Cougar harvest reports 2010 update. (population est update)

[Kain]

Shorter season has definitely lowered cougar harvest numbers. Im sure that is no surprise but is this the results the WDFW were hoping for?

Year   Female   Total cats            Source
2010     78          165            http://wdfw.wa.gov/hunting/harvest/2010/reports/cougar.php
2009     72          142            http://wdfw.wa.gov/hunting/harvest/2009/reports/cougar.php
2008    106          188            http://wdfw.wa.gov/hunting/harvest/2008/reports/cougar.php
2007    100          201            http://wdfw.wa.gov/hunting/harvest/2007/cougar.php
2006     96          200            http://wdfw.wa.gov/hunting/harvest/2006/cougar.php
2005     78          202            http://wdfw.wa.gov/hunting/harvest/2005/cougar.php
2004    102          208            http://wdfw.wa.gov/hunting/harvest/2004/cougar.pdf



 

[1Shot2Kills]

I take that extra 2009 was really 2010?

[Kain]

I take that extra 2009 was really 2010?

Oops.  Thanks I changed it.

[luvtohnt]

I would say with a minimal number in the difference (14%) for 2009 and 2010 has more to do with the amount of time people could afford to spend in the field. However it does happen to coinside with the change to cougar permits, so maybe the change lowered the overall harvest. Without data like the total number of hunter hours we may never know.

Brandon

[JimmyHoffa]

I would agree about time available to be in the field.  My area received quite a bit of snow this year making it more than difficult to get up the roads where I need to go.  In fact it has only been in the last week that I've finally been able to get to the trails.  Forced me to try lower unscouted areas.
Interesting to note in those numbers the females seem to hold at around half of the take.  I was under the impression that WDFW would like the take to be more and more male (which I think only the houndsmen can really implement).  Do they have cougar take 'goals' that you know of?  Also seemed like depredation numbers are about the same.

[Kain]

Average harvest before shorter weapon specific seasons was 199.8 cats.  Average for the last two years is 153.5  I know two years is not really enough to get a good average but that is almost a 25% drop.  I am just wondering if that is in line with how many they were looking to reduce.
 

[Kain]

The units that still have a general season that goes until March 31.

          Total cats taken
2010    24
2009    45
2008    46
2007    48
2006    54
2005    36
2004    36

2009 the number was right in line with past years but last year harvest was almost half.  Is this due to the weapon specific seasons or other factors?  Strange.

[DeerThug]

So first this number does not include the kills by wdfw.

And 165 cats across the state is nothing.

When they shot the yearling cat in my backyard do the math.  Figure he was just kicked out of a litter.  Figure there were three.  minus him =2.  + his mom back to 3.  Had to be a tom = 1 now at 4.  The factor that kicks the kittens out is that the mom is bred.  If she has 3 now we are at 7. That is last summer.  Take one
of his litter mates is a female that will have kittens this spring - say she will raise 3 we are now at 10 cats. 
 This is 1 mile from the 40th ave bimart in Yakima.    Luckily there are enough deer goats and calves to feed them.  They found a dead deer on Sunties Golf Course.... last fall. But what happens when they eat them all.

No wonder there are cats in houses being built in the tricities and under  porches in
Wenatchee.

WDFW is way off base in cat management.

[Kain]

The numbers do include depredation and "other".  Is that different than what the WDFW kill?

[Kain]

The estimated population went from 2500-3500 in 2002 to a current estimate of 1900-2100 (excluding kittens).  It looks like the average harvest per year since 2002 is around 200 cats.  Thats about 10% +/-.  There has got to be more kittens born than 10%?   The WDFW admits that the numbers are hard to estimate and might not be accurate but if the population is declining that fast it is not from over harvesting by (legal) hunters. IMO.   If the population is stable or is declining the new regs should definitely turn that around within a very short time.  With the number of kittens that are not being counted, and the number of adult females and a lower harvest we should see an increase in population within two years.  That increase should be exponential after that.  Hopefully WDFW is ready to react to the increased population before it get too high and reduces some of the restrictions on hunters.

