their population to grow unchecked, while at the same time the cats' habitat is being reduced. Since a full-grown male requires as much as 100 square miles of habitat, and since they are very territorial, younger males and weaker females are marginalized, and inevitably engage in domestic predation.<br /><br />Hunting (with dogs) is the only effective method of controlling the mountain lion population. Relocation doesn't work, and deterrents only push the problem elsewhere. It comes down to a public opinion vs. public safety issue. The western states should sanction both permitted trophy hunting, as well as culling, to maintain the mountain lion population at sustainable levels. They are apex predators, and have proven to be very resilient and adaptable. Natural biological cycles will no longer adjust their population, so outside intervention is both necessary and prudent. <br /><br />All of the avoidance measures endorsed by the DFG simply reduce the frequency of domestic encounters, and hounding the cats simply pushes the problem into someone else's backyard. We must either maintain a healthy population by hunting and monitoring, or accept that there will be loss of stock and pets, along with the occasional (rare) "tragedy" when a person comes out on the short end of an encounter.John C.noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8013770732504059370.post-37898704818094913542012-03-21T20:38:39.199-07:002012-03-21T20:38:39.199-07:00Cougars will continue to need to be killed, since ...Cougars will continue to need to be killed, since they are overpopulated. The three cats would have found their own habitats if there was any available. But these cats need more than 25 sq miles each for their own territories. Not available. Already spoken for.<br /><br />So the cat populations need to be managed. Killing the weakest cats nearest the population centers makes sense. But allowing hounds back makes more sense, but Portland city folks would never let that happen. <br /><br />Kinda sad that what Oregon voters did to help the cougars, actually ends up hurting them. So what, if it makes the voters feel good about themselves, who cares what hurts the cougars?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com