Hunting of Arizona’s mountain lions still under review
In last week’s column I mentioned I hadn’t heard further from the Humane Society of the United States’ director for Arizona, Kellye Pinkleton, in answer to my questions about hunting. I wanted to hear their side of the hunt issues this year so I could report more to you — this was a result of her complaints about my report about HSUS in my Sept. 2 column in the paper. I appreciated her emails because she seemed to have something to offer, until I asked the three questions about hunting. I haven’t heard from her since. Maybe I never will!
“The state of the mountain lion — a call to end trophy hunting of America’s lion” with an evaluation of key scientific issues by HSUS brought about an abstract written by James W. Cain III and Michael S. Mitchell who report the fact that HSUS suggests that mountain lion hunting should be abolished in the United States, that they are over-hunted. They write, in part, “Rather than provide a rigorous assessment of the peer-reviewed scientific literature and available data on mountain lion ecology, population dynamics and management, the report uses a fundamentally unscientific approach that starts with a ‘priori’ assumption that hunting is detrimental to the long-term persistence of mountain lion populations, that attempts to use scientific arguments to support this value-based position are faulty.” Their ideas have nothing to do with true facts.
“Decline to sign” becomes “going forward” — a report from Conserve and Protect Arizona told what happened in 2017 when HSUS failed to stop the hunting of wild cats in Arizona. Now HSUS is actively putting together another big protest/fight together for Round 2, this time to stop the hunting of mountain lions, calling them trophy hunts. They are secretive about what their plans will be but it will be a serious fight and we need to learn everything we can about it in order to combat the antihunting HSUS once again.
Prove HSUS wrong by learning the facts about mountain lions: “They are an important part of Arizona’s ecosystem, but over time a number of misconceptions about these large, predatory cats have been perpetuated. They are not endangered, threatened or a sensitive species in Arizona. Rather, they are widely distributed throughout the state and are expanding into regions where they have not been documented for some time. What is the status of mountain lions in Arizona? Mountain lions are not an endangered, threatened species in Arizona. An independent scientific organization, the International Union of Conservation in Nature, documents that mountain lion populations are expanding in North America and are listed as a species of ‘least concern.’ Does Arizona have a ‘trophy’ mountain lion hunt (that HSUS supposedly wants to stop)? No, mountain lions are managed as are all hunted wildlife for sustainable harvest in a fashion that does not put the species at risk. To ensure this, all mountain lions that are harvested by hunters have to be physically checked in at an Arizona Game and Fish Department office so data can be collected on the age and sex of the animal so that population status can be monitored. The term ‘trophy’ has repeatedly been misused to mislead people into a distorted view of mountain lion harvest.
“What are Arizona’s mountain lion populations? Mountain lions are a difficult species to assess population due to their cryptic nature; however, the department is using a technique that uses age at harvest data to back calculate an estimate of the population. This is a newly employed method for Arizona that applies statistical assessments of the population and is the method that is being used by several states for big game species. This is the most cost-effective method available to the department. The department is always seeking new methods to manage wildlife and this method constitutes the best available science. Our current population ranges from approximately 2,000 to 2,700 statewide, and based on regulated harvest, there is no indication of population decline.
“If a law to ban regulated mountain lion harvest were to pass in Arizona, will the Arizona Game and Fish Department still be able to adequately respond to mountain lion incidents? Currently, the department not only receives funding from our regulated hunting for this species, but our hunters also provide a valuable management tool. The loss of this tool and the reduced funding that the department receives from the sale of these tags which are used for conservation purposes would reduce our ability to manage mountain lions. Depending on the language of the law, the department’s ability to address human-mountain lion conflicts could be compromised.”
If I should hear from the Humane Society of the U.S. director for Arizona, I will report what she has to say. Watch this column as well for further information on HSUS vs. hunting mountain lions in Arizona.
Hunt happenings
• Firearms classes at Sprague’s Sports: Call Sprague’s at 726-0022 to sign up or get answers to your questions on CCW as well as other firearms classes available at the shop by certified instructors.
• Youth quail, small game camp at Unit 41 is Oct. 26-28: Hosted by the Yuma Valley Rod and Gun Club with chairman Thom at CMCustomsigns@gmail.com can be contacted for information and directions to the camp. Get signed up beforehand by visiting Facebook at YVRGC/quail and small game camp or sign up at the Yuma Region IV Arizona Game and Fish office. If your youngsters would like to learn about camping and hunting in the outdoors as well as quail and small game animals, plan to camp out that weekend for a great time learning to shoot firearms and archery and other outdoor activities with safety always first.
• Get ready for the Dec. 7-9 Cibola youth waterfowl camp: The camp is hosted by the Arizona Outdoor Sports, Friends of Cibola NWR, USFWS and AZGFD to have your youngsters learn how to waterfowl hunt with an experienced mentor. Activities for the whole family include trap shooting, 3D archery, decoys and calling clinic, Dutch oven cooking and wildlife watching at the Cibola National Wildlife Refuge in the Cibola/Blythe area. Call the Yuma office of Game and Fish at (928) 342-0091 or getoutsideaz@ gmail.com for details. The 2018-19 waterfowl, snife hunt regulations are now available online and check with local dealers as well.
• Annual Sportsmen’s Group Grant Program: Available now funded through the sale of hunt and fish licenses, hunter permit tags. No cost to Arizona taxpayers. Game and Fish does not receive any funds from the state’s general funds, operating on a user-pay, public-benefit model.
• Heritage Fund Grants available now until Oct. 31: Available funds total more than $400,000 available to nonprofit groups. Visit azgfd.com news for the complete explanation of how to apply for various programs.
• Check next week for a share of tips on hunting quail in Arizona.
• 4-H Shooting Sports: The Yuma County 4-H training schedule for shooting sports has started, open to any 4-H youth ages 9-19 that are a member of a Yuma County 4-H Community Club. Training will take place at the Yuma County Fairgrounds with archery and air rifle, then in December move to the Dome Valley Shooting Range at the Ware Farm. After the first of next year, they will add black powder, small bore .22 and shotgun with a training camp-out in January and end of the year competition in March. Call the Yuma 4-H office at 726-3904 or Stan Gourley at 3440740 with questions.
• Renegade Archers of Yuma: If you’d like to shoot the trail of 3D animals with us at the Foothills Archery Range, call Kevin at 7260953. Archery instruction for anyone interested is free! We’ll be glad to assist in your learning (call ahead so we can bring along extra bows and arrows). The practice area at the range is open (also free use) daylight hours all week for practice and enjoyment. You might be best satisfied bringing along your own target — people are intent on tearing down the expensive cotton bales — do what you can to prevent vandalism while at the range so we can all enjoy.
Contact Jean Wilson at jeanrenegade@ gmail.com or call 247-4450.