Mont. Governor Killed Collared Mountain Lion

Mont. Governor Killed Collared Mountain Lion Outside Yellowstone
Animal hunted by Gianforte, who has a license to do so, had been chased up tree by hounds first

(Newser) – On Tuesday, Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte announced the 150th anniversary of Yellowstone National Park, praising its beauty and wonder. It's also the same day the governor showed up in a different headline, this one involving his killing of a mountain lion that wandered outside the protected areas of that same park. NBC News notes it's illegal to hunt in Yellowstone itself, but animals who leave the park's limits for unprotected land in Montana, as well as in neighboring Idaho and Wyoming, are fair game—and Gianforte apparently capitalized on the opportunity in late December by shooting a mountain lion that had been chased up a tree by hounds.

Mont. Governor Killed Collared Mountain Lion Outside Yellowstone

This will upset animal rights contingent.

For me - No comments = No Dings

That seems to be the standard lion hunting procedure.
We were camping in an AZ National Forest, when a Bluetick hound wearing a radio collar wandered up. Hubby gave it some food and water, and it settled in with us. Later, a pickup with a bed box full of hounds arrived. He explained the hunt while he retrieved the dog.
He was a paid guide. He would drive his client around the back country until a few of the dogs picked up the scent. He'd release those dogs and follow them. The dogs still in the truck would get the scent, he'd call in the tired dogs and release fresh ones. The process gets repeated until the exhausted cat stops running and climbs a tree. He drives to the tree where the client shoots the exhausted animal off a branch. The guide said his clients had killed 58 lions in the last year.

Sent from my motorola one 5G using Tapatalk

We like our big cats in So Cal. Private and state money is being used to build an overpass across a major freeway so they can cross into the mountains and quit getting run over by cars. All known lions in LA County are collared, have names, and are tracked.

Hunting lions with dogs is 100% legal here. I think them and coyotes is about all you can use dog on except birds. You can not bait hunt hut them or most other game here. There are various regions and various regs, seasons and licenses. Works on an area quota system. You take a lion you must report it in a short period of time. When the quota approaches it limit they will announce a closure date.
You can down load the regulations here Hunt By Species: Mountain Lion | Montana FWP

You can also check the status of an area quota. Most areas have not filled their quotas and are still open.

Montana also has a wolf season. There is a limit of 10 per person trapping AND 10 per person trapping for 20 total, Butt, it isn't easy and nobody gets that many. This years total harvest is 252. There was only supposed to be so many breeding pairs when they were introduced, now there are an estimated 1000-1200 adults? Wolves are also done by an area quota and so far only one area has had its quota filled. You can legally shot a wolf (and coyotes and fox) from a plane here to. You can now also bait wolves. It is just not easy. They even use helicopters for coyote control around her and their are just as many every years .

I believe most rancher use a SSS permit on wolves and lions, Shoot, shovel, and shut up.

My brother and I were given a hard time for NOT shooting a lion on private, posted land and he got called out for doing the same on a wolf. But, out policy is if you won't let us shoot "your" deer or elk we sure are not going to kill your predators for you.

The one thing that would bug me about this story is this, which is denied, but there may well be something to it.

"Some locals are complaining that the mountain lion was kept in the tree for a couple of hours until Gianforte arrived to harvest it; Stroyke denies that happened."

Since Oregon banned dogs, cougar numbers are way up. Hunting with dogs is really the only effective way to get cougars out here, but the dogs and the houndsman are doing all the work, and the "hunter" should at least be tagging along for the chase. Waltzing in later after the lion is fixed and taking a leisurely 30-feet shot at a stationary target ain't much "hunting", especially on trophy animals where it's not just about getting meat most efficiently.

So, what's the best handgun caliber for mountain lions? What about magazine capacity? Sorry, couldn't resist.

So did the Gov do a legal shot or nay?
Looks like a Double Header, smear the Gov and Hunting with one story.
44 Magnum, big solid bullet.
That's what I'll arrive wearing.

James K said:

We like our big cats in So Cal. Private and state money is being used to build an overpass across a major freeway so they can cross into the mountains and quit getting run over by cars. All known lions in LA County are collared, have names, and are tracked.

Click to expand...

And the big cats enjoy a snack every once in a while like a jogger, biker or back woods hiker.

The truth of the matter is; If they are not hunted or pursued by dogs/humans they begin to loose their fear and that's when you start having problems. Chasing big cats is good for them and humans!

What Gov. Gianforte did was legal and I say good for him!

THE PILGRIM said:

44 Magnum, big solid bullet.
That's what I'll arrive wearing.

Click to expand...

Overkill.
Houndsman I've known shoots them with a .22 Magnum to minimize pelt damage. I've seen his videos. One shot, the lion drops like a ripe apple.

steelslaver said:

Hunting lions with dogs is 100% legal here. I think them and coyotes is about all you can use dog on except birds. You can not bait hunt hut them or most other game here. There are various regions and various regs, seasons and licenses. Works on an area quota system. You take a lion you must report it in a short period of time. When the quota approaches it limit they will announce a closure date.

Click to expand...

Similar setup in Arizona. In certain areas, lion control is an important component of maintaining the desert bighorn population.

Absalom said:

Overkill.
Houndsman I've known shoots them with a .22 Magnum to minimize pelt damage. I've seen his videos. One shot, the lion drops like a ripe apple.

