Lion season in Oklahoma?

Marlin 25-36

New member
I was just reading that the Mountain Lion Foundation is having a fit /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/mad.gif because the State of Oklahoma has a bill going through to make a hunting season on mountain lions! Senate bill 1296. Maybe you guys in that state should write to the Governer and tell him you want to hunt the cats? One way to find out how many cats are there is to have a legal hunting season so you have some bodies to study. Cheaper too, you guys would have to buy a tag and do the hunting for the biologists. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif Sounds like a plan to me. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/ooo.gif
 
NOW THAT'S COMMON SENSE.......

With a season, the State of Oklahoma can regulate the cats.

In our State of Washington prior to the hound ban, we had a tightly regulated take. Non-lethal pursuit with a limited number of permit holders (harvest permit) caused many more cats to be non-lethally pursued than was harvested, thus habituated or cats leaning towards habituation got ran up trees first and most. Permit holders did not want "little biddy" cats so they held out for nice trophies so a good many "lesser" cats were pursued while searching for a suitable one.

WDFW was holding back permit numbers and building the lion population all through this period of time ..... and yet, lion related problems were not that evident .... I maintain because of that all important PURSUIT!!!! The "all important" pursuit helps to keep cats more mannerly! Dogs are to be feared ....... NOT EATEN!

It's so simple if you dispense with the DOGMA!!!!

Three 44s
 
I was a biologist on Ft Sill in the mid 80's. Actually came across a lion track out on Quanah range. That was the first track I had seen in Ok. Looks like the population has expanded considerably since then. Hopefully a season gets in place for those who want to pursue them.
 
That is interesting. I have lived here "Oklahoma" for 35 years. Spent alot of time in woods all over Oklahoma and have never sen a mtn lion. I have never heard from a reliable source about anyone actually seeing one. I would think with all the game cameras that are out there. someone would have got a pic by now. Not saying there are not any here but I have never seen, seen pics or hear about anyone actually seeing one. I would love to have a season on them.
 
The manager of the Black Mesa State Park got a picture of one of two on October 29, 2005 in Oklahoma. He saw two but the larger one went into the brush before he could get a picture. The one he got the picture of shows markings on its legs consistent with it being a juvenile. It had a very long tail in the picture. So there are some around.
 
I'll be surprised if the opened up a regulated season on them without there being a study or impact report with hard numbers... so, how many do they think they've got in OK nowadays?

LionHo
 
nboost,

I found that I had been stumbling over lion scat for about four years before I even paid attention. And tracks, well entire libraries could be formed on just tracking them.

In fact they were harrassing our cattle for four years undetected. And still .... though I suspicioned them .... I really thought it was an enterprising but foolish bear!

So the point is that lion sign does not just jump out at one and they are pretty much night opperators except during rainy weather.

Three 44s
 
Oh, I dunno, Three44s. those 3-1/2" to 4" wide pawprints that look like nothing else, territorial scrapes, 1-1/2 x 8" or longer scats containing deer hair and scraps of deer hide, and deer remains with severed spinal columns-- these all kind of jump out at me wherever lions are present, hereabouts. I wouldn't waste my time looking for one where I didn't find at least one of these as encouragement.

This sign should all be available for the finding in much greater abundance than actual sightings of the cats themselves, wherever resident.

Now, if there wasn't an honest-to-goodness lion population survey in OK, and some politician(s) opened a feel-good season based on a few anecdoctal reports or complaints, that doesn't necessarily make for a high enough lion density to make it worth the tremendous recon effort usually needed to bag one.

Can anybody point me to that study?

LionHo
 
I know that they have proposed a black bear season, but this is the very first I have heard about a Mtn. Lion Season. The ODWC has not officially taken a stance on if there are even native Mtn Lions in Oklahoma, as of Dec. 2005.
 
The bill that has been proposed for mountain lion hunting also calls for a season for black bear and otter. Why they put it all on the same bill, who knows.There are mountain lions in Oklahoma (I saw one last year in the far western part of the state),but from what I am hearing from odwc the bill will likely not pass as there has been no study on bear or mountain lion in Oklahoma. okhunter
 
Bear season is about 3 years away. A very small amount of tags.

Mountain Lion is a lot further out, maybe 8 to 10 years due to the fact that there are NO mountain lions in Oklahoma. (I know guys, but I am not the ODWC)
 
Well, the bill I just read about was to enable a season to be set for Otters, Bears and Mountain Lions. A population study would be required for the bears and cats before any actual season would occur.

" Otter hunting: The House voted Monday for a bill that would allow the State Wildlife Department to set a season for trapping Otters, which have caused a problem for the Fisheries in southeastern Oklahoma.

The measure, SB 1296, also would allow the State to set a hunting season for black bears and mountain lions, although their populations would be studied before a season would be allowed.
The measure was already aproved by the Senate."

So they Will have to study the populations first but this way they can actually Have a season if there are enough animals out there. A good first step I think. The State can stop denying the existence of cougars and if they become a problem they can do something about it.
 
I am glad to hear that this bill is making progress!

It will be good to study the lion population so the Oklahoma State's "ducks are in a row" if and when trouble breaks.

.... and I would seriously doubt that this bill would have gone anywhere if there were no issues with cougars!

Three 44s
 
Actually, the bill has nothing to do with the season. It will allow for the creation of the season, however, the legislature has nothing to do with the ODWC except for Squirrel and Quail seasons.
 
Update!!! I have recently spoken with a member of the ODWC, and it looks like they are gonna do something different for a change.

Lion season might be coming as soon as next year. I have been told that they will classify the lion as a nuisance species, which will be the same as a coyote. No limit and year round hunting. They are doing this because they are not certain if and when a lion will be killed in Oklahoma. They will reserve the right to change the status of the lion and also to change season times and bag limits.

Just thought you all should know.
 
well one cheap way to find out if there are lions in your state is to open a season.If you get bagged lions reported
than you go from there. hmmmm ..next maybe a sasquatch season?
 
J.Holly I am glad to here that. I was under the impression as mentioned earlier that the bill only gave permission to the ODWC to create those seasons when and if they ever see fit to do it. I know a warden with a desk job in the city I will see if I can get a hold of him and will let you guys know.
Now if they would only bring back night hunting with lights!!!!!!!!!!!
 
Well we do have them in the N.E. OKLA.area one came thru our back yard. It looked as if it had a rabbit in its mouth or the dog down the road. If it was the dog down the road then this cat should get a free pass. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gifIf they looked like the one that came thru the back yard then they are not very big, well the tail is long. DR.HIDE
 
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