One hunter, two cougars down.....

[billythekidrock]

Well I would not know how to judge a cougars size, so if I did not see spots I would probably shoot it. Yes, 37 lbs is small, but without ever seeing a cougar, how do I know what it weighs? Would I mount it or parade it? No, but I might share a pic or two.

Anyway, there seems to be multiple stories on this cougar hunt or a bunch of cougars were shot over late buck...now I want one!

[elkaholic]

Well I agree withhound hunting, i think its a greta way to jusge the cats size to see if its what your looking for and one way to be successful.
I am heading down range for 4 months or so. Would love to get some yotes when I get back.

[elkaholic]

judging one if not familiar would be hard. But I am sure most of us have shot bigger yotes? Yes, many of us go years , decades deer/elk hunting without seeing one. So I can understand being the quick draw. I just think that one would realize that the cougar was a juvenile and not bigger then a mature bobcat? Too bad he didnt harvest the adult.  I will say if there are so many of these animals out there why arent theyr more sightings? I use this argumnet in my pro bigfoot argument!!!!!

[elkaholic]

The hound hunt drawing? Does that allow you to take others out? Not familiar with it?

[Cougeyes]

As far as not making a differance? I don't know where you're trying to go with that one Cougeyes? Should we close longtail season down because no matter how many we kill they will keep coming back? Without hound hunting we cannot effectively manage these critters over here.

No I wasn't implying at all that we should by any means close down cougar seasons.  I was just trying to make the point that cougars maintain their own numbers in areas because they're so territorial.  I was trying to get across that yes, hunting does manage numbers but they will only rebound soon after unless we shoot the hell out of them.  Like you mentioned what the game warden said about thanking the guy for saving the deer, may decrease some predation but it will just rebound to where it was before that cat was killed.  My take home message is that there is a thing such as "carrying capacity" and cougars maintain certain numbers.  If we were to stop hunting them their numbers would go up, but not to the extremes that many would think because they're such a territorial animal.  I would never be against no-cougar hunting, i think it is a necessary tool in management of game numbers, but it is only a tool, there are many more factors that go into managing deer and elk than decreasing predators.

[257 Wby Mag]

Ahhh, now we get on the cougar hound permit subject. Machias correct me if I'm wrong. Dept Game and fish started making people sign an avidavit, stating they hand dogs that could track and tree longtails, due to every Tom Dick and Harry putting in for them and not harvesting enough cougars. Just the other day I was asked if I knew anybody that would take a guy out that had drawn a permit. This guy drew a permit without dogs, after he lied on the affidavit. This is the kinda crap that pisses me off, and why we can't effectivly manage these critters.Cougars are an awesome animal,and if managed right have a place here in Washington, but when my neighbors are killing them in their yards on a yearly basis, that tells me they are not being managed correctly. Good luck Machias, I miss the sound of a couple old walkers barking treed.

[Cougeyes]

when my neighbors are killing them in their yards on a yearly basis, that tells me they are not being managed correctly.

Not entirely, where are these people living?  Next to forested areas, have deer in their yards or other livestock?  You have to first manage the people before you manage the wildlife.  Similar situation to that of your friends.  Back home this one family bought 10 acres of forest, feed deer and elk in the winter in their yards, have numerous rabbits in their yard, but then are dumbfounded as to why cougars are showing up as well as bobcats, not a hard question to answer.  They were fine at first until one of the cougars killed a housecat then they decided to shoot every cougar they saw.  It may not be entirely a mis-management practice on behalf of this state for managing an animal like the cougar, but we as people need to understand the consequences that can come about in these areas that we "share" with wild animals. 

[bobcat]

I wouldn't be embarassed to shoot a 37 lb cougar. I wouldn't shoot it so I could "brag" about it, but depending on the circumstances at the time I might shoot it.  I think most hunters would if given the opportunity.

[billythekidrock]

Ahhh, now we get on the cougar hound permit subject. Machias correct me if I'm wrong. Dept Game and fish started making people sign an avidavit, stating they hand dogs that could track and tree longtails, due to every Tom Dick and Harry putting in for them and not harvesting enough cougars. Just the other day I was asked if I knew anybody that would take a guy out that had drawn a permit. This guy drew a permit without dogs, after he lied on the affidavit. This is the kinda crap that pisses me off, and why we can't effectivly manage these critters.Cougars are an awesome animal,and if managed right have a place here in Washington, but when my neighbors are killing them in their yards on a yearly basis, that tells me they are not being managed correctly. Good luck Machias, I miss the sound of a couple old walkers barking treed.

So why don't they have two raffles, one for dog owners and one for non owners, pair the two up, let the non owner harvest the first cougar and the dog owners harvest the second? The owners get to chase a couple more critters and non owners get a chance to run behind the hounds. To me it sounds like a win win situation. Otherwise you divide the haves and have nots. Not good.

[Shadow Cat]

Well said Cougeyes.

[elkaholic]

good ideA BILLY, I LIKE IT.

[Houndhunter]

nah theres way to many cats now, ever since them damn greeners went and stopped hound hunting. one cat will kill and average of 50 deer a year. think bout the area you hunt, and think bout how many hunters take out deer out of that area you hunt. i can guarantee you that one cat will kill more deer then the total of deer taken out by hunters in the area you hunt. to me thats one of the main reason why theres no more big bucks, to many predators now that kill all your older deer. no trapping and no hounding is causing alota problems, and even the wdfw would like them to come back. thats why they put in the pilot program for cats in eastern washington, cause of the suffering of mule deer populations and to many lion complaints. and as far as shooting a 37lbs cat goes, well you just saved 50 deer

[ICEMAN]

I am sorry to say I agree with you houndhunter, maybe there is hope for you... 

IF cougar numbers basically take care of themselves, then why worry about blasting a 37lb cat?

If after shooting a cougar in area A, cougar populations rebound there from cats migrating in from area B, then doesn't area B have less cougar then? Doesn't area B deer populations benefit from a reduction of cougar there now?  (Whew...get what I am trying to say?)

All I know is this. Where we snowshoe around Mt St. Helens is Fing crawling with cougar track. Yes they are pushed here in search of food. Yes some of the tracks are from a single animal. But, I see more now than I ever used to. Same in the Entiat. Same in the Colockum. Same around most everywhere I have gone for twenty years of shoeing. More tracks lately.

If cougars kill half as many deer as I have read they do, I see the need to shoot the cougar. Call me greedy. I want to hunt the deer, not them.

And to answer the question; if there were so many cougar around why don't we all see cougar when we are in the woods.....I thought we all understood that cougar are nocturnal (mostly active at night). How many rats, bats, opossum, owls, skunks, racoons, foxes, have you seen in the daylight? Probably not many. They must not exist.

[257 Wby Mag]

Here's a 37 lb all time B&C Longtail for ya.grin.....

[257 Wby Mag]

Same cat with 2 Lynx, good trip eh?