Click to expand...

That's how a like to take griz...that and a Kbar.

Hounds also legal here in NM.
Here are the legal weapons-
Hound hunting is allowed. Mountain lions may be hunted with center-fire rifles and handguns, 28 gauge or larger shotguns, muzzle-loading rifles, bows, and crossbows. The State Game Commission sets New Mexico's "mortality limit".
Looks like the 22 Mag not allowed.

I am not a big fan of our governor. While I agree with most of his positions, he is a carpet baggier who moved in from out of state, bought his candidacy from the right party. We have a representative that has similar back ground. In a small population state it happens.

The lion having a collar is not an issue, know guys who have shot collared animal and you just have to report it.

But, it would not surprise me to find he waited somewhere comfortably till summoned. You might find out if you sat on the right bar stools, but anyone involved would never make a statement.

Not so with an elk he shot. On Oct. 28, 2000, a Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks game warden cited him for unlawfully killing a elk without brow tines in a brow tine only area. He was also given a warning by Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks (FWP) after reportedly trapping and killing a wolf this February while not having the proper education certification, a violation of state hunting laws.

We also had a ex governor get nailed for poaching some elk with out of state buddies in the 1970s.

Montana politicians playing loose with the rules is hardly new.

In 1890 Montana copper king William Clark got tossed out of the US Senate when they proved he paid off almost all of state legislators to get elected back before the 17th amendment. He did manage to go back the 1899 and stay there

None of them hold a candle to Thomas Francis Meagher who had been convicted sedition in England as a Irish separatist, he was first sentenced to death, but was then transported to Tasmania for a life sentence. He escaped in 1852, went to New York and in the Civil war he became a Union General, then became our first territorial governor in 1868

Running hounds is really that, running with the animals and keeping up. Once treed the cat will stay and the dogs will have to be pulled off or they will stay. Would it surprise me that a 60 year old man would not be out constantly running with the dog men? Not in the least.
To believe that mountain lions only exist in the Park and not in most of the State is extremely short sight IMO.

mtgianni said:

Running hounds is really that, running with the animals and keeping up. Once treed the cat will stay and the dogs will have to be pulled off or they will stay. Would it surprise me that a 60 year old man would not be out constantly running with the dog men? Not in the least.
To believe that mountain lions only exist in the Park and not in most of the State is extremely short sight IMO.

Click to expand...

All true. I have run across lion tracks all over the state. They show up right here in town from time to time. They figure there are 6000 of them in Montana. But, they are very secretive, sneaky and difficult to actually see so there could well be moire than they think.

I do not want to shoot a mountain lion, or any other creature for that matter. I'm just not a hunter. I do enjoy seeing them while out in their habitat, though. Mountain lions aren't exactly thick on the ground out here, but they exist. I've only spotted three in my nearly 62 years in the area. One while hiking and two while driving.

It's perfectly legal to hunt them here, and I have no issue with those who do. I just have no interest in doing so myself. I have killed a few rattlesnakes in my yard and one in my in-laws yard, though. While hiking rattlesnakes get a pass but not in my yard where my family or dogs can be bitten.

Is this story true, or is he lyin' about it?

I'll let myself out.

Bekeart said:

Mont. Governor Killed Collared Mountain Lion Outside Yellowstone
Animal hunted by Gianforte, who has a license to do so, had been chased up tree by hounds first

(Newser) – On Tuesday, Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte announced the 150th anniversary of Yellowstone National Park, praising its beauty and wonder. It's also the same day the governor showed up in a different headline, this one involving his killing of a mountain lion that wandered outside the protected areas of that same park. NBC News notes it's illegal to hunt in Yellowstone itself, but animals who leave the park's limits for unprotected land in Montana, as well as in neighboring Idaho and Wyoming, are fair game—and Gianforte apparently capitalized on the opportunity in late December by shooting a mountain lion that had been chased up a tree by hounds.

Mont. Governor Killed Collared Mountain Lion Outside Yellowstone

This will upset animal rights contingent.

For me - No comments = No Dings

Click to expand...

"… but animals WHO leave the park …"

Really? A little anthropomorphism anyone?

Absalom said:

The one thing that would bug me about this story is this,Waltzing in later after the lion is fixed and taking a leisurely 30-feet shot at a stationary target ain't much "hunting", especially on trophy animals where it's not just about getting meat most efficiently.

Click to expand...

Could not agree more. Shooting treed animals for a wall hanger goes against everything I was taught as a young hunter.

Seeing a wild mountain lion is extremely rare even when you are looking for one. Let me ask you this. How many days have you spend walking around in the woods. How many lions have you actually seen?? Oh yes and lots of areas you will need to verify sex before you can kill one too.

I have spend a lot of time in areas where there are lions. I spend at least 3 weeks a year camping in lion country. I have seen lots and lots of lion tracks. But, I go years between one actual sighting and another. I see wolves more often than lions and there are 6 times as many lions here as wolves.

I have had hunted in Montana all my life. and had very very few opportunities where I could have shot a lion. I have never bought a tag. If I wanted a lion, I would find someone with lion dogs. A guided lion hunt is from $5-8,000, About the same as a guide elk hunt, where a guide takes you out finds you an elk to shoot. Just how sporting is that. All you do is walk and shoot, just exactly like the lion hunter. Oh, the lion is in a tree and the elk is 300yds away, Big deal.