I did some math based off this study and this is what I came up with for population.
https://research.wsulibs.wsu.edu:8443/dspace/bitstream/2376/1033/1/v76%20p15%20Keister%20Jr.%20and%20Van%20Dyke.PDF
Estimated population 1900-2100 (kittens excluded)
Female/Male ratio 50/50. Could be higher males in Washington do to more females being harvested. But with only ~200 cats being harvested and an estimate of 60% of those being female the difference would only be ~20 less females than males from the year before. 
http://wdfw.wa.gov/publications/00433/wdfw00433.pdf Page 85

So out of 950-1050 females 75% would breeding age. 
712.5-787.5 females with an annual pregnancy rate of 63%.  448.9-496.1 females will have an average of 2.4 kittens.
That is 1077-1191 new kittens.
Adjusted for mortality of 31% (this includes the kittens dieing due to the mother dieing) would be 743-822 new kittens in a year.

[mulehunter]

Kain, what I think what happen is 2010 winter with worst economy on all hunters.  I could easily treed over 40 if I feel like but only went 11 days. It still killing my wallet. Maybe this winter will go back.to normal since market is building up.
I have crossed over 100 plus tracks last winter. Seriously Lots lots cats out there. Just need someone who serious hunting but I maybe wrong.
I treed three females it has more than two kittens each. And I crossed one cut with four kitten and one mother while I go for long long walk with H-w member, one day I found 7 cougars cuts other day on sled about 40 miles two canyons.  Way too many out there. I don't know why only 25 harvest. Maybe most county closed and general hunter wish to hunt same place but it only for special permit. Maybe what I think it hard on general hunter.

Hopefully they decide to set five county this fall with hounds.
 
 

We will see how it go this coming winter.

Mulehunter.

[Kain]

I dont doubt that the economy and weather has effects on hunters but the harvest numbers are better than the year before and Im sure weather must have been a factor in some previous years.

I got the kitten average from the study I supplied.  Cougars can have from 1-6 kittens but the average is 2.4  They can have a new litter every 19 months or basically 2 litters for every three years.

[Machias]

Honestly I think their estimates are spit in the wind guessing, they have NO idea how many lions reside in this state.   

[Special T]

Kains  basic math show us there should be many more cougers than what the WDFW says. And since they seem to have no real scientific explanation for how thye come up with the number I would say yes Machias they are spitting in the wind...

[Kain]

I agree a bunch of BS guessing.    In 2002 the numbers were estimated at 2500-3500 and conflicts were so bad they had to implement the pilot cougar hunting program in 2004.  But in 2003 they started using the 1900-2100 that they are still using today.  Does that make any sense to any of you?  A bunch of crap if you ask me.

No reliable estimate of statewide cougar abundance is
available for Washington. In 2003, two techniques
were used to provide an approximate range of
statewide cougar abundance. A rough estimate from
population reconstruction indicated that the minimum
number of cougars in Washington might be around
900 animals. An extrapolation across the state with
the highest cougar density reported in the literature
suggested the maximum number of cougars in
Washington might be around 4,100 animals. Since
2003, cougar population size has been assessed in three project areas in Washington. Currently,
the best available estimate of statewide abundance is from an extrapolation from those projects,
corresponding to about 1,900 to 2,100 animals (excluding kittens).

If there was only 2000 lions in the entire state we would never see so many trail cam pictures, sighting and conflicts.

Notice they are all cougars?  We need to start raising some hell with the department especially with hound hunting off the table.

Dangerous Wildlife Incidents in Washington in the last 30 days

April 23, 2011 – Leavenworth, Chelan County (Cougar)
April 23, 2011 – Albion, Whitman County (Cougar)
April 22, 2011 – Toledo, Lewis County (Cougar)
April 21, 2011 – Manson, Chelan County (Cougar)
April 20, 2011 – Medical Lake, Spokane County (Cougar)
April 19, 2011 – Fall City, King County (Cougar)
April 18, 2011 – Pomeroy, Garfield County (Cougar)
April 17, 2011 – Deer Park, Stevens County (Cougar)
April 15, 2011 – Lyle, Klickitat County (Cougar)
April 13, 2011 – Washougal, Clark County (Cougar)
April 13, 2011 – Newport, Pend Oreille County (Cougar)
April 13, 2011 – Valley, Stevens County (Cougar)
April 11, 2011 – Eatonville, Pierce County (Cougar)
April 11, 2011 – Wenatchee, Chelan County (Cougar)
April 11, 2011 – Wenatchee, Chelan County (Cougar)
April 7, 2011 – Centerville, Klickitat County (Cougar)
April 7, 2011 – Centerville, Klickitat County (Cougar)
April 6, 2011 – Colville, Stevens County (Cougar)
April 6, 2011 – Ariel, Cowlitz County (Cougar)
April 6, 2011 – Colville, Stevens County (Cougar)

