Author Topic: Oklahoma proposes mountain lion hunt after more cats spotted in 2020 than previo  (Read 452 times)

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Offline Graybeard

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https://www.foxnews.com/great-outdoors/oklahoma-proposes-mountain-lion-hunt-sightings-rise

A proposed bill would create a lottery or draw for mountain lion permits.

By Michael Hollan | Fox News

Oklahomans may soon be going after mountain lions.

A new bill is proposing that Oklahoma hold its first-ever mountain lion hunt. While the bill has support, some are questioning whether the Sooner State has a population large enough to support it.


State Sen. Casey Murdock recently introduced the bill, which has already been passed out of the state’s Senate Agricultural and Wildlife Committee. (iStock)

State Sen. Casey Murdock recently introduced the bill, which has already been passed out of the state’s Senate Agricultural and Wildlife Committee, The Oklahoman reports. The bill, if passed, would create a lottery or draw for mountain lion hunting permits, limiting hunters to five cougars.


The bill comes as sightings of mountain lions in the state are apparently on the rise. According to KFOR News 4, more mountain lions were spotted in Oklahoma in 2020 than in any previous year.

Despite the report, it remains unclear if there is, indeed, enough mountain lions in the state to support such a hunt. While last year saw more sightings than ever before, there were reportedly only seven confirmed sightings, topping a previous record was five confirmed sightings in one year.

"They are a very elusive cat, but we know they exist (in Oklahoma)," Corey Jager, a legislative liaison for the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation, told the Oklahoman.


"A bill is one way to bring (state wildlife officials) to the table and have a discussion," Jager continued. "We are talking about it internally. Is it something we can and would do? I don't know the answer to that. One purpose of a bill is to get that conversation going and keep it going."


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Offline Ranger99

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We used to see them all the time
back when a group of us would go
up to SE Ok on the weekends and
fish and camp out and such.

I guess most all game departments
depend on what can be seen by
helicopters and from trucks and by
students like I've seen out trying to
get their wildlife management degrees.
Hunters and outdoors people like
myself get blown off as not knowing
what they're talking about. Some of
the worst scoffers in my area are
those who sit in their hunting blinds and
read and take naps and guzzle beer
the whole time they're " hunting "
I've been told a bunch of times that I
was FOS and I only saw a bobcat or
a stray housecat,  etc.
Oh well.  . .
18 MINUTES.  . . . . . .

Offline orerancher

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Western Oregon is overrun with Em,and they are Puttin a real Hurt on the Deer Population...

Offline billy_56081

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My nephew had a close encounter with one in 2019 in Minnesota while bow hunting.  The cat got down wind of him and walked to within 5 yards of his stand sniffing the air.
99% of all Lawyers give the other 1% a bad name. What I find hilarious about this is they are such an arrogant bunch, that they all think they are in the 1%.

Offline Ranger99

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My nephew had a close encounter with one in 2019 in Minnesota while bow hunting.  The cat got down wind of him and walked to within 5 yards of his stand sniffing the air.

I've seen a couple up close myself.
One was close enough to have jumped
on me with minimum effort,  and another
was circling me looking for the deer that
wasn't there, but the bottle of scent made
the cat think there was prey in the area
18 MINUTES.  . . . . . .

Offline Dee

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There ain't no season on'em in Texas, you can shoot all you want.
You may all go to hell, I will go to Texas. Davy Crockett

Offline Ranger99

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Yes one can if they have a gun
at the time. I would either way if
I had a gun when the opportunity
presented itself
18 MINUTES.  . . . . . .

Offline BUGEYE

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Well this shows that the big cats are breeding well and expanding their territory.
I would be in favor of hunting them in Oklahoma for the simple reason that a coddled predator species, especially pumas will lose fear of man and become dangerous.
California outlawed hunting of them, and they got so thick that a couple of children were killed by them and many more children were mauled while hiking with parents.   NOBODY should enter their habitat without a firearm.  They WILL try to eat you.
Give me liberty, or give me death
                                     Patrick Henry

Give me liberty, or give me death
                                     bugeye

Offline Ranger99

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Probably like here.
Lots of subdivisions getting thrown
up in places that aren't really suitable
to build residential homes, and
they're pushing out animals that
aren't normally seen regularly
18 MINUTES.  . . . . . .