Next solution? Establish a predator population that will help control the deer population. This solution will work, but it will not be popular with the majority of the state’s population. Because of this, wolves will not work. They are too visible and too vocal. Mountain lions, on the other hand, are very secrative and can stay hidden. On those rare occasions when they are seen, officials can simply say that it was a case of mistaken identity because mountain lions do not live in that state. Problems solved all the way around.

Does this sound familiar?

This is the kind of thinking, (which you hear from farmers but also from a lot of rural folk in general) that drives me absolutely nutty. I mean, okay—you didn’t say that exactly, but then… what are you saying?

No one’s advocating that wolves and cougars be allowed to multiply freely, with no checks. Clearly there has to be a balance between the needs and safety of human beings and the “right” of these animals to exist in the habitat which was once theirs. (I use the word “right” guardedly there).

Now, no, I’m not a farmer, but I’ve lived all my life around farms, my family were farmers, and I’ve worked on farms. I understand the life of the farmer is tough and the last thing a struggling farmer needs is another threat to his livestock. But on the other hand, you know—we have to stop acting like we (as humans) can just run roughshod over nature, annihilating species as we see fit, either because they get in our way or inconvenience us. I’m sorry for farmers who might have to deal with a small additional threat to their livestock, and rural folk who might have to worry about their pets (and I’m a dog lover) but all I can say is, suck it up and live with it. Just because we have the means to destroy cougars and wolves doesn’t mean we should. We should instead learn to live with them. We all know it’s right, it’s just that some of us don’t want the trouble and the expense.

And since I brought expense up, I’ll say that I’d be all for a government compensation plan that would pay farmers a certain amount for lost livestock. But pets? Come on. You take a risk having a pet no matter what—they can get run over by cars, etc. Should we ban cars from country roads?

Lock your animals up at night, keep watch on them, and accept that, for the good of the natural world overall, you’ll have to cope with this kind of thing. I know, I know–easy for a non-farmer to say. But at the same time, not easy for some of us to accept that the world doesn’t (and shouldn’t) revolve around homo sapiens and our day-to-day needs. It’s one thing if it’s a question of the life of a human being against the life of an animal… then, yes… the animal loses. But the existence of a species against the annoyance and economic trouble of a few human beings? Come now. We should be able to handle that wisely, without having to wipe predators out that bother us.

I suppose that as unfortunate as it is, it is better for the various wildlife agencies to look foolish than to have a bunch of wannabe YouTube heroes crashing through the brush with a firearm, looking to be the Great Hunter at the expense of an animal who has done nothing to deserve the torture that would no doubt be broadcast worldwide.

Cougars are apex predators that can’t be denied, but they only attack (usually) on extremes. Starving to death, hurt, sick, frightened, or feel their cubs are in danger. OK I admit the attacks on small children were most likely cause the cougar thought “Hmm small, moving slow, looks like it can’t fight. LUNCH!!” That cougar I saw could have easily swiped my face right off of my head, I was that close to it, but it didn’t. It just left the area. Basically cougars just want to stay well away from people. They’d rather go away than deal with a full grown human.

Ever since my sighting I’ve added them to my watch for list while out hiking. As of right now that list is cougars, bears, wolves, and poisonous snakes. Most predator attacks happen when a person just suddenly appears close to an animal within it’s area of comfort. I know they are there so it’s better to watch for them so I don’t surprise them.