Yep, that's right folks, 24. Well 22, two have been released with collars. Random snare occurrences?
I do not know age of all cats but with 24 cats assumed at adult age and most recent study in Canada that there is around 632 to 832 (1.5 average per week to 2 per month average) dead deer. If you think about it, that number never existed before. As in, there were 632 to 832 more deer available for cars to kill, hunters to kill and winter to kill. Winter has hardly killed an animal this year but guess who has? Not the hunter, not the car...kitties. There's more than 24 cats roaming the Badlands as I type and you read.
Should be interesting what the rebound in doe to fawn ratio is this year. Should be sky high right? See if winter shows up in February and March I guess.
Just a thought I had this afternoon. Thanks to Randy for sharing.
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From my own notes and word of mouth I come up with 21 cats this year. 14 killed "legally", 1 killed that entered a home and 4 that were killed by snares. Another two have been trapped and collared.
True? Or are there a few more I haven't heard of? Public knowledge?
Regards,
Tim
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Tim – the total number to date is 24 (since July 1st). This includes two lions that were killed after being found in foothold traps and the lion that died in the North Unit of TRNP as a result of our efforts to trap and collar. You are also correct that we have successfully radio collared two lions so far this winter. No problem at all sharing this publicly – we try to be as transparent as possible. RK
When i lived in Montana the local warden told me they figure about every 5 days for a cat to kill a deer. More often if they have kittens and sometimes less of course. He said a good average is 7 days for a cat kill. That is a good round figure. So you guess 1 deer a week per cat and that adds up fast.
Tim Sandstrom Said:
There's more than 24 cats roaming the Badlands as I type and you read.
How do you know this Tim? Where did you get this number? Just curious, we know 24 have been killed or trapped, but how do you know there are more then 24 roaming right now? Did I miss something, have they estimated the population?
First off the NDGF estimated the Badlands could hold toward fifty cats. That was an ancient number. Or was it up to 65? I forget. But can look up. This was years ago.
Today it cannot be disputed we have many breeding populations.
And if there isn't more than 24 cats roaming the badlands that means we just killed all the cats in the state but two.
Point is, to catch cats randomly out in the middle of nowhere with snares and foot traps paints an obvious picture.
In the first mountain lion status report released in 2005, NDGF biologists estimated the badlands capacity was between 45-74 resident cats. It was estimated that that was the population at the time. Pretty wide guesstimate.
Interesting. As an avid mule deer hunter. I cant help but wonder what the numbers are like inside the north and south unit. Compared to out side the fence. I would think you could take away road kills and poaching and hunting out of the equation. Which would leave just a few possibilities for deer reduction in parks. Wonder who could answer this question with some facts as to what mule deer #'s are like in the park. Does the park face the same amount of predator problems like they do on the outside? And what are the most causes of death with in the park? This has been on my mind for the last few years.
Maybe clarify a bit. Would like to know what mule deer numbers are like inside verses out side the park. With some facts to this. Maybe perhaps what ever the #'s come out to be. High, low or maybe the same. This should perhaps give some clues and rule out scenarios as to what is going on with the mule deer. The habitat for the most part would be the same.
Wow crazy stuff.
sorry that i'm not getting the whole picture, unless i missed something in the story.
buuuttt...wasn't it a 12 lion season?
so where'd did the other 12 come from? two from traps...and?
From my own notes and word of mouth I come up with 21 cats this year. 14 killed "legally", 1 killed that entered a home and 4 that were killed by snares. Another two have been trapped and collared.
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Tim Sandstrom
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Posted to
Fishing Buddy
on 01/24/2012 4:16 PM
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