largest mountain lion killed in new mexico largest mountain lion killed in new mexico

(Photograph courtesy of the Boone and Crockett Club. * Kenneth Clark Nolan (8) - January 20, 1974 - Arroyo Seco, New Mexico Killed by a 3-year-old mountain lion. (National Park Service) As Los Angeles prepares to celebrate the life of beloved mountain lion P-22 this weekend, mountain lion mortality maps from the University of California, Davis, show that many cougars suffer similar fates along California's roads and highways. P-78 was the 23rd mountain lion and the seventh radio-collared animal to die from road mortality in the study area involving mountain lions since 2002, officials said. Quickly I drew the bow, and I aimed the arrow. In management zones in which the commission wishes to increase the mountain lion population, the limit is set at less than or equal to 17% of the areas mountain lion population and no more than 30% of its female population. This wide range has brought it many common . Colorado's Mr. Mountain Lion:We asked for safety advice from expert who captured 300 mountain lions. Published Jun 11, 2021 9:00 AM EDT. Get out of there, fast.. TheNew Mexico Department of Game and Fish (NMDGF)enforces the states wildlife laws and theNew Mexico State Game Commissionsregulations. He was beginning to tire. NMDGF issues depredation permits against mountain lions on any verified complaint. Here are 4 very scary mountain lion/cougar encounters caught on camera that will give you anxiety!Make sure to l. The agency regulates the number of lions that can be killed in each hunting unit throughout the state. Concerning the second of my two children, Joel, I am honored to share the following anecdote. In a second I was up and running downhill, dodging bushes and rocks. This trait probably saves many cats from the poison bait stations put out by the Federal predator control agents. I found that every so often I could shoot a perfect score on a Professional Archery Association target with the bow. Year. Generally, treatment of wildlife in the State of New Mexico is governed by the New Mexico Statutes the states collection of laws. Such thinking precludes a lot of good, blinding otherwise capable people who long for a purposeful life to the innumerable opportunities surrounding their desire to be fulfilled as a Difference Maker. Wolfe, who played eight seasons for the Broncos before one year with the Ravens in an NFL career that wrapped up in 2020, wrote on Instagram that he was enlisted to hunt the beast after it was. The morning was fruitless, but midday they crossed a fresh set of tracks. After the required 60-day drying period, Hatfield officially measured the skull at 15 14/16 inches. Within another three quarters of a mile, we found our first lion-killed sheep, but the tracks were not fresh. Robert Webster. Many cedars dotted the area. (Photograph courtesy of the Boone and Crockett Club), NM record nontypical Coues deer, taken in Hidalgo County by Peter M. Chase, 1941. The pursuit usually lasts hours, sometimes longer. A third or subsequent conviction is punishable by imprisonment between 90 and 364 days as well as a fine depending on the nature of the offense: illegally taking, attempting to take, killing, capturing or possessing a mountain lion in a closed season results in a $1,200 fine; hunting mountain lions without a valid license results in a $1,000 fine; exceeding the bag limit results in a $1,200 fine; attempting to exceed the bag limit is punished by a $1,000 fine. P.O. Bradleys cat was the largest taken in North America for the three-year period from 2007 to 2009 and the second largest ever measured in Idaho, according to Boone and Crockett, which certifies the largest big game animals. Ranking top four seeds based on who should worry most in divisional round, Sign up to get the latest news and stories sent to your inbox, Wolfe played for University of Cincinnati, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. He was the most recent cat to be captured as part of our puma study. or redistributed. Palestinians Independent Militants. But easy should be put in perspective. Unknown, 1998, The New Mexico Game Commission, APNM Sues New Mexico Game Commission for Cougar Killing Plans, Unknown, N/A, Animal Protection of New Mexico, Inc., APNM Historical Involvement in Cougar Protection. It was truly an awesome animal, one I thought might make the top five of the Pope and Young trophy list. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. Since the lion characteristically eats only what it itself has killed, the animal cannot be baited like the black bear. New MexicosWildlife Conservation Actapplies to mountain lions. The state Department of Game and Fish determined the lion attacked Nawojski just below the ledge, dragged his body a short distance and then ate and buried parts of it. On the final day, there was 6 inches of fresh snow and ideal tracking conditions when they set out. Your email address will not be published. Theregulations governing recreational hunting of mountain lionsspecify 19 Cougar Management Zones. Since the kill was fresh, we all felt that our chances had just improved considerably. We hiked straight up 2500ft and down the other side, then back up again, back down the other side and then back up again to 9600ft. Kindness, Loyalty, Be Brave. The largest mountain lion hunted this year so far was killed in Lawrence County weighing 155 pounds and presumed to be 4 1/2 years old. Rifles are the usual manner of take. Location. On average, it may kill a larger animal once a week. He was sporting his favorite dark brown Stetson hat and green insulated coat. No, not good news for all. California has one of the largest mountain lion populations in the country. Just $1 per month , A winter bowhunting adventure for a Pope and Young mountain lion comes down to the wire, By The species is classified as a game mammal, along with javelina, American bison, wild goats, wild bighorn sheep, Barbary sheep, kudu, Oryx, American pronghorn, elk, deer, pikas, squirrels, red squirrels, marmots, and bears. At close range, he looked three times bigger than he had in the tree. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. "New Mexico has a healthy population of mountain lions and people who live around them must learn to take precautions and avoid dangerous encounters.". The state of New Mexico encompasses 121,356 square miles of land. Ranger was having trouble untangling the maze of tracks around the sheep, so Bill took the dogs collar and led him in a wide circle away from the kill. During the first 8 years of the program (1999-2006) 103 mountain lions were killed as part of this program. 3. Size and weight of cougars vary. Rick Winslow, a Game and Fish large carnivore biologist, said it's rare for a mountain lion to kill a human. 77 overnight last weekend, the fourth confirmed lion found in the Valley in the past 15 years. (Photograph courtesy of the Boone and Crockett Club), New Mexicos #2 typical mule deer, taken by Joseph A. Garcia in Rio Arriba County, 1965. Wolfe, an avid hunter, wrote about the hunt on his Instagram account, saying they tracked the lion in the snow after he received a call from an outfitter late Tuesday night to see if he wanted to stalk a lion "who has been wreaking havoc in a rural neighborhood.''. Particularly problematic highways . I started out by car, but was forced by road conditions to turn back, borrow a friends 4-wheel-drive vehicle, repack my hunting gear, and start all over. In New Mexicos legal code, Puma concoloris generally referred to as cougar.. In 1999, NMDGF implemented a mountain lion harvest quota system based on Game Management Unit (GMU). Why are people who say, Look at the big beautiful animal compelled to shoot them?, To which I ask, Why will anyone, compelled to comment with great energy on matters deemed worthy, by their cavalier composition, diminish the very nobility of what they infer to be defending?. Black appears on the muzzle, backs of the ears and the tip of the tail. The dogs were now moving in on him. It has been reported that the biggest wild lion of this species weighed 690 pounds. "It was a young, we call it a juvenile male, which . Annual Cougar Mortality by Zone 2012-2021, Annual Cougar Mortality Statewide 2001-2021, Cougar Management Strategy for Hunting Seasons 2020-2024 (Updated 08-21-2020), See alsoPublications Hunting Rules & Information, Predator (Living with Large Predators in NM), Cougars Of San Andres Mtns New Mexico, Logan et al. Hes been talking to every rancher he knows, and some he dont, trying to find some lion trouble. New Mexico Department of Game and Fish (NMDGF), regulations governing recreational hunting of mountain lions, https://wildlifeactionplan.nmdotprojects.org/, NMDA Littauer White 1984 Cougar Predation on Livestock in New Mexico in 1983 and the First Half of 1984, NMDGF 1984 STATUS REPORT 2nd Mountain Lion Workshop, NMDGF 1988 STATUS REPORT 3rd Mountain Lion Workshop, NMDGF 1997 Long Range Plan for the Management of Cougar in New Mexico, NMDGF 2000 Status of The Mountain Lion in New Mexico 1971-2000, NMDGF 2002 FEA Mountain Lion Management to Protect the State Endangered Desert Bighorn Sheep, NMDGF 2004 DRAFT Long Range Plan for the Management of Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep in New Mexico, NMDGF 2004 Living With Large Predators in New Mexico, NMDGF 2004 Long Range Plan for the Management of Cougar in New Mexico 1997-2004, NMDGF 2004 Synopsis of a 5 Year Mountain Lion Control Management Action on Endangered Desert Bighorn Sheep Recovery New Mexico 1999-2004, NMDGF 2007 Culling Mountain Lions to Protect Ungulate Populations Some Lives Are More Sacred Than Others, NMDGF 2007 Evaluation of an 8 Year Mountain Lion Removal Management Action on Endangered Desert Bighorn Sheep Recovery New Mexico 1999-2007, NMDGF 2007 Meetings Scheduled Statewide to Discuss Bear Cougar Management, NMDGF 2008 Science and Hard Work A Story About Saving Desert Bighorn Sheep in New Mexico, NMDGF 2009 Fra Christobal Mountains Evaluation of an 8 Year Mountain Lion Removal Management Action on Endangered Desert Bighorn Sheep Recovery New Mexico, NMDGF 2010 Cougar Population and Management Matrix for Hunting Seasons 2011-2015, NMDGF 2010 Cougar Zones and Habitat Model for 2011-2012, NMDGF 2012 Annual Cougar Mortality Statistics 2001-2012, NMDGF 2012 Proposed Changes to Cougar and Bear Hunting, NMDGF 2015 Annual Cougar Mortality Statistics 2001-2015, NMDGF 2015 Bear and Cougar Rule Changes for Consideration, Los Alamos County 2014 Chapter 6 Animals Trapping Ban, APNM 1998 APNM Sues New Mexico Game Commission for Cougar Killing Plans, APNM 1999 Department Promotes Flawed Cougar Killing Policy in Attempt to Protect Desert Bighorn Sheep, APNM 2001 Historical Involvement in Cougar Protection, APNM 2003 Vanishing Wildlife in New Mexico A Legacy of Neglect, Defenders of Wildlife 1998 Defenders Files Complaint Against Federal Mountain Lion Slaugher in New Mexico, Knight 1994 Mountain Lions Damage Prevention and Control Methods, The Southwest Biodiversity Initiative 1999 Cougar Bighorn Interactions and Sustainable Ecosystem Management in New Mexico. 2 all-time for North America. Click on the tabs below to learn more about mountain lion policy, laws, alerts, and more! Hes coming down. P-81, who was 4 years old, is one of nine mountain lions fatally struck by vehicles since March of last . I tried to get some idea of how large the skull actually was by fashioning calipers out of a piece of rusty wire I found on the ground, but the device did not work too well. To conserve, regulate, propagate and protect the wildlife and fish within the state of New Mexico using a flexible management system that ensures sustainable use for public food supply, recreation and safety; and to provide for off-highway motor vehicle recreation (Read more), Phone: (505) 476-8000 | Toll-free (888) 248-6866, Copyright 2016 New Mexico Department of Game & Fish | All Rights Reserved, (505) 476-8000 | Toll-free (888) 248-6866. Lane Ferguson. (Photograph courtesy of B. Neal Ainsworth, Jr.), New Mexico record typical elk, picked up in Catron County in 1997. Bob Ward, assistant guide to Bill Wallace, met me inside a local cafe where we had a cup of coffee to warm up while we talked over plans for the hunt. Registration on or use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Service. By leaping desperately, he landed in the lower limbs of the tree. This program continued in New Mexico until 1970. Wolfe, who won Super Bowl 50 with Denver, signed a one-day contract with the Broncos, so he could retire as a member of the team. Adult males are largeroften measuring up to eight feet in length and weighing 150200 pounds. Required fields are marked *. Considering Wolfe is listed at 6-foot-5, this mountain lion could easily have been over seven feet long. CBS News Sacramento: Free 24/7 News First Alert . After nearly an hour and a half of trudging through foot-deep snow, we had our first look at the track of the cat. P-104, a subadult male mountain lion, was killed by a car on PCH today. The coat of the Mountain Lion is light brown in color, and the fur is short and coarse. Samuel J. Beatty with New Mexicos #1 whitetail deer typical, taken in Colfax County in 2019. The cougar, known as P-56, was fatally shot on Jan. 27 after a property owner who had lost a dozen animals received a depredation permit from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, the National Park Service said in a press release Monday. About the same time both the Boone and Crockett and Pope and Young Clubs declared that only lions coming from states that no longer paid the bounty fee were eligible to be entered in their biannual competitions and permanent records. Wolfe played for University of Cincinnati from 2008 to 2011 before the Denver Broncos drafted him in the second round of the 2012 NFL draft. The Bradleys scrambled to gather their gear and get on the road. largest mountain lion killed in new mexico. The NMDGF is a department within the executive branch of the New Mexico government. At the time, the minimum score recognized as a trophy cougar by the Pope and Young archery records was 12 inches. Even the guides looked a little puzzled, Bradley said. He was howling like crazy. His job is not an easy one, but he certainly enjoys it. They do however occur in these areas in conjunction with pockets of mule deer and areas of topographic diversity.. Since the programs inception, at least 206 mountain lions have been killed in GMU-30. That had turned out to be one of the most exciting adventures of my life, climaxing with the shooting of a cougar that made the Boone and Crockett record book as well as the archery records of the Pope and Young Club. During the 2021-22 season, hunters in Colorado killed 482 lions 284 males and 198 females according to the agency's mountain lion reporting site. Citizen reported mountain lion tracks near the Current River, an investigation confirmed the track photos and other sign at the site. Wolfe, who played eight seasons for the Broncos before one year with the Ravens in an NFL career that wrapped up in 2020, wrote on Instagram that he was enlisted to hunt the beast after it was wreaking havoc around the Rocky Mountains and killing local dogs and deer. JEMEZ SPRINGS (KRQE) - Police said a mountain lion was behind a string of attacks on dogs in a New Mexico village. The agency offers another season April 1-30 in certain hunting units. These conditions are just right for tracking the elusive puma. My wife turned to me and said, This is a big deal, isnt it? | While trophy hunting threatens the future of lions in New Mexico, the recent authorization of trapping has exacerbated wildlife mortality and set the state back decades in terms of management attitudes and the publics trust in the agency. Surprisingly . During the 2021-22 season, hunters in Colorado killed 482 lions 284 males and 198 females according to the agency's mountain lion reporting site. The last reported human killing by a lion in New Mexico was in 1974 when an 8-year-old Arroyo Seco boy was killed by a 47-pound female mountain lion. Legal Statement. When we reached the ranch we met Jim Branch, one of the ranch hands, who was checking the antifreeze in an old truck. See more about the Big Game Records Program. Though this bull will not make the record book, the official score sheet will be kept on file by the Boone and Crockett Club. If an area is short on deer, you can be sure the lion hunting will be poor. His head was very large, with flashing teeth and a scarred face. After two days of searching, they cut only one set of tracks a female and a cub, which were legally off-limits. All of this action was the culmination of much research, planning, and practice, plus an exhausting chase over some of the roughest country in western Colorado. It is rare for penalties to be sufficiently harsh to keep poachers from poaching again. Official Measurers work on a volunteer basis for the Boone and Crockett Club and measure trophies according to their schedules. While historic native prey for mountain lions, competition with sport hunters for bighorn sheep has led to a debate over lethally removing mountain lions to increase prey populations. 54: May 12, 2015: Laclede: Adult, male mountain lion killed in a vehicle collision. I learned that cougar seldom range above 8,000 feet, their favored domain apparently being the lower foothills. Donald Wenner with New Mexicos #6 black bear, taken in Catron County in 2005. More than 12,400 mountain lions were killed between 1907 and 1963 and turned in for bounties, according to the Mountain Lion Foundation. The 3-year-old mountain lion's ear tag told Montana biologists it had been born in Nebraska. Freddy Redmond Exhausted, dehydrated, cramping I drew back my@hoytbowhuntingand sent an@sevrbroadheadsthrough him. 2023 www.coloradoan.com. While the smallest was a 6-month old shot in Pennington . A check for $40 to cover the non-refundable entry fee. One was killed. The chance of taking a larger one would be remote, I thought to myself. Simply We all agreed with him. He is also a sports-talk radio host on the Denver radio station 104.3 The Fan. A male mountain lion tracked by wildlife officials and dubbed P-81 was found dead on the Pacific Coast Highway in Southern California last week after likely being struck by a car. Because of all his guiding experience, hes got a lot of confidence in himself, and some of it rubs off on his hunters. Eventually, Wolfe said he was "exhausted, dehydrated, cramping" and killed the mountain lion with a bow and arrow. Finally the long anticipated day of the lion hunt arrived, and with it came one of the worst snowstorms of the winter. # 94-3015360) | Copyright 1988-2023. TheNew Mexico State Game Commissionsets the regulations found in theNatural Resources and Wildlifesection of theNew Mexico Administrative Code the states collection of department regulations. All rights reserved. This subspecies includes populations in western Canada, the western United States, Florida, Mexico and Central . Come on, lets get the lead out.. The New Mexico Department of Game and Fish and New Mexico Department of Transportation are accepting public feedback on their draft New Mexico Wildlife Corridors Action Plan. Before me, high in a twisted juniper tree, was one of the largest mountain lions any hunter will ever see. Since 1917, (the first year records are available) at least 7,779 mountain lions have been reported killed by humans in New Mexico. When was the last mountain lion killed in Maine? 206 4/8: Rio Arriba County. 3. New Mexico has two long-term programs which attempt to protect other species by lethally removing mountain lions from specific geographic locations. New Mexico state's big game hunting records as listed by Boone and Crockett, and Safari Club International. In 1971 the species became a game animal and the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish initiated recreational hunting of lions. Habitat connectivity is crucial for the long-term persistence of New Mexicos mountain lions. It was his opinion that the lion had drifted into the area about a month before, possibly from Utah. Taken in Socorro County by Jim Hens in 2013. Although the scientific name, Puma concolor, means cat of one color, the dominant tan or light-cinnamon color of the cougar is contrasted by its white chest and underside. Here is a list of Official Measurers you may contact to have your trophy officially scored. The skull was sent to Glenn St. Charles of the Pope and Young Club. The cougar looked as hefty as a full-grown man. Mountain lions may be hunted with center-fire rifles and handguns, 28 gauge or larger shotguns, muzzle-loading rifles, bows, and crossbows. Palestinian militants take part in a military parade during a memorial ceremony commemorating their late comrades Ezzeddin Hamamrah, 24 and Amjad Khleleyah, 23 . The Boone and Crockett record book published in 1964 shows no larger mountain lions having ever been taken in Colorado, with the exception of the famous giant world record cat shot by President Theodore Roosevelt in 1901. "Exhausted, dehydrated, cramping I drew back my (bow) and sent a (broadhead arrow)through him,'' Wolfe wrote. Our destination was a place called Coal Canyon, between Grand Junction and Dove Creek along the Colorado-Utah border. 2010. 10 in the clubs all-time records. Just after the first of the year in the high country, the temperatures are dry and cool with snow likely. Patrick Foy, a spokesman . By Aristos Georgiou On 3/1/19 at 6:43 AM EST. To refresh this page in most browsers (you browser may vary) hold down the Control key and press F5. Thanks for contacting us. Some even grew to lengths that ranged between 9.8 feet and 10.8 feet. I flipped another shaft onto the string and released at no more than 10 yards. I quickly tried a couple of practice shots on a stump and heard the shafts thump twice from 30 yards. Primarily, I surmise that the vast majority of said shortcoming has its genesis in two very simple factors, regarding which I am convinced that anyone with a desire to improve may easily conquer. Not everyone was happy with Wolfe, who is currently a sports talk radio host at 104.3 the Fan in Denver. Mountain lion hunting season runs from April 1 to March 31 or until a units mortality limit or female sub-limit is met. The animal, which is mostly nocturnal, may travel 25 to 30 miles in a 24-hour period. To me the pad mark looked so large it appeared to have melted out and increased in size.. Aug. 29, 2021, 2:05 AM PDT. This is the best way to give as it has the lowest credit card processing fees and is immediate help for the cats. The cougar suddenly moved to a lower limb. Texas Parks and Wildlife Department said a hunter recently killed a 160 pound mountain lion they suspect is the same animal seen and photographed in Rowlett and near Princeton. But its more than medals and plaques that makes a hunt unforgettable. He may be even bigger than the one you killed last time.. 4. It weighed about 160 pounds, he said, but weight means nothing in determining record-book status. By the time I arrived in Crescent Junction, Utah, our designated meeting spot, it was 4 a.m. and the temperature registered 19 degrees below zero. With the price off its head, the lion gained new stature, and in July 1965, the state declared it to be a big-game animal, subject to regular seasons, limits, and licenses. Texas Game Wardens responded to the report of a dead mountain lion Saturday morning in the median just south of Sebastian in Willacy County near the floodway, state officials said. As soon as I took the wires off the skull, they would spring back together, giving me a smaller reading. Ranking top four seeds based on who should worry most in divisional round, NFL NEWSLETTER: Sign up to get the latest news and stories sent to your inbox. New Mexico also has two long-term programs which attempt to protect other species by lethally removing mountain lions from specific geographic locations. Size and weight of cougars vary. Upon hearing that she played at my sons high school, I casually asked her if she knew him. My heart was pounding. To do this, the animal would have to cross a flat area about a hundred yards wide. Finally, finding the lions exit, the dog charged back into the canyon, bellowing and growling as he went. Although the lion was 200 yards away, shifting from limb to limb, he looked very large. This particular model divided 92 percent of the state into four distinct mountain lion habitat categories: Core, Minimum Patch, Dispersal, and Poor / Marginal; and assigned population density ranges for each category. In 1986, The Commission ordered NMDGF to preemptively kill mountain lions found on ranches that had more than 6 verified lion depredation occurrences in any 3-year period. We were midway up the side of the main canyon. The upper chamber, the Senate, is made up of 42 members who are elected to 4-year terms. 2019: New Mexico State Game Commission voted to end cougar trapping in certain parts of the state. Endangered Species Caught in the Middle of a Political Conflict Putin has Witnessing the Incredible Power of Nature As the sun rises over the By Adriana Diaz For Dailymail.Com Published: 00:53 EST, 1 September 2021 | Why do ppl say look at the big beautiful animal then feel compelled to shoot it? About a mile before we turned into the long ranch drive, five deer ran across the road ahead of us. The Wildlife Conservation Act does not limit itself to non-game species and includes over-utilization for sporting purposes as a factor that may jeopardize a species prospects of survival within the state. According to his post, the giant male mountain lion had already killed two of a woman's dogs and was living under the porch. For picked up trophies, or trophies of unknown origin. According to one listing, the largest mountain lion ever killed by a bowhunter had a skull that scored 15 7/16 that's nearly as large as the largest mountain lion ever recorded. Gaynor, 2008, Reuters, U.S. man attacked, eaten by mountain lion, Goldman, 1998, Defenders of Wildlife, Mountain Lion Complaint Filed, Hill, 2008, Sun-News, Pinos Altos Lion Killed, Hill, 2008, Sun-News, Big cat blamed in mans death, Hummels, 2000, The New Mexican, NM Senate committee rejects proposal to stall cougar killings, Ibanga, 2008, , Father Saves Son From Wildcat Mauling, Kalvelage, 2012, Ruidoso News, Mountain lion roaming Alto Lakes again, KDBC 4 News Staff, 2008, KDBC 4 News, Mountain Lion Attacks, Kills Poodle in Las Cruces, Macalady, 1999, High Country News, A bighorn dilemma, Mardis, 2008, , Parents say NM boy mauled by mountain lion, Matlock, 2007, The New Mexican, Officials say cougar sightings on the rise, Medina, 2008, Sun-News, Mountain lion preys on pet poodle in Las Cruces, Medina, 2008, Sun-News, Mountain lion that killed poodle not yet captured, Montoya Bryan, 2008, Associated Press, New Mexico looks at its hunting rules, Montoya Bryan, N/A, Associated Press, New Mexico considers downlisting endangered sheep, Neary, 1999, The New Mexican, NM Game department wants to kill cougars to help bighorn sheep, Neary, 2000, The New Mexican, NM state to kill 34 mountain lions to protect bighorn sheep, New Mexico Department of Game and Fish, 2007, New Mexico Department of Game and Fish, Meetings Scheduled Statewide to Discuss Bear, Cougar Management, Richards, 2005, Wyoming Outdoor Industry, Mule vs Mountain Lion, Smalling, 2000, The New Mexican, New Mexico cougar policy is based on flawed logic, Summar, 2007, Albuquerque Journal, More Cougar Sightings Reported, Taos News, 2008, Taos News, Man attacked by mountain lion at Taos Ski Valley, Thompson, 2000, Albuquerque Journal, Judge Halts Federal Cougar Kills in New Mexico- No change in state hunting plans, Unknown, 1999, Animal Protection of New Mexico, Inc., Department Promotes Flawed Cougar Killing Policy in Attempt to Protect Desert Bighorn Sheep.