Posted on 04/12/2005 6:54:55 AM PDT by RedBloodedAmerican
MADISON, Wis. (AP) - Feline lovers holding pictures of cats, clutching stuffed animals and wearing whiskers faced-off against hundreds of hunters at meetings around Wisconsin to voice their opinion on whether to legalize cat hunting.
Residents in 72 counties were asked whether free-roaming cats - including any domestic cat that isn't under the owner's direct control or any cat without a collar - should be listed as an unprotected species. If listed as so, the cats could be hunted.
The proposal was one of several dozen included in a spring vote on hunting and fishing issues held by the Wisconsin Conservation Congress. The results, only advisory, get forwarded to the state Natural Resources Board.
Statewide results were expected Tuesday.
La Crosse firefighter Mark Smith, 48, helped spearhead the cat-hunting proposal. He wants Wisconsin to declare free-roaming wild cats an unprotected species, just like skunks or gophers. Anyone with a small-game license could shoot the cats at will.
At least two other upper Midwestern states, South Dakota and Minnesota, allow wild cats to be shot - and have for decades. Minnesota defines a wild, or feral, cat as one with no collar that does not show friendly behavior, said Kevin Kyle with that state's Department of Natural Resources.
Every year in Wisconsin alone, an estimated 2 million wild cats kill 47 million to 139 million songbirds, according to state officials. Despite the astounding numbers, Smith's plan has been met with fierce opposition from cat lovers.
Critics of Smith's idea organized Wisconsin Cat-Action Team and developed a Web site - dontshootthecat.com. Some argue it is better to trap wild cats, spay or neuter them, before releasing them.
In Madison, about 1,200 people attended the Monday evening meeting at the Alliant Center - more than the 250 or so in a typical year, but less than the 3,000 or so who took part in a debate in 2000 over whether to allow hunters to shoot mourning doves.
One of the attendees was Katy Francis, who wore cat ears, whiskers, a cat nose and a sign that read, "Too Cute to Kill." For Francis, "The cat hunting thing brought me out because it was very extreme."
I wonder if there is a limit on the number you can bag, or limit on the gun size you can hunt with.
(just kidding, Nanna!)
In a unrelated story from AP....
The number of Moo Shoo pork specials at local chinese resturaunts has skyrocketed....
NeverGore :^)
"La Crosse firefighter Mark Smith, 48, helped spearhead the cat-hunting proposal."
Is Mark Smith a former troll that was eaten by the Viking Kitties?
Sounds like no limit to me! Like popping raccoons here in Texas!
Whats that song spoofed by Harry Chapin?
Dunno
Don't these people have anything else to worry about but shooting animals?????
spay & neuter your animals!
who pays for this (question mark)
ping
SHOOT them. ;)
Cat, another white meat!
Skin, gut and fillet in one easy step
Is that a catacombs?
As a cat pet owner I would support this with the collar restriction. But it should also be instituted for dogs. There have been several incidents in the last several years where pack dogs have attacked kids and adults. Shoot them and kill them also.
That takes far too long. Eat 'em while they're fresh!
Obligatory links.....
.
The Cult of the Viking Kitties
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/883347/posts
They want to trade cats for rats?
This is an anti-hunting proposal. It will close off more private property to hunters.
What if a hunter unknowingly trespasses on private property and kills the family cat? One incident like that will see a hundred land owners in the county nail up "no trespassing" signs.
Plus there's children in the woods playing. This isn't November deer season where people are wearing hunter orange. The chances of stray bullets hitting a kid increases. And feral cats can hang around domestic structures. Bullets flying through the kitchen window isn't appealing to me.
I can see armed confrontations between private property owners and hunters tracking the family cat.
This stupid proposed legislation will result in more "no trespassing" signs. Hunters in Wisconsin already have a difficult time finding private land to hunt on. This will aggravate a bad situation and make it worse.
The Cat's in the Kettle at the Peking Room.
What's next, cat juggling?
I'm wondering why you should need a hunting permit to put down stray or feral cats?
If they are on your property and causing problems, you should have the right to shoot them.
I don't support the idea of a hunting license for cats, because I don't think you should be shooting cats on someone else's property, unless specifically asked to do so.
I also think that it it has a collar, or you know it's someone's pet, you shouldn't be shooting it. If someone's pet is causing you problems, but isn't an immediate danger, call animal control and let them deal with it.
