largest mountain lion killed in new mexico

New Mexico Department of Game and Fish (NMDGF), regulations governing recreational hunting of mountain lions, https://wildlifeactionplan.nmdotprojects.org/, NMDA Littauer White 1984 Cougar Predation on Livestock in New Mexico in 1983 and the First Half of 1984, NMDGF 1984 STATUS REPORT 2nd Mountain Lion Workshop, NMDGF 1988 STATUS REPORT 3rd Mountain Lion Workshop, NMDGF 1997 Long Range Plan for the Management of Cougar in New Mexico, NMDGF 2000 Status of The Mountain Lion in New Mexico 1971-2000, NMDGF 2002 FEA Mountain Lion Management to Protect the State Endangered Desert Bighorn Sheep, NMDGF 2004 DRAFT Long Range Plan for the Management of Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep in New Mexico, NMDGF 2004 Living With Large Predators in New Mexico, NMDGF 2004 Long Range Plan for the Management of Cougar in New Mexico 1997-2004, NMDGF 2004 Synopsis of a 5 Year Mountain Lion Control Management Action on Endangered Desert Bighorn Sheep Recovery New Mexico 1999-2004, NMDGF 2007 Culling Mountain Lions to Protect Ungulate Populations Some Lives Are More Sacred Than Others, NMDGF 2007 Evaluation of an 8 Year Mountain Lion Removal Management Action on Endangered Desert Bighorn Sheep Recovery New Mexico 1999-2007, NMDGF 2007 Meetings Scheduled Statewide to Discuss Bear Cougar Management, NMDGF 2008 Science and Hard Work A Story About Saving Desert Bighorn Sheep in New Mexico, NMDGF 2009 Fra Christobal Mountains Evaluation of an 8 Year Mountain Lion Removal Management Action on Endangered Desert Bighorn Sheep Recovery New Mexico, NMDGF 2010 Cougar Population and Management Matrix for Hunting Seasons 2011-2015, NMDGF 2010 Cougar Zones and Habitat Model for 2011-2012, NMDGF 2012 Annual Cougar Mortality Statistics 2001-2012, NMDGF 2012 Proposed Changes to Cougar and Bear Hunting, NMDGF 2015 Annual Cougar Mortality Statistics 2001-2015, NMDGF 2015 Bear and Cougar Rule Changes for Consideration, Los Alamos County 2014 Chapter 6 Animals Trapping Ban, APNM 1998 APNM Sues New Mexico Game Commission for Cougar Killing Plans, APNM 1999 Department Promotes Flawed Cougar Killing Policy in Attempt to Protect Desert Bighorn Sheep, APNM 2001 Historical Involvement in Cougar Protection, APNM 2003 Vanishing Wildlife in New Mexico A Legacy of Neglect, Defenders of Wildlife 1998 Defenders Files Complaint Against Federal Mountain Lion Slaugher in New Mexico, Knight 1994 Mountain Lions Damage Prevention and Control Methods, The Southwest Biodiversity Initiative 1999 Cougar Bighorn Interactions and Sustainable Ecosystem Management in New Mexico. We asked for safety advice from expert who captured 300 mountain lions. 2 all-time for North America. Its just cool, he said. It was pretty eerie looking into the eyes of an ultimate predator, he said. This subspecies includes populations in western Canada, the western United States, Florida, Mexico and Central . Bill yelled immediately, Watch out! Includes information for scoring your trophy. Bill Wallace, of Collbran, Colorado, was my guide for this trip, as he had been a year before when wed teamed up for a lion hunt in Utah. The hunters followed, scaling a steep hill coated with up to 18 inches of snow. TheNew Mexico Legislatureis a part-time, bicameral legislature. The State Game Commission sets New Mexicos mortality limit. Branch was pointing when the rest of us caught up to him. Published: Dec. 15, 2020 at 7:43 PM PST. There was no scheduling the hunt. He was the most recent cat to be captured as part of our puma study. We are Certified by Independent Charities of America as a, http://www.facebook.com/pages/Big-Cat-Rescue-Tampa-FL/122174836956?ref=ts, Putins PR Blunder: How an Endangered Tiger Paid the Price, Awe-Inspiring Video Captures Rare Sumatran Tiger Cub Birth, Eighty-pound pet cougar raised in Bronx apartment is surrendered to sanctuary Daily Mail. Bradleys cat is No. In 1971 the species became a game animal and the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish initiated recreational hunting of lions. Apparently the lion had only been resting, for he suddenly jumped to the ground and dashed away with the hounds right at his heels. There was a huge lion killed up in White Mountains last week that should have a record book skull that was estimated to be close to 200 lbs, everyone was surprised a bit when it only weighed 150lbs. His reply was a surprise of the most pleasant type. (Iowa DNR) A mountain lion was killed in Johnson County last weekend, according to the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. These conditions are just right for tracking the elusive puma. In all my years of hunting, Ive never seen one, he said. Trapping is a cruel and indiscriminate practice that injures and kills millions of wildlife and pets annually. Derek Wolfe, the former . 