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<blockquote data-quote="Wildyote" data-source="post: 84123" data-attributes="member: 2259"><p>I have no problem having a few mountain lions running around in North Dakota but the problem lies that cats here in North Dakota form tighter clusters unlike cats do in primary/optimum habitat in other states in the west.&nbsp; The concentrated populations decimate deer populations in these areas and cats move to the next area with a good population of deer and wipe those out.&nbsp; The game and fish needs to recognize that landowner/rancher tolerance of mountain lions is important.&nbsp; If this tolerance is not recognized by NDGF gates close and cats die anyways.&nbsp; There hasn't been extreme livestock losses from mountain lions yet but cats have a habit of circling cattle herds and winding them up which causes fence damage, lower conception rates, lower weaning weights, and ect.&nbsp; There has been some calves and foals lost by cats in the past ten years but they are not as tough on livestock as wolves or grizzlies.&nbsp; I have seen areas in the Badlands that have had the mule deer population almost completely wiped out.&nbsp; These areas can be somewhat small such as just a ranch or 2 or can be the size of several townships.&nbsp; The primary reason the NDGF is looking at lowering the main quota/season because it has not been met the last several years.&nbsp; The reason it has not been met because there are no mule deer doe hunters and fewer buck hunters out in the badlands for 2.5 weeks every fall.&nbsp; The majority of the harvest came from deer hunters incidentally harvesting cats during deer season.</p></blockquote><p></p>

[QUOTE="Wildyote, post: 84123, member: 2259"] I have no problem having a few mountain lions running around in North Dakota but the problem lies that cats here in North Dakota form tighter clusters unlike cats do in primary/optimum habitat in other states in the west. The concentrated populations decimate deer populations in these areas and cats move to the next area with a good population of deer and wipe those out. The game and fish needs to recognize that landowner/rancher tolerance of mountain lions is important. If this tolerance is not recognized by NDGF gates close and cats die anyways. There hasn't been extreme livestock losses from mountain lions yet but cats have a habit of circling cattle herds and winding them up which causes fence damage, lower conception rates, lower weaning weights, and ect. There has been some calves and foals lost by cats in the past ten years but they are not as tough on livestock as wolves or grizzlies. I have seen areas in the Badlands that have had the mule deer population almost completely wiped out. These areas can be somewhat small such as just a ranch or 2 or can be the size of several townships. The primary reason the NDGF is looking at lowering the main quota/season because it has not been met the last several years. The reason it has not been met because there are no mule deer doe hunters and fewer buck hunters out in the badlands for 2.5 weeks every fall. The majority of the harvest came from deer hunters incidentally harvesting cats during deer season. [/QUOTE]

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