Maybe I am wrong about Mountain Lion hunting!
All the guided hunts I see describe tracking a cat to a tree, then shooting it, possibly with a 22 pistol or anything else.
Seems like shooting fish in a barrel. I understand there's some danger to dogs, but not to the hunters.
I am not opposed to hunting Mountain Lions, just believe that based on descriptions, it seems more like predator control than sport.

If all you are talking about is the kill, it is not much of a hunt. The real part of hunting mountain lion is looking for tracks, running the cat with the dogs, and trying to get to the tree. Hunting in temperatures as low as -30F and several feet of snow in rough country can be tough. I guided for an outfitter in northwestern Colorado for mountain lions for 10 years. It is physically the hardest hunting I have ever done, including lots of North American hunting, 2 buffalo hunts in Australia, and 4 hunts in Africa for buffalo and plains game. Mountain lion hunting is a specialized type of hunting. It is not for everyone.

It is what it is.

I would love to shoot a mountain lion but not all that hot on doing so after it is treed by dogs, but if I am ever going to shoot one that is the most successful option.

They can be called in sometimes and if as person can find a fresh kill one has made they can watch it and maybe get a chance if it comes in to feed.

I've taken two mountain lions with dogs on dry ground in the Davis Mountains of far West Texas and have started and followed many more tracks that ran cold (a common thing in the desert, where the big temperature shifts seem to cook the scent off the ground by mid-day). We had one big tom whose track we restarted each day for three days in a row, covering roughly 20 miles through thorn-covered mountains and canyons in the process until the dogs' feet were too torn up to continue and we had to let the cat go. The easier of the two cats that I shot was not a big deal, but the harder of the two was a real ass whipping. The only time I've worked harder on a hunt was going after ibex in Kyrgyzstan.

I've also done dart hunts for jaguars and pumas with dogs in South America and have had similar experiences, though the terrain was much flatter and the temperature was more consistently hot instead of swinging from freezing to hot. Lots of thorns, some bad insects, and some nasty swamps. I understand that having snow to track a cat in makes it much easier (less guesswork and less chance of going backwards on a track; also, there's something to follow in addition to the scent), but I still bet it is often really hard work, especially if done without a horse/mule/vehicle. In short, though the final shot is generally a foregone conclusion, the hunt itself can be serious hard work (and fun), and it's fascinating to watch a good houndsman and set of dogs work together.

Note that the final shot isn't always easy. My second lion ended up being a moving 100-120 yard rifle shot as he tried to slip around a cliff face to get away from the dogs. We had him bayed on a cliff in easy pistol range, but he broke out when he saw us sneak up to shoot him and nearly got to a place where we couldn't have caught him.

For those who never ran game with a pack of hounds.

Let me tell you it can be one of the most exciting hunts you can do. Or it can be over very fast like any other hunt.

For example a friend of mine this last week had a bob cat tag the first day they ran one for 7 hours not one shot opportunity,

The next time they were out they jumped and killed the cat in 15 minutes. When it ran out in front of them.

I find running game with hounds to be a blast.

Hunting game with hounds is not about the shot at the end. It is about everything else to get up to that point. You would be amazed how people can find a way to screw up a 10-20 yard shot at a treed lion. I have seen it happen more than once.
Any other way of killing a mountain lion comes down to mostly sheer luck in glassing one up or calling one in when hunting other game. In my opinion the only way to really hunt one is to release the hounds.

I agree with p dog shooter, it can be one of the most exciting hunts you can do.

To quote Ben Lilly
"Anyone can kill a deer but it takes a man to kill a varmint."

What about those of us that physically are not capable of walking/running several miles?

I tried coon hunting a couple of times in my teens, but I just did not bget anything out of listening to the dogs.

Hunting with hounds is a hell of a lot more sporting than sitting in a box blind waiting for the corn flinger to kick on and the deer to come running.

quote:

Originally posted by ismith:
Hunting with hounds is a hell of a lot more sporting than sitting in a box blind waiting for the corn flinger to kick on and the deer to come running.

Amen.

Lion hunting can be easy when all goes according to plan, but I hunted on horseback following hounds of three different cat hunters over some of the most dangerous terrain around before a lion bayed on a ledge on the side of a 20-foot cliff and I had to jump down on that ledge to shoot it at near point-blank ridge.

I've forgotten how many days I invested hunting for that lion, but it was more than 40 days spread out over three years.

If you ask me, lion hunting with hounds and horses was the most physically challenging of all the hunts I made.

Bill Quimby

Never been able to undertake such a chase. Sounds like it would be a blast. But, wrecked my knee's at 26 and been half, or more crippled with 'em since. I'm almost 74 now.

Hell of a deal. Buddy gave me a pkg of mtn lion meat the other day. He thought it was steak. turned out to be burger with TEN times as much salt and spices as needed. Almost unedible.
No way to taste the meat I was hoping to eat. I invited another hunter over to share it, and a gal that's staying with me. She dumped her's to the dogs. Other guy and I ate all ours.

Wish I hadn't. Two days n nights I had a big burning spot in my chest. Finally the second night I drank a big dose of baking soda to kill it with. That worked. Lynn said: "I'm ok, just have a great urge to lick my ass to cut the burning".

Whoever ruined that great meat I hope they go out of business and get an ass kicking too. Real shame to ruin good meat that way. Too spicy hot to even tell what flavor was used from the first bite.

No idea who killed the cat in Dec, here in CO. He just gave the meat away. No doubt after he found out it was ruined.

George

quote:

Hunting with hounds is a hell of a lot more sporting than sitting in a box blind waiting for the corn flinger to kick on and the deer to come running.

Not saying it isn't, but not everyone is still able to follow the hounds, so should those of us that physically can't do that not be allowed to hunt?

quote:

Not saying it isn't, but not everyone is still able to follow the hounds, so should those of us that physically can't do that not be allowed to hunt?

All depends on the area one is hunting Some areas can involve a lot of vehicle time.

I know, I have seen hunts offered that accomodate those with physical limitations, but sometimes it does not hurt to remind folks that age is not always kind to us and our physical abilities.

Hunting with hounds is the most thrilling and physical demanding hunt you can be on.

As our ancestors struggled for survival. The bond that was discovered with our 4 legged loyal friends, whether by design or accident, formed a friendship that has become a way of life for some.
They helped us acquire food, livestock protection guardian etc...

Hunting lion without hounds, is near impossible. Unless you are super lucky, odds are, you'll never get one. Maybe 1 in 10,000 hunters will.

Hounds, take lots of time, money, devotion and skill. Especially in tracking ,training and understanding animal behavior and habitat to be successful. Whether off mules, horses or vehicles, you'll spend many hours and miles chasing your quarry.
Like any hunting, sometimes you'll get lucky, but usually, it's a lot of work.

The houndsmen that breed and hunt with their selected hounds such as the: "Red bone, Plott, Blue Tick, Black and Tan, or Walkers" Have been doing it for multiple generations and is a dying art.
As states outlaw hound hunting, who will control the predator prey balance or catch a livestock or human killer etc...
Many anti hunting videos, show a hunter killing the lion from a tree and paint a false picture in the public's eye.
We all need to support our hunting tradition. If there is any dought. I highly recommend you go on some hunts and experience reality. No punn intended.

If you’re not a dog person, it’s easy to miss what really goes in to a hound hunt.

You hire a guide with a pack of dogs. Some dogs have more total hours of specialized hunting experience on lions than a lot of humans will get on all species combined in a lifetime. It took your guide years to develop his skills as a hunter and a houndsman. It took years to raise and train highly specialized athletes that make the pursuit possible. It took decades of intense breeding, training and selection to develop these specialized trail and tree hounds.

So, as a client, you could reduce it to its lowest common denominator of strolling up to a treed or bayed cat and plugging it with a .22 pistol, but you would be missing the point of the hunt.

Bob, what you are suggesting is akin to Googleing a pic of the Mona Lisa, downloading the image, printing it and hanging it on your wall. Then saying I don’t know what the big deal about the Mona Lisa is, anyone can have it.

Regardless of the quarry, few other than the hound man can understand that it is the chase that counts. Knowing what each of your dogs is doing by his baying. Figuring out which ones to keep and which ones to cull. It's an ongoing process. The ultimate praise for a hound is "he can run his own xxxx" Meaning he doesn't need the support of a pack to get the job done. If, over the years, you can put together 4 or 5 hounds that can do that, you've got a pack.

quote:

Originally posted by TREE 'EM:
If you’re not a dog person, it’s easy to miss what really goes in to a hound hunt.

You hire a guide with a pack of dogs. Some dogs have more total hours of specialized hunting experience on lions than a lot of humans will get on all species combined in a lifetime. It took your guide years to develop his skills as a hunter and a houndsman. It took years to raise and train highly specialized athletes that make the pursuit possible. It took decades of intense breeding, training and selection to develop these specialized trail and tree hounds.

So, as a client, you could reduce it to its lowest common denominator of strolling up to a treed or bayed cat and plugging it with a .22 pistol, but you would be missing the point of the hunt.

Bob, what you are suggesting is akin to Googleing a pic of the Mona Lisa, downloading the image, printing it and hanging it on your wall. Then saying I don’t know what the big deal about the Mona Lisa is, anyone can have it.

Actually, this reminds me of baiting bears, which I used to do myself when I lived in northern MN. Shooting a bear 20 yards away from a tree stand is not that big of deal. What is a big deal is baiting...going out to select a location, setting your baits, looking for tracks (back before trail cams) to get an idea of the size...it was a blast and the real part of the hunt. I hunted once with a guide in Ontario for baited bears, and it wasn't nearly as satisfying as my DIY hunts.

I have never hunted mountain lions, but I think chasing the hounds would be a real hoot; I like physically demanding hunts. Besides, at the end of the day, every time you pull the trigger there should be no doubt you are going to kill the animal, be it 20 yards away or 500. If you have doubts, don't pull the trigger.

quote:

Originally posted by Bob Nisbet:
Maybe I am wrong about Mountain Lion hunting!
All the guided hunts I see describe tracking a cat to a tree, then shooting it, possibly with a 22 pistol or anything else.
Seems like shooting fish in a barrel. I understand there's some danger to dogs, but not to the hunters.
I am not opposed to hunting Mountain Lions, just believe that based on descriptions, it seems more like predator control than sport.

I have done mountain lion a grand total of twice. The first time had to be called off due to weather.

I can only speak for my hunt. Mine was extremely physically demanding. I would venture to say that a good percentage of the people could not have done it. Mine was also with an element of danger. Mine was cornered in a deadfall. I was danger close.

I can see how some could involve little danger. I can also see how some could be a cake walk. My point to you is that they are not all that way.

quote:

Originally posted by larryshores:

I can only speak for my hunt. Mine was extremely physically demanding. I would venture to say that a good percentage of the people could not have done it.

My mountain lion hunt was probably the most physical hunt I have ever done. On the way out I eventually told the guide that if we were not within 15-20 minutes of the vehicle, they would just have to leave me and come get me in the Spring. It was bitterly cold, it was at significant elevation (particularly for someone used to living at sea level), it involved covering significant changes in elevation . . . hardly a doddle.

Took mine in the Frank Church Wilderness. It was 9 miles in on foot in snow until we reached the cat, and 9 miles out.

quote:

Originally posted by billrquimby:

quote:

Originally posted by ismith:
Hunting with hounds is a hell of a lot more sporting than sitting in a box blind waiting for the corn flinger to kick on and the deer to come running.

Amen.

Lion hunting can be easy when all goes according to plan, but I hunted on horseback following hounds of three different cat hunters over some of the most dangerous terrain around before a lion bayed on a ledge on the side of a 20-foot cliff and I had to jump down on that ledge to shoot it at near point-blank ridge.