9A young male mountain lion was killed crossing I-69E/U.S. Generally, treatment of wildlife in the State of New Mexico is governed by the New Mexico Statutes the states collection of laws. Just as I flopped into the snow to rest, Bill yelled, Hes treed! # 94-3015360) | Copyright 1988-2023. On August 27, 2015 the NMGFD Commission adopted a proposal to allow the use of snares and traps to kill lions, as well as making it easier for deer and elk hunters to kill any lions they randomly come across. Mountain lions may be hunted with center-fire rifles and handguns, 28 gauge or larger shotguns, muzzle-loading rifles, bows, and crossbows. Texas woman . According to a story at KHOU.Com a Graford High School student was driving home from basketball practice when he hit the giant cat while it was crossing the road. The Mountain Lion Foundation is a tax-deductible non-profit organization, tax exempt under Section 501(c)(3) of the IRS code (Federal I.D. Mountain lions are known by many names, including cougar, puma, catamount, painter, panther, and many more. In rare cases, wild whitetails can live for 20 years or more. New Mexico is believed to have a population of roughly 2,500 lions. Most of the commenters on Wolfes post were impressed with the hunting feat. Did you hear anything about its size? I asked. As we topped a rocky cedar-covered bench, we saw the hound going around in circles with his head in the air. A 30-minute 4-wheel-drive ride over a creek bottom brought us to the head of a wide, rocky canyon with very steep walls and slightly rolling country in between. "The largest Mountain Lion ever to be documented weighed 276 pounds, but a Lion of this size is extremely rare." . They were basically on call when conditions were good. But easy should be put in perspective. After nearly an hour and a half of trudging through foot-deep snow, we had our first look at the track of the cat. The maps show that Southern California and the Bay Area host the most dangerous roads for mountain lions, with local extinction becoming more likely each year. If an area is short on deer, you can be sure the lion hunting will be poor. At least one commissioner must manage and operate a farm or ranch that raises at least two species of game animals. Over the years the length of the hunting season, the size of the legal hunt areas, and the hunting harvest limits have been expanded to be year-long events (April through March) and include almost all of the state. No, just how many sheep its been killing.. The species is classified as a game mammal, along with javelina, American bison, wild goats, wild bighorn sheep, Barbary sheep, kudu, Oryx, American pronghorn, elk, deer, pikas, squirrels, red squirrels, marmots, and bears. The state of New Mexico encompasses 121,356 square miles of land. Climate change will likely compound these challenges as worsening drought conditions reduce the availability of prey, forcing lions to wander greater distances as they search for food. Primarily, I surmise that the vast majority of said shortcoming has its genesis in two very simple factors, regarding which I am convinced that anyone with a desire to improve may easily conquer. Since 1917, (the first year records are available) at least 7,779 mountain lions have been reported killed by humans in New Mexico. Registration on or use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Service. Mountain lion hunting season runs from April 1 to March 31 or until a units mortality limit or female sub-limit is met. The second came in June when he got a gold medal at the Boone and Crockett Clubs Big Game Awards in Reno. His head was very large, with flashing teeth and a scarred face. The dogs were now moving in on him. He then had to crawl backwards with the lion down the mountain to get him in the truck, falling 10 feet off of a rock face on the way down. Everyone was running as the barking became higher pitched. The biggest lion species known to mankind is the Barbary lion, however, it is known that they became extinct some time ago. New Mexico is divided into 69 GMUs, each with its own lion population estimates and hunting quotas. This particular model divided 92 percent of the state into four distinct mountain lion habitat categories: Core, Minimum Patch, Dispersal, and Poor / Marginal; and assigned population density ranges for each category. The antlers were officially scored as American typical elk with a final score of 338 0/8. A Colorado Parks and Wildlife study indicated the foothills of Boulder and Jefferson counties contain some of the highest concentrations of mountain lions reported in the U.S. Mountain lions have been spotted in Fort Collins periodically. (Photograph courtesy of the Boone and Crockett Club. The authorities were called, and the animal was confirmed dead. Breathe deep, make your case, be valiant on the Heros Journey. Eventually, Wolfe said he was "exhausted, dehydrated, cramping" and killed the mountain lion with a bow and arrow. The upper chamber, the Senate, is made up of 42 members who are elected to 4-year terms. In management zones in which the commission wishes to decrease the mountain lion population, the limit is set at less than or equal to 25% of the areas mountain lion population and no more than 50% of its female population. Rod knew time was against him. In that year the Department initiated a 4-month regulated hunting season in the southwest corner of the state, with spotted kittens and females accompanied by kittens protected from being hunted. Visit our. Many cedars dotted the area. I had to remind myself that the cat hadnt even been seen yet. (Photograph courtesy of the Boone and Crockett Club), Chris Robb and guide with #2 New Mexico nontypical elk, taken in Catron County, 1998. Wolfe, who won Super Bowl 50 with Denver, signed a one-day contract with the Broncos, so he could retire as a member of the team. He then signed a one year deal with the Baltimore Ravens in 2020, and announced his retirement from professional football in July 2022. SAN FRANCISCO A mountain lion that attacked a 5-year-old boy and dragged the child across his front lawn in Southern California was shot . You can check the statutes directlyhere. For bears and cats, we need clearly focused, close-up photographs of the top, left side, right side, and top of the clean, dried skull. One day when the older of my two children, Daniel, was in elementary school, my youngest sibling who was volunteering there at the time walked into the office and, seeing him seated therein, even before she was able to inquire as to the nature of his presence, was instantly informed by her young nephew that I didnt do anything wrong! When she later shared with me the details of the moment at hand, how well I remember the humor she saw in the matter. Patrick Foy, a spokesman . Hearing a commotion ahead, we were just in time to see the lion leap up on a rock. I was intimidated.. See more about the Big Game Records Program. The first program, passed by the NMDGF Commission in 1985, was in response to an increasing number of livestock reported killed by mountain lions in GMU-30. largest mountain lion killed in new mexico. Cougar ID Course(via theNMDGF Online Licensing System), Check for Cougar Zone Closures The cougar suddenly moved to a lower limb. We downed the coffee and headed out with haste. The largest Mountain Lion ever to be documented weighed 276 pounds, but a Lion of this size is extremely rare. Normally the cat will lay up and visit its kill for several days before leaving altogether. After aligning a perfect shot, he dropped the cat. To conserve, regulate, propagate and protect the wildlife and fish within the state of New Mexico using a flexible management system that ensures sustainable use for public food supply, recreation and safety; and to provide for off-highway motor vehicle recreation (Read more), Phone: (505) 476-8000 | Toll-free (888) 248-6866, Copyright 2016 New Mexico Department of Game & Fish | All Rights Reserved, (505) 476-8000 | Toll-free (888) 248-6866. According to that same record book, my lion is the ninth largest ever taken by any means, and topping off my list of honors, this past May I was informed that my trophy had been awarded a medal for placing first in the 1968-1971 Boone and Crockett competition. In fact, what precipitated Daniels trip to the office that day was his CHOICE to come to the defense of another boy who was being teased by some other students that had taken his coat from him. More to . He had to be home Thursday evening, which gave him precious little time to hunt. Since the dogs were chained off, I was the nearest to the cat. Critically endangered species, such as the Mexican gray wolf, have also been killed and