New Info On The Mt Lion Shooting Has Surfaced

[troutfiend1985]

I agree the case should have been filed. I just think it would have died though. Either way the MDC has gotten a black eye.

I don't understand why some continue to spread untrue falshoods about the MDC. They have never denied that the cat's have been in Missouri. Since the first confirmed sighting in 1994, all the MDC has stated is that there is no evidence of a resident breeding pair. I don't understand why that is so hard to understand????

What is hard for me to understand is my phone conversation with the MDC that basically told me either my brother had seen a Yellow Lab instead of a mountain lion or a bobcat. My brother and I are both familiar with bobcats, and my neighbor has a full grown yellow lab, and from what my brother told me there was no way this animal was anything but a mountain lion. The MDC's response was that unless my brother had enough evidence to prove that it was a mountain lion, then the MDC would not conduct an investigation. That's funny to me as I always thought the purpose of an investigation was to gather evidence.

Also, my friend Scott who worked as a greenskeeper at a KC golf course repeatedly called the MDC to have them look at some of the sand traps in which there were large footprints. Scott was an avid outdoorsman and hunted, and knew his tracks very well. Again, he got the explanation that these prints were either a large dog or a bobcat.

So my frustration, and the reason I say that the MDC denies the existence of Mountain Lions is that they are unwilling to investigate possible sightings. Look, my brother only saw one, so I can understand. But please don't insult his intelligence by saying that this was a dog or a bobcat. And why not investigate a sand trap print when you have a very credible person reporting, and someone who only wanted this done so that the course could address the situation? Chief, the MDC has lost its credibility with me on this subject with its inaction, and failing to charge these guys with anything only stirs the pot more with me. Do you understand what I am putting out there?

[Chief Grey Bear]

I don't know what to tell you. I guess you can show your distaste and distrust for this corrupt agency by not purchasing any hunting or fishing permits and by not taking part in those activities.

I wonder if any of us really understand how many of these types of calls they get a week????

[trout fanatic]

Looks like I am one of the few, but I concur with the actions of the MDC in this case. As someone previously mentioned, a trial by peers likely would have ended in an acquittal. Sure, they might have gotten a change of venue (unlikely) but then what would they have gotten. Maybe a "fair" trial by us, who not only tried this redneck (oh yeah, I left out toothless and drunken who shot the cat for braggin rights) but convicted him, found him guilty and castrated him to boot.

Yeah, MDC did the right thing

[Trout Commander]

Would this case have not went in front of a judge?????

What is hard for me to understand is my phone conversation with the MDC that basically told me either my brother had seen a Yellow Lab instead of a mountain lion or a bobcat. My brother and I are both familiar with bobcats, and my neighbor has a full grown yellow lab, and from what my brother told me there was no way this animal was anything but a mountain lion. The MDC's response was that unless my brother had enough evidence to prove that it was a mountain lion, then the MDC would not conduct an investigation. That's funny to me as I always thought the purpose of an investigation was to gather evidence. Also, my friend Scott who worked as a greenskeeper at a KC golf course repeatedly called the MDC to have them look at some of the sand traps in which there were large footprints. Scott was an avid outdoorsman and hunted, and knew his tracks very well. Again, he got the explanation that these prints were either a large dog or a bobcat. So my frustration, and the reason I say that the MDC denies the existence of Mountain Lions is that they are unwilling to investigate possible sightings. Look, my brother only saw one, so I can understand. But please don't insult his intelligence by saying that this was a dog or a bobcat. And why not investigate a sand trap print when you have a very credible person reporting, and someone who only wanted this done so that the course could address the situation? Chief, the MDC has lost its credibility with me on this subject with its inaction, and failing to charge these guys with anything only stirs the pot more with me. Do you understand what I am putting out there?

TF85, I am sure that the MDC did in the beginning, and would still love to investigate most every call but with so many people making however good intended false reports they have to maintain a balance of doing their due diligence of investigative work and spending our tax dollars wisely. Apparently, only investigating the substantiated reports is where the MDC feels they have found that happy median. I completely understand and relate to your sentiment towards the way your brothers report was handled but I also see where the MDC is coming from. I don't blame the MDC for blowing off a lot of the claims. I blame the people that for whatever reason (trying to stay PC here LOL) called in labs and bobcats as mountain lions.

[skeeter]

Are mountain lions a little bit dangerous? Yes. But if we're going to remove everything from society that is dangerous, cars, trains, airplanes, bikes, boats, swimming pools and countless other things in our daily lives would have to go. All those things I mentioned are infinitely more likely to kill you than even a large breeding population of lions. Oh yes, and we'd have to get rid of all the deer too. Those pesky things get in the way of cars all the time-and sometimes kill people. And no fishing either-you might drown!

I am sorry that you are frightened of the infinitely small possibility that a mountain lion will hurt you. But honestly, I think there's a good chance you'll be okay.

Actually I was thinking more about the possibility of small children being jumped. Cougars supposedly won't mess with a "larger" person and I've got that covered.

We thankfully don't have the population density CA does here but old or injured predators will pick on the easiest available prey. They also like to steal trout from wading fishermen....yum....smell that fishy kitty kat ?

I would have bet $1K on some kind of sarcastic reply like yours with an attitude rather than an intelligent discussion. It happens on every board and I win. Again !

[Gary Lange]

Just a question here with me thinking out loud. Couldn't he have just gone up and hooked up the dogs and drug them off to chase the Raccoon he was after in the first place and the Mountain Lion would have climbed down and ran off?

[Wayne SW/MO]

I suspect that the MDC is giving them the benefit of the doubt in this case, but they should have slapped their hands hard for giving a false report. In not doing anything about the falsehoods, they invite people to shoot first and make up a story later.

The overabundance of coyotes is a result of a lack of predators and the deer herd here is just waiting for a extreme winter weather event to devastate the herd.