WDFW Cougar Season Updates

[fair-chase]

I would like to see their numbers. I know there were a couple of units that had exceptionally low forcasts, but for the most part it would have taken an unprecedented harvest, the likes of which we have not seen since the hound ban, to close most of these areas. I'm not buying that this many units have reached or exceeded the quota. I will be making an inquiry into this come Monday.

[deaner]

yes the numbers are low.  i saw a cougar in unit 121 during the last few days of the general firearm deer season ( was oct 21-15, somewhere in there) and immediately went and looked at its tracks in the snow, within about two minutes of seeing it standing there.  the next day got a bit more fresh snow and saw fresh tracks from 3 more cats, im guessing a mother and kittens... that makes 4... then on my way down to the timber edge i was hunting came across a significantly larger set of cat tracks than either of the other 4.. that makes 5... all within one small area, maybe square quarter mile.  if densities are that high how is the limit to cancel the season 5?

[gramps]

This update thing is strange in that on 9 Jan 13 the recorded message said that the Blue Mt area and most all of E Wa was closed as of 9 Jan.  Last night the WDFW e-mail says it is still open until 15 Jan.  Someone is confused besides me.

[bigbeamhunter]

ThAnks for the link
I called this morning and pushed #2 and I think it said updating it wasn't the same as last week we have been trying to get one over here have shot a couple coyotes but no cat this morning we called for and hour nothing came in we got up to leave while picking up our gear we looked down the road to see what we were after was standing there watching us it was t there when hit the road but I just happened to look up he was there and was gone . So I guess I'll wait till next week and try again .
At least I know they are there

[Limhangerslayer]

There were two shot in the blues last sat.  One guy shot one bird hunting, I guess he jumped it went back got his rifle and went and killed it.  It had a deer in the brush.  Don't know the story on the other cat.

[gramps]

OK, that would make 15 taken in the Blues so far.  Was 13 last time I talked to the biologist.

[fair-chase]

There were two shot in the blues last sat.  One guy shot one bird hunting, I guess he jumped it went back got his rifle and went and killed it.  It had a deer in the brush.  Don't know the story on the other cat.

Herd of one that was taken near Pomeroy down in the ag lands not too far from town. Might have been the other one they were referring to.

[Alan K]

I'm very curious as to how they come up with their population numbers.  I'm sure their quotas are based off of that.  With how rare sightings are in general, how do they come up with any answer other than nearly a shot in the dark?  I'm not knocking them necessarily if it turns out they do have a highly accurate way of determining the populations but I just can't imagine how they'd do it. 

[JCKILLSHOT]

I heard that it is mainly just a shot in the dark on population numbers and numbers are lower then what are actually out there, but who knows??

[bobcat]

One of the WDFW meetings I went to, the biologist pretty much said they have no clue what the cougar population is in this state.

[fair-chase]

I'm very curious as to how they come up with their population numbers.  I'm sure their quotas are based off of that.  With how rare sightings are in general, how do they come up with any answer other than nearly a shot in the dark?  I'm not knocking them necessarily if it turns out they do have a highly accurate way of determining the populations but I just can't imagine how they'd do it. 

This should muddy the waters for you. 

http://hunting-washington.com/smf/index.php/topic,92819.msg1186653.html#msg1186653

[gramps]

For several years in the Blues there has been a houndsman working the Tucannon River Valley..or I should say, a portion of the valley...treeing and putting collars on cougars.  From what I have been told, this data is used to "estimate" how many cougar are in all of the blues.  At the time (3 yrs ago) they said they don't have funds to conduct a population study for the whole area. I know they were working the tucannon valley again this winter, but do not know if that is still the only area.
I have not seen the data, but before I retired I had some experience with this type of "estimating" and it was a garbage in....garbage out type of an excercise.

[Limhangerslayer]

There were two shot in the blues last sat.  One guy shot one bird hunting, I guess he jumped it went back got his rifle and went and killed it.  It had a deer in the brush.  Don't know the story on the other cat.

Herd of one that was taken near Pomeroy down in the ag lands not too far from town. Might have been the other one they were referring to.

The Pomeroy one is the pic I have.

[Mr Mykiss]

Really??!! All 4-6 of them in the Blues were harvested? Oregon has a quota of a billion (rough estimate) in the Blues. Wait a minute I'll stop my complaining. There are probably more wolves than cougars in the Blues now...

[Landowner]

This year WDFW is trying a new cougar season approach.  A general followed by the late season.  The late season closes on March 31 or when harvest objective is met--whichever is first.......

That's strange.  Season's open on my place Jan. 1 to December 31.  Every year.