injured in traps, including two wolves caught in traps in New Mexico in the past six months.. One was killed. Cougars are easily distinguished from bobcats (except when kittens). Surprisingly . Since the lion characteristically eats only what it itself has killed, the animal cannot be baited like the black bear. Two mountain bikers were attacked. Box 1896 But there was a catch. Larry Bamford The previous spring, Ken Barnes, president of the Howatt Archery Company of Yakima, Washington, had given me a prototype of a new hunting bow, which had a draw weight of 57 pounds and a length of 60 inches. Male mountain lion P-22 attacked and killed a pet chihuahua mix in Los Angeles this month, according to the National Park Service. For picked up trophies, or trophies of unknown origin. Theregulations governing recreational hunting of mountain lionsspecify 19 Cougar Management Zones. Winslow estimated New Mexico has between 2,000 and 3,000 mountain lions, including a population in the Silver City and Pinos Altos areas. My wife turned to me and said, This is a big deal, isnt it? During that period, the males are stalking the countryside, visiting as many females as possible. California has one of the largest mountain lion populations in the country. * Jesse Sky Bergman (9) - May 16, 1988 - Tofino, British Columbia, Canada New MexicosWildlife Conservation Actapplies to mountain lions. The law reads: A landowner or lessee, or employee of either, may take or kill an animal on private land, in which they have an ownership or leasehold interest, including game animals that presents an immediate threat to human life or an immediate threat of damage to property, including crops; provided, however, that the taking or killing is reported to the department of game and fish within twenty-four hours and before the removal of the carcass of the animal killed, in accordance with regulations adopted by the commission. There is agovernment-funded compensation programfor losses of domestic animals to mountain lions. Wallace went right down there to ask if we could hunt him instead.. I surmised that the lion had been lying on a ledge nearby, resting after gorging himself on the latest kill. A big grin appeared on Bills face as he walked up to the jeep. The biker. Indeed, his protestation of innocence was completely correct; he did not do anything wrong, but he did do everything right. My cougar research made memories of my first lion adventure even more vivid, and I decided to arrange for one additional, and final, hunt with Bill Wallace. Along with mountain lions, the rules contain provisions for the hunting of deer, elk, pronghorn antelope, bighorn sheep, ibex, Barbary sheep, Oryx, turkey, javelina, bear, furbearers, and upland game. To learn more about the New Mexico Wildlife Corridors Action Plan here: https://wildlifeactionplan.nmdotprojects.org/ or email info@mountainlion.org. Just $1 per month , A winter bowhunting adventure for a Pope and Young mountain lion comes down to the wire, By It was truly an awesome animal, one I thought might make the top five of the Pope and Young trophy list. Eastern coyotes are prevalent in Pennsylvania. Recovering a little, I walked up to examine the cougar. The cold wind caused my eyes to water, blurring my vision as I strained to see. Depredation law in New Mexicois monitored by the StatesDepartment of Game and Fish. Wednesday01June2022 Adult females usually measure up to seven feet in length and average 90110 pounds. Palestinian militants take part in a military parade during a memorial ceremony commemorating their late comrades Ezzeddin Hamamrah, 24 and Amjad Khleleyah, 23 . The Boone and Crockett record book published in 1964 shows no larger mountain lions having ever been taken in Colorado, with the exception of the famous giant world record cat shot by President Theodore Roosevelt in 1901. The Democratic Party has controlled both houses of the New Mexico Legislature since at least 1992. *Predator Control* Late Tuesday night I got a call from@huntnestto see if I wanted to stalk a giant Tom (male mountain lion) who has been wreaking havoc in a rural neighborhood, Wolfe wrote. He is the 25th cat & 8th collared study cat to be. 214 2/8: Colfax County. That is one of the biggest lion tracks Ive ever seen in all my years of guiding, Bill exclaimed. The 3-year-old mountain lion's ear tag told Montana biologists it had been born in Nebraska. I am convinced that It is indeed a fools errand to approach any writing task when burdened by the notion that, one