Cougar Moved into the area

[Full Curl Earl]

What are the allowances given to ranchers, does the formal language say you can kill anything with canines that looks suspicious? This Cat may just be on the move and passing through. I kind of thought the whole reason for compensation was because your not permitted to kill the big predators on sight. So if most ranchers are killing big predators on sight, why the heck am i paying anybody?There seems to be an awful lot of scared people when it comes to cats and there's worst ways to die. The city is mostly safe from 4 legged predators, and rents are down.

[Grizzly Adams]

Originally Posted by Full Curl Earl

What are the allowances given to ranchers, does the formal language say you can kill anything with canines that looks suspicious? This Cat may just be on the move and passing through. I kind of thought the whole reason for compensation was because your not permitted to kill the big predators on sight. So if most ranchers are killing big predators on sight, why the heck am i paying anybody?There seems to be an awful lot of scared people when it comes to cats and there's worst ways to die. The city is mostly safe from 4 legged predators, and rents are down.

Living in an area where cougars and cougar problems have escalated dramatically, we have a right to be a little more concerned, more than cows at stake for us.

Grizz

[creeky]

Originally Posted by DJS

Just to be clear...you're saying cougars don't ever present a problem for farmers?

not at all- and zero, as in no problemo taking a cat or other predator out when it is targeting livestock. zero problemo with compensation for farmers losses.

OP had two cat sightings in short order and it more than likely was close to cover and had a wild ungulate down. two sightings under those circumstances is no reasonable justification to turn trigger happy on a cat doin what healthy cat's do.

[Bigstone]

Has anyone ever heard of a cougar killing a cow? I never have or even heard of it and I 've hunted and been around them for over fifty years.

[Grizzly Adams]

Originally Posted by Bigstone

Has anyone ever heard of a cougar killing a cow? I never have or even heard of it and I 've hunted and been around them for over fifty years.

Think they prefer calves, seen some pretty mutilated horses though. One attack out near Haynes a short while ago. They learn to hunt one type of prey successfully and that becomes their preference, same as bears. They get fixated on small dogs, like one cat did and you have a problem, well maybe not.

Grizz

[Bigstone]

[QUOTE=Grizzly Adams;3583709]Think they prefer calves, seen some pretty mutilated horses though. One attack out near Haynes a short while ago. They learn to hunt one type of prey successfully and that becomes their preference, same as bears. They get fixated on small dogs, like one cat did and you have a problem, well maybe not. Grizzly Quote:Never heard of a calf either but colts and the various ponies plus sheep are prime prey. Llamas and goats are also appreciated as are dogs and cats. Much like wolves they do develop prey preferences.

In the last study done west of Sundre/Rocky a huge old tom killed eighteen mature horses [feral] in the course of three years. Also know of a mature cow moose killed.

[Bushrat]

Originally Posted by Bigstone

In the last study done west of Sundre/Rocky a huge old tom killed eighteen mature horses [feral] in the course of three years. Also know of a mature cow moose killed.

What a dumb cat, doing it the hard way, if he had any brains he would do like all the other mountain lions do and take easy prey like calves, pigs, chickens, Siamese kittens, purse dogs, unicorns and Japanese tourists.

[kman35ca]

I know the rancher I got permission to hunt on his land hated the Cougars down south east here. He has lost a few livestock. Plus he said while out on his land. He found in total 16 Mulie Bucks taken right after the rut when they are weak and trying to recoup for the winter. He has quite the amount of land though. But that being said. He straight up said, you see a cougar, shoot it. I think in some places their numbers are quite high, and maybe need some thinning out. Different areas, may dictate different responses though.

[Grizzly Adams]

compensation for farmers losses.

As in all things government, compensation doesn't cover actual loss. Horses aren't even covered.

http://aep.alberta.ca/fish-wildlife/...n-program.aspx

Grizz

[Bigstone]

"16 mulie bucks taken after the rut" , and how many did he miss? No does or fawns? Shoot em on sight!

Real wild west, wow!

[pa_of_6]

Originally Posted by Grizzly Adams

compensation for farmers losses.

