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Feds Okay Sea Lion Cull On Columbia River
Where migrating pacific salmon bump up against the Columbia River’s Bonneville Dam, sea lions wait in ambush—and devour about 4 percent of spring runs. For years, anglers and native tribes have urged the federal government to take action. Now the NOAA Fisheries Service is recommending a cull of about 30 sea lions per year.
Check out the full story here.
Do sea lion make good soup!?
Does B&C recognize the sea lion and if so, what should I look for?
Bubba
Posted by: Bubba | January 22, 2008 at 04:22 PM
30 culls should not impact a healthy population. They should be treated like all big game. Tags could be drawn, or perhaps issued to Native Americans since they probably hunted them in the past. It might provide a good cultural connection for the tribe.
Posted by: Matt Mallery | January 22, 2008 at 06:34 PM
Wouldn't the Eskimos have good recipes for them? I like Matt's thought of having the tribes harvest them. Seems to me, back in the 60's and 70's, those things were endangered.
YooperJack
Posted by: YooperJack | January 22, 2008 at 08:47 PM
Wonder what a sea lion shoulder mount would look like?
Posted by: GREG | January 22, 2008 at 08:58 PM
I hate sea lions. Labor day weekend at Astoria for Coho, I had a lion take one right off my line. I was fighting the fish and all of a sudden, that fish felt like a whale. We chased it around with the boat, trying to get it to let go, but it just pulled the fish apart, leaving nothing but the head still chomped onto my hook.
As for a sea lion shoulder mount, I would gladly have one in my living room, even if it would be hideously ugly.
Posted by: ethan | January 23, 2008 at 01:00 AM
What would be an ideal caliber to use?
Posted by: Blue Ox | January 23, 2008 at 09:49 AM
Seal soup? Leave it to Bubba to bring up food again.
Posted by: Blue Ox | January 23, 2008 at 09:50 AM
Ethan,
Too bad you just can't appreciate the experience of seeing a sea lion, as many people would not have had they been eradicated. If you hate them, don't fish in their home.
Posted by: Matt Mallery | January 23, 2008 at 12:45 PM
do sea lions even have shoulders?
I wonder if you could hunt them with clubs like they do for the fur seals in Canada. While that gets lots of negative press, it sure seems pretty darn effective, and quick and as humane as anything else, it just looks brutal, but the end result is a quick clean kill.
Posted by: zack | January 23, 2008 at 03:44 PM
i think as long as people are taught were good shots are to be placed and all the meat is somehow used it would be a great act of conservation
Posted by: Casey | January 24, 2008 at 10:29 AM
I would love to try seal meat. Ill try almost anything once. If there is enough beer!!LOL
Posted by: GREG | January 24, 2008 at 10:56 AM
I agree with Matt Mallery that if Sea Lions are to be hunted the tags should go to Native Americans who traditionally hunted them. I couldn't care less if they hunt them in the traditional manner or use the new-fangled inventions of the day however. As for eating Sea Lions- they'd probably be pretty fatty and maybe greasy like a duck. I wouldn't want to field butcher one on a boat.
Posted by: William | January 25, 2008 at 01:14 AM