I've forgotten how many days I invested hunting for that lion, but it was more than 40 days spread out over three years.

If you ask me, lion hunting with hounds and horses was the most physically challenging of all the hunts I made.

Bill Quimby

Bill, it may have been mentioned before, but have to ask. Did you hunt any with the Lee brothers?

I've had a bit of experience on five different hunts where I was specifically after lions.

On my first try in the mid 1980s, we went to the North Kaibab. It was clear and dry when we arrived to spend the night at Jacob Lake. We woke up to 8 inches of new snow. But off we went anyway in the guide's 4X4 truck with dog cages in the back. We began driving the snow-covered dirt roads looking for tracks. Nothing. Then on one fairly steep grade, the truck slid sideways into a ditch. We spent the rest of the day getting unstuck and made the 5-hr. drive back to Phoenix.

We tried it again a few months later -- this time closer to home near Payson. (See the article at the end to see how this one turned out.)

After that one, I found a different guide. We went on a horseback hunt with dogs on a private ranch. We never cut a fresh track over 12 hours of riding. It was an EASY hunt with nothing to show for it.

A couple months later a friend from Tucson called me because he knew I was trying to get a cat. He was out taking photos and came across a very fresh Coues deer kill. So I called my guide friend. He loaded his dogs in his truck and picked me up. We had no trouble finding the kill site. The dogs immediately picked up the cat's scent and headed off into the desert. We trailed on foot close behind. Two hours and several miles later, a black cloud moved overhead and dumped a deluge on us. We were soaked to the bone within minutes. The dogs weren't in sight but we could still hear them. Then the barking and baying stopped. When we caught up to the dogs, they were meandering around, searching a rocky area for the scent. The rain had obliterated it, however. End of hunt.

Same guide calls me a year later to say we're heading into the Sycamore Wilderness on horseback. He tells me to pack a sleeping bag and warm clothes. We ride for a few hours to a forest service line shack where we ate dinner and spent the night. At first light we saddle up and head out. Less than 1/4 mile from the cabin, the lead dog starts going nuts and takes off on a scent. My guide jumps off his horse to check the sparse snow patches that remained after an earlier storm. Sure enough he finds a track, but it's fairly old. Plus, it was headed in the opposite direction from the one the dog had taken. But luckily, the other dogs, now in full bark mode, took off in the right direction, and the wayward leader of the pack eventually swapped ends and joined the chase. We followed as best we could on horseback until the dogs dropped into a very deep canyon. We tied the horses on a ridge and worked our way down on foot to the canyon's rim. I told the guide there was no way I was going into that hole because I would never make it out. So we sat on a flat rock and listened to the dogs. Suddenly, the sound of the barking changed. The guide told me they had just jumped the lion, and he was right.

A few minutes later, we heard the dogs off to our left, probably less than 100 yards away. Now they were back on the high ground. We started to walk back to the horses. In the meantime, the barks got closer and closer, and then kicked into the "we've got him in a tree" sound. Sure enough, 50 yds. from the horses, we could see the dogs going nutso at the base of a tall ponderosa pine. It was a big tom. Although I had my .357 with me, the guide wanted me to use his .22 mag. The theory is the .22 will eventually kill the cat while not knocking him out of the tree so he could possibly hurt the dogs. The photo below shows what I was looking at when I shot. I hit him square in the sternum about where his heart/lungs should have been. The theory didn't work; the cat fell from the tree. But instead of taking on the dogs, he went on the run again and treed in a juniper just high enough to avoid the dogs' leaps. He presented an easy broadside shot. I quickly put three rounds into him. When we skinned the lion, we found my first bullet between the hide and body. The impact had bent the bullet nose a bit but there was no penetration at all.

I killed a second lion (female) while on a deer hunt in southern AZ about 15 years ago. It was the easiest of the two.







