if you read the about us sections of those organizations, you'll see that they have a predetermined position. that in and of itself casts doubt on the legitimacy of their science. assuming they dind't cherry pick their data is like assuming BSL advocates don't cherry pick theirs. the very fact that two of your sources contradict on the number of nuisance lions killed in the same year for CA (one says 42 and the others says 102) shows that their use of data is biased at best. additionally their positions (like most prohunting positions as well) are operating on the false assumption that hunting is the sole arbiter of statistical changes in adverse lion/human interactions.
unfortunately raw data available at the USDA wildlife services sight is of limited utility because it only goe back to 1996 and only details kills by the USDA. also unfortunately the state wildlife management agencies don't keep any longterm stats on their websites either. but their numbers are more significant because livestock predations are generally handled by USDA or privately, OTH the WMAs generally handle the repeated urban & suburban animals that are considered a direct threat to people.
the current management parctices are not ideal, i know that. but history has shown the two most destructive management practices are unlimited, unregulate killing & complete hands off.
This is the typical argument here, when people can't get their foot out of their mouth. They often attempt to
invalidate the sources that one presents as their answer, which is exactly what I see you doing here.
I tend to believe the following list over your groundless dithering. No offense or anything but you're good at one thing: Bull sh!!!ng. You love to sound like you're such the authority on wild life because you hunt. But newsflash....I will buy what wild life biologists with advanced university degrees, researchers from well known universities, fish and game departments all over the country, people basically, who have been researching and taking down statistics for years over your empty prattle. And this is current information, not old, as you tossed into your attempt to invalidate the sources I mentioned.
The reason I say this is because I
do think education about these big carnivores is important and that humans in general understand that hunting them too heavily is what results in this very thing....young male cougars coming in closer to humans for atypical prey. I think it's important that people don't automatically think killing more of them is the answer when in reality, killing more of them is what causes more confrontations with humans, livestock, and pets.
Do you really believe that
all of the following sources have a biased agenda? Come now. Then we can say that about anything, any subject that scientists are learning and showing us today. These are not a bunch of yahoo protesters, whining about killing animals. These are reputable sources. What are your reputable sources of biologists, scientists, researchers, statisticians, universities that specialize in this sort of thing like WSU that dispute the fact that hunting more cougars increases human/livestock conflict?
These are the scientists who, according to you, have an up in the clouds agenda. I'm sorry you feel this way. I'm sorry you are the type to reject education because you will remain ignorant. I'll highlight just a few:
WSU Department of Natural Resource Sciences
http://www.predatordefense.org/docs/cougars_overhunting_wsulab2012.pdf
Cougar predation key to ecosystem health
Oregon State University
http://www.predatordefense.org/docs/cougars_article_Stauth_Ripple_Predation_Key_10-24-06.pdf
http://www.mountainlion.org/us/wa/-wa-portal.asp
Gary Koehler is Principle Investigator on Project CAT and has been employed by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife as Wildlife Research Scientist since 1994. He received a Ph.D. from the University of Idaho and has spent the past 30 years conducting research on a variety of carnivores: including pine marten, wolverine, bobcat, lynx, cougars and American black bears in North America, to lions in Africa and tigers in China and India. He has published findings of these studies in scientific journals as well as in the popular press.
http://seattletimes.com/html/localnews/2004285453_cougar16m.html?syndication=rss
Graduate Student
Washington State University
Director of Large Carnivore Conservation Laboratory
Washington State University
Wildlife Biologist With the Department
Fish
Education
doctorate
Washington State University
Robert B. Wielgus
Associate Professor and Director of the Large Carnivore Conservation Lab
Research Interests
Population, behavioral, and habitat ecology of large carnivores (grizzly bears, black bears, cougars) and their prey (mountain caribou, mule deer).
Educational Background
Ph.D. Forest Sciences, 1993
University of British Columbia - Vancouver, BC Canada
M.S. Wildlife Resources, 1986
University of Idaho - Moscow, ID
B.S. Environmental Sciences, 1981
Brandon University
http://www.plosbiology.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pbio.0060040
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http://www.iucnredlist.org/search/detail?s.php/18868/summ. Accessed 15 January 2008.
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http://www.dnr.wa.gov/htdocs/agency/wffs?tudy/fwffinalreportdocs/landuse.pdf. Accessed 15 January 2008.
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http://www.ruraltech.org/projects/fwaf/f?inal_report/index.asp. Accessed 15 January 2008.
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http://www.proliberty.com/observer/20030?818.htm. Accessed 15 January 2008.
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Pullman (WA): Washington State University.
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http://depts.washington.edu/wacfwru/acti?ve/Cougar_Predation.shtml. Accessed 15 January 2008.
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Some of the articles are about other topics as well besides the cougar, but many of the authors, university departments, and researchers etc are the same.