Franklin teen unfazed by note condemning lion hunt

[Kayucian]

104. A little history...

It was 2007 when the first evidence of a reproducing puma population surfaced in the Pine Ridge National Forest of Nebraska. After having been eradicated east of the Mississippi, this is the farthest east such a population is now known to exist in the United States. A mere six years and 15-22 cats later, and the nine Nebraska Game & Parks Commissioners declare a killing season. Joining 15 year old Holden Bruce is Tom Ferry who paid $13,500 through auction to indiscriminately kill one of these rare big cats. Both will be able to track them down with dogs, no less. Deplorable. They have January 1st through February 14th all to themselves, and then 100 other lottery winners will be set loose on February 15th through March 31st, sans the dogs.

Former State Senator LeRoy Louden of Ellsworth was presented with a kill permit by Nebraska Game & Parks' director, Jim Douglas. It was a sort of honorary reward for introducing and shepherding his puma "hunting" bill, LB928 (http://www.nebraskalegislature.gov/bills/view_bill.php?DocumentID=15917) through to its final conclusion.

This fragile, isolated population has caused zero conflicts with people. The premise of such management practices are deeply flawed, being out-of-date with current science, regardless. Puma are a highly territorial and self-regulating species. Indiscriminate killing can actually increase conflict as revealed by one of the longest-running peer reviewed studies on puma to date:

"If an adult male cougar dies or is killed – by a hunter, for instance – the territory is left undefended and younger male cougars will move in. Often two or more younger cats enter the territory formerly occupied by a single adult male. Because cougars don’t develop their territorial instincts until they are about 4 years old, the younger cougars may occupy overlapping ranges for a few years, resulting in a higher local cougar population, and increasing the potential for interactions with livestock and humans." - (http://methowvalleynews.com/2013/07/31/managing-the-big-cats/)

Effects of Sport Hunting on Cougar Population, Community, and Landscape Ecology - (

)

Another great article acknowledging this research, and comparing data in California, where puma have not been sport hunted since 1972, with neighboring states that continue to allow such killing: (http://newwest.net/topic/article/oregons_assumptions_on_cougar_hunting_misplaced/C564/L564/)

So, once again "hunting" predators is not only unethical. It is also unnecessary and perhaps even harmful, potentially disrupting the local ecosystem and increasing conflict with Homo sapiens.