Cougar

[videoman]

Do you just target cougars when you are out hunting?  Or is it a by chance animal?

[gasman]

"No" because if i see a couger during Archery season, I will have a bow in habd already.

[whacker1]

Not if it is illegal to do so.  Not sure I understand your poll.  I would normally shoot a Cougar if I saw it by chance, but only if inside the regulations.  It would be awfully hard to get a game warden to seal your Cougar if it was during archery cougar season with a big .300 RUM hole.

[7mag.]

Wow, 3 people voted yes. You guys realize that it would be poaching right?

[Intruder]

Not if it is illegal to do so.  Not sure I understand your poll.  I would normally shoot a Cougar if I saw it by chance, but only if inside the regulations.  It would be awfully hard to get a game warden to seal your Cougar if it was during archery cougar season with a big .300 RUM hole.

I vote yes but with similar qualifications as above.

[BULLZ-i]

YES I WOULD IF COUGAR SEASON IS UP AND RUNNING.  BEAR AND COUGAR CAN BE HUNTED WITH BOTH ARCHERY AND MODERN EQUIPMENT DUING THE LEGA SEASON.

I DONT NORMALLY CARRY A RIFLE, BUT I HAVE ONE IN CAMP (whoops... damnit!!!)

[dirty.dan4]

No I wouldnt use a rifle.  My recurve will do just fine.

[oneezreiter]

Wow, 3 people voted yes. You guys realize that it would be poaching right?

   16/16 now.  Just because you don't agree with the law doesn't give you the right to break it.  Poaching is wrong/illegal, how could you ever justify it?  I can understand the desire, but come on people, when did we become "those guys"

[Sneaky]

No, because I value my hunting rights, however less cougars = more deer. If you 16 can get away with it more power to you.

[saylean]

I voted no. I would only shoot if it was legal and an ethical shot (ie, not on the run with a bow, clear of obstructions, etc)

[washingtonmuley]

Please explain the purpose of this poll.

[bearpaw]

hmmmmm.........I think this poll demonstrates how complicated the DOW has made hunting regulations in our state.

[BLKBEARKLR]

I don't think it is complicated maybe difficult but pretty much in black and white--- Archery season must take cougar with bow-- how is that complicated

[bearpaw]

That is exactly my point.

You appear to have recently viewed the new 2009 regulations, which (regarding cougar) are better than the last few years.

However, if you have not viewed the new 2009 Regulations this year then you would have been wrong with your answer. This in itself may explain some of the answers to this poll...........

For a few years anyone hunting the fall general season, anywhere in the state, could use any legal weapon during the entire fall general season. Then rules changed and for a few years if you were hunting in units you could only use the weapon on cougar for which your big game tag was valid for during those seasons. But in other areas of the state you could still use any weapon during the entire fall general season.

I tried to relay my general discontent to the right people about this situation over the last few years, and I will assume others did as well, because simplification has taken place. But for those who have not sat down and really read up on the current regs every year, they may not have even realized there were limitations to which weapon could be used, at which time, in which areas, because when they get their rifle bear tag they also are given a cougar tag, and I can tell you from much experience in this area that many agents selling the tags do not know the laws and they are telling hunters they can take a cougar while rifle hunting for bear in Sept. I contstantly have to explain to hunters (in the areas where it applied) that they could only use their cougar tag in Sept. if they were using archery equipment. If they were acustomed to laws in a different area they thought they could use a rifle anytime during the fall general cougar season.

I consider this to be too complicated when the people selling the licenses are telling the hunters to shoot bear in Sept with a rifle in the areas where it is not allowed.

Now, this year the entire state is more consistent and hopefully license dealers will get the facts straight.

Why my concern......there are numerous enforcement agents who purposely target the unsuspecting hunter.......they take advantage of JOE HUNTER who may not read all the fine print in the regs and who relies on what he is told when he purchases his license......to me this is not right.....but there are agents who write as many tickets as possible....they are not trying to help and advise basically innocent people to stay within the law.....they are instead looking to write tickets.

In my opinion, unless biology dictates otherwise, seasons should be as simple as possible for everyone to understand so that the average JOE HUNTER does not fall into the catch 22's...and a big fat wildlife ticket.

[boneaddict]

I'm surprised they didn't make bear archery only for the month of September as well.  Maybe they did, I have to admit I have't scrutinized the new regs yet. 

[luvtohnt]

Or maybe we as hunters need to learn to read the regs every year because there are always changes made11

Brandon

[whacker1]

I'm surprised they didn't make bear archery only for the month of September as well.  Maybe they did, I have to admit I have't scrutinized the new regs yet.

I didn't see anything regarding bear by archery during archery deer and elk seasons.

I understand the intent of doing what they have done with Cougars, but the number of Cougar's taken from the population will be less under the new system than in year's prior.  overall the number of Cougars in the state must by significantly higher than prior to the removal of baiting and dogs several years ago.  I can't think that this will help bring the Cougar population in check.

Oh well, I guess if there are less cougars taken in the early seasons, it will be more likely for me to see one during the muzzleloader and modern seasons.  Sorry, but this is the only positive I see out of the change.

[boneaddict]

BIggest hit I see are the legit predator hunters that are calling bear in the fall.  You can often bring in a cat.  I guess you will have to call with abow at your side.....but then what...can you have a rifle and a bow if you are legitimately hunting cats and bear, or do you choose...then are you suspect for carrying a bow for predators during an archery elk and deer season, but really you are hunting bear and cats.  I'm just being hypothetical as I will have my bow and if I see a cat, he is toast. 

[7mag.]

You have to choose before you leave the truck, what you are hunting and with what weapon.

[luvtohnt]

whacker1,
It is hard to do population estimations on a predominately nocturnal animal. They figure their population from a method using female harvest numbers. So essentially the more females killed the lower the population is. There has to be some kind of scientific correlation or they would not use this method. All it means is that the cat population will plateau and maybe climb a little in the next few years and then maybe we could bring the dogs back since it is proof that boot hunting is more devastating than hounds on the population.

 

BIggest hit I see are the legit predator hunters that are calling bear in the fall.  You can often bring in a cat.  I guess you will have to call with abow at your side.....but then what...can you have a rifle and a bow if you are legitimately hunting cats and bear, or do you choose...then are you suspect for carrying a bow for predators during an archery elk and deer season, but really you are hunting bear and cats.  I'm just being hypothetical as I will have my bow and if I see a cat, he is toast. 

Just use your bow for both!!

Brandon

[boneaddict]

Plan too.  Wolves will thin out some cats if that makes you feel any better about their population. 

[bearpaw]

That's Baiting

I would consider boneaddict's last comment to be baiting, you are just baiting us into a new controversial discussion..............LOL

[bearpaw]

OK Bait Taken....

During the park study on cats, not that most of us don't already suspect this, but through the wolf feces samples taken in the park area, there is now conclusive evidence that wolves do indeed feast on everything they can get there teeth into, including cats and bear....but do not expect that to be reported or written about anytime soon in the media.

Another interesting tidbit, by monitoring wildlife movement via telemetry collars on many different animals, it has been observed that when wolves move into a drainage, everything else begins moving out in every direction......I would assume to put distance between themselves and the wolves.

Sadly....wolves wouldn't be so bad if they were managed as promised in the beginning....our friends to the north get along with them, but they are managed and not alowed to reproduce to unacceptable population levels....definitely shows the AR's agenda.

Right now wolves are pretty hungry in central Idaho due to overpopulation in the area, that's why they are showing up everywhere else looking for food.