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The "panther" is a subspecies, not the other way around.
You're in a very short line of hunters and ranchers wanting to see any cougar expansion- controlled or not.
The reason the USFWS "disagree" is because all of a sudden that would make the Florida Panther just another panther population in North America with nothing different than those in CA or TX or any of the western states and Canada....The question of whether the local panther is even an "endangered" species is raised.....and the uniqueness of the Florida population that is a great "environmentalist" cause and money raiser here in Florida.....Being an Endangered Species is crucial to some stakeholders' objectives, but the designation has had negative impacts on public access and activity on lands with panthers....
"Hidden Motives"????.....they are a bigger player than often stated by the USFWS.
And that is why someone like Laurie McDonald from Defenders of Wildlife has a seat on the Panther Team and we don't.
I had you pissed off at hello.
Mr Bandit is correct that sometimes we drive wedges between folks that should be together. We should resist ever doing that at all costs. We need more bridges connecting us rather than ditches separating us since we have so many things in common. That being said - I love hunting fishing and beef but also believe in order to tightly control and possibly bring sanity to this soon to be out of control expansion of panthers Northward we should join together as we push for our specific desired outcomes and begin expressing as publicly as possible our serious concerns for the safety of the general unsuspecting people living in residential communities in the path of the expansion that aren't woodsy or knowledgeable that will be endangered by 240 panthers between I-4 and Lake O. The public safety issue can generate more massive support from the public for proceeding forward more sanely with very tight controls than any individual special interest such as hunting or cattle IMHO.
Why, Heck even all of the land South of the lake isn't enough for the 160 cats agencies say might be there currently. Just with 160 cats a resident clained to have spotted a female with cubs in a residential neighborhood miles North of Dupuis WMA near I-95. It will be interesting to see where cats wind up when and if 240 of them ever inhabit the lands North of Lake O.
My thanks to Johnny Bandit for his comment here. I know I listened to it and get it.
The Ice Age???
So they're already naturally beginning to love north. Taking the path of least resistance east of the lake. No need for us to interfere.
The number one location determined for reestablishment is actually in SEGA in the Okefenokee area, that is what the plan calls for. Ironically in GA many of those that hunt want them here. I am one of them. I know that GA would establish a hunting season once they became established, just as they have done out west with the wolves. I personally have gone out west to hunt them and it is exciting, plus they taste good.....I am curious as to their habits with regards to eastern coyotes. I know out west once wolves got reestablished they seem to kill wolves and wolves kill them. If they killed coyotes I am sure most in GA would welcome them with open arms.
Does anyone know of any studies about their relationship with south eastern coyotes? If so, could someone post a link?
ALL PREDATORS kill each other. Competiton is not wanted by any of them .
Due to extensive fawn predation by coyotes in GA and with coyotes preying on adult deer on a regular basis, I believe most land managers would welcome panthers if there were any studies out there confirming an adverse effect on coyotes. Their core home range is 10 to 20 times that of a southern coyote's core home range. If the panthers reduced the coyote population in their core home range by even 50% you would have a large net decrease in deer predation even with the added predation of the panthers. Not to mention the added benefit of panthers preying heavily on wild hogs. Panthers would also prey on meso predators such as racoons which would help reduce nest predation on ground nesting birds such as quail and turkeys.
My attitude is to get hunters in the fore front of panther management to give us a place in the table. If hunters offer no help or valid input to the inevidable government aided spread of these animals, we will find ourselves on the sidelines in the debate and policy making procedure. Maybe not in FLA, but you can bet your bottom dollar that if they get established in other southern states hunting will be allowed eventually. I for one would really love to hear hounds baying a big cat in my beloved South Georgia river swamps and piney woods before I die.
Unless you live in Port St Lucie and don't want them strolling thru your neighborhood as per the forum at this link http://www.city-data.com/forum/port-st-lucie-sebastian-vero-beach/2122467-florida-panther-my-neighborhood.html
Another source has told me they know panthers have been around there since the hurricane Andrew era for sure.
I would never hold my breath for a hunt season on this cat in Ga if it is called the Fla Panther.
Hunting if ever IMHO will not happen until long after de listing, they're running over people's yards in Atlanta and a few people are killed by them. Then the powers that be might study the concept after pressure from the idiot, apathetic, dumbed down citizens that supported this animals rehab in the first place.
The cats have shown an ability to rebound rather fast, from what I can tell the main problem is the lack of female dispersal out of SWFLA due to habitat limitations and man made barriers. As for the hunting issue, if hunters and land managers were at the fore front of the issue, we would have much more say so than if we fought it tooth and nail. We know we have decent habitat in GA, on male made it from SWFLA all the way to west central GA where he was shot by a deer hunter. They know where he came from due to his DNA. He was so healthy, for awhile they thought he was an escaped illegal pet. You have western cats making it eastward, they are showing up in Mich., Ark. Iowa, Ill. and one even made it to Del. from S. Dak. where it was killed on a highway. Hunting will happen, I have no doubt, they have such large land requirements, even with good habitat that the managers will have no choice, the key is they have to establish a few distinct populations of them with genetic interflow from each other. Once that happens, at least in GA, ALA. and maybe MISS you can cut loose the hounds. It is allowed in many the states with established wolf populations now. And wolves have a much larger tree hugger following than the panther.