LETTER: Fire GF&P employees, kill all mountain lions

To the Editor:

As an older resident of South Dakota reading the reports offered by our South Dakota Department of Game, Fish and Parks commissioners, biologists, enforcement officers and other employees regarding statistics on “our” wildlife in “our” state, there’s only one conclusion. We are going backward at an alarming rate. Something is happening to “our” elk, deer, goats and sheep. I wonder why all of “our” experts can’t find the cause of the decline in numbers?

I believe they know the reasons for the decline in “our” game animals (mountain lions). The lion population is eliminating the sport of public hunting in “our” beautiful Black Hills. I enjoyed many great hunts in the Hills years ago — I’m sorry so many young residents will never be that lucky with the continued policies of lions eating the wildlife.

I believe an employee of the GF&P takes an oath to protect and preserve the fish and wildlife for the residents of South Dakota. They are doing a very poor job by allowing the lions to eat our wildlife. Why feed “our” wildlife to lions when so many residents are eager to pay money to harvest wildlife in a sportsmanlike manner and have an experience and memory for a lifetime?

The state employees hired to preserve “our” wildlife can’t find a solution to this problem of low numbers of game animals within the Black Hills.

How about a suggestion from an old hunter and sportsman?

Let’s eliminate any position within the GF&P involved with mountain lions. Use all biologists, enforcement officers, lion tagging personnel and any employee active in South Dakota’s lion catastrophe for useful employment such as maintaining public campgrounds and parks. Sell their many vehicles, computers and other equipment involved with mountain lions. Take the money and use it for a bounty system on lions. Let residents use guns, archery equipment, hounds, dynamite, helicopters, traps and other devices necessary to kill 100 percent of the lions.

Would our wildlife numbers increase dramatically in a few years? I think so. Thanks for reading one old guy’s thoughts on “our” wildlife.

Tags: game fish and parks, mountain lions, outdoors, opinion, letters, hunting