Cougar Infestation (Twisp)

[Axle]

Hope this news from the rancher gets the word out, this story here could very well be the final push to get hound hunting back in WA for lion. Funny how this puts all the experts at wdfw in the dirt, they are a JOKE and should be presented as such

Unless planned obsolescence is the real plan. You know - making deer and elk obsolete.  Then the joke would be on us because it is happening right in front of all of us.

[Heredoggydoggy]

I may be way off base, but I think the reason there are so many undernourished Cougars around now is that the wolves are getting many of the animals the Cougars once hunted and killed. 

[Bill W]

  Sunday morning Feb 10,2014 a Twisp ranchers 40 yr old son took his 3 kids out to try and track down one of several cougars that were setting up camp within 300 yds of their house.   They did track down an 85 lb female and his oldest son 12 shot it.  When the rancher got back from church he saw a cow coming back from around the corner to eat some hay.  He knew she must of had a calf so fed the cows again to keep her occupied while he went and tagged and banded the calf.  When he got there he saw lots of cougar tracks and found the calf dead and had been drug about 200 feet.  He called WDFW and local agent who was off duty came anyway and confirmed it was a cougar and allowed the ranchers to catch and shoot this cougar too.  Cody the 9 yr old shot this nice 125 lb male.  This was also 2/10/2014.  Then on Tues. morning the kids decided to go check out an old mine shaft 100 yds from their house and found another set of cougar tracks.  A friend was visiting and went with the kids.  The daughter decided to give up the tracking ordeal and left the shotgun with the friend that had a tag. The youngest boy Cody went with the friend since he is becoming quite the tracker.  Cody found the cougar layed up in some rocks and they ambushed the cat and shot it with only one shell since the daughter had the rest in her pocket. This was 2/18/2014.  Yesterday afternoon a hunter found more fresh cougar tracks where the calf was killed but did not find the cat..  Last night  2/20/2014 at 2:30 am the ranchers son heard a big ruckus going on outside.  He grabbed the gun and went out to find the cougar chasing the red heeler around the yard.  For fear of the cat killing the dog he put it in the house.  He went out to the calf pen 14'  x  20' and saw the cougar reaching through the steel pannels.  He fired a couple shots in the air and chased the cougar away.  He will take assesment this morning to see if anything was killed.  The rancher knows they have no rights so are abiding by the law 100%.  This cougar will likely come back and kill again.  WDFW has no compensation.  The ranchers son actually found 2 separate more cougar tracks.  Since hound hunting was eliminated the cougar population has exploded in the Methow along with many other parts of the state.  These pictures are all 3 cougars killed so far.
Another cougar was killed 2/20/2014 number 4 since I wrote this post.  See update and picture on page two.

I knew that old warden back when he was going to school to be a fisheries officer.

[KB88]

Shoot the cougar to save the deer or to save the wolf? Shoot the wolf to save the deer or to save the cougar? Shoot the cougar and the wolf, save the deer.

[wolfbait]

Reported Cougar Problems in the Methow Valley 2011-2014


Dangerous Wildlife Incidents in Washington
A map of recent wolf observations submitted via WDFW's online wolf reporting form is available here.

December 19, 2011 – Winthrop, Okanogan County (Cougar)
October 27, 2011 – Twisp, Okanogan County (Cougar)
July 23, 2011 – Carlton, Okanogan County (Cougar)
July 7, 2011 – Winthrop, Okanogan County (Cougar)
June 9, 2011 – Twisp, Okanogan County (Cougar)
May 1, 2011 – Twisp, Okanogan County (Cougar)
March 7, 2011 – Twisp, Okanogan County (Cougar)
March 7, 2011 – Twisp, Okanogan County (Cougar)
March 1, 2011 – Winthrop, Okanogan County (Cougar)
January 2, 2011 – Twisp, Okanogan County (Cougar)

Dangerous Wildlife Incidents in Washington
A map of recent wolf observations submitted via WDFW's online wolf reporting form is available here.

December 6, 2012 – Winthrop, Okanogan County (Cougar)


August 25, 2012 – Twisp, Okanogan County (Cougar)
March 21, 2012 – Twisp, Okanogan County (Cougar)
March 11, 2012 – Winthrop, Okanogan County (Cougar)
February 26, 2012 – Winthrop, Okanogan County (Cougar)
February 21, 2012 – Twisp, Okanogan County (Cougar)
February 21, 2012 – Twisp, Okanogan County (Cougar)
February 8, 2012 – Twisp, Okanogan County (Cougar)
January 24, 2012 – Twisp, Okanogan County (Cougar)
January 22, 2012 – Twisp, Okanogan County (Cougar)




Dangerous Wildlife Incidents in Washington
A map of recent wolf observations submitted via WDFW's online wolf reporting form is available here.
December 28, 2013 – Winthrop, Okanogan County (Cougar)
December 12, 2013 – Twisp, Okanogan County (Cougar)
December 10, 2013 – Winthrop, Okanogan County (Cougar)
September 10, 2013 – Twisp, Okanogan County (Cougar)
September 6, 2013 – Winthrop, Okanogan County (Cougar)
August 8, 2013 – Winthrop, Okanogan County (Cougar)
August 5, 2013 – Twisp, Okanogan County (Cougar)
August 4, 2013 – Winthrop, Okanogan County (Cougar)
June 17, 2013 – Twisp, Okanogan County (Cougar)
June 2, 2013 – Carlton, Okanogan County (Cougar)
June 2, 2013 – Winthrop, Okanogan County (Cougar)
June 1, 2013 – Winthrop, Okanogan County (Cougar)
March 20, 2013 – Winthrop, Okanogan County (Cougar)
March 2, 2013 – Twisp, Okanogan County (Cougar)
February 14, 2013 – Methow, Okanogan County (Cougar)
February 10, 2013 – Winthrop, Okanogan County (Cougar)
February 7, 2013 – Twisp, Okanogan County (Cougar)
January 25, 2013 – Winthrop, Okanogan County (Cougar)
January 22, 2013 – Twisp, Okanogan County (Cougar)
January 18, 2013 – Carlton, Okanogan County (Cougar)
January 14, 2013 – Winthrop, Okanogan County (Cougar)

February 3, 2014 – Winthrop, Okanogan County (Cougar)
January 23, 2014 – Twisp, Okanogan County (Cougar)
January 22, 2014 – Winthrop, Okanogan County (Cougar)
January 22, 2014 – Winthrop, Okanogan County (Cougar)
January 18, 2014 – Winthrop, Okanogan County (Cougar)
January 17, 2014 – Winthrop, Okanogan County (Cougar)
January 17, 2014 – Winthrop, Okanogan County (Cougar)
January 16, 2014 – Twisp, Okanogan County (Cougar)
January 11, 2014 – Winthrop, Okanogan County (Cougar)
January 6, 2014 – Winthrop, Okanogan County (Cougar)
January 3, 2014 – Mazama, Okanogan County (Cougar)
http://wdfw.wa.gov/living/dangerous/rep … ;year=2011

[mrolen]

another dog attacked by Mclure in Twisp this morning! John Stevies dog that was attacked by wolf last year!!

[villageidiot]

I just talked to John on the phone.  He said he let the dog out to go pee at 4:30 and heard a big ruckus.  By the time he slipped on his shoes and grabbed a flashlight the dog had got loose and the cougar ran into the trees.  The vet put in 23 stitches.  Fish and No Game chased it with dogs and it went in a deep hole in the rock cliffs.  They couldn't see it but heard it growling.
 It appears the only thing cougars haven't attacked this winter is somebody's kid.  One wonders just how far this will be allowed to continue with no effective cougar management ( hound hunting).  This is totally ridiculous.

[WAcoyotehunter]

so did they kill the cat?

[mrolen]

Nope! Couldnt get to it in the rocks..

[mulehunter]

   No Way....I am Sorry... john...

[WAcoyotehunter]

Cougar numbers are damaging many areas in Washington.

Some anti-hunting professor from WSU and Conservation Northwest are in control of cougar management in WA. 

conservation NW tried hard to make sHound hunting legal a few years ago. I suspect when more legislation becomes realistic they will be all in

Are you talking about the same CNW that promotes wolves and works alongside WDFW? Would CNW be afraid too many cats would cut down on wolf prey? Do you think CNW care about other wildlife other then wolves, etc. endangered money makers?

[villageidiot]

Here we go again.  Another dog was killed up Twisp river yesterday March 7,2014.  The neighbor said the dog was killed and drug off away from the house and partially eaten then covered up which is a dead ringer for cougars.  The neighbor said Fish and No Game brought hounds in today and try to catch it. Apparently ther is a very gruesome picture of the partially eaten dog.  The neighbor said she thinks the persons name is Corie Lyons  (could be Cory).  Will try and get more info and report back.  So we continue the Twisp Cougar infestation.

[hirshey]

Wow! Well if anyone up there needs another hunter with an open tag...  a cougar is definitely on my wishlist! Congrats to the hunters, but boy does that seem like a heap of cats!

[denali]

"endangered money makers"?

only three words, but yet a whole chapter. 

[mulehunter]

Thank god for sent a strong hunters out there, if they weren't there to hunt...... Cats would end up killed one or two kids.     Open hounds hunting whole state!!!!