California animal attacks

[troy2000]

Originally Posted by sell33

Well, I would say that i do care if they get eaten also, but at the same time I do think that the Cali laws are a bit ridiculous. I am sure there are ways to hunt coyotes and mt lions in cali, people just need to get out and do it! also some sort of animal control center should try harder to remove them from large urban areas.

Okay; I got the thread opener when you quoted it. Mitch really shouldn't pop off about California's hunting laws, because he obviously knows nothing about them.

According to the California Department of fish and Game, coyotes "may be taken at any time of the year and in any number." The only thing you need is a valid hunting license, period. Does that sound like the coyote problem is due to restrictive hunting laws?

The crux of the problem is that in Southern California, city and wild land are intertwined and mingled more than in most places. Instead of having an urban center surrounded by suburbs, surrounded by farmland, with the wilderness way off yonder somewhere, in SoCal you have cities and suburbs alike with tongues of undeveloped hills, washes and the like running right through the neighborhoods. Add in the undeveloped land that's designated as parks, wilderness, wildlife refuges, National Forest, etc., and you basically have people and wild animals living cheek by jowl.

All the relaxed hunting regulations in the world wouldn't help the coyote situation, because they're living on the hillside or along the dry creek bed between you and your neighbor if you're a Californian. And hunting isn't allowed in any residential neighborhoods I'm familiar with, no matter what the state.

[mitch_mckee]

Originally Posted by troy2000

Okay; I got the thread opener when you quoted it. Mitch really shouldn't pop off about California's hunting laws, because he obviously knows nothing about them.

According to the California Department of fish and Game, coyotes "may be taken at any time of the year and in any number." The only thing you need is a valid hunting license, period. Does that sound like the coyote problem is due to restrictive hunting laws?

The crux of the problem is that in Southern California, city and wild land are intertwined and mingled more than in most places. Instead of having an urban center surrounded by suburbs, surrounded by farmland, with the wilderness way off yonder somewhere, in SoCal you have cities and suburbs alike with tongues of undeveloped hills, washes and the like running right through the neighborhoods. Add in the undeveloped land that's designated as parks, wilderness, wildlife refuges, National Forest, etc., and you basically have people and wild animals living cheek by jowl.

All the relaxed hunting regulations in the world wouldn't help the coyote situation, because they're living on the hillside or along the dry creek bed between you and your neighbor if you're a Californian. And hunting isn't allowed in any residential neighborhoods I'm familiar with, no matter what the state.

So, why is it now that they want to pay a "pro" to come get rid of them?

[JohnBlaze]

psst! Crossbow!

[mitch_mckee]

Originally Posted by JohnBlaze

psst! Crossbow!

Sure, or a compound and predator call.

[troy2000]

As I've mentioned before, one of life's small but very real pleasures is seeing, "This message is hidden because mitch_mckee is on your ignore list," instead of reading whatever it was he wrote. Simple amusements for simple minds, I guess...

[mitch_mckee]

Originally Posted by troy2000

As I've mentioned before, one of life's small but very real pleasures is seeing, "This message is hidden because mitch_mckee is on your ignore list," instead of reading whatever it was he wrote. Simple amusements for simple minds, I guess...

Some people prefer ignorant bliss......

[GlockMeister]

I got a question for any California members. Are the animal wardens, animal control specialists or whatever they're called in California armed? I only ask because I had a buddy that was the animal warden in the town I live in when I first moved here, and he wasn't armed until someone sicked their pitbull on him when he came to take it because he failed to get it registered and get it's shots, and he got bit in the arse. From that point on they let him take the test to carry and allowed him to carry a firearm while on duty.

I only ask if they are armed and then if they are called or in a situation with a coyote or other animal attacking/attacks, do they have to call for an officer to come and take it out or can they take care of it because they allow them to be armed?

[Big Dog]

Gotta side with Troy on this one. California is NOT unique in this problem. I know some good folks out there - they are good people, even if their government has it's problems.
Here in Sunny Florida, we have Coyotes, Black Bear, Panthers - any could harm a human if he/she got too close - big development forces that closure.
We have much the same hunting laws - we can hunt the songdog year round - with a hunting license. But NOT in populated areas.

