bowhuntaz1 Report post Posted March 5, 2014 This is a copy/past from Jayme West w/MacandGaydos facebook page 15 of the 31 bighorn sheep have died in the Catalina Mountains north of Tucson since being relocated there from Yuma last November. AZ Game & Fish has killed 3 mountain lions for preying on the sheep. Can someone tell me why the big cats are being killed? The state basically delivered food right to their home then killed them for eating it. I don't get it. Mountain lions are going to do what Mountain lions are made to do. Maybe they should be relocated instead of killed. Ok, I'm off my soap box now. Carry on. http://azstarnet.com/news/local/more-bighorns-found-dead-rd-mountain-lion-killed/article_2145b2f8-a491-11e3-98bc-001a4bcf887a.html Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kwp Report post Posted March 5, 2014 Azstarnet.com has an article on the last two sheep deaths (and the others too). If you really want to see how clueless the public is read the comments on the articles. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bowhuntaz1 Report post Posted March 5, 2014 Looks like they are going to kill, I mean put 30 more sheep in there in the near future. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
firstcoueswas80 Report post Posted March 5, 2014 Wonder what these sacrificial lambs are for. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
desertmafia21 Report post Posted March 5, 2014 Sounds like the cats in the catalinas are all on death row and they keep asking for bighorn as their last meal 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jim Report post Posted March 5, 2014 You guys that deer hunt near there should be excited. The deer hunting should get better with all those cats gone. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AZLance Report post Posted March 5, 2014 3 out of 100 lions... doubt that will make much of a difference. Well we are 4 months into this project and already 50% mortality rate. I think its time to catch the remaining sheep and relocate them back to their home unit before we reach 100% mortality. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
520HUNT Report post Posted March 6, 2014 I keep looking at the Game and Fish web page and their monthly wildlife news... I haven't seen one story on the bighorns being killed off or any updates. I guess they are not proud of killing of 15 of Arizona's prized Bighorn, and reducing bighorn hunting opportunities. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
muleskinner Report post Posted March 6, 2014 There are lots of veteran hounds men that have been hunting lions for more years than you can imagine. They know more about lion behavior than the majority of Game and Fish biologists. Wonder when the experts will start consulting with the real experts before they throw a pile of money down the rat hole . This whole debacle could have been avoided. Some of the comments by Game and Fish are laughable. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Becker Report post Posted March 6, 2014 Ah so you guys want them to waste more money to transplant the sheep back home now???? That doesn't make sense if you think they wasted money in the first place. Now you want them to spend more? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AZLance Report post Posted March 6, 2014 How about they auction 15 tags off for "any sheep" and let hunters kill the remaining 15 before the lions kill them. At least the department could make some money and put it towards existing sheep habitat enhancements. 5 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
buffhunter Report post Posted March 6, 2014 3 lions wouldent that roughly save 150 deer per year? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kwp Report post Posted March 6, 2014 How about they auction 15 tags off for "any sheep" and let hunters kill the remaining 15 before the lions kill them. At least the department could make some money and put it towards existing sheep habitat enhancements. Seems like a good idea to logical thinkers like us but imagine the heyday that all the anti's and the watchdog reporters would have. I am sure they would spin it that G & F planted the sheep up there knowing it would fail so that a few hunters could then take out the rest. The further this goes the more of a public relations disaster it becomes. G & F is in way too deep to save face now. Unfortunately the hunting community gets drug through the mud too, even though many of us were quite skeptical of the project in the first place. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bonecollector777 Report post Posted March 6, 2014 />3 lions wouldent that roughly save 150 deer per year? False. . A lion doesn't kill a deer a week. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bonecollector777 Report post Posted March 6, 2014 They kill a sheep a week 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites