A former cop with a lawful weapon shoots a mountain lion that enters his property, terrifies his wife and menaces him. Instead of receiving well-deserved adulation, this defender of his home and wife and daughter is investigated by authorities,criticized by a letter- writer safely living far from the scene, and subjected to the unhappiness of some parents and children around him("Trigger happy or a hero, "Letters, Jan19") This is a clip out of the Orange County Register.
Posts: 3875 | From: ca. | Registered: Jul 2005
| IP: Logged |
posted
This is in the Orange County Register Newspaper Under the Local Opinion/ Letters section Jan 21. http://ocregister.com/ By ERIKA I. RITCHIE The Orange County Register
RANCHO SANTA MARGARITA - Sheriff's spokesman Jim Amormino said his department will work with state Fish and Game to investigate Tuesday's shooting of a mountain lion in Rancho Santa Margarita.
The case will go to the district attorney by the end of the week.
"It will boil down to whether the shooting was in self-defense or the defense of others," he said. "It will come down to whether it was justified."
Bill Hill, a former police officer, shot the animal just after 7 a.m. with a 9 mm Beretta. His wife had seen the animal perched on a retaining wall less than 10 feet from her bedroom window and screamed.
The 52-year-old said shooting the mountain lion – he fired at it twice – was a natural reaction and something he was trained to do. Sheriff's deputies and Fish and Game officials tracked the bleeding 2-year-old cat and shot and killed it just after 8:30 a.m.
A preliminary investigation appeared to show Hill was justified, Fish and Game officials said. They recommended, though, that residents call 911 rather than shooting mountain lions that venture near residential areas.
Posts: 3875 | From: ca. | Registered: Jul 2005
| IP: Logged |
Another human/cougar encounter. It seems that every time the cougar ends up the victim. People are warned not to hike or bike alone and so on and so forth. Mrs. Hill, safe in her bedroom, rather that enjoying the majestic beauty and the blessing of a visit from a cougar, has to scream bloody murder and her husband comes running with his gun.
He has a swimming pool full of water – get a clue, the mountain lion was thirsty and this was probably not its first visit to his yard, just the first time the cougar got caught.
Alicia Laddin
Trabuco Canyon
Dangerous liaisons
What kind of knee-jerk reaction is it for anyone, especially a police officer, to confront a mountain lion with a handgun, then proceed to wound the animal, making it exponentially more dangerous? This on the premise of "protecting" children? I fail to understand why people who live in close proximity to wilderness areas can't come to terms with the fact that wildlife may at times encroach and don't educate themselves on appropriate action.
posted
Interesting...sounds like he won't get in trouble.
Buddy of mine lives in Ft Davis, Big Bend country. Oldest son, feeding pigs one day, looks up and sees one on a limb overhanging the path where in a few minutues the younger brother would be riding his bike home from school. Authorities called; shoot the cat, 160-lb male; open him up--been feeding on dogs and cats...
"No wonder we ain't had strays around here lately," said game warden. "Still, we had to take him--surveying the area from that limb is typical predator behavior..."
posted
There have been several attacks by mountain lions in the last few years down here.I say anything in your backyard is fair game, you have only a very short time to make a decision and these are great animals, but if the choice has to be made between a possible attack, the lion goes.
Posts: 3875 | From: ca. | Registered: Jul 2005
| IP: Logged |
posted
We are having a similiar problem in our complex. We live next to a wetland area. They are re-doing some of the wetlands which is forcing the coyotes into our condo complex. These coyotes have even tried to attack a small dog on a leash that was being walked. They are not only walking around at night but are out in the daytime. We are concerned because there are small children in our area. I see them all the time but they never bother me. I told a neighbor if she had any problem to just borrow a neighbors pit bull to walk with her. These coyotes are taking a toll on the cat population.
Posts: 3875 | From: ca. | Registered: Jul 2005
| IP: Logged |
posted
Dustoff, Don't even get me into Sea Lions. When we lived in the Seattle area I fished a lot. Several times a year we would go down to the locks where they had the fish ladders. The salmon would head up them to spawn and the Sea Lions would just destroy the runs, but they could not get rid of the Sea Lions, talk about making you sick. Down here in Newport Beach they are having a problem in the harbor also, Sea Lions are getting on the boats and destroying them, they cannot do anything about that either because they are "protected".
Posts: 3875 | From: ca. | Registered: Jul 2005
| IP: Logged |
posted
i killed a protected 7 foot long poisonous snake once. and it was on miltiary base in a high foot traffic area.... didn't get in any trouble tho, we all just pretended it never happened... dang paperwork woulda been a nightmare...
can you beleive a poisonous snake is protected?
-------------------- Don't envy the happiness of those who live in a fool's paradise. Posts: 36378 | From: USA | Registered: Sep 2003
| IP: Logged |
posted
"can you beleive a poisonous snake is protected? "
Yep, Glass..., he has been all but immune for years, but I think Ronnie Earle has got the damned snake this time.
Posts: 11304 | From: Fort Worth, Texas | Registered: Mar 2005
| IP: Logged |
posted
Pelated Woodpecker was my accidental prey one time out dove hunting. This thing was so high in the air, I couldn't tell what it was. My buddy's dad covered it up with a few rocks and we went on hunting in the local shale pit.
My friends had a few choice words for me after my prey was recognized. It wasn't good job either. LOL. A 17 year old with a Mossberg 835.
-------------------- Buy Low. Sell High. Posts: 10750 | From: The Land Of The Giants | Registered: Feb 2005
| IP: Logged |
quote:Originally posted by IWISHIHAD: Dustoff, Don't even get me into Sea Lions. When we lived in the Seattle area I fished a lot. Several times a year we would go down to the locks where they had the fish ladders. The salmon would head up them to spawn and the Sea Lions would just destroy the runs, but they could not get rid of the Sea Lions, talk about making you sick. Down here in Newport Beach they are having a problem in the harbor also, Sea Lions are getting on the boats and destroying them, they cannot do anything about that either because they are "protected".
------------------------------------------------ One of my greatest expieriances at Sea, was watching a Killer Whale pack tear into a pack of Sea Lions....
I was fishing alone on my 36 foot Salmon troller, off Heceta Banks, on the Central Oregon Coast when I witnessed the event....
When I first saw the Sea Lions jumping out of the Ocean, into the air, while being pursued by the Orcas, I remember an uncontrollable desire to Cheer! Which I did, with great gusto!
As I closed in on the area, my gear started loading up with Chinook Salmon. What a feeding frenzy the Sea can at times provide!
There was also a Great White mixed up in the killing zone.
I can say one thing about the whole spectical.. I WAS NOT FEELING LIKE THE TOP PREDITOR!!
Posts: 10729 | From: oregon | Registered: Feb 2005
| IP: Logged |
quote:Originally posted by BuyTex: well, I'd hate to see cobras wiped out...or rattlers--well, any of em, I guess...
It's like I was saying before: in their turf? I really doubt snakes are hunting *us*
In my house? it don't matter...
in our country, fire ants are much more trouble than snakes, these days... :(
Yep. Gotta agree.
All my life I've gone out where rattlers and coperheads and cottenmouths and, when I was a boy, I wandered across the hills and through the creeks trying to catch a mountain lion or wolf, never catching up to much more than tracks. All of them did their best to avoid me, clearly of the opinion I was the dangerous critter.
Posts: 11304 | From: Fort Worth, Texas | Registered: Mar 2005
| IP: Logged |
UBBFriend: Email this page to someone!
Printer-friendly view of this topic
![[Frown]](frown.gif)
![[Big Grin]](biggrin.gif)