Copyright 1990 by Tony Mandile

ONE-DOG NIGHT


Thirty years have passed since my first venture into Arizona's great outdoors. During that time I've had both some good and bad experiences. Thankfully, most have been of the former variety.

One experience I never had was getting lost. Oh, I had times when I was slightly "turned around," but none where I had absolutely no clue as to my location. Consequently, I've never spent a night away from my main camp unless it was intentional -- with at least a basic supply of necessities. Like most of us probably do, though, I frequently wondered how I'd handle it.

My late grandfather indoctrinated me early about the perils of being unprepared if it becomes necessary to spend the night away from camp. So I committed myself to carrying matches, an extra candy bar or two and water in areas where it is scarce. Under the right circumstances a person can live many days without food or water other than in the hot desert. So the candy and water were simply feel-good conveniences. But the matches seemed the most important to me.

We often read stories about people getting lost and dying. These accounts continually upset me, especially when the victim had spent only a night or two in the woods. I always wondered how someone becomes a casualty in such a short time. Yet it happens too many times every year.

Most folks who get lost die of hypothermia, the scientific name for exposure. Characterized by a rapid lowering of one's body temperature and uncontrollable shivering, it soon causes disorientation and a loss of energy. Death is the final consequence. Hypothermia frequently follows panic, a common occurrence when a person becomes lost. Of course, it's very disheartening because the tragedy can be avoided if a person keeps his head on straight.

About five years ago on a lion hunt with Joe Mitchell in the Mazatzal Wilderness Area near Rye, I finally found out what's it like to spend a night in the wilderness alone, without any of my own food, water or equipment.

Joe and I had cut a hot track early that morning and stayed on it for six hours. Eventually, that track crossed another set. The dogs, confused by the second track, split into two groups. So I trailed one bunch, while Joe tailed the other. At sunset, my group of dogs were nowhere to be seen. I dropped off the ridge into the canyon where Joe had been about an hour earlier. He was gone, too.

Luckily, I knew where I was all the time. But my camera gear, a .357 handgun, cigarette lighter, a candy bar and a light rain jacket made up my meager supplies.

Realizing it was at least a five hour walk to camp and thinking I could make it before midnight, I stumbled through the darkness along the meandering trail. It was a bad decision.

I lost the trail three different times when it crossed the stream bed, got smacked in the face by an unseen branch and had more than one prickly pear cactus deposit its spines in my shins. I decided hiking in the dark was not my thing, especially without any moonlight.

Thoughts flowed readily, but the only panic was the realization of having only three cigarettes. I knew I had to ration them to make it through the night and part of the next morning. Instead, everything I had read or been taught about this kind of situation came to mind.

I sought a protected place on the trail with enough nearby firewood to get me through the night and found such a place only a few yards up the trail. Although the downed tree was rotten and damp, the light from my cigarette lighter showed me enough dry kindling nearby to sustain the wet wood. After building a fire ring out of rocks on some level ground, I gathered enough small wood to get a blaze started, broke the rotten log into smaller pieces and stacked them around the fire so they would dry.

The fire's warmth quickly erased the growing chill from the March evening. Hungry and weary from the day's hiking around the up-&-down wilderness, I ate half of my candy bar and saved the remainder for breakfast. I then cleared a "bed" next to the fire within easy reach of the drying wood. With my rolled up daypack tucked beneath my head, I snuggled up beside the flickering flames.

Suddenly, a noise came from the blackness. As I reached for the handgun, the sight of one of Joe's hounds wandering into the fire's glow prompted a sigh of relief.

"Here, Jake."

The hound moved warily toward me. He stopped 10 feet away, preferring to spread out on a bed of fallen oak leaves. I thought it nice to have company anyway.

"Suit yourself," I said.

I tried sleeping again, but I worried about Joe and what he would think. No doubt he might imagine the worst.

The sound of rustling leaves made me look over my shoulder. Jake, head lowered, cautiously crept to where I lay and curled up against my back. We both went to sleep.

