Oregon officials raise cougar kill quota

The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife announced Wednesday they will be focusing on targeted areas around the state to decrease the cougar population,

State officials said this will help grow the deer and elk population.

According to ODFW, there are more than 6,200 cougars in the state, and with that number they tend to see more calls related to livestock being killed.

“Inevitably, we have more cougars, we have more livestock conflict,” said agency Communication Coordinator Michelle Dennehy.

Fish and Wildlife tracks the cougar population around the state by focusing on the number of fatalities.

The cause of the deaths can range from being killed by hunters to getting hit by a car.

According to state law, land owners can kill a cougar without a permit, but will need to report it to the state agencies.

State officials have highlighted four areas where ODFW will be trying to reduce the cougar population. The targeted areas include Douglas County and three areas in southeast Oregon.

Officials began looking into the targeted areas back in 2007. The killing quota in those areas could range to no more than five to 50 cougars.

“We go in, and we’ve reduced cougar population in the area and were able to reduce livestock conflict in southeast Oregon,” Dennehy said.

Predator Defense is a nonprofit organization that helps people and wildlife co-exist around the state. It says the population statistics on cougars is not as accurate as the state is reporting.

“The method that the ODFW uses to estimate cougar population has been roundly criticized by scientists,” said Carnivore Advocate Sally Mackler.

The ODFW introduced the cougar hunting plan back in 2006 and was recently updated this year.

Mackler said state officials are making excuses to kill more cougars so they can grow the deer population for people to kill during hunting season.

“There’s no science to support the premise that killing more cougars, randomly, indiscriminately, is going to either grow more mule deer,” Mackler said. “Which is the main point of these target areas.”

Mackler believes the cougar population may actually be declining in the state and that officials have no idea if that is the case or not.