Cougars Everywhere

[daisygordoninc]

I live in Western Oregon and we are having more and more problems with cougars, primarily because we cannot hunt them with dogs. They are increasing dramatically, I know this is also occurring in other states. Is there anyone who knows what
the Game Commission in Oregon or other states are doing about this. They are taking a major toll on blacktail deer here in
Western Oregon. A cougar was killed in Portland in a residential area this past week, they are now seen in the city limits of Eugene and Springfield. A farmer who lives just west of here had his horse attacked, and he called the Game Commission, and of course they did not want him to kill the cougar. Anyone doing research into this situation?

Gordon

[shooter]

I know they are not as plentiful here, but in TX a cougar is considered a non game animal and there is no season or bag limit. They can be shot on site any time of the year. Texas Parks and Wildlife does request you call and report if you see one or kill one, but that isn't a requirement. We don't have the problems here that it seems a lot of the western states are having. Then again, that may be partly because the population isn't as numerous as other places, but there seem to be plenty of them in the state.

[Chuck 100 yd]

I live just minutes from where that one was caught in Portland. Just wait until the wolves start showing up in Portland or someones kid gets eaten and we will see what the huggers do then. The Deer and Elk are being decimated in the entire northwest.

[crs]

What Shooter said + they are considered varmints here to be shot on sight. Problem is, they are not often seen when the hunter is prepared to shoot them.
An acquaintance of mine calls them in with varmint calls with good success once he determines their territory - most likely females (maybe that helps control the population).

[Mescalero]

Big problem for south central N.M.

[octagon]

We have had six sightings at my place, over the years. I have always read that a lion eats about one deer per week, and with the Texas deer population estimated at about 4,000,000, I think there are plenty of deer to go around. While I have seen three lions in my life, I think most folks here will never see one, much less be ready to shoot one when they do. We have not ever lost a calf to one to my knowledge, but lost a big steer to a snake recently. I think they are cool, and would not shoot one unless we or the neighbors started loosing calves.
My cousin who is an avid varmint hunter in our area, and uses a lot of calls, has never seen one.

[Mescalero]

I came back to Phx. at the start of the winter last year, by the time I left; the ranch had lost 12 calves to bear and mountain lion.

[Udy]

I live in Western Oregon and we are having more and more problems with cougars, primarily because we cannot hunt them with dogs. They are increasing dramatically, I know this is also occurring in other states. Is there anyone who knows what
the Game Commission in Oregon or other states are doing about this. They are taking a major toll on blacktail deer here in
Western Oregon. A cougar was killed in Portland in a residential area this past week, they are now seen in the city limits of Eugene and Springfield. A farmer who lives just west of here had his horse attacked, and he called the Game Commission, and of course they did not want him to kill the cougar. Anyone doing research into this situation?

Gordon

Yea, that one, then in the last couple weeks there have been two more killed by cars one on hwy 26 by Boring, and another somewhere by St.Hellens. And it wasn't to long ago earlier this year I recall one being struck by a vehicle on I-5 up by Castle Rock area some where. I don't recall lions being hit by cars in the past. There numbers have to be reaching a breaking point that cant sustain to drive them into the cities and hyw's. Seems they've pulled a few bears out of the trees in the city here recently also. Time to repeal that stupid measure from '94.

[AJMD429]

Around here you see 'em sometimes at the opera, theater, and sometimes at church bingo games.

[Mescalero]

Doc,
Not the same species.

[BrentD]

Around here you see 'em sometimes at the opera, theater, and sometimes at church bingo games.

Got one of those roamin' my house

[92&94]

I believe you can shoot them here too - fur bearing predator, like a coyote. I believe "fur bearing" is to distinguish from birds of prey, just in case some idiot wanted to shoot an eagle.

I see one around here now and then, but not what I would call often. There was one sighted several times in town a couple years ago - I'm surprised it didn't get shot.

EDIT: The 4 legged kind of course. I'm too old to be prey for the 2 legged ones - and I believe I'm pretty young as things go around here

[walks with gun]

You should see the ones at the bar I work in part time, I feel like a piece of veal. We've also been seeing a lot more sign of the four legged ones up here in northern Mn.

