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I've gone way off-topic on my own thread....sheesh. Sorry guys, this thread wasn't suppose to be about wolves or bears chasing livestock, or the fact I did grow up farming and milking cows for many years. It was about the fact that I think it's kinda neat that we have an occasional cougar in the state and how neat it would be to see one....in the wild.....in Wisconsin.
Discern, I know of many farmers that plant food plots for deer in my area....because they are deer hunters. If you are up on Wisconsin law you know that for deer, feeders are illegal and baiting is limited to 2 gallons in the few counties where baiting is legal. Not hardly worth the effort. In other states(Texas for example) it is well known that many ranchers and farmers put out feeders to attract game for hunters as hunting and leases are a part of their revenue. One attracts the game, one attracts the predators that feed on that game. Pretty simple. As for letting farmers shoot nuisance predators, I have no problem as long as it is the protection of an animal at risk. The going out and shooting of random predators that are protected or considered Big Game, should still be the same as for you and I. Saying that the DNR officials are intentionally manipulating figures is BS, just as saying that folks turning in claims for crop damage and depredation are always truthful and honest. Yes. I feel for the farmer that lost a calf to a wolf, and has to jump thru hoops in order to be reimbursed for it. Those folks they need to blame tho are the dishonest neighbors down the road, not the DNR.
The subject of large predators will always be an emotional and argumentative one. There will never be a perfect solution for all folks and all scenarios. Some think they all need to be shot, some think none should be. I'm in the middle and believe there is a place for them within even modern ecosystems. One must just strive to find the best balance for all, not just for a few. This includes the predators as well as the humans they must contend with.
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