[grundy53]

I agree a bunch of BS guessing.    In 2002 the numbers were estimated at 2500-3500 and conflicts were so bad they had to implement the pilot cougar hunting program in 2004.  But in 2003 they started using the 1900-2100 that they are still using today.  Does that make any sense to any of you?  A bunch of crap if you ask me.

I agree. What CATostrophic incident occurred that killed off 1400 cougars in a year? The state just makes up numbers that fit into their little plan..

[rainshadow1]

I think y'all have it pretty well pinned down... they just throw in desk-jocky generated statistics to muddy the waters. They really haven't the slightest idea.

If they went out and actually burned some gas in the snow (4x4's, choppers, and sleds), counted tracks that had to be different animals, then made more educated guesstimates based on similar, unsurveyed, favorable mountainous habitat across the state, they'd have about a 300% more accurate number... and I think that number would be near double what they're already estimating.

It'd take 'em a week. And not many thousand hunting license dollars. But have they? No. Of course not. Why? Because they already know what they'd learn.

[nontypical176]

I spoke with the cougar guy from the WDFW directly for close to an hour when they moved the season back to Dec. 31.  Lots of interesting points he made, heres a few.

 Number one the only cat studies ever done in WA were on the east side, never west of the Cascades.  There is a major lack of funding and he admits they know little about cats.  Most of the information they recieved was through hunters, problem cats and now trail cams.

 Two, cats are territorial and the cats being killed during the longer season were often mature cats, not the young problem cats that invade neighborhoods and such.  For every mature cat killed in a given area multiple young cats would be found there soon after.  Didn't make sense to me unless cats are killing cats.  Them young cats had to come from somewhere?  He said there were more cougar complaints during years with the longer season...don't seem right.

 Three, our biggest problem for cats and other predators is the environmental wackydoos.  They continuously cry to our politicians about hunting predators  The fact that we are still allowed to hunt them in Washington is because the WDFW says there is a ligitimate need for predator control.  He said that it is a constant struggle with these environmental groups going after cat, especially cougar, hunters.  And they outnumber hunters.  The state government overrides the WDFW.  The politicians want votes.

He seemed like a good guy and says the WDFW ain't hiding anything when it comes to cats.  He said even if deer populations drop drasticly in a given area, predator hunting probably won't be conscidered as an option to help populations.  We are lucky to have the seasons we do.

[Kain]

That really makes no sense.  Complaints were higher when seasons were longer?  The season was just shortened in 2009.  How would they even know that there would be less complaints BEFORE they shortened the season.  They wanted to shorten the season for cougars and bears and it had nothing to do with the number of complaints.  It sounds like he just blowing smoke.

