ODFW: No sign of cougar in first day of searching
(Update: Area of forest closed during cougar hunt)
No cougar scent or sign was detected Thursday by trackers in the field near the site where a cougar is believed to have killed Mt. Hood hiker Diana Bober, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife said late Thursday afternoon.
Meanwhile, AP reported the U.S. Forest Service has closed a vast swath of wilderness to the public as authorities search the rugged terrain. KGW-TV reported Thursday that nearly 47 square miles and 14 trails in the Hunchback Mountain area could remain closed for at least 30 days.
Here’s the rest of ODFW’s statement:
The search began off the Hunchback Mountain Trailhead around 6:30 a.m. Two USDA Wildlife Services personnel rode mules for about 9 miles accompanied by four dogs trained to pick up cougar scent. No scent or other recent cougar sign (tracks, scat, scratches) was detected in the area. Searchers also saw very few signs of cougar’s prey like deer.
“It’s very important that we started our search at the site where Diana was found,” said Brian Wolfer, ODFW watershed manager who is leading the capture effort. “The cougar wasn’t there. Tomorrow we will expand our search into a new area.”
In addition, ODFW and other personnel are working to place more trail cameras into remote areas. They also encourage any local residents (ZigZag-Welches-Rhododendron area) with recent trail camera images of cougars (within past four weeks) or cougar sightings to contact ODFW’s Clackamas office at (971) 673-6000.
Yesterday’s efforts to set up a communications system that would work in the rugged area served the operations effort well, and searchers in remote areas have radio contact with ODFW and other state, federal and local personnel on the ground (Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office, U.S. Forest Service, OSP Fish and Wildlife).
Also today, U.S. Forest Service announced a closure to protect public safety and to allow for search and capture operations to continue with minimal disturbance from people, which could compromise search efforts. See the Mt Hood National Forest website for more information.
Yesterday during a press conference, Wolfer discussed home range sizes for cougars. ODFW’s most recent data for cougars occupying similar habitat in the coast range support the information provided about home range sizes with male cougars having a home range averaging 123 square miles, and adult females averaging 22.5 square miles. It is not known if the cougar that killed Diana was a male or female.
“This is big country,” said Wolfer. “The search may take some time and will be a fluid situation. We’ll continue to adjust our operation as necessary.”
Tomorrow morning, crews will start to expand the search area but stay within a typical cougar home range distance of where Bober was attacked.
ODFW will provide an online update tomorrow afternoon after the search has concluded for the day or when there is new information to share.
