I use to look at the protected species list every season in the laws and never seen them on it. So I agree with your statement. I will look in the new books this year to see if the made the list yet.

Around 20 years ago while Elk hunting in CO we ran into another hunt camp. They said be” careful what you shoot if you have cow tags. One of our gang got a ticket for shooting a cow moose.” My uncle told them he had been seeing moose the last few years. The guy said “I wish we would have ran into you guys first!” Apparently they told two COs they thought they had seen a cow moose, the COs chuckled and said there are no moose in this area. One of those COs was there for the ticket writing and just said “it’s always your responsibility to know what you’re shooting”.

Two years later, our tags for that area started coming with pics and descriptions of how to tell cow/calf moos from Cow/calf elk. Go figure.

I’d be willing to bet there are cougars/mountain lions/pumas/panthers or whatever you want to call them in 49 states. That doesn’t mean there are breeding populations which is generally how they’re classified to be listed by a lot of States. I think some of y’all just hate DNR, lol. GA doesn’t have a breeding population of cougars, but we have some that wander through every year. And yes, it’s illegal to shoot one if you see it. But, I have told everyone that tells me they see black ones that if they shoot it, I’ll clean and skin it on my county courthouse steps with news cameras watching.

It's sometimes hard to have a positive attitude with our DNR when they deny or make false allegations about certain issues. Such as the estimated wolf population in MN.

DNR looks at the overall picture, not just what you see.

I didn't give an opinion either way. I just said it was a Fed crime. Nothing more.

Same as Michigan wasn't against the law to shoot one till 1984 when a cougar that didn't exist was shot Now even if they don't exist its illegal to shoot one

That's raciest!.

Sorta like Sasquatches, They don't exist!

but you better not shoot one...

A little common sense for once.

I've (heard) of a few.

Not questioning racism, but the original statement <scratch head>

Wisconsin like Minnesota, NO cougars here til enough creditable evidence was public. My son met our local warden and DNR biologist w/radio tracking gear out in the forest one morning years ago. They sorta kinda hinted they were following a cougar. It's always been funny to me that the DNR would deny their existence when two large adjacent school districts have the cougar and panther as mascots dating back forever??