Ask and ye shall receive...
"A cat in the kettle at the Siver Moon"
http://www.slhacker.com/downloads/Catfood.wav
NeverGore :^)
Bingo, evolution in action: Birds and other prey get faster and are more alert. When I see a pile of feathers in mmy yard, I know it was a slow bird.
My 16-year-old cat was born of feral parents and is instinctively more wary than an ordinary cat, and does help with rodent control. He likewise refuses to wear his collar.
If I had a problem with cats and their prey, it would be lizards, which are responsible for more insect control than a lot of people realize. I also wish cats could learn to control grackles and sparrows more effectively.
Well, I don't know about your state, but in Ohio you can hunt groundhogs etc. any time. And between the overlap of other seasons like Spring gobbler, deer, rabbit, etc. there's always someone out hunting.
And usually the reasons hunters have a hard time finding property to hunt on is because the owner had a bad experience or has friends who hunt there. Feral cats not only kill song birds and even small game birds, they carry diseases. As far as I'm concerned they're no better than skunks or raccoons. No hunting season required.
In WI, if you are on private land w/o permission, you are guilty of tresspassing; signs are not required.
Plus there's children in the woods playing. This isn't November deer season where people are wearing hunter orange.
You as a hunter are to be sure of your target, cats or not. There are several hunting seasons that do not require any blaze orange be worn, and yet children playing in the woods are almost never shot.
And feral cats can hang around domestic structures. Bullets flying through the kitchen window isn't appealing to me.
And again, this is already addressed in state laws as to distance from dwellings to discharge any firearm.
can see armed confrontations between private property owners and hunters tracking the family cat. Again, tresspassing is against the law already.
Hunters in Wisconsin already have a difficult time finding private land to hunt on.
This has more to do with ant-hunters living in rural areas, than it does with anything else.
Just say you don't want cats shot, don't give a bunch of mis-information for your position.
LOL!!
Hmmm, suddenly I'm torn on this issue. OK, expand the season to cats and birds. And how about a dime reward for each Grackle taken down.
We don't have feral cat problems here in Nevada--the coyotes see to that.
A-men to that. Why do dog owners have to fund all of animal control in so many cities and counties?
Open season on feral cats OR all pet cats have to be licensed (and tagged when off the owner's property) - either one works for me.
Lost my job in Jan, house now for sale, we are heading back south where the taxes are 1/3 what they are here in cheese country.
They have two barn cats that wandered into the yard one day and decided to stay. They do not bother the chickens at all, however she has had oppossums getting into the barn and stealing eggs. The barn cats are not feral, just semi-domesticated and they do a great job keeping rodents under control. One of the barn cats has gone missing in the last couple of weeks. My sister fears one of her neighbors took this hunting proposal to heart and killed the cat.
(The number of Moo Shoo pork specials at local chinese resturaunts has skyrocketed.... )
It reminds me of this Weird Al Yankovic song: Cat in the Kettle!
(The number of Moo Shoo pork specials at local chinese resturaunts has skyrocketed.... )
It reminds me of this Weird Al Yankovic song: Cat in the Kettle!
I wasn't kidding about the taxes, just about shootin' cats (which doesn't interest me in the least).
Allow me to buy you a clue:
Hunters trespass on land, regardless of signs or no signs. And no, I don't patrol my property 24/7 to catch people who abuse the land. Neither does the sheriff.
The bodies of dead people fill pages, shot by hunters who are "sure" of their targets.
Ditto for damage to fruit trees, fences, houses and buildings.
Hunting cats will multiply these problems.
Now let's see your proof that more anti-hunters post their land than hunters. And 80 by 100 ft yuppie lots don't count.
The fact that people tresspass has nothing to do with allowing the hunting of feral cats. By not passing this law, tresspassing will not go away. The two are not related in any way. People who do not hunt other game are not going to take up cat hunting, so the number of people that would tresspass would stay the same.
Pages of people shot by hunters? If it averages more than 2 per year in WI I would be shocked. Several years no hunters died even from heart attack or other causes.
Well almost all anti-hunters I am aware of have their land posted. Yes hunters post their land also, but that is to preserve it use for themselves and not the general population. I have hunted all over WI, for a very long time, and never been refused after asking permission.(From a property owner who is a hunter.)
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