New Cali bill inches closer to some sort of mountain lion hunt 🐈

The weekend might not be here just yet, but your favorite dispatch from the great outdoors is. 

So grab your coffee or whiskey (no judgement) and let's get caught up on the outdoor news and views from the past 24-or-so hours. 

Here's what's worth reading about today:

• Tree and free - Cali bill could be the beginning of mountain lion hunting come back 🐈

• Flipping the script - New Colorado bill aims to reverse the state’s controversial wolf ballot measure by implementing one of their own 🗳️

• Comments, please - If you live in Florida and hunt bears, it’s time to be heard 📢

• Bird fight - A timely cross-border bird fight is captured on film 🪿 🦅

• This dude… - His job is to climb into trees and ‘convince’ mountain lions to come down 😲

A STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION
NEW CALIFORNIA BILL AIMS TO ALLOW HOUNDSMEN TO “TREE AND FREE” PROBLEM CATS

It was 1990 when California voters passed Proposition 117 which effectively made mountain lions a specially protected species and banned hunting them. Since then, the decision has sparked controversy and ongoing debate, particularly in areas of the state that are home to significant populations of big cats. Some residents, especially those in rural communities, argue that the ban has had unintended consequences, leading to an increase in mountain lion encounters, attacks on livestock, and even threats to human safety.

The recent death of a young hunter in El Dorado County, attributed to a mountain lion attack, has reignited the debate and fueled calls for legislative action. In response, Senate Bill 818 was introduced last month, proposing a potential solution to address the perceived issue of increased mountain lion aggression…

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🐺 Colorado voters might very well bring an end to the state’s wolf reintroduction program. Flipping the program on its head, Colorado lawmakers are trying to find a way to reverse the state’s controversial ballot measure by implementing one of their own.

The newly introduced initiative aims to amend a current Colorado statute by adding a formal end date to the wolf reintroduction program. Patrick Davis of Colorado Advocates for Smart Wolf Policy, the group behind the proposal, acknowledges that the initiative uses "ballot box biology" to address the very same issue. Given that the current reintroduction efforts have no formal end date, he argues that voters need a way to respond to the reintroduction's negative impacts.

The current reintroduction, which began in December 2023, and has seen 25 wolves released so far, is based on an ‘estimated’ three-year period. The proposed sunset date in the new ballot measure would coincide with the current plan's estimated three-year reintroduction period, but would offer a specific end date of December 31, 2026.

But before anyone gets ahead of themselves here, the proposal requires over 124,000 petition signatures to be included on the ballot. The signature gathering process is set to kick off in April of 2025 and if enough signatures are gathered, the referendum would take place in 2026.

🐻 Florida officials are calling on residents to speak up on bear hunting proposal. Our friends over at Florida’s FWC are currently evaluating the possibility of reintroducing a regulated black bear hunt due to a burgeoning black bear population within the state. With populations set to hit approximately 11,000 bears, many have been calling on the state to re-instate the controversial bear hunt, which hasn’t taken place since 2015. 

Despite the controversy surrounding the 2015 hunt, hunting advocacy groups contend that a regulated hunt serves as a more effective population management tool compared to the current practice of euthanizing bears that are deemed a threat to public safety.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) is actively seeking public input on the proposed hunt, aiming to gather a broad range of perspectives and opinions before making a final decision. The FWC's decision will likely be influenced by a multitude of factors, including scientific data on the bear population, public sentiment, and the potential impact of a hunt on the overall ecosystem. Residents are urged to email comments to [email protected] or participate in the virtual public meeting scheduled for March 13 at 6 p.m. EDT.

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🐊 Alright, this dude is pretty rad. After seeing this video make it’s rounds on the internets, I had to figure out what the hell was going on. Turns out, this guys works as a wildlife biologist for the Santa Cruz Puma Project. Meaning, as part of his job, he needs to climb on up into the trees following cougars that his hounds have treed just a bit too high. He then has to try and “convince” them to come a little lower so they can safely dart them. And as you can see, this particular cat was not at all impressed by is efforts.

My guidance counsellor never told me about this sh*t…

QUICK HITS // ^{_{FROM AROUND THE WEB}}

Whitmer proposed outdoor license hikes, but left Michiganders hunting for a dollar figure: Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's proposed state budget for 2026 calls for nearly $30 million in increased hunting, fishing and watercraft registration fees. Read the full story.

Arkansas deer harvest increases, just short of 200,000: The last arrow has been launched for the 2024-25 Arkansas deer hunting season, and the tally of checked deer stands at 199,863. Although the raw data still needs to be analyzed, the preliminary results indicate an increase of nearly 4 percent over last year’s final harvest of 192,392. Read the full story.

Lost Hunter on Attakapas WMA Found and Returned Safely: LDWF agents and St. Mary Parish Sheriff Office deputies went on foot into the woods to look for the missing hunter. The USCG used a helicopter and found the missing hunter around 8:30 p.m. The USCG was able to extract the hunter from the woods. Read the full story.

Fight between bald eagle and Canada goose in Burlington bay 'very symbolic,' says photographer: During his weekly Sunday morning family hike at the LaSalle Marina, Sequeira and his family witnessed a rare event — a fight between the national bird of the U.S. and the iconic Canadian animal.  Read the full story.

New Mexico parents behind on child support could be denied hunting, fishing license: The New Mexico Department of Game and Fish announced parents who are behind on child support payments could be denied fishing or hunting licenses under New Mexico’s Parental Responsibility Act.  Read the full story.

Wyoming spring turkey hunters must apply for a permission slip to hunt Yellowtail WHMA: Turkey hunters interested in hunting Yellowtail Wildlife Habitat Management Area near Lovell are alerted of a new process to access the WHMA for the spring turkey hunting season.  Read the full story.

Where to, weekend?

📸 :@foldinthemap

Oh, and one more thing…

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