Please tone down the hostile rhetoric. It has no place in this forum site. Please reread the forum rules.

[tbonecpk]

Originally Posted by troy2000

Okay; I got the thread opener when you quoted it. Mitch really shouldn't pop off about California's hunting laws, because he obviously knows nothing about them.

According to the California Department of fish and Game, coyotes "may be taken at any time of the year and in any number." The only thing you need is a valid hunting license, period. Does that sound like the coyote problem is due to restrictive hunting laws?

The crux of the problem is that in Southern California, city and wild land are intertwined and mingled more than in most places. Instead of having an urban center surrounded by suburbs, surrounded by farmland, with the wilderness way off yonder somewhere, in SoCal you have cities and suburbs alike with tongues of undeveloped hills, washes and the like running right through the neighborhoods. Add in the undeveloped land that's designated as parks, wilderness, wildlife refuges, National Forest, etc., and you basically have people and wild animals living cheek by jowl.

All the relaxed hunting regulations in the world wouldn't help the coyote situation, because they're living on the hillside or along the dry creek bed between you and your neighbor if you're a Californian. And hunting isn't allowed in any residential neighborhoods I'm familiar with, no matter what the state.

I can attest to that because like I have stated before I have a pack runnin around in the canyon less than 10 feet from the porch. Onlything not lettin them in is the chain linked fence

[troy2000]

Originally Posted by GlockMeister

I got a question for any California members. Are the animal wardens, animal control specialists or whatever they're called in California armed? I only ask because I had a buddy that was the animal warden in the town I live in when I first moved here, and he wasn't armed until someone sicked their pitbull on him when he came to take it because he failed to get it registered and get it's shots, and he got bit in the arse. From that point on they let him take the test to carry and allowed him to carry a firearm while on duty.

I only ask if they are armed and then if they are called or in a situation with a coyote or other animal attacking/attacks, do they have to call for an officer to come and take it out or can they take care of it because they allow them to be armed?

Some animal control officers are, some aren't. It depends on which city or county you're talking about, GM. I think most jurisdictions have at least some officers who are authorized to carry firearms.

[sc928porsche]

Being a transplanted Californian, I watched the rise of the mountain lion population over decades. Being protected their numbers grow and as people encroach their area, things are bound to happen sometime. Before I left there they had an attack where a woman was killed along the American river and it was almost downtown. Keep in mind that that area is part of a park that goes clear up to Folsom lake and extends eastward into the Sierras.

A very good friend of mine worked as director of the Humane Society in that area and was once called upon to remove a cat from a tree. When she arrived on the scene she soon discovered that the cat was a mountain lion. Being unarmed at the time, she was obliged to call the Dept. of Fish and Game. They came out and used a tranquilizer gun to remove the animal. 3 weeks later she was allowed to carry both a tranquilizer gun and a side arm. This happened about 10 years ago.

[LefthandShooter]

I gotta side with Troy also. There is less and less places where these animals can live in the wild - in any state it seems! More people mean less wildlife habitat. We have a racoon problem here in my city. They live in the sewer and eat the koi I put in my water garden. Solution: since I like raccons I put a piece of fence over the pond and bought goldfish instead of the more costly koi! I wanted to live trap them but it is illegal to do that in my city.
As for coyotes, they have run off the foxes on my parent's farm. A few got shot but now the kids are all gone so....
My brother has a bald eagle taking his expensive ducklings at his farm. He lost about $200 worth before he got a shelter built for them to hide under. He puts groundhogs he shoots out for the eagles when he gets one. They come right up to his yard for the "free" meal!

[Big Dog]

We have raccoons in our city too, they raid the garbage dumpsters behind the state buildings. Even foxes are seen in town. A hawk often cruises the inner city thermals looking for squirrels.

Get used to it - the wild has invaded the urban centers!

Coyotes are consumate scavengers, easily becoming accustomed to 'city life'.
Once in awhile, the gators and black bears wander into town. Then things get 'interesting'....