The next morning, after a five-hour, uphill hike, Jake and I met Joe's dad, who had arrived the previous night. He was driving an ATV on the main road..

"Are you Tony?" he asked.

"Yes."

"Joe drove down to Rye. He thought you might come out that way. Have a good night?

"Well, I could use a cigarette and a sandwich. But other than that, I'm fine. I spent the night with a warm fire in front of me and a warm dog behind me."

Joe's dad smiled. "Oh, you had a one-dog night, huh?"

I think the point is that hunting can take many forms. A sheep hunt can be an ass buster and you might have a long shot when you find the sheep. An African lion hunt can be a mental drain put adrenaline pumping when he comes into the bait at 35 yards although the shot can be very easy. My cougar hunt was very easy. Walked in on flat ground for 20 minutes and shot the cat. I enjoyed the whole experience with the dogs and I'm not sure it would have meant more if it was really difficult. They're all good.

Mark

So bottom line is that anyone that is not in peak physical shape should not consider doing a lion hunt. How many guides/outfitters feel that way?

Been on a bear hunt and 1 mountain lion hunt with dogs. It is a lot of fun.

I really enjoy watching the dogs, guides and experience the hunt.

Amen to those heralding the awesomeness of hunting over hounds! A buddy just got back from a lion hunt in Idaho and said he and the outfitter busted ass for 5 days with no fresh snow. They got one on the last day. He's 65. I can't wait to hunt one.

quote:

Originally posted by Crazyhorseconsulting:
So bottom line is that anyone that is not in peak physical shape should not consider doing a lion hunt. How many guides/outfitters feel that way?

That is not the point. The point is that some of these hunts are quite difficult.

I am aware of that, but my days of following dogs thru rough country are long past.

I am sure there are guides that offer hunts that aren't as difficult and maybe one day I will get hooked up with one.

quote:

I am sure there are guides that offer hunts that aren't as difficult and maybe one day I will get hooked up with one.

Better start doing your research. The Humane Society of the United States and Friends of Animals have targeted mountain lion hunting, and if they succeed in banning it with a ballot initiative in Arizona this fall, watch out!

They correctly have identified a reluctance of the public and many uninformed hunters to view lion hunting as "sporting" and "ethical."

Bill Quimby

quote:

Originally posted by Heeler75:

quote:

Originally posted by billrquimby:

quote:

Originally posted by ismith:
Hunting with hounds is a hell of a lot more sporting than sitting in a box blind waiting for the corn flinger to kick on and the deer to come running.

Amen.

Lion hunting can be easy when all goes according to plan, but I hunted on horseback following hounds of three different cat hunters over some of the most dangerous terrain around before a lion bayed on a ledge on the side of a 20-foot cliff and I had to jump down on that ledge to shoot it at near point-blank ridge.

I've forgotten how many days I invested hunting for that lion, but it was more than 40 days spread out over three years.

If you ask me, lion hunting with hounds and horses was the most physically challenging of all the hunts I made.

Bill Quimby

Bill, it may have been mentioned before, but have to ask. Did you hunt any with the Lee brothers?

I never hunted with them, but I did know Dale and Clell Lee and some of their relatives. They were a generation ahead of me, and were mostly retired from outfitting by the time I came along.

Bill Quimby

quote:

Better start doing your research. The Humane Society of the United States and Friends of Animals have targeted mountain lion hunting, and if they succeed in banning it with a ballot initiative in Arizona this fall, watch out!

They correctly have identified a reluctance of the public and many uninformed hunters to view lion hunting as "sporting" and "ethical."

I believe they will have a hard time trying that in Texas.

Been on many
It’s a blast, some tough, some relatively easy

quote:

Originally posted by Crazyhorseconsulting:
I am aware of that, but my days of following dogs thru rough country are long past.

I am sure there are guides that offer hunts that aren't as difficult and maybe one day I will get hooked up with one.

Go with one who has a good horse or mule for you to ride.

quote:

Go with one who has a good horse or mule for you to ride.