As in all things government, compensation doesn't cover actual loss. Horses aren't even covered.

http://aep.alberta.ca/fish-wildlife/...n-program.aspx

Grizz

And you have to find the kill...ever try and find a kill on 1000 acres of land??

Only time you really know how many you lost is at round up time.

And even if you find the kill, you have to some how prove it was a wildlife kill.
Seems like the Fish and Wildlife guys are paying it out of their own wages.

Haven't seen the cougar for awhile. Been checking the cows and they seem pretty quiet, so I am hoping that means no dead calves.

[Bigstone]

Originally Posted by pa_of_6

And you have to find the kill...ever try and find a kill on 1000 acres of land??

Only time you really know how many you lost is at round up time.

And even if you find the kill, you have to some how prove it was a wildlife kill.
Seems like the Fish and Wildlife guys are paying it out of their own wages.

Haven't seen the cougar for awhile. Been checking the cows and they seem pretty quiet, so I am hoping that means no dead calves.

You have seen cattle spooked up by cougars? And seen proven calf kills? Cougars are not like wolves and disturb the animals they hunt.

[Full Curl Earl]

Landowners getting money from "Hunters" when a wild animal kills livestock, is one of those concepts I can't wrap my head around. Comments like
"Seems like the Fish and Wildlife guys are paying it out of their own pockets" has a smell of Entitlement. Heck, they should be real tight with that money, afterall, I paid for it with my hard earned money, and every hunter in Alberta did. If a rancher is aloud, and it's condoned on here all the time, to "Shoot, Shovel and Shut up", then what's this whole payment plan for?
And I'm a landowner! If payments went to only those that permitted hunting, then it makes sense that a Hunting organization help recoup costs as a thank you for letting hunters access.

[Bigstone]

Compensation should come from general revenue not sportsmen's pockets. If there is not a confirmed "kill" it didn't happen. Not all livestock that dies is killed by predators. Such is life.

Shooting on sight can condition wolves and coyotes but not poor dumb old cats, they just get shot to pacify one element of the public....to make the world a better place.

[Talking moose]

I'm actually amazed that a cougar sighting thread that has ran 3 pages without someone stating they were planted there to control deer herds. Bravo forum members!!!!!!

[The Spruce]

Originally Posted by Talking moose

I'm actually amazed that a cougar sighting thread that has ran 3 pages without someone stating they were planted there to control deer herds. Bravo forum members!!!!!!

They plant plenty of them in Cook County to control Buck numbers. Seen it myself before, it was like that "from dusk till dawn" movie...but without the vampires.

Spruce

[Grizzly Adams]

Originally Posted by Talking moose

I'm actually amazed that a cougar sighting thread that has ran 3 pages without someone stating they were planted there to control deer herds. Bravo forum members!!!!!!

Town of Sundre could use a couple. Oh wait, they've been showing up on their own.

Grizz

[DJS]

Originally Posted by The Spruce

They plant plenty of them in Cook County to control Buck numbers. Seen it myself before, it was like that "from dusk till dawn" movie...but without the vampires.

Spruce

That's not bad lol

[sage 13]

Originally Posted by pa_of_6

And you have to find the kill...ever try and find a kill on 1000 acres of land??

Only time you really know how many you lost is at round up time.

And even if you find the kill, you have to some how prove it was a wildlife kill.
Seems like the Fish and Wildlife guys are paying it out of their own wages.

Haven't seen the cougar for awhile. Been checking the cows and they seem pretty quiet, so I am hoping that means no dead calves.

For me that is part of the problem, when you say only time you really know how many you lost is at round up time. Then if any are lost you really don't no what killed them, so just looking for some thing to blame it on.
IMO randomly shooting any cougar you see is not a good thing and in many cases shooting the wrong cat is causing more problems.
Some make it sound like when every there is a cougar around or spotted it is out stalking or hunting women and children this is probably not the case in most instances either, and again shooting the wrong one could cause more problems.
A quick goggle search should that over a 15 year period 23 people were killed by cows in Canada so it looks like they are more dangerous then cats, and people are being afraid of the wrong animal.

[buck12]

s.s.s. A mature cat likes to eat and you have the buffet. You are allowed to protect your livestock. End of story