Management by Emotion

I see that my birth state—California—has not relinquished its stranglehold on the notion that the only proper way to manage its wildlife is through emotion. California has become the laughingstock of the nation for its polices, ranging from cultural to fiscal to wildlife management, and continues down that road with absolutely no remorse.

Last week the California state senate approved a bill sponsored by The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) that bans the use of hounds or any other dogs for the purpose of hunting bears and bobcats. It was introduced by Ted Lieu (D) who represents the town in which I grew up, Torrance. I can vouch from years of first-hand experience that there are no bears in Torrance, and there probably hasn’t been a bobcat in Torrance for a century or so since the onetime swamp was drained to make way for that city.

So one of the first questions I have is: Why would he introduce such a bill? According to Lieu, dispatching dogs to chase a bear into a tree where the hunter can get a clear shot of the animal “violates the principals of fair chase.”

“It’s been likened to shooting a bear in the zoo,” he said, according to the Sacramento Bee.

Lieu had his talking points handed to him by the HSUS, which, by the way, is now involved with training California game wardens.

Meanwhile, yesterday a juvenile male mountain lion was shot and killed by law enforcement officers in downtown Santa Monica as it took a morning stroll near the beach. It never had a chance—sort of like shooting a bear in the zoo. Mountain lions enjoy a “specially protected mammal” status in the Golden State—except for when it’s inconvenient.