Posted on 02/28/2012 10:53:32 PM PST by SmithL
California Fish and Game Commission President Daniel Richards said Tuesday that there is "zero chance" he will resign over a photograph showing him grinning as he holds up the body of a mountain lion he shot, killed and ate in Idaho recently.
In a letter addressed to Assemblyman Ben Hueso, D-San Diego, one of dozens of public officials who called for Richards' resignation in recent days, Richards blasted lawmakers and others for their criticism of his hunting expedition and mocked their condemnation of the kill.
Richards wrote that he did eat a cougar for dinner, did not use a high-powered rifle and said he has "consistently supported" conservation efforts as a commissioner when they were backed by scientific evidence. He compared his actions to a California official gambling in Nevada.
While it's legal to kill the big cats in Idaho, California has banned the hunting of mountain lions since 1972, and voters have twice renewed that restriction. After the photo surfaced online this week, at least 40 lawmakers and Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom called for his resignation.
Newsom, in a letter, said the "actions call into question whether you can live up to the calling of your office," and "do not reflect the values of the people of California."
Richards was unapologetic.
"Do you really think a California commissioner is actually obligated to follow California laws across these United States? Really?" Richards wrote on Fish and Game letterhead in a two-page correspondence he also sent to the entire Legislature, the governor, the California secretary of Natural Resources, and members of the Fish and Game Commission.
(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...
First I have heard the mountain lion is good eatin’.
Does it taste like chicken?
If I remember correctly, the voters of California banned mountain lion hunting by referendum in 1992. They also passed a motorcycle helmet law in 1990, and extended the two week waiting period to long guns within the same time frame.
Seeing the writing on the wall, I moved away shortly thereafter (1994).
just don’t eat the tongue....
That's what I heard....so I bought a can of tuna...hoping it would taste like mountain lion.
Made a mountain lion casserole with it.
I only have one question. Which way did he skin his cat?
There is more than one way to do it, but if you're short on time I recommend using a chain saw.
“A cat like that has a range of about 120 square miles. As fat as it is someone has been baiting for the commissioner. His term in office is soon up if he is not fired. He will never get reapproved.”
Are you confused or did you just fall down? As fat as the cat was means it was feeding on Elk and Deer with great abandonment. Mountain Lions have no natural predators except humans. If you get too many of them they decimate the herds. That is why the State of Idaho issues a certain number of hunting tags to keep the numbers in check. Looking at the chart so far this year it appears a lot of the tags will go unfilled.
He didn’t break any laws, but he does seem to have hurt some feelings.
He didn’t break any laws, but he does seem to have hurt some feelings.
That is a ridiculous statement and sentiment, you need to read the article more closely and you will see that he did nothing illegal, your attack on his freedoms and wanting him to go to jail is way out of line.
The “hurt feelings” are because he is a Republican appointee and is trying to keep the commission focused on hunting and game, and the left wants him off to replace him with an environmentalist.
Are you supporting the Democrats on this?
Is this slow-pitch softball?
Earth to gleeaikin: The "Florida panther subspecies" is a bureaucrat/activist scam; it's the SAME species. Worse, the "panthers" they "reintroduced" to bump up the population were from Texas which (being bigger) quickly bred out whatever (if anything) was left of a unique Florida variety.
What you've got down there now are mountain lions from Texas.
One more time slow person, I took the other posters word for his doing something without a proper permit. Can you read????
I bet you have never been there, I have/?//
Boy isn’t that the truth. Imagine an adult human fishing without permission from the state or federal government. I’ll bet you wish they had to give you permission to wet yourself too, when you see some guy fishing without a license.
There used to be a bounty on them in California!
A friend of mine paid his way through college shooting cats for the bounty, $90 for a male, $110 for a female.
That was in the 50s when a dollar was worth something.
Margo Sullivan is dead?
I can read, can you?
Your comment and desire to have the man sent to jail was ridiculous, he didn’t even break the law as you posted.
I don’t think anyone forced you to take that position, unless you think that someone used ‘trickinolgy’ on you.
“Frankly, I don’t consider cats edible. Ever watch them lick their butts?”
You might want to revise your thinking along those liners, or at least posting from that premise.
Have you watches a chicken’s eating habits?
“First I have heard the mountain lion is good eatin’.”
A participant in the Annual Beast Feast said it was good, and he liked it.
“Does it taste like chicken?”
Aside from texture differences, it is more like Spotted Owl.
Are you supporting the Democrats on this?Why would you suggest that? I didn't say my feelings were hurt.
Those interested may go to EvergladesInstitute.org and read the definitive article on puma heridity, titled The Genomic Ancestry of the America Puma.
According to the article, “..the fifteen previously identified sub-species are not affirmed”.
However, Carrie_Okie is wrong, Wrong, WRONG!
FloriDUH does not just have hybrid pumas, we have both cats and ‘crats from H*ll. They multiply prodigiously, and cost far more than they will ever be worth. Worst part is they both attack the Constitutional Rights of the humans in Florida.
PS The correct name is now FloriDUH instead of the historic “Florida” due to the recent plague of enviro-socialism.
Small dent in the human population too.......
I'd assume a guy hunting from out of state..with a guide service..would have all the tags, license that he needed.
