Washington Hunter
Well-known member
Hearing - Government-paid hunters will probably be used for "proactive" hunts with tracking dogs, to cut numbers
Friday, April 14, 2006
PETER SLEETH
The Oregonian
After an afternoon of sometimes impassioned testimony, the Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission passed a new plan Thursday that will lead to increased state hunting of cougars.
The seven-member commission approved the 2006 Oregon Cougar Management Plan unanimously. It could go into effect as early as this summer, after biologists draw up target populations of the cats around the state.
State researchers believe approximately 5,100 cougars are roaming Oregon's wild country today, up from an estimated 3,100 in 1994, when voters passed a law forbidding sport hunters from using dogs to track and kill cougars. Supporters of that law testified Thursday that they feared too many cats would now be killed.
Others -- mostly hunters -- called for a return to using dogs for a sport hunt. The commission has no authority to revoke a voter-passed law. The commission concurred, however, with Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife biologists who believe the cougar population is now too large in some parts of the state to be compatible with a growing population of humans.
"Doing nothing is not an option," said Marla Rae, commission chairwoman. "This plan does not contemplate -- quote, unquote -- any wholesale slaughter."
State biologists said they will maintain a cougar population of at least 3,000 but have no intention of simply exterminating 2000 cougars. Instead, they said, state regulators need to have flexibility to begin a proactive hunt of cougars before they cause a problem in areas where the cats are in abundance. Currently, the state reacts to cougar complaints with state or federal hunters.
The plan does mean increased hunting with dogs. Existing law allows state or federal hunters to use hounds to track and kill cougars. The use of hounds is considered the most efficient way of finding cougars, who are secretive and typically hunt at night. Sport hunters operating without the benefit of hounds still killed 230 cougars in 2003.
Although there is no known case of a cougar attacking and killing a human in Oregon, rural Oregonians testified Thursday that with the growing number of cougars and people competing for the same territory, it could happen.
"We're just waiting for our kid or some person to get killed," said Robby Crook, of Philomath.
Crook, who would like to be able to sport hunt with dogs, said he objected to the use of state money generated by hunting licenses to be used to hire government hunters. Like most hunters who testified, he wanted a repeal of the 1994 law.
The new management plan envisions spending from about $436,000 to $589,000 a year to control cougar populations. Currently, the state fish and wildlife agency spends about $250,000. About one-third of the agency's budget comes from sales of licenses to hunters and fishermen.
Opponents of the new plan criticized the scientific research behind the estimate of 5,100 cougars in Oregon. They maintained the state had used outmoded methods to compute the number. Misha Dunlap, of Eugene, said that because the government hunters would be using dogs to hunt, the plan goes against the will of Oregonians in the 1994 vote. She echoed the concerns of other speakers about the science used to come up with the plan.
"I think it is very important that we determine if we have a problem in this state before we do something about it," she said.
Ron Anglin, the department's wildlife division administrator, said he would return to the commission at its June meeting, with proposed target areas around the state where cougar eradication might begin. He said depending on weather conditions and other factors, the hunt might begin in the summer, or be held off until winter months.
Peter Sleeth: 503-294-4119; [email protected]
©2006 The Oregonian
Friday, April 14, 2006
PETER SLEETH
The Oregonian
After an afternoon of sometimes impassioned testimony, the Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission passed a new plan Thursday that will lead to increased state hunting of cougars.
The seven-member commission approved the 2006 Oregon Cougar Management Plan unanimously. It could go into effect as early as this summer, after biologists draw up target populations of the cats around the state.
State researchers believe approximately 5,100 cougars are roaming Oregon's wild country today, up from an estimated 3,100 in 1994, when voters passed a law forbidding sport hunters from using dogs to track and kill cougars. Supporters of that law testified Thursday that they feared too many cats would now be killed.
Others -- mostly hunters -- called for a return to using dogs for a sport hunt. The commission has no authority to revoke a voter-passed law. The commission concurred, however, with Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife biologists who believe the cougar population is now too large in some parts of the state to be compatible with a growing population of humans.
"Doing nothing is not an option," said Marla Rae, commission chairwoman. "This plan does not contemplate -- quote, unquote -- any wholesale slaughter."
State biologists said they will maintain a cougar population of at least 3,000 but have no intention of simply exterminating 2000 cougars. Instead, they said, state regulators need to have flexibility to begin a proactive hunt of cougars before they cause a problem in areas where the cats are in abundance. Currently, the state reacts to cougar complaints with state or federal hunters.
The plan does mean increased hunting with dogs. Existing law allows state or federal hunters to use hounds to track and kill cougars. The use of hounds is considered the most efficient way of finding cougars, who are secretive and typically hunt at night. Sport hunters operating without the benefit of hounds still killed 230 cougars in 2003.
Although there is no known case of a cougar attacking and killing a human in Oregon, rural Oregonians testified Thursday that with the growing number of cougars and people competing for the same territory, it could happen.
"We're just waiting for our kid or some person to get killed," said Robby Crook, of Philomath.
Crook, who would like to be able to sport hunt with dogs, said he objected to the use of state money generated by hunting licenses to be used to hire government hunters. Like most hunters who testified, he wanted a repeal of the 1994 law.
The new management plan envisions spending from about $436,000 to $589,000 a year to control cougar populations. Currently, the state fish and wildlife agency spends about $250,000. About one-third of the agency's budget comes from sales of licenses to hunters and fishermen.
Opponents of the new plan criticized the scientific research behind the estimate of 5,100 cougars in Oregon. They maintained the state had used outmoded methods to compute the number. Misha Dunlap, of Eugene, said that because the government hunters would be using dogs to hunt, the plan goes against the will of Oregonians in the 1994 vote. She echoed the concerns of other speakers about the science used to come up with the plan.
"I think it is very important that we determine if we have a problem in this state before we do something about it," she said.
Ron Anglin, the department's wildlife division administrator, said he would return to the commission at its June meeting, with proposed target areas around the state where cougar eradication might begin. He said depending on weather conditions and other factors, the hunt might begin in the summer, or be held off until winter months.
Peter Sleeth: 503-294-4119; [email protected]
©2006 The Oregonian
