Calif. game official avoids fine from cougar hunt

AP via SFGate ^ | 4/12/12

[SmithL]

California regulators have given a warning letter to the president of the state Fish and Game Commission over a mountain lion hunting trip he took earlier this year, but they decided against issuing a fine.

. . . It says he violated the state's $420 gift limit when he accepted an Idaho hunting trip in January worth $6,800.

[Twotone]

Another member of the ‘ruling class’ gets off scot-free when any of the rest of us would be fined to the maximum allowed by law for failing to abide by the gov’t rules.

[SmithL]

fyi

[theDentist]

Some are more equal than others.

[Spirochete]

It sounds as if he shot the cougar on a ranch in Idaho. If so, then no CA laws were broken.

[RightOnline]

[Myrddin]

The CA jackasses were angry that they couldn't enforce a California law on activities conducted inside the state of Idaho. Tough $#|+. Sounds like they went on a fishing expedition to find anything else they might apply to punish him. It's all about trying to gain control of the commission where he serves. The lefties wanted to force him out and seat one of their own ideologues in his place.

[GladesGuru]

Please note that hunting/safari trip value is often a numbers game. As an example, I attended a Safari Club auction and most trips went for a fraction of the list price.

The best example was an Ovis poli hunt, with a 5 figure list price - went for $600 because the CITES permits and Baaksheesh amounted to $23,000.

Any trip in Europe will be taxed the VAT at full price, not the actual price. This was pulled on people I know.

[Rudder]

Right.---One doesn't hunt cougars. Cougars hunt you

[Scythian]

[elkfersupper]

The trouble with a cat like that is you can never tell who is hunting who. The only way to do it is with dogs, and sometimes that doesn't work.

While I don't like government officials abusing the system, I dislike those big cats even more.

They're sneaky, they can weigh 200 lbs. or more, and if they are interested in you as food, you are SOL.

[SmithL]

Now, all they have to do is outlast him. His term expires at the end of the year.

[Myrddin]

I carry my S&W 629 44mag when hiking in the mountains south of Pocatello. We have lots of cougars. They come into town hunting pets in back yards. The irrigation canals provide a convenient path for checking yards.

[Myrddin]

Yup. They were looking for a quicker shot at bim.

[ansel12]

Thanks, really it is the politics that I am interested in, if they get him out of office (or come close), please ping me.

My interest is not really in him, or his hunting, just the real world effects of all this.

[elkfersupper]

That might work and is a good idea.

I carry either a Glock model 30 and/or something in .45-70.