Panthers need sufficient numbers of large prey (deer and hogs) to survive and to reproduce. Any activity that permanently decreases the number of large prey has a potential negative effect on the panther. On the other hand any activity that permanently increases the number of large prey has a potential positive effect on the panther.

What's the Panther's dietary breakdown? Find Out!

    The effects of sport hunting of deer and wild hogs on the Florida panther and of the Florida panther on sport hunting are topics of considerable debate. Florida has long been known as "a paradise for devotees of the rod and gun" (Derr 1989:192). Today 235,000 people over 16 are licensed to hunt in Florida, and the economic impact of hunting is estimated to be $850 million annually (Florida Game and Fresh Water Fish Commission).

    During the 1980s, concerns over disturbances to panthers caused by hunting in the Big Cypress Preserve resulted in banning the use of dogs for hunting deer and hog, shortening the hunting season by 100 days, restricting use of off road vehicles, and eliminating raccoon hunting at night (Maehr 1997). In the first reintroduction study in north Florida, cougars released in Osceola National Forest adapted well to their environment until hunting season began (Belden, Hagedorn, and Frankenburger 1990). After hunting season began, two of the cougars were illegally shot and the others wandered outside of their established home ranges. Biologist Chris Belden has suggested that hunting dogs were the main disturbing factor (Logan et al. 1993a).

    In 1987 Fakahatchee Strand State Preserve was closed to deer and hog hunting because of a low deer population and relatively poor health of resident panthers. Hunting is also prohibited in Everglades National Park and the Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge. The Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge is open to the public on a limited basis and is managed specifically to enhance conditions for the panther.

    Hunting is a popular activity on private lands within the panther's range. Many of the ranches are managed for deer and hogs as well as for cattle, and are leased to limited numbers of hunters. Game is generally abundant on these private lands where natural soil fertility is higher than it is on public lands. There appear to be few conflicts between hunters and panthers on private property. Panthers with ranges

Hunting stand and automatic feeder in north Florida. These feeders attracted cougars as well as deer and hogs.

encompassing these lands are generally healthier and produce more kittens than panthers whose ranges are solely on public lands (Schortemeyer 1994).    

    During a second reintroduction study in north Florida, conflicts again occurred between some hunters and the cougars released as surrogates for panthers (Belden and McCown 1996). Two of the cougars were illegally shot and one died after being caught in a snare. Some hunters use stands to shoot deer and hogs coming to nearby automatic feeders. The cougars quickly learned that the deer and hogs were concentrated around the feeders, and to the distress of some of the hunters the cougars also began hunting around the feeders. Some hunters called for the removal of the cougars because they feared they would take all the game or scare deer from the feeders.

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