Cougars Reverse 100-Year Decline: “Scientists have found that cougars, or American mountain lions, are re-emerging in areas of the United States, reversing 100 years of decline. The research, published in the Journal of Wildlife Management, raises new conservation questions, such as how humans can live alongside the returning predators. ‘The cougar population declined dramatically from 1900, due to both hunting, and a lack of prey, leaving the remaining population isolated to the American west,’ said lead author Dr Michelle LaRue of the University of Minnesota. ‘Here we present the hard evidence that the western population has spread, with cougar populations re-establishing across the Midwest.’ Three main cougar populations exist in the Midwest centered around the Black Hills in South Dakota, however, cougars are venturing far outside of this range. One male cougar from the Black Hills was found to have traveled 2,900 km through Minnesota, Wisconsin and New York, before ending up in Connecticut.” (Source: sci-news.com) http://bit.ly/N3v5skI am a member of SCI and an official measurer for their record keeping system. If you are a sportsman I would recommend that you join and support an organization such as this that is working to maintain our right to hunt.
Best of Luck,
Larry S.