Dangerous Wildlife Incidents in Washington

April 23, 2011 – Leavenworth, Chelan County (Cougar)
April 23, 2011 – Albion, Whitman County (Cougar)
April 22, 2011 – Toledo, Lewis County (Cougar)
April 21, 2011 – Manson, Chelan County (Cougar)
April 20, 2011 – Medical Lake, Spokane County (Cougar)
April 19, 2011 – Fall City, King County (Cougar)
April 18, 2011 – Pomeroy, Garfield County (Cougar)
April 17, 2011 – Deer Park, Stevens County (Cougar)
April 15, 2011 – Lyle, Klickitat County (Cougar)
April 13, 2011 – Washougal, Clark County (Cougar)
April 13, 2011 – Newport, Pend Oreille County (Cougar)
April 13, 2011 – Valley, Stevens County (Cougar)
April 11, 2011 – Eatonville, Pierce County (Cougar)
April 11, 2011 – Wenatchee, Chelan County (Cougar)
April 11, 2011 – Wenatchee, Chelan County (Cougar)
April 7, 2011 – Centerville, Klickitat County (Cougar)
April 7, 2011 – Centerville, Klickitat County (Cougar)
April 6, 2011 – Colville, Stevens County (Cougar)
April 6, 2011 – Ariel, Cowlitz County (Cougar)
April 6, 2011 – Colville, Stevens County (Cougar)
April 3, 2011 – Washougal, Skamania County (Cougar)
April 2, 2011 – Creston, Lincoln County (Cougar)
April 1, 2011 – Entiat, Chelan County (Cougar)
April 1, 2011 – Stevenson, Skamania County (Cougar)
March 31, 2011 – Washougal, Skamania County (Cougar)
March 30, 2011 – Saint John, Whitman County (Cougar)
March 29, 2011 – Waverly, Spokane County (Cougar)
March 29, 2011 – Spokane, Spokane County (Cougar)
March 29, 2011 – Leavenworth, Chelan County (Cougar)
March 28, 2011 – Amboy, Clark County (Cougar)
March 28, 2011 – Leavenworth, Chelan County (Cougar)
March 27, 2011 – Dryden, Chelan County (Cougar)
March 27, 2011 – Leavenworth, Chelan County (Cougar)
March 26, 2011 – Lincoln, Lincoln County (Cougar)
March 26, 2011 – Camas, Clark County (Cougar)
March 25, 2011 – Glenwood, Klickitat County (Cougar)
March 24, 2011 – Enumclaw, King County (Cougar)
March 23, 2011 – Enumclaw, King County (Cougar)
March 22, 2011 – Quincy, Grant County (Cougar)
March 21, 2011 – White Salmon, Klickitat County (Cougar)
March 21, 2011 – Colfax, Whitman County (Cougar)
March 21, 2011 – Basin City, Franklin County (Cougar)
March 21, 2011 – Puyallup, Pierce County (Cougar)
March 19, 2011 – Carson, Skamania County (Cougar)
March 18, 2011 – Rainier, Thurston County (Cougar)
March 17, 2011 – Waverly, Spokane County (Cougar)
March 16, 2011 – Goldendale, Klickitat County (Cougar)
March 16, 2011 – Gifford, Stevens County (Cougar)
March 15, 2011 – Sammamish, King County (Cougar)
March 14, 2011 – Leavenworth, Chelan County (Cougar)
March 14, 2011 – Washougal, Clark County (Cougar)
March 14, 2011 – Goldendale, Klickitat County (Cougar)
March 14, 2011 – Goldendale, Klickitat County (Cougar)
March 13, 2011 – Port Angeles, Clallam County (Cougar)
March 13, 2011 – Entiat, Chelan County (Cougar)
March 12, 2011 – Spokane, Spokane County (Cougar)
March 11, 2011 – Elk, Pend Oreille County (Cougar)
March 8, 2011 – Monroe, Snohomish County (Cougar)
March 7, 2011 – Twisp, Okanogan County (Cougar)
March 7, 2011 – Twisp, Okanogan County (Cougar)
March 3, 2011 – Olympia, Thurston County (Cougar)
March 3, 2011 – Colville, Stevens County (Cougar)
March 3, 2011 – Colville, Stevens County (Cougar)
March 2, 2011 – Okanogan, Okanogan County (Cougar)
March 1, 2011 – Stanwood, Snohomish County (Cougar)
March 1, 2011 – Cashmere, Chelan County (Cougar)
March 1, 2011 – Winthrop, Okanogan County (Cougar)
February 28, 2011 – Camas, Clark County (Cougar)
February 28, 2011 – Kalama, Cowlitz County (Cougar)
February 28, 2011 – Lake Bay, Pierce County (Cougar)
February 25, 2011 – Redmond, King County (Cougar)
February 24, 2011 – Port Townsend, Jefferson County (Cougar)
February 24, 2011 – Battleground, Clark County (Cougar)
February 23, 2011 – Olympia, Thurston County (Cougar)
February 23, 2011 – Carnation, King County (Cougar)
February 23, 2011 – Lincoln, Lincoln County (Cougar)
February 21, 2011 – Endicott, Whitman County (Cougar)
February 21, 2011 – Cusick, Pend Oreille County (Cougar)