[Buck Elliott]

Having spent a great part of my life in the remote mountains of Utah, Idaho and Wyoming, I have probably seen more cougars than most folks ever will.. As a cowboy, hunter, guide and outfitter I learned to keep my eyes peeled for anything out of the ordinary.. That has been a big help.. Still, many of my sightings came rather unexpectedly, in the form of what almost appeared to be a cloud of heavy dust, crossing a road or trail.. The big cats are amazingly fast, and can appear and disappear in a heartbeat, even over what looks like a pretty fair distance..

I long ago lost count of how many I've seen.. In much of their natural habitat, they are nearly impossible to spot, unless they move.. I have had several just vanish into thin air, as it were, even as I watched them.. One just 'dissolved' into a patch of dry wheat grass, as I glassed him from about 140 yards with 10X binoculars.. I've hunted them, with and without dogs, when they had been taking calves from ranchers..

There is a pair (or more) of lions living in some cave dens on the banks of the Shoshone River at the north edge of Cody, and I have watched them prowl the mountainside above the house on Sheep Mountain..

Wyoming regards lions as Trophy Game animals, with strictly limited quotas and a license required to hunt or run them..

[BrentD]

Wyoming regards lions as Trophy Game animals, with strictly limited quotas and a license required to hunt or run them..

Indeed, they are trophies, great ones. But are they regarded as trophy game everywhere in the state or just around the fringe country of Yellowstone/JH?

[earlmck]

I'm thinking that the cougar is keeping the deer population quite low here in Central Oregon. Since we (us dumb Oregonians) outlawed hunting them with dogs the population has increased considerably. And we have enough elk to sustain a high cougar population, so they keep their preferred prey (deer) from increasing.

Couple of weeks ago on the ranch where I am cutting trees there were fresh remains of a young bull elk, antlers early in velvet but developing a small branch, obviously cougar killed. Too dry to see much for tracks but from the small amount of crushed sage brush and limited blood pool, he didn't move a whole lot after he went down. I would have loved to watch that take-down!

[rbertalotto]

http://media.onsugar.com/files/ed2/301/ ... ure_12.jpg

[Old Ironsights]

Doc,
Not the same species.

Not sure which is more dangerous...

Cougars got Tooth and Claw... but sometimes they have Lawyers.

[jeepnik]

I live in Western Oregon and we are having more and more problems with cougars, primarily because we cannot hunt them with dogs. They are increasing dramatically, I know this is also occurring in other states. Is there anyone who knows what
the Game Commission in Oregon or other states are doing about this. They are taking a major toll on blacktail deer here in
Western Oregon. A cougar was killed in Portland in a residential area this past week, they are now seen in the city limits of Eugene and Springfield. A farmer who lives just west of here had his horse attacked, and he called the Game Commission, and of course they did not want him to kill the cougar. Anyone doing research into this situation?

Gordon

Count yourself lucky that you can hunt them at all. Hunting has been banned here for years. Result, way too many cats, and more than a handful of dead people. Imagine that, the folks that pushed hardest to ban hunting claimed the cats didn't attack people. Well, the cats have multiplied and proven them wrong.

Then again, some PETA idiot on last nights news claimed the increase in great white shark sightings in Santa Monica bay was due to fishing. The sharks won't go away until all fishing worldwide is banned.

Now here's the best part. Santa Monica bay is and has been, for as long as the real scientist can figure out, the pupping grounds for the great whites. That's right the birth their young here. Heck, there are likely hundreds of great whites in the bay at any given time. In fact, if you go for a swim, or even just wading into the waves, you are likely very close to a great white. The young great whites live in the surf zone where the smaller fish are. As they grow, they move further off shore where the bigger fish are. Eventually as adults they roam the oceans at will, but if pupped here, they will return to give birth.

And the most amazing thing, is that the local media accepted PETA's version without checking the facts. Oh wait, that isn't surprising at all.

[Pisgah]

Around here you see 'em sometimes at the opera, theater, and sometimes at church bingo games.

Got one of those roamin' my house

I married one! No complaints here.