Lane the last time I rode a horse was in 1997, and the ride we made was quite a little deal.

Had we wrecked, we would have both been killed.

When we got to where we were going I had the outfitter take a picture of me on the horse . I still have that picture and I still remember the words I said when I got off that horse, "That Is The Last Time" and I ain't been on one since.

If that is the only way I could get one I might have to eat those words.

quote:

I believe they will have a hard time trying that in Texas.

I suspect you're correct for now, but that could change in a few years. If our opponents win in Arizona look for them to target Washington, Oregon, Colorado, Nevada and maybe Utah , followed by any western state whose rural voters are increasingly outnumbered by people who believe everyone should stay on a walking path when outdoors.

Bill Quimby

HEll, they've already tried it in CO and screwed things up! Just about ruined trapping of anything.

George

quote:

I suspect you're correct for now, but that could change in a few years.

You could be right, none of us know what the future holds, but since Texas is basically all Private Land such things are harder to pull off.

I am probably way off on my figures, but I think Texas is 90+% Private Land while Arizona is 90+% Public.

Add to that Texas considers Mountain Lions in the same category as coyotes. All TP&W wants to know if one is killed or run over, where it was at.

quote:

Originally posted by Crazyhorseconsulting:

quote:

I suspect you're correct for now, but that could change in a few years.

You could be right, none of us know what the future holds, but since Texas is basically all Private Land such things are harder to pull off.

I am probably way off on my figures, but I think Texas is 90+% Private Land while Arizona is 90+% Public.

Add to that Texas considers Mountain Lions in the same category as coyotes. All TP&W wants to know if one is killed or run over, where it was at.

I think the percentage of private land in Arizona is about 18%, but land ownership has nothing to do with the price of beans if the majority of a state's voters can be convinced mountain lions should not be hunted.

Bill Quimby

Here are the stats boys and AZ has a lot mere than 18%!

Public and Private Lands Percentages
US States Land Ownership by Percentage:

Public Land Private Land
1 AK 95.8% 4.2%
2 NV 87.8% 12.2%
3 UT 75.2% 24.8%
4 ID 70.4% 29.6%
5 OR 60.4% 39.6%
6 AZ 56.8% 43.2%
7 WY 55.9% 44.1%
8 CA 52.1% 47.9%
9 NM 47.4% 52.6%
10 CO 43.3% 56.7%
11 WA 41.9% 58.1%
12 MT 37.5% 62.5%
13 NY 37.1% 62.9%
14 FL 29.2% 70.8%
15 MI 28.1% 71.9%
16 MN 23.5% 76.5%
17 HI 19.0% 81.0%
18 NJ 18.3% 81.7%
19 NH 18.0% 82.0%
20 WI 17.8% 82.2%
21 AR 17.3% 82.7%
22 VA 17.1% 82.9%
23 WV 16.5% 83.5%
24 PA 16.1% 83.9%
25 VT 15.8% 84.2%
26 NC 14.6% 85.4%
27 TN 14.1% 85.9%
28 KY 11.8% 88.2%
29 SC 11.8% 88.2%
30 MO 11.2% 88.8%
31 MS 10.9% 89.1%
32 LA 10.7% 89.3%
33 GA 9.7% 90.3%
34 ND 9.1% 90.9%
35 SD 8.9% 91.1%
36 MD 7.6% 92.4%
37 DE 7.4% 92.6%
38 AL 7.1% 92.9%
39 MA 6.3% 93.7%
40 CT 6.2% 93.8%
41 ME 5.7% 94.3%
42 OK 4.6% 95.4%
43 IN 4.5% 95.5%
44 OH 4.2% 95.8%
45 TX 4.2% 95.8%
46 IL 4.1% 95.9%
47 IA 2.8% 97.2%
48 NE 2.8% 97.2%
49 KS 1.9% 98.1%
50 RI 1.5% 98.5%

EXACTLY what public land has been included in those figures?