February 21, 2011 – Cusick, Pend Oreille County (Cougar)
February 20, 2011 – Ellensburg, Kittitas County (Cougar)
February 18, 2011 – Shelton, Mason County (Cougar)
February 17, 2011 – Kalama, Cowlitz County (Cougar)
February 17, 2011 – Goldendale, Klickitat County (Cougar)
February 16, 2011 – Mossyrock, Lewis County (Cougar)
February 16, 2011 – Union, Mason County (Cougar)
February 15, 2011 – Eatonville, Pierce County (Cougar)
February 14, 2011 – Spokane, Spokane County (Cougar)
February 13, 2011 – Snohomish, Snohomish County (Cougar)
February 13, 2011 – Newport, Pend Oreille County (Cougar)
February 13, 2011 – Goldendale, Klickitat County (Cougar)
February 12, 2011 – Silverdale, Kitsap County (Cougar)
February 12, 2011 – Bremerton, Kitsap County (Cougar)
February 11, 2011 – Eatonville, Pacific County (Cougar)
February 10, 2011 – Colville, Stevens County (Cougar)
February 9, 2011 – Clayton, Stevens County (Cougar)
February 9, 2011 – Tum Tum, Stevens County (Cougar)
February 8, 2011 – Belfair, Mason County (Cougar)
February 8, 2011 – , Spokane County (Cougar)
February 6, 2011 – Colville, Stevens County (Cougar)
February 5, 2011 – Lincoln, Lincoln County (Cougar)
February 4, 2011 – Shelton, Mason County (Cougar)
February 4, 2011 – Enumclaw, King County (Cougar)
February 2, 2011 – Roy, Pierce County (Cougar)
February 2, 2011 – Usk, Pend Oreille County (Cougar)
February 2, 2011 – , Spokane County (Cougar)
February 1, 2011 – Tahuya, Mason County (Cougar)
February 1, 2011 – Valley, Stevens County (Cougar)
February 1, 2011 – Centralia, Lewis County (Cougar)
February 1, 2011 – , Spokane County (Cougar)
January 31, 2011 – Tenino, Thurston County (Cougar)
January 31, 2011 – Coulee City, Grant County (Cougar)
January 30, 2011 – Redmond, King County (Cougar)
January 29, 2011 – Redmond, King County (Cougar)
January 28, 2011 – Silverdale, Kitsap County (Cougar)
January 28, 2011 – Enumclaw, King County (Cougar)
January 26, 2011 – Port Angeles, Clallam County (Cougar)
January 26, 2011 – Trout Lake, Klickitat County (Cougar)
January 25, 2011 – Appleton, Klickitat County (Cougar)
January 25, 2011 – Colville, Stevens County (Cougar)
January 24, 2011 – Deer Park, Spokane County (Cougar)
January 24, 2011 – East Wenatchee, Douglas County (Cougar)
January 23, 2011 – Riverside, Okanogan County (Cougar)
January 23, 2011 – White Salmon, Klickitat County (Cougar)
January 20, 2011 – Lake Stevens, Snohomish County (Cougar)
January 19, 2011 – Issaquah, King County (Cougar)
January 19, 2011 – Lakeview, Grant County (Cougar)
January 19, 2011 – Kelso, Cowlitz County (Cougar)
January 18, 2011 – East Wenatchee, Douglas County (Cougar)
January 18, 2011 – Issaquah, King County (Cougar)
January 18, 2011 – Colville, Stevens County (Cougar)
January 17, 2011 – Auburn, King County (Cougar)
January 16, 2011 – Renton, King County (Cougar)
January 16, 2011 – , Ferry County (Cougar)
January 12, 2011 – Orting, Pierce County (Cougar)
January 11, 2011 – Cashmere, Chelan County (Cougar)
January 11, 2011 – Spokane, Spokane County (Cougar)
January 11, 2011 – Bellingham, Whatcom County (Cougar)
January 10, 2011 – Cashmere, Chelan County (Cougar)
January 10, 2011 – Kent, King County (Cougar)
January 10, 2011 – Leavenworth, Chelan County (Cougar)
January 10, 2011 – Olympia, Thurston County (Cougar)
January 9, 2011 – Conconully, Okanogan County (Cougar)
January 8, 2011 – Yakima, Yakima County (Cougar)
January 8, 2011 – Spokane, Spokane County (Cougar)
January 8, 2011 – Tacoma, Pierce County (Cougar)
January 7, 2011 – Olalla, Kitsap County (Cougar)
January 7, 2011 – Kelso, Cowlitz County (Cougar)
January 6, 2011 – Castle Rock, Cowlitz County (Cougar)
January 5, 2011 – , Mason County (Cougar)
January 4, 2011 – Goldendale, Klickitat County (Cougar)
January 3, 2011 – Yacolt, Clark County (Cougar)
January 3, 2011 – Bremerton, Kitsap County (Cougar)
January 2, 2011 – Enumclaw, King County (Cougar)
January 2, 2011 – Twisp, Okanogan County (Cougar)
January 2, 2011 – Davenport, Lincoln County (Cougar)
January 1, 2011 – Packwood, Lewis County (Cougar)

[Kain]

December 28, 2010 – Husum, Klickitat County (Cougar)
December 28, 2010 – Kennewick, Benton County (Cougar)
December 27, 2010 – Spokane, Spokane County (Cougar)
December 24, 2010 – Winthrop, Okanogan County (Cougar)
December 22, 2010 – Allyn, Mason County (Cougar)
December 22, 2010 – Twisp, Okanogan County (Cougar)
December 19, 2010 – Monroe, Snohomish County (Cougar)
December 18, 2010 – Nine Mile Falls, Spokane County (Cougar)
December 18, 2010 – Chelan, Chelan County (Cougar)
December 17, 2010 – Nine Mile Falls, Stevens County (Cougar)
December 15, 2010 – Olympia, Thurston County (Cougar)
December 15, 2010 – Vancouver, Clark County (Cougar)
December 15, 2010 – Winthrop, Okanogan County (Cougar)
December 14, 2010 – Kelso, Cowlitz County (Cougar)
December 14, 2010 – Bonney Lake, Pierce County (Cougar)
December 14, 2010 – Bellevue, King County (Cougar)
December 13, 2010 – Mount Vernon, Skagit County (Cougar)
December 12, 2010 – Bow, Skagit County (Cougar)
December 11, 2010 – Naches, Yakima County (Cougar)
December 11, 2010 – Spokane, Spokane County (Cougar)
December 10, 2010 – Colfax, Whitman County (Cougar)
December 7, 2010 – Longview, Clark County (Cougar)
December 7, 2010 – Valleyford, Spokane County (Cougar)
December 6, 2010 – Ford, Stevens County (Cougar)
December 6, 2010 – Oaksdale, Whitman County (Cougar)
December 5, 2010 – Bellevue, King County (Cougar)
December 4, 2010 – Lake Tapps, Pierce County (Cougar)
December 4, 2010 – Chelan, Chelan County (Cougar)
December 2, 2010 – Kettle Falls, Stevens County (Cougar)
December 1, 2010 – Zillah, Yakima County (Cougar)
November 30, 2010 – Winthrop, Okanogan County (Cougar)
November 28, 2010 – Coulee City, Grant County (Cougar)
November 28, 2010 – White Salmon, Klickitat County (Cougar)
November 28, 2010 – White Salmon, Klickitat County (Cougar)
November 27, 2010 – Elma, Mason County (Cougar)
November 22, 2010 – Puyallup, Pierce County (Cougar)
November 20, 2010 – Shelton, Mason County (Cougar)
November 19, 2010 – Puyallup, Pierce County (Cougar)
November 18, 2010 – Bellingham, Whatcom County (Cougar)
November 18, 2010 – Bainbridge Island, Kitsap County (Cougar)
November 18, 2010 – Port Ludlow, Jefferson County (Cougar)
November 18, 2010 – Oroville, Okanogan County (Cougar)
November 15, 2010 – Poulsbo, Kitsap County (Cougar)
November 15, 2010 – Snohomish, Snohomish County (Cougar)
November 13, 2010 – Ashford, Pierce County (Cougar)
November 13, 2010 – Stanwood, Snohomish County (Cougar)
November 12, 2010 – Amboy, Clark County (Cougar)
November 8, 2010 – Longview, Cowlitz County (Cougar)
November 8, 2010 – Newport, Pend Oreille County (Cougar)
November 6, 2010 – Twisp, Okanogan County (Cougar)
November 5, 2010 – Rochester, Thurston County (Cougar)
November 5, 2010 – Seattle, King County (Cougar)
November 4, 2010 – Bellingham, Whatcom County (Cougar)
November 3, 2010 – