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muleskinner

Big horn sheep transplant

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Game and Fish has announced that 2 sheep and 2 lions have died in the Catalinas since the release of the sheep. The lions were killed because they apparently killed at least 1 of the sheep. Who would ever have suspected that lions would prey on sheep? Apparently everyone except game and fish! I suppose the next step will be total eradication of lions in the area ! Don't be surprised if there are zero sheep left in that area in 5 years or less. Great use of sportsmen's dollars.

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Maybe G&F will let hunters kill lions in that area without a tag, yay!

 

That will never happen...

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Pretty sure that's the 3rd sheep dead since the relocation.

 

Maybe someone else can chime in but I'm also pretty sure the "Pusch ridge area" within unit 33 is at 1 lion per day, per hunter. So you're close. Go knock yourself out in that country!

 

As for wasting sportsmans dollars. I'd rather see money "wasted" on a sheep relocation than Sonoran chubs or wolves.

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We had a similar case here in New Mexico a few years ago. Between lions and some disease that bighorns are susceptible to, they were wiped out in a range west of Las Cruces. Seems to me that those dollars would be better spent in several different areas. I'm not buying hunting licenses in Az anymore...except for an occasional non-resident bird hunting license, so Its really not a major concern of mine. Just have a problem with state game and fish depts wasting the sportsmens money...whatever the reason may be.

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The thing that I believe the Dept didn't take into account was the resulting negative public sentiment about the lethal removal of lions. This transplant could very easily turn public sentiment against the hunting/removal of lions. We could end up with no sheep in the Catalinas and also a California type ballot initiative to eliminate lion hunting in the state. Just look at the comment sections of the newspaper articles and it is obvious that there is more concern for the lions than the sheep. No sheep and no ability to control lions would spell disaster. Sometimes the best intentions end up having the worst effects.

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Pretty sure that's the 3rd sheep dead since the relocation.

 

Maybe someone else can chime in but I'm also pretty sure the "Pusch ridge area" within unit 33 is at 1 lion per day, per hunter. So you're close. Go knock yourself out in that country!

 

As for wasting sportsmans dollars. I'd rather see money "wasted" on a sheep relocation than Sonoran chubs or wolves.

dude its not that, i think we all like the idea of bigger sheep populations. its that members on here say the sheep will get ate by lions before they even drop them, then thats what happens. if azgfd didnt have that figured out before putting them in there then i think thats a waste of resources. its like wiping before you poop, it dont make any sense.

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But a Govenors Tag or a couple of tags offered up at auction for $300K+ each pays for the whole fiasco. WIN/WIN/WIN. Right?

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But a Govenors Tag or a couple of tags offered up at auction for $300K+ each pays for the whole fiasco. WIN/WIN/WIN. Right?

ya they love it. do they get federal money for the sheep too or no?

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Public Relations disaster for AZGFD... this could very well be the beginning of the end for lion hunting in the state!

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Maybe AZG&F should invest in some dietary re-education programs for the lions in that area? That seems like a good way to throw away some more money. Or maybe some wolves in the area would hepl curb the lion population? Maybe we could just put some signs up in the area telling the lions that that area is unsafe to to a high level of immigrant traffic and they should move elsewhere?

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