California wildlife official in hot water over mountain lion hunt

[Kevin Root]

I just came across this article in the San Jose Mercury News. It burns me that Daniel W Richards has to deal with this batch of malarkey. I'm not sure how true it is but I read he could get voted out of office if he gets a majority vote by CA state legislature. What a crock. He paid for the out of state hunt with his hard earned money.

I'm with you Daniel. I'm glad it's legal in Idaho and it should be in California too.

http://www.mercurynews.com/science/ci_19992359

One of California's top wildlife officials found himself in the political line of fire Friday, after a photo surfaced showing him holding a dead mountain lion he killed in what appeared to be a recent big game hunt.

Daniel W. Richards, president of the California Fish and Game Commission, shot the lion in Northern Idaho. The photo was posted on the website of Western Outdoor News, a hunting and fishing publication.

Mountain lion hunting has been illegal in California since 1990, when voters passed Proposition 117.

Within hours of the photo appearing, callers deluged the state Fish and Game Commission office, and the Humane Society of the United States urged Richards to step down.

"It's not illegal. But he's thumbed his nose at the people of California," said Wayne Pacelle, president and CEO of the Humane Society. "He's supposed to be representing the interests of all California citizens. It seems like such a tone-deaf action. What part of 'no' doesn't he understand?"

Richards did not respond to requests for an interview.

But on the Western Outdoor News website, Richards, 59, is quoted as saying that he shot the lion with a Winchester Centennial .45 carbine on Flying B Ranch. The 5,000-acre property in Northern Idaho charges $6,800 per person for a 7-day lion hunt.

"I'm glad it's legal in Idaho," said Richards, who is a life member of the National Rifle Association.

 

[packer58]

It still amazes me how much presure these WACKO groups can put on someone. The legal take of a lion in another state is just that, LEGAL!!!!! As far as Richards representing the interests of ALL California citizens, thats horse sh_t, not all Californians have the same intrests. I wonder who's interests Wayne Pacelle's is reffering to......I think we all know the answer to that one.

However I will say this: If the California Department Of Fish & Game would grow a pair and regain total control of wildlife management with a sound scientific, ballanced approach we wouldn't be reading articles like this.

 

[dustyboots]

just ridiculous CA needs a mountain lion season as much as any other western state or otherwise we soon won't have a deer population. And legal is legal this guy obviously doesn't have a firm grasp on reality except through his own eyes.

 

[Kevin Root]

Sadly it seems California's battle has been uphill on the mountain lion issue since 1990 or even sooner. California is not in the hunter's favor like many others states, no disrespect intended towards my fellow resident California hunters or California pro hunting, predator management supporters. We have both the pro and anti hunting groups hashing it out but the biggest ground to win over or enlighten is the folks in the middle who could go either way.

I've seen that middle leaning more towards the anti hunting direction in California for quite some time now and unless that changes Proposition 117 won't be overturned. I'd imagine when wolves get here in bigger numbers it would be all the more worse too.

It just makes me sad seeing how other states seem to get it much better and have more of a hunter friendly attitude or vote sway at least towards hunters and predator management.

It also is sad when the president of the California Fish and Game Commission needs to be concerned about retaining his job when hunting legally out of state.

 

[Muleys 24/7]

Our state is full of a bunch of tree hugging hippies that join ani hunting groups like HSUS and PETA. Not to change topic, but I heard last year that those same ani hunting groups got the state of CA to wipe out all the Kniab mule deer on santa rosea island because "they" said the deer transplanted from utah were not native and the island was a hunters play ground , has any body heard that? Or the results of that?

 

[Kevin Root]

Our state is full of a bunch of tree hugging hippies that join ani hunting groups like HSUS and PETA. Not to change topic, but I heard last year that those same ani hunting groups got the state of CA to wipe out all the Kniab mule deer on santa rosea island because "they" said the deer transplanted from utah were not native and the island was a hunters play ground , has any body heard that? Or the results of that?

From what I read, yes that is true, government-mandated animal slaughter. 2011 was the last season and the island now officially closed.

http://www.nraila.org/Issues/Articles/Read.aspx?id=469&issue=021

http://www.mumwildlife.com/Santa_Rosa_Island.php

 

[beav906]

What a load. Its to bad a man of his power in his industry has to make over a half a days drive to hunt an animal that is abundant in under his management and takes it lets legally then gets his life lively hood threatened. Just a shame where California is and is headed.

 

[okie77]

Well to all of us that live in this so called golden state we know this state is all about money.And for those of us that are pro hunters, know that the anti hunters run this place cause the tree huggin hippies and liberal anti gunners have all the money. I think the man should run for govenor maybe we could get a mountain lion hunt. Cause in the last few years I,m seeing more cats and sign. But less quality deer. I hope he doesn't step down but steps up and tells the humane society to kiss his well you get the point.
congratulations to Daniel W Richards.

 

[H3Dad]

That's never going to happen, fish and game is in bed with humane society in Ca. The humane society is actually part of the fish and game dept. As of a few months ago. These issues will be increasingly worse in the future and it will spread to the rest of the states in time. I'm sure that most people don't think it's possible, think again a little at a time they will chip away piece by piece every hunting opportunity there is until there is no more hunting allowed. Then when there is no hunting left to do there will be no good reason to own a gun and they to will be taken away. I really hope I'm wrong but I really don't see a bright future in the golden state. Sorry

 

[Musket Man]

Their goal is to end hunting and ranching in the west. I believe that was really the hidden agenda behind introducing wolves. Pretty scarry some of the ideas these people have.

 

[NoMoreOldNo7]

There's a reason for me listing my location the way i did. For years the people that do not know anything about game management has been running things here. I was excited to hear that the Director of F&G was a hunter when I first heard that he was appointed; now it looks like the powers that be (the tree hungers that have never seen the outdoors except at the beach and the park) are running him out of office. If you want to find out what all is wrong with the way this state manages the game it doesn't take much digging to find many examples. Do you think the staggered waterfowl opener is to help the waterfowl or someone in Sacramento throwing a bone to the private duck clubs in the valley? You are already talking about the lion joke here and since I brought an issue up to the state in regards to their “special hunts to the public” I figure if I stick around I’ll never see another draw for a state run waterfowl refuge.

Bottom line it’s a shame that a man is being targeted because of a legal activity, Politicians can do drugs, drink and drive and many other illegal activities, but a hunter than works for the state does something that the wackos consider not "politically correct" and he has to worry about losing the job he had been working towards for years.

New Mexico here I come

 

[sticknbiggens]

that's why I made the move to Wyoming. 29 years of dealing with them nut jobs, there's only so much a person can take. Been four years now and I haven't looked back. Couldn't even fish a tournament without those wackos showing up at the boat ramp.

 

[Roughneck Country]

Not sure why but protection of predetors has been ever increasing on the agenda of the Anti's. Here in Alberta it was first the grizz, which I have seen more of than i can possibly count as well as have seen sign every time I hunt the mountains, now it is the wolves, we are over run with them and there currently is no season on them you can shoot them on sight, but that could soon be changing as there is a lot of pressure to outlaw hunting them, mainly from people in the eastern part of the country and from the major cities that have no real connection. I can see cats heading that direction as well. For some reason people who do not hunt think that nature will balance itself out and there is no room for hunters, I see it as we play a very important role as well as provide the majority of funding through our licencing etc...

My 2 cents