The issue is politics, I don’t know why you think his feelings are hurt, he seems very strong in his stand against the Democrats in his response.
I have hunting buddies in Wyoming, and they hunt lions with hounds. The loins of a mountain lion, I have been told, are very tasty, lighter colored meat like pork. It also has to be completely cooked like pork (as well as bear) due to parasites.
ROFLOL!!!
Range varies GREATLY....And depends on the terrain, and food supplies.
Could be 10 sq. miles, could be 500 sq. miles. And it depends on male or female.
You seem to have an agenda.......
Good luck!!
Yep. He married a fine-looking cougar, but drove her away... /g
Just did it earlier than you...in 1997. Saw the writing on the wall........
No one has yet said the guy didn't have all the proper tags, license, etc......
You are border-line....
Here is what all this is about.
“Escalating a battle between hunters and animal welfare groups — a conflict that could result in major changes to California’s endangered species and hunting policies — 40 Democratic state Assembly members Friday sent a letter to Dan Richards, president of the California Fish and Game Commission, demanding that he resign.”
(snip)
The controversy has prompted an outpouring of support for Richards from hunting and fishing groups, many of which see Richards as the most reliable vote for their issues.
(snip)
The stakes are high. The five-member commission not only decides which species to list as endangered, it also sets policies on everything from hunting to California’s new system of “marine protected areas,” which ban fishing in areas off the coast.
If Richards, who was appointed to the five-member commission by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, resigns or is removed from the panel, his replacement would be named by Democratic Gov. Jerry Brown. And that’s a move that for the first time could give the commission a majority of members who tend to support the priorities of environmental groups.
(snip)
“There’s a lot at stake,” said Jennifer Fearing, state director of the Humane Society of the United States.
Gaines, the hunting advocate, agreed.
“We’re very well aware that this is a key seat, as are the animal rights groups,” he said. “There’s only five votes, so if you get three, you win.”
http://www.mercurynews.com/science/ci_20041625?source=pkg
FloriDUH does not just have hybrid pumas, we have both cats and ‘crats from H*ll.
We have a difference on nomenclature. The 'crats to which you refer are rodents.
The only other COUGERS in Floriduh (besides the usual Felix concolor) are the divorced hungries of the New Yawk finanklatura.
Post #26 says you’re on drugs - I believe him.
Who “they”? Where do “they” say it? What evidence do “they” have?
This quote from the relevant article:
‘Richards went on. “While I respect our Fish and Game rules and regulations, my 100 percent legal activity outside California, or anyone else’s for that matter, is none of your business.”’
So at this point, without something more, all presented evidence says “LEGAL”
By your measure, anybody who is involved with passing or enforcing anti-gambling laws in any state, is prohibited from going to Las Vegas and gambling, or bringing their winnings back to their home state. PREPOSTEROUS!
Furthermore - The Lt. Gov. has no doubt done that very thing himself, and is a hypocrite. (BTW - the fact that his daddy was a big lion lover has ZERO bearing on the case at hand).
That seems to be your M.O.
Try reading post nine and hang it in your ear. Is that simple enough for you???
Fair enough. I would find it interesting to know how many such proper tags, licenses, etc., this guy has approved in California.
Just trying to help you....
Seek some.......
Yes, you are proof not all nuts come off of trees.
I would assume all legal game tags, and licenses were approved, if that person was legit...and the game was legal in CA...though.
I lived in...and grew up in CA.
I never hunted big game there...Fished, shot doves...that was about it. Never had any problems....
I hunt deer, turkey, pigs, small game and fish here in OK...now.
It's pretty easy, when you follow the rules.
And most serious folks here know it...
Good luck...
You continue to make yourself of no regard....here.
No respect, no much of anything....
I wish you well here....
And I will always, as other FReepers do, counter your dumb-ass replies and posts.
Only in your knuckle dragging little mind.
when the mountain men went hunting they considered moutain lions a real delicacy...lion hunting isn’t a big sport in numbers but it isn’t the first time i’ve heard they’re good to eat
if you want to hunt them you don’t have to use dogs...you can use a dying rabbit call and they will come in just like coyotes or any other predator to a ‘lunch in distress’ call
but...since they are stalkers par excellence, not only is your shooting problem something low, fast, close to the ground and potentially deadly, you’ve also added the wild card that its probably gotten a lot closer than you intended, and heres your head-on shot
that’s why they call it ‘sport’...lol
That's an example of your goofy posting....
"I have/?//"
I'm not sure in your world that gives you an out...by placing a question mark there...or you are just quite nuts.
But it's all recorded here.....
I could give you more.....no problem.
There are mountain lions in California. Every once in a while you hear of them attacking someone.
Illegal or not, if a Californian launched a hunting party for one that hadn’t caused problems without approval, I’ll bet they’d still be in danger of being taken to task by the state.
The enviro whack-jobs would see to that.
If a species is in danger of becoming extinct, I think it is reasoned to regulate. Beyond that, I want the state as far out of my business as I want the federal government out of it.
I’ve not been exposed to hunting. Fishing yes. I am inclined to be a strong supporter of both. It goes back to our nation’s founding. As long as the kill isn’t for just sport, I support it.
I will tell you that some of the kill-off by our predecessors on U.S. soil, absolutely disgusts me.
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