Hunting WHAT??????

[greenheadmachine]

MADISON, Wis. (AP) - Feline lovers holding pictures of cats, clutching stuffed animals and wearing whiskers faced-off against hundreds of hunters at meetings around Wisconsin to voice their opinion on whether to legalize cat hunting.

Residents in 72 counties were asked whether free-roaming cats - including any domestic cat that isn't under the owner's direct control or any cat without a collar - should be listed as an unprotected species. If listed as so, the cats could be hunted.

The proposal was one of several dozen included in a spring vote on hunting and fishing issues held by the Wisconsin Conservation Congress. The results, only advisory, get forwarded to the state Natural Resources Board.

Statewide results were expected Tuesday.


La Crosse firefighter Mark Smith, 48, helped spearhead the cat-hunting proposal. He wants Wisconsin to declare free-roaming wild cats an unprotected species, just like skunks or gophers. Anyone with a small-game license could shoot the cats at will.


At least two other upper Midwestern states, South Dakota and Minnesota, allow wild cats to be shot - and have for decades. Minnesota defines a wild, or feral, cat as one with no collar that does not show friendly behavior, said Kevin Kyle with that state's Department of Natural Resources.


Every year in Wisconsin alone, an estimated 2 million wild cats kill 47 million to 139 million songbirds, according to state officials. Despite the astounding numbers, Smith's plan has been met with fierce opposition from cat lovers.


Critics of Smith's idea organized Wisconsin Cat-Action Team and developed a Web site - dontshootthecat.com. Some argue it is better to trap wild cats, spay or neuter them, before releasing them.


In Madison, about 1,200 people attended the Monday evening meeting at the Alliant Center - more than the 250 or so in a typical year, but less than the 3,000 or so who took part in a debate in 2000 over whether to allow hunters to shoot mourning doves.


One of the attendees was Katy Francis, who wore cat ears, whiskers, a cat nose and a sign that read, ``Too Cute to Kill.'' For Francis, ``The cat hunting thing brought me out because it was very extreme.''


On the Net:


Conservation Congress: http://dnr.wi.gov/org/nrboard/congress/


Wisconsin Cat-Action Team: http://www.dontshootthecat.com

[H20 Fowl]

GOTTA GO GET TO WORK ON A PATENT FOR A ROBO CAT

[mudsucker]

Cut em all! Or "come on and get some "BEARDED CLAM"!"

[Spoonallard]

He!!, I thought we could shot all the cats we wanted to now. My vote is kill'em all!
Spoon

[duck_nutt]

"voice their opinion on whether to legalize cat hunting"

I a buddy called me up and asked If I wanted to go cat hunting..............................well, nevermind..

[hillhunter]

i go cat huntin every weekend, the trick is to know when to call the cat, you can't just blow on your cat call and watch em come runnin, you got to talk to the cats, kind of like gettin a turkey in to your decoy. Every now and then though you get lucky and the cat just comes to you, without expecting it, but i have to say that the hard cat hunts are more rewarding than the easy cat hunts.


......and no i don't use a spinner, thats cheating.

[RebelYelp]

hillhunter, you forgot to mention that it is legal to bait cats

[hillhunter]

rebelyelp your right you can bait cats, but this leads you to a sense of commitment to that cat, sort of like hunting you favorite duckhole even though there are more ducks somewhere else. also baiting cats gets expensive and some cats won't eat certian baits, cats are very picky animals. most cats like expensive bait while you will find your occassional cat that likes drive-through bait. usually the cats that prefer expensive bait are harder to kill.

[SFC3]

Wonder if it'd be hard to start a Cat guide service?...or is that pimpin':-)

[hillhunter]

no pimpin is when you shoot tame cats that you pay for one at a time, a guide service is not only legal, but very common because its still fair chase, often cats will guide for the hunter so the hunter will shoot other cats and not that cat, this is refered to as "hookin a brotha up".

[SFC3]

...bet they get a lot of Chinese clients....

[MUD DUK]

Dem cats is fun to chase down in a Crown Vic. On graveyard, we been known to run through a yard or to ta get 'em. And to see one when it's been mased, what a sight. Ah the good ol' days.

[mudsucker]

If you wanna see sumthin that will make you laugh till you puke, tape bottle caps to the bottom of a cat's paws and watch what happens...

I like this idea here!

[hillhunter]

yea it makes'em look like their tryin to play the tambarines

[BeastMaster]

i hate a cat as much as the next person but.... what if someone proposed open season on dogs..... you take a step back and say wait a minute on that one don't ya.... i love dogs.... don't want that to happen... just like that cat lover don't want lil furry being a target either.... Benny i agree with you on the cat and bird deal in your yard but.... you gotta respect the next person's opinion/pet etc..... how would you feel if your dog was shot dead in or around your yard.... you would be ready to whip some booty.. well what about that old widow that has no one in her life but that cat......

wild cats are bad bad on quail and rabbits and i'll shoot one that is definitely wild but when you are talking about someone's pet... well.. put yourself in their shoes before you pull that trigger.....
poor fluffy..