M D C And Mt. Lion's

[Smalliebigs]

The study is going on now to determine the population size. I was told maybe toward the end of 2012, but I am thinking later. I really don't see any bear sign around here so I doubt if it will be around here. Probably a few bears to start off with in trouble areas of the Ozarks.

There seems to be several bears working the area surrounding St.Francis State Park on HWY 67.There are several true indications of bear right along the hiking trail in the park.I ask the park ranger about all of the trees being shredded and whether that was from deer rubs and he confirmed that no it wasn't deer doing that to the trees, it was Black Bears and that they had several bear sightings in the vicinity.At first he stated the bears around there were quite small and I had nothing to worry about, after a 20 min conversation he admited the bears were much bigger than he first stated.The ranger also stated he new of a first hand account of bear on his brother in laws yard, he stated this. A large boar was sighted on a property owners land on HWY 47 west of Bonne Terre destroying his bird feeders, he took pics and reported the incident to MDC, they investigated and looked at his pics and estimated the boar to be between 400 and 600 pounds.Thats a nice size boar by anyboby's standards for the lower 48.I personally think there are more Black Bears in Missouri than we are beeing led to believe by the MDC.

[flytyer57]

There seems to be several bears working the area surrounding St.Francis State Park on HWY 67.There are several true indications of bear right along the hiking trail in the park.I ask the park ranger about all of the trees being shredded and whether that was from deer rubs and he confirmed that no it wasn't deer doing that to the trees, it was Black Bears and that they had several bear sightings in the vicinity.At first he stated the bears around there were quite small and I had nothing to worry about, after a 20 min conversation he admited the bears were much bigger than he first stated.The ranger also stated he new of a first hand account of bear on his brother in laws yard, he stated this. A large boar was sighted on a property owners land on HWY 47 west of Bonne Terre destroying his bird feeders, he took pics and reported the incident to MDC, they investigated and looked at his pics and estimated the boar to be between 400 and 600 pounds.Thats a nice size boar by anyboby's standards for the lower 48.I personally think there are more Black Bears in Missouri than we are beeing led to believe by the MDC.

??? Bears or Boars ????

[Wayne SW/MO]

Boar=Male. Sow=Female

Yeah 400-600 pounds would definitely be an estimate. We're not talking Grizzlys, right?

[jdmidwest]

Endangered or not you can still protect yourself and your livestock and family.

Not quite, Endangered Species Act brings on a whole new world of protection by the Federal Government. Try shooting a Bald Eagle killing a chicken. The State looses the ability to control, Federal Government takes precedence. The Mountain Lion in Missouri is listed as extirpated, which means it no longer inhabits the area. If it is not here, it needs no protection to maintain a propagating population. Elk are extirpated, as is the wolf, buffalo, and others.

[jdmidwest]

There seems to be several bears working the area surrounding St.Francis State Park on HWY 67.There are several true indications of bear right along the hiking trail in the park.I ask the park ranger about all of the trees being shredded and whether that was from deer rubs and he confirmed that no it wasn't deer doing that to the trees, it was Black Bears and that they had several bear sightings in the vicinity.At first he stated the bears around there were quite small and I had nothing to worry about, after a 20 min conversation he admited the bears were much bigger than he first stated.The ranger also stated he new of a first hand account of bear on his brother in laws yard, he stated this. A large boar was sighted on a property owners land on HWY 47 west of Bonne Terre destroying his bird feeders, he took pics and reported the incident to MDC, they investigated and looked at his pics and estimated the boar to be between 400 and 600 pounds.Thats a nice size boar by anyboby's standards for the lower 48.I personally think there are more Black Bears in Missouri than we are beeing led to believe by the MDC.

It seems like they have moved up the major river systems into MO. One was killed here locally a few years back by a car in the middle of town. Others have been spotted moving up the Mississippi River system. The majority have come out of Arkansas thru the Ozarks and are staying in the wilderness areas of the state. I look forward to what the study produces, it may surprise some of us that we have the bears in our neighborhoods.

