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I am not just talking about hunting ,loss of habitat from farming,housing, expansion and industrialization,vehicle collisions,fences,manmade obstacles(as in dams) that prevent normal migration,.....the list is long, all kill deer,elk and a host of other wildlife.I won't include animals killed by diseases like CWD.
One estimate from the 1990's put deer ,vehicle collisions nationwide at over 700,000.
The state of Nevada must have one hell of a herd of deer if it has thousands of mountain lions,if one eats a deer per week that is 52 a year,so 1,000 mountain lion need 52,000 deer to survive 3,000 lion need 156,000 and so on.Add to that the other causes of death.
Our state also has lion in the thousands and plenty of deer.
Here in Colorado our average deer population is around 700,000 by DOW estimates,the population has been in decline for decades,recent studies do not show any direct link between the decline and predation,with coyotes being the predator with the most impact on deer herds.
The before mentioned man related issues have the greatest impact.While our deer population declines,our elk population is exploding,another reason for the deer decline could be competition for grazing,from elk. As well as cattle and sheep,more man related losses.
Colorado quotas for mountain lion are usually around 700 per year,but it is seldom reached most years 300-500 cats are taken.
Stop and look at the big picture ,man is the one doing the most harm.
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