Too many predators ... opinions?

[11Charlie]

immediate eradication of all "dangerous predators".

That wouldn't screw up the echo system at all!

 

[Medic!]

Get rid of them. Why?
They make a pretty good argument to liberals that don't feel we need guns?

For some reason being surrounded by murdering robbing humans doesn't scare them.

 

[MikeInOr]

That wouldn't screw up the echo system at all!

Did you read the rest of my post? I feel sorry for anyone that looses a loved one in any manner... but I thought I made it very clear that I think there is way too low of a population of predators! There are not enough cougars, bob cats, cyotes, etc. to control the population of deer, rabbits and other game which is causing quite an ecological problem in Central Oregon.

 

[BigDanS]

Let's get back on subject. I do not think any reasonable person thinks all predators should be eliminated. I am asking if at this time the population us too large? If Redmond has too many deer, can the same be said everywhere? In Florida the deer population is down due to too many bears, gators, panthers, etc.

 

[11Charlie]

Did you read the rest of my post? I feel sorry for anyone that looses a loved one in any manner... but I thought I made it very clear that I think there is way too low of a population of predators! There are not enough cougars, bob cats, cyotes, etc. to control the population of deer and rabbits which is causing quite an ecological problem.

guess I didn't make it that far!

 

[MikeInOr]

Call me! I need some venison.

I would love to!!!!!!! Too bad it is illegal for a land owner to harvest the meat from game that drops dead on their land... and a huge no-no to kill game on their own land!

I love venison! The way the tag system works I would have to go several hours away to hunt for deer.

 

[The Heretic]

I felt sorry for the victim upon hearing about the death on the news last night. If I was any way related to the victim I would want the immediate eradication of all "dangerous predators".

Living in Central Oregon I view the predator problem a bit differently. Here I feel there is a lack of predators and the deer population has exploded in the last 10 - 15 years. There was a doe on my driveway the other morning that was suckling three fawns. I didn't even think that was possible!?!?!? It blew my mind! The deer population is so thick in my area there is a chronic respiratory illness spreading around the population. In the past 5 years I have had to dispose of 4 dead deer on my property. Not a one of them had a scratch on them. There is no governmental disposal of dead wild animals unless you decide to move the carcass to a public road in the middle of the night... which I do not do.

So if you want to cull the predator population come over and harvest some deer first... a LOT of deer first! You can use my back deck as a stand and I will even buy you a beer... after the rifles have done their job and have been put away!

There are what I assume to be triplets on my mountain. I saw them spring of this year with some does and now they are by themselves - I saw them this week on the road up the mountain.

 

[Coloradocat]

There are so many factors to think about. Like more people in the woods equals more encounters,which increases chances of attack.

Another issue is that some prey animals have learned to live suburbia. A great strategy for deer,they are protected from predators because predators don't want to be around humans.
But eventually they will risk it to eat and if anybody sees a lion in a neighborhood ,it turns into a danger for humans. Fish and game come out to chase or kill it.

In my opinion, there's not too many predators , just an increased chance of encountering them . People love the outdoors and more than ever we are out hiking,camping ,mountain biking ,hunting,ATVing,. Of course there are going to be incidents ,after all when we go to the woods ,we are more in their world ,than they are in ours.

If you have lions running people down in the mall ,well then I'd say you have a lion problem.
But lions attacking 1 person in how many years in their element ,I'd call that a very unfortunate incident.

I'll still like my chances in the woods a hell of a lot more than walking through some of the cities here in colorado

 

[OldBroad44]

My neighborhood is a small residential area a few miles outside of the Corvallis city limits. When I first moved in, the area was so overrun with deer that it was impossible to have a garden without serious fencing. Occasional shots during the day likely usually represented frustrated gardeners killing deer occasionally. However, thats poaching. And hunting garden maurauding deer bucks only deer season only does not solve the problem of all the fat does that have triplets every year. Our neighborhood cougar has improved things quite a bit. There are still too many deer, but nowhere near as many. We find cougar killed deer remains regularly. And people keep their dogs in at night too, which is also an improvement. I no longer keep ducks, so no one in the neighborhood has livestock. The consensus is the cougar is doing a good job, and as long as it stays hidden in daytime and doesnt stalk or threaten anyone, is welcome.

 

[SUPER X]

Recent Mt Hood hiker found dead and suspected victim of cougar attack. Earlier this summer two bicyclists were attacked and one killed.

Are there too many cougars? The wife and I are " discussing intensely". She hikes and is getting fearful, and will not carry a firearm. I say we are in the part of the predator / prey cycle where there are too many predators and not enough prey.

Anyone care to share their learned opinions?

Are cougar, wolf, bear, coyote populations too big for the current elk, deer , prey populations?