way or another, I should be able to get this right (read Perfect) the first time.. A mountain lion tracked by the National Park Service is back in the spotlight after the service says it's likely to blame for killing a leashed dog in California's Hollywood Hills, reports say. A necropsy is being performed to confirm the cause of death. It weighed about 160 pounds, he said, but weight means nothing in determining record-book status. Here is a list of Official Measurers you may contact to have your trophy officially scored. But taking a record mountain lion took him by surprise. However, it certainly could not have melted much in the below zero weather. Click on the tabs below to learn more about mountain lion policy, laws, alerts, and more! The minimum score for a typical elk to be considered for the All-Time Awards Book is 375. I was trying to run faster as I heard the hounds go wild up ahead. The young adult, male Mountain Lion struck and killed by a SUV on the Wilbur Cross Parkway in Milford, Connecticut, early on the morning of June 11, 2012, provided absolutely irrefutable proof that a wild Mountain Lion, at least occasionally, can make its way to New England. Mountain Lions in the State of New Mexico Like most states, New Mexico's first lion management plan took the form of paying a bounty for every lion killed. The handle neck was so small that I began to wonder if it would hold together under all conditions. The houndsall of the Plott strainhad been let out of their boxes, and most of them seemed anxious to get on with the hunt. His job is not an easy one, but he certainly enjoys it. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. I sprinted as fast as I could but was losing ground with every stride. They determined a large mountain lion had entered a pen through a wire mesh fence, most likely earlier Saturday morning. It returns to feed from its kill for several days. Weve got some catching up to do, Bill informed me. Huge mountain lion taken without dogs on elk kill Fred Eichler 44.2K subscribers 158K views 5 years ago Michele Eichler takes a huge mountain lion with her single shot Rossi. I sensed that he was getting ready to jump out if he could only find space below the tree. Texas Game Wardens responded to the report of a dead mountain lion Saturday morning in the median just south of Sebastian in Willacy County near the floodway, state officials said. A Fort Collins man man killed a young mountain lion with his hands after the lion attacked him while he was running at Horsetooth Mountain Open Space in February 2019. Typically, the mountain lion caches its larger kills, secreting them in secluded spots and covering them with leaves and branches. Here's what he said. The most we could hope for was to keep within earshot. For bears and cats, we need clearly focused, close-up photographs of the top, left side, right side, and top of the clean, dried skull. Come on, lets get the lead out.. It was largest cat killed (and measured) in Idaho since 1988 when Gene Alford took one that measured 16 3/16ths, which is Boone and Crocketts No. Rarely considered among the masses is the tragedy of those whose life is perceived an endless, empty social wasteland, constantly dealing with their very own private newscasts, that of a constantly replayed and most painful story, burdened by the accumulation of adverse years that always long for inclusion, for laughter, for loving, and for the emotional abundance that is constantly observed, but escaping their experience. Such thinking precludes a lot of good, blinding otherwise capable people who long for a purposeful life to the innumerable opportunities surrounding their desire to be fulfilled as a Difference Maker. During the first 8 years of the program (1999-2006) 103 mountain lions were killed as part of this program. (Photograph courtesy of the Boone and Crockett Club). All I could see were teeth and tawny-colored lion coming straight for me. The best insights from the ultimate insiders, 2023 NYP Holdings, Inc. All Rights Reserved. On April 4, 2021, New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham signed intolaw Senate Bill 32, which bans bans traps, snares, and poisons on public lands across New Mexico. Mar. New Mexico is divided into 69 GMUs, each with its own lion population estimates and hunting quotas. 5. A male mountain lion tracked by wildlife officials and dubbed P-81 was found dead on the Pacific Coast Highway in Southern California last week after likely being struck by a car. Annual Cougar Mortality by Zone 2012-2021, Annual Cougar Mortality Statewide 2001-2021, Cougar Management Strategy for Hunting Seasons 2020-2024 (Updated 08-21-2020), See alsoPublications Hunting Rules & Information, Predator (Living with Large Predators in NM), Cougars Of San Andres Mtns New Mexico, Logan et al. Another lion-kill was lying in a shallow depression partly covered with brush and dirt. LAS CRUCES, N.M. Of all the troubling video made public over a year of crisis at New Mexico State - from the brawl involving basketball players to the fatal shooting of a 19-year-old, allegedly . Then I had to crawl backwards down the mountain with him to get him to the truck I fell 10ft off a rock face on the way down lol. Not everyone was happy with Wolfe, who is currently a sports talk radio host at 104.3 the Fan in Denver. Show all. Bradleys cat was the largest taken in North America for the three-year period from 2007 to 2009 and the second largest ever measured in Idaho, according to Boone and Crockett, which certifies the largest big game animals. I asked him about the lion, and he told me he thought it must be an old one. That lion had scored 15 4/16 inches, and Dr. Smiths record had never been challenged in the last decade. Although the lion was 200 yards away, shifting from limb to limb, he looked very large. It was every man for himself as the big cat landed on the ground in front of us, very much alive. Its teeth were broken and worn; its ears were full of holes from fighting, and there were several big scars on his face. A check for $40 to cover the non-refundable entry fee. With the aid of modern DNA analysis technology and the availability Market data provided by Factset. A wounded lion could kill the whole pack, setting Bill back as much as $500 per hound. But the weather worked in the groups favor, piling fresh snow each day, which made it easier to spot fresh cat tracks. Wolfe said he hiked up 2,500 feet and down the other side of a. info@mountainlion.org. A couple years ago while . According to one listing, the largest mountain lion ever killed by a bowhunter had a skull that scored 15 7/16 that's nearly as large as the largest mountain lion ever recorded. It was once common in eastern North America, and is still prevalent in the western half of the continent. Here are 4 very scary mountain lion/cougar encounters caught on camera that will give you anxiety!Make sure to l. Toll-free Harvest Hotline (877) 950-5466. Get out of there, fast.. All rights reserved. Bills been real busy, Bob told me. A deputy had to shoot and kill a mountain lion that was following a family and couldn't be scared away, the El Dorado County Sheriff's Office says. These statutes are searchable. (Photograph courtesy of B. Neal Ainsworth, Jr.), New Mexico record typical elk, picked up in Catron County in 1997. In closing, I offer the following proverb: What is desirable in a man is his kindness, and it is better to be a poor man than a liar. I recall so many times asking my sons, when they were yet adolescents, And how else may this be translated? And the answer was always His loyalty. He had already killed two of her dogs and was living under her porch, nervous what he might do next. Although the scientific name, Puma concolor, means cat of one color, the dominant tan or light-cinnamon color of the cougar is contrasted by its white chest and underside. New Mexico law allows any landowner, lessee, or employee of either to kill any mountain lion on their land that presents an immediate threat to human life. The killing must be reported to the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish within 24 hours and before the carcass is removed in accordance with commission regulations. To me the pad mark looked so large it appeared to have melted out and increased in size.. When the governor appoints commissioners, their terms are designated one-, two-, three-, or four-year terms so that no more than two commissioners terms expire during the same year. 1. April 20, 2015. Bill is a young, enthusiastic guy who looks like the outdoors he lives in. 6. The first was in 2007 when he bagged a record-book mountain lion. He was sporting his favorite dark brown Stetson hat and green insulated coat. It sounded like a cat was treed. "Exhausted, dehydrated, cramping I drew back my (bow) and sent a (broadhead arrow)through him,'' Wolfe wrote. Without further delay, we loaded up Wallaces truck with all my gear and headed north for an hours ride to the ranch where the lion had been reported.