Cougars dying from bird flu

[JimmyHoffa]

Two cougars have been confirmed to have died from avian influenza.  No telling how many in the mountains are dying.
https://www.myclallamcounty.com/2024/12/20/two-cougars-on-olympic-peninsula-die-from-bird-flu/

[boneaddict]

Sweet!    Now if Parvo would take out a couple hundred wolves we'd get some where

[Bareback]

Release the birds!

[Blacktail Sniper]

Or another reason (excuse) for the Commission to further reduce take or even close season all together under their any mortality rule...

[boneaddict]

If you die in a car accident but have covid at the time, did you die from Covid or the car accident?   Are the cats starving because there are no prey animals left due to their lousy predator management and in their weakened state caught the flu, or did having the flu cause them to starve to death.   I wonder which makes a more exciting headline

[duckmen1]

Or another reason (excuse) for the Commission to further reduce take or even close season all together under their any mortality rule...

Bingo the end of hunting agenda is just beginning. Although it has been in the works for years. They are trying to grasp any angle they can to outlaw hunting. Openly and quietly on different angles.

[greenhead_killer]

If you die in a car accident but have covid at the time, did you die from Covid or the car accident?   Are the cats starving because there are no prey animals left due to their lousy predator management and in their weakened state caught the flu, or did having the flu cause them to starve to death.   I wonder which makes a more exciting headline

this is probably the most realistic scenario, but they’d never admit that.

[Humptulips]

If you die in a car accident but have covid at the time, did you die from Covid or the car accident?   Are the cats starving because there are no prey animals left due to their lousy predator management and in their weakened state caught the flu, or did having the flu cause them to starve to death.   I wonder which makes a more exciting headline

Yes!

[HUNTIN4SIX]

Probably overpopulation.  So many dam cats in this state they can’t partake in social distancing.   

[Jake Dogfish]

If you die in a car accident but have covid at the time, did you die from Covid or the car accident?   Are the cats starving because there are no prey animals left due to their lousy predator management and in their weakened state caught the flu, or did having the flu cause them to starve to death.   I wonder which makes a more exciting headline

[elkrack]

Sweet!    Now if Parvo would take out a couple hundred wolves we'd get some where

Amen!

[hunter399]

Or another reason (excuse) for the Commission to further reduce take or even close season all together under their any mortality rule...

Agree totally

[Pegasus]

If you die in a car accident but have covid at the time, did you die from Covid or the car accident?   Are the cats starving because there are no prey animals left due to their lousy predator management and in their weakened state caught the flu, or did having the flu cause them to starve to death.   I wonder which makes a more exciting headline

If you died in this state in a car accident and tested positive for covid with a test that was designed to give false positives after numerous searches, you were classified as a covid death. I suspect since bird flu is the new covid scare that any dead cougar that is tested with a questionable test would be classified as dying from bird flu.

[Platensek-po]

I don’t know. There were massive die offs of sea lions and elephant seals in South America due to avian influenza and it’s now definitely panzootic. Seems to be pretty rough on humans when they get it too but rare. Might be a little early to be celebrating a disease that can jump species and be transported so easily.

https://www.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/news/catastrophic-mortality-elephant-seals-argentina-identified-outbreak-avian-influenza

[7mmfan]

I don’t know. There were massive die offs of sea lions and elephant seals in South America due to avian influenza and it’s now definitely panzootic. Seems to be pretty rough on humans when they get it too but rare. Might be a little early to be celebrating a disease that can jump species and be transported so easily.

https://www.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/news/catastrophic-mortality-elephant-seals-argentina-identified-outbreak-avian-influenza

Maybe this is the answer to our Sea Lion and Seal problem around here? The steelhead and salmon sure would appreciate it.

[KNOPHISH]

Fake news? Panthera working behind the scenes to get cat hunting stopped? I’ll bet in cahoots with Lorna.

[hunter399]

Fake news? Panthera working behind the scenes to get cat hunting stopped? I’ll bet in cahoots with Lorna.

Yup yup.
These cats most likely got it from too much human interaction.
For Christ sake they have pet names for them.

[Bareback]

This could be another pandemic in the works. Inslee may deem another shut down necessary before he leaves office. 

But don't be worried, if Dimslee doesn’t come throughout we now have Side Show Bob, hand job bob or what ever his name is keep us under control.

[fishngamereaper]

Panthera is involved so ya .. being skeptical of "died from" is my first reaction.

[JimmyHoffa]

If bird flu is getting cougars, then I would guess bobcats are getting it by about triple.  Bears are probably immune given some of the junk they eat.

[Roslyn Rambler]

Two cougars have been confirmed to have died from avian influenza.  No telling how many in the mountains are dying.
https://www.myclallamcounty.com/2024/12/20/two-cougars-on-olympic-peninsula-die-from-bird-flu/

Quote from the article

"It’s unknown how many cougars live on the peninsula. They’re notoriously difficult to track and study. But as of this time last year, there were over 90 collared cougars on the Olympic Peninsula thanks to the Olympic Cougar Project, a collaboration between Panthera"

The "Olympic Peninsula" is 3600 square miles

Let's assume they have captured and collared every single lion living on that landscape.

The article says, "Over 90"

But let's just use 90

That's 1 cougar for every 40 square miles

Biologist's all agree that a female lion needs / uses 50 to 150 square miles to survive, a male lion, even more

I can just imagine a town hall meeting and some attendees do the quick math and ask the panel...

"So, what your saying is that the OVER 90 collared cougars living on the 3600 square miles of the peninsula equates to OVER 1 lion per 40 square miles"

Answer

"Ummm...well no, not really, you can't really look at it so simply. It's more complicated than that"

[Katmai Guy]

Shows that the " best science available" is sh!t.

[CarbonHunter]

I am concerned about the bird flu when it comes to the ducks, grouse and other birds we hunt. The ducks are currently migrating spreading the flu all over the country and they claim it is very deadly to birds.

If we see a mass die off of the game birds this winter and spring it will put a heck of a damper on bird hunting next year and for the years to come.

[bigmacc]

Sweet!    Now if Parvo would take out a couple hundred wolves we'd get some where

Two thumbs up bone!

I’ll leave it there.

[ASHQUACK]

Saw a news story tonight where the big cat rescue in Shelton lost 21 (not positive on the number) big cats to the virus. The rest are in quarantine.

[HntnFsh]

Breaks my heart! 

[Humptulips]

I noticed a few things since reading this story. I threw a few skinned carcasses out in the front yard (trapper) and usually they are cleaned up in a day. Always a lot of crows and ravens around here patrolling my yard. Now nothing. A hawk did come in and was having a bite but no crows or ravens. Also, out in the woods I'm not seeing many birds. Varied Thrush are usually out in force in the winter. only seen a couple. This could be pretty bad for birds especially those that flock.
 

[boneaddict]

It sure isn’t hurting the Starling population at all.

[Loup Loup]

Humptulips: I’m guessing from the sounds of it you don’t get many trick or treaters,
or salesmen coming to your door either.

[Blacktail Sniper]

Humptulips: I’m guessing from the sounds of it you don’t get many trick or treaters,
or salesmen coming to your door either.

 

[HighlandLofts]

It would be nice if there was a game department strain.

[hunter399]

No worries from me.
Can't hunt them anyway.
No skin in the game. It was already said In this topic.
Just another excuse to take cougar hunting away.