D

Are the recent cougar attacks territory based or nutrition for the cougar ?

 

[ma96782]

Are the recent cougar attacks territory based or nutrition for the cougar ?

To a tree hugger......we need to give it all back to NATURE.



Aloha, Mark

 

[MrRob96]

I think this is a non problem for people that come to this site.

Disregarding the fact that cougars generally attack in ambush, carrying a firearm is pretty damn good defense against them.

So we all march into the woods, some of us bringing a defense, and some opposed to those means of defense as unnecessary, immoral, dangerous, whatever.

More of us in the woods with a defense return than those that won't bring defense. This is a natural selection positive result. They love natural selection, let it do it's work.

All the trails up here are clogged with Seattle-ites anyways. Meals on wheels.

 

[edslhead]

Ive still never seen a big cat in the wild and I'm not that young. I bet there's a few have seen me

 

[RVTECH]

So if you want to cull the predator population come over and harvest some deer first... a LOT of deer first! You can use my back deck as a stand and I will even buy you a beer... after the rifles have done their job and have been put away!

I know you are not suggesting poaching as a method of deer control........

There are not enough cougars, bob cats, cyotes, etc. to control the population of deer, rabbits and other game which is causing quite an ecological problem in Central Oregon.

I don't know what part of Redmond you live in but I have lived there since the city limit sign said POP 4,500. While not currently in Redmond (LaPine area now) I used to go to Redmond often to visit people and in all fairness would hear of issues with deer wandering into neighborhoods & subdivisions and residents complaining of their plants & shrubbery being eaten but quite frankly this is more a problem of increased human population moving into the outlying areas as opposed to lack of predators.
Another large problem is people who provide feed for deer and draw them onto their property.
Reality is the number of predators has been increasing steadily, and in the case of cougars the ban on hunting with dogs has dramatically allowed the population to increase. While the 'Wildlife Biologists' report a known population of some 6,000 + I was told by a biologist the number is possibly more like about 12,000 due to inconsistencies in counting.
The bottom line is the deer poopulation has not 'exploded' - actually it is down and the winter year before last actually decimated deer and elk populations dramatically.
What you are seeing is what APPEARS to be a lot of deer because they are going to where the food and safety is as they are adapting to living in the proximity of new housing areas.
Bottom line is all animals are natures' elements and I would suggest a different way of thinking when living with them, considering they were here long before us and sort of have the 'right of way'

the population of deer, rabbits and other game which is causing quite an ecological problem in Central Oregon.

The deer, rabbits and other game are 'causing' quite an 'ecological problem'? Care to explain what 'ecological problem' that would be exactly? Especially the rabbits - Quite frankly I can hardly find enough to make a stew from......

 

[Blowgunner]

So what is the best way a woman should carry if she does not have chl while hiking? if carried open carryno lawful problem? but she'd have to contend with Portlandia antigun types. If carried in a fanny pack, that would be concealed?

Just open carry. Who cares what someone on the trail might think. I carry a .357 on my chest 90% of the time I'm on the trail. This time of year I always have a shotgun in hand on the trail. I come across alot of hikers, and have never had an issue, comment, nothing.

 

[turbo_vanner]

never felt threatened by anything in the woods. Most of the time I go without firearms.

Do it right, and there's not much to worry about.

 

[nammac]

Get rid of them. Why?
They make a pretty good argument to liberals that don't feel we need guns?

For some reason being surrounded by murdering robbing humans doesn't scare them.

Those aren't murdering, robbing humans... Them there are the liberals constituents... Be nice now...

 

[nwslopoke]

I would love to!!!!!!! Too bad it is illegal for a land owner to harvest the meat from game that drops dead on their land... and a huge no-no to kill game on their own land!

I love venison! The way the tag system works I would have to go several hours away to hunt for deer.

So you are saying, people don't really own their property even if it's paid for. Is it true tou can't hunt on your own land without permission?

 

[156256Hunter]

The wild animals are what makes the forest wild. Eliminating predators (if possible) only makes things worse. I would not want backwoods without predators. We would be overrun with prey animals then and the balance would be all out of whack.

Then no need to worry about being overrun by prey animals in E Oregon. Predator numbers way up, elk/deer in E Oregon way down from the late 1990s. Higher numbers of predators mean more run-ins between humans and predators. Fewer prey and more predators could mean hungrier predators start thinking humans might be food.

 

[KKG]

The Kaibab Forest in AZ is a prime example of what can happen when "Man" steps into Mother Natures way. Pedators were nearly all killed off, Game numbers skyrocketed, the Game nearly all died off. It took a Very long time and great amounts of money to bring things back to where it should have been if "Man" had never stuck his nose where it didn't belong. Unfortunately, "Man" still hasn't figured out how to make things work right.