DNR issues citation for cougar shooting in Jackson County Charges have been filed today by the Jackson County attorney's office against a Jackson County man in southwestern Minnesota for allegedly shooting a cougar on Nov. 27, 2011, according to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR). Daniel Hamman, 26, was charged by citation with shooting a protected animal. Hamman allegedly shot the cougar after being contacted by a neighbor, who saw the cat run from a rural grove of trees into a culvert. The cougar was shot as it flushed from the culvert. Maximum penalties Hamman could face include a fine up to $1,000 and up to 90 days in jail. The DNR has filed an affidavit of restitution requesting the court to order Hamman to pay $1,000 to the state for the cougar. Criminal charges are not evidence of guilt. A defendant/suspect is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. The cougar shot in Jackson County was a 125-pound male, estimated to be one to three years old. The DNR conducted a necropsy of the cougar to assess the condition of the animal, look for signs of captivity and collect additional samples to help determine the origin of the animal. No obvious signs of captivity were present such as being declawed, exhibiting excessive pad wear, or having tattoos or microchips. Samples have been submitted to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Wildlife Forensics Lab in Missoula, Mont., to do a DNA analysis; results are pending. The DNR plans to have the cougar mounted and used for educational purposes. Since 2007, the DNR has confirmed 14 cougar sightings across the state. Eleven have been from trail cameras or video. One was road killed, one was found dead and one was shot. Dozens of other, unconfirmed sightings have also been reported. Why might cougars show up in Minnesota? Cougars are solitary, roaming animals. As young males reach maturity, they begin to look for new territory and will travel considerable distances. The timing of many of Minnesota's verified cougar sightings (mid- 2000s and forward) is not unexpected given the somewhat rapid increase in the cougar population in the western Dakotas that began in the mid-1990s. Extensive research in the Black Hills has documented the changing cougar dynamics that typically lead to increased dispersal of young males. Although verifications have increased, evidence of cougars in Minnesota remains extremely rare. Cougars are protected animals in Minnesota. State statute makes it illegal for a citizen to kill a cougar in most circumstances. Minnesotans can kill a cougar if a life threatening situation arises. Public safety officials are authorized to kill a cougar to protect public safety. If a cougar poses an immediate threat to public safety, a DNR conservation officer or local law enforcement person should be contacted as soon as possible. Minnesota Statutes section 97A.301, Subdivision 1(1) states: Misdemeanor. Unless a different penalty is prescribed, a person is guilty of a misdemeanor if that person: (1) takes, buys, sells, transports or possesses a wild animal in violation of the game and fish laws. According to Minnesota Statutes section 97B.641, there is no open season for cougars in the state of Minnesota.
Its too bad he didnt get more of a penalty. THey were on the local news speaking after it happened and they reason they flushed it out and shot it was because the neighboring farm had horses which they were concerned about and there were also kids that lived at some of the local farms. Odds are close to 100% this cat came from South Dakota as no way it was living in SW Minnesota. Obviously that cat passed hundred if not thousands of horses and children as it moved across the SD and MN, so why he thought the cat would settle in the open ag country of Minnesota to prey on the children and horses of his farm is crazy. It was a redneck that found a seemingly good reason to empty his AR.
If I errored on the side of caution of things that scared me, I would have shot numerous people in walmart and already be in prison. Had he shot it because it was attacking something and he was defending his property, then yes, he did the right thing. But it ran into a culvert and he and his buddy chased after it, flushed it out, and shot the hell out of it. He said on the news he emptied his AR magazine.
Side of caution would have been to call the C.O. This was just dumb. Wish the the fines were much steeper. Shoot, I'd take his hunting privilages for a year or two aswell... Oh, and I'm pretty sure the kid in that video was busted about his story a few weeks after it came out.
Yeah, it was on the local news here - they interviewed the guy that shot it... Watching his story, figured he was unlikely to get a free pass.... Though personally, I'm not glad to see it go. They are running around like rabbits... Our elk population went from around 10K animals back just a few years ago to around 2K now... Lions are killing good percentage of the young ones... One of the guys I work with lives out by in the hills had a lion in the tree in his front yard... His horses had been busting out of his fenced pasture a lot lately and thought something was making them spooky (along with his dog barking all the time) - figured it could be a lion - so anyway, he comes home and there is one in his tree. He called the DNR and they basically came out, literally threw rocks at it to get it out of the tree. It ran 100 yds behind his house into the creek bottom and they said "problem solved" and took off.... Think that's probably why your getting more people 'solving' their own issues - because they know the DNR isn't going to do anything.... Season wise, I wish they would just treat them like coyotes...
I agree that the DNR should have been contacted first, but I'm not on board with saying he should have had his hunting rights stripped for a couple years. My family owns a horse stable in central MN where according to the DNR "cougars don't live" but we've had a horse be attacked by one, and seen others over the years. About 5 years back the neighbor did the same thing when his wife saw one while hunting but never got in trouble for it. Maybe the law protects the actual landowner if its within x feet of livestock or something along those lines, but honestly I wouldn't hesitate to shoot if i saw one anywhere near our horse pastures or beef cows.
Cougars, that have an average population density of 1/35 square miles and a home range from 10-290 square miles should be managed the same as Coyotes with densities of 1/3-5 square miles and a range of 6-30 square miles??? I disagree.
I think giving this guy too harsh of a punishment will only serve to reinforce SSS. Most people aren't going to wait around until they're actually being attacked by a mountain lion when there's one hanging around their property.
I dunno. I guess I'm wired differently than many of my hunting/rural brothers & sisters. When I see a wolf, or if I saw bear or cougar, I first reach for the camera, not a firearm. Sure, I'm aware that they have potential in them to kill, but come on... Don't get me wrong, I think populations should be controlled (like our wolves here in MN) but shooting a protected animal that was chased into a culvert, then flushed out to be shot. That is not "protecting" thats being ignorant IMO. I'm all for protecting yourself, family, pets. Livestock? well there are reimbersment programs for them. Look, my own golden retreiver was attacked by wolves, two neighbors lost dogs to them, but protecting your family & pets is more than shooting any predator you see. Just like I can't go shooting people that "look" like then might rob me.... Sorry for the rant. I'm just sick hearing stories of SSS & the only good ____ is a dead ____.
I figure if I see a cougar around my house.... someones going to kill it and walk away. Pet the kitty and you will get bit. We don't need big cats, big bears etc trying to live within the human community. When they come hunting on the lawns... they should be dealt with. Just me... but that's what I see. I love big cats and can't understand why someone goes to Africa and kills one. BUT, when they play in lawns it's unhealthy. I just don't feel like waiting until they kill someone to teach them they belong way away from the houses. I see one on the top of mountain somewhere I'm reaching for a camera too.... but if it's in my yard hunting Fido... well he's catching lead.
You have to see the cougar issues here to really believe them, they are something else.... The population is very dense, I would guess from my experiences much denser than most realize could even be possible... Just in the Black Hills the last couple of weeks they have shot 35 of them and we don't even allow dogs - Its pretty much just guys going out into the woods and using predator calls or driving around and getting lucky.... Glad to see the DNR Commission realized they are an issue and the limit is now more than double what it was just a few years ago... Most of the hunters\ranchers I know consider them vermin and wish they were just gone from the area (just being honest)... Take a look at the story below... DNR was tagging elk trying to figure out why populations have dropped from 10K in 2005 to around 2K now.... They shoot a cow with a dart and a lion jumps out of the bushes and kills the elk... Pretty good indication on why the young ones aren't surviving... http://rapidcityjournal.com/news/article_023c23ee-3fb6-11e0-bf04-001cc4c03286.html
If you were a farmer I can almost guarantee you would look at this different. Programs/Insurance take forever to reimburse you. Allot of times It don't happen. I'm not sure what I would've done If I had livestock and this ML was on my property. I probably wouldn't do anything but I'd be watching my flock like fly's on ****!!