[Tim Smith]

Not quite, Endangered Species Act brings on a whole new world of protection by the Federal Government. Try shooting a Bald Eagle killing a chicken. The State looses the ability to control, Federal Government takes precedence. The Mountain Lion in Missouri is listed as extirpated, which means it no longer inhabits the area. If it is not here, it needs no protection to maintain a propagating population. Elk are extirpated, as is the wolf, buffalo, and others.

So now we resent not being able to shoot the national bird? We're not going to find much common ground there.

No part of this discussion has anything to do with the Endangered Species Act. Bald eagles have been de-listed from the Endangered Species Act. They are protected under the Bald Eagle Protection Act and the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (as are all raptors). The Endangered Species Act would only come into play for the re-emergence of mountain lions if that species were endangered across its range....which it is not.

Federal involvement into wildlife management, however, is inevitable and appropriate. They are the most efficient way to manage wildlife that cross state boundaries and someone needs to be accounting for ecologically and economically important natural resources at the national level.

[jdmidwest]

So now we resent not being able to shoot the national bird? We're not going to find much common ground there.

No part of this discussion has anything to do with the Endangered Species Act. Bald eagles have been de-listed from the Endangered Species Act. They are protected under the Bald Eagle Protection Act and the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (as are all raptors). The Endangered Species Act would only come into play for the re-emergence of mountain lions if that species were endangered across its range....which it is not.

Federal involvement into wildlife management, however, is inevitable and appropriate. They are the most efficient way to manage wildlife that cross state boundaries and someone needs to be accounting for ecologically and economically important natural resources at the national level.

How in the world can you make an assumption that I resent the fact that I can't shoot the National Bird out of what I said???? You really need to get off the peyote or whatever grows in the mango forest and read the post.

I merely stated that just because it is damaging your property, you can not automatically kill it based on different levels of protections offered to certain species, ie, the Bald Eagle. You can't go shooting geese in your lake because they are crapping up your boat dock either, they are protected Federally. You have to go thru channels to control them. A Mountain Lion is different, if it is attacking your property or person, you have every right to kill it on the spot, it is a dangerous animal. A Bald Eagle may be a nuisance, but it is not classified as a dangerous animal. And you are right, they have been delisted, but they are protected like all other birds of prey.

[riverrat09]

My feelings with the mountain lions are that most people have a huge misconception on the animal they actually are. They aren't the dangerous people killer that people seem to think they are. And I don't see how the 2 lions that were killed recently were putting any one in enough "danger" to justify killing them.

But with that being said. I don't really feel that Missouri needs to have any mountain lions. And I don't think they should do anything to people that kill them.

[flytyer57]

And I don't think they should do anything to people that kill them.

So should they let those who keep too many fish or undersize fish go too?

Or how about letting the guy who breaks into your house and steals everything you own get off scott free.

Laws were made to be upheld, if we like them or not.

[riverrat09]

So should they let those who keep too many fish or undersize fish go too?

Or how about letting the guy who breaks into your house and steals everything you own get off scott free.

Laws were made to be upheld, if we like them or not.

You're taking what I said out of context. I said that the 2 that were shot were not endangering the people and I don't believe it was justifiable to kill them (In other words I said they broke the law which I fell is absolutely wrong and they should be punished for it).

What I meant by saying that they shouldn't do anything to people for killing one. Is that I think it should be legal to kill one (also I would still make them report the kill and turn the carcass, fur, parts etc... over to MDC.) Missouri doesn't have a recognizable population of them and my opinion is that we don't really need them.

I don't think there's any right or wrong as far as rather a person thinks we should have them here or not. While I don't think we need them, it wouldn't bother me if we had them either.

And honestly if I see one, I'm not going to shoot it and don't have any plans on shooting one. They're really a pretty fascinating animal.