Activists seek ban on sport hunting of Arizona big cats

[Mikey]

PHOENIX — Animal welfare activists are asking Arizona voters to ban the sport hunting and trapping of mountain lions, bobcats and other big cats in the state.
Arizonans for Wildlife will begin collecting signatures for a ballot initiative that the group filed paperwork for on Monday, The Arizona Republic reported.
Through the initiative, the group wants to stop the killing of wild cats for only their head or fur. Kellye Pinkleton, the group’s campaign director, said the initiative also would end the use of steel-jawed traps, dog packs and other cat-hunting methods.
Hunters and other opponents to the initiative have pointed out that the state’s mountain lion population is regulated by the Arizona Game and Fish Department and it’s not endangered.

Jim Unmacht, executive director of Arizona Sportsmen for Wildlife Conservation, said the mountain lion population is rebounding and other big cat species like jaguars and ocelots are protected under federal law.
“They’re trying to find a solution to a problem that doesn’t exist,” Unmacht said. “We are going to mobilize and do what we can do to fight it.”
The initiative would have exceptions on killing the big cats if they threaten the safety of people and livestock.
Pinkleton said the initiative would not affect the hunting of other big game.
The group is required to collect 150,642 valid signatures by next July in order to get the initiative on the ballot in November 2018.


And how did this work out in Cali, it hasnt.

[Ontheiron]

It sad to see our wild game population suffer because of these hippie laws. There needs to be a balance. A once thriving population of wild turkey in Southern California is a huge example of the damage an unregulated predator population can do.


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[Mikey]

It sad to see our wild game population suffer because of these hippie laws. There needs to be a balance. A once thriving population of wild turkey in Southern California is a huge example of the damage an unregulated predator population can do.


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yes it is sad.
Unfortunately the liberal side of this state has won. on a second note poaching doesn't help either. i don't want to go off the topic here so back to the anti hunting. In cali it is even worse than the turkeys, the mountain lion has gone off the charts. so in turn the deer population is lower, as well other animals.
These big cats are not your cute cuddly house cat, they are 200 lbs of fierce killing machines. i have seen where 3 to 5 cats are now hanging together and hunting in a pride. NOT GOOD. was told to shoot and let lay at one point in an area. the problem was being kept quite and IDK what ever happened in that area. all i know is i had a cat tracking over my foot prints and never saw him.

so yes we need to make sure and stand for our rights!