Assemblyman Jerry Claborn has proposed a bill which would fill the objective harvest on mountain lions. From 2002 till 2006, the objective harvest was 349 each year. This number is determined by the NDOW biologists. During this period, the average lion harvest was 160 lions per year. By fulfilling the objective harvest, it will mean there will be an additional 9,828 deer or similar size animals which lions would have killed every year.  NDOW is facing financial problems so this will help this agency immensely. If the surplus of 9,828 deer is multiplied by $63.00, the cost of a hunting license and deer tag, that amount is $619,614. Now multiply that figure by three times matching federal funds and the increased amount to NDOW is now $1,857,492. Now that is really good news for deer hunters, sheep hunters and NDOW.

All of a sudden, (after hearing Assemblyman Claborn's proposal) NDOW wants to reduce the objective harvest to 306 lions. We must assume that NDOW likes lions, hates deer and sheep and doesn't need money. This "shoot from the hip" decision could not have been based on scientific studies because studies require many months or years to gather data...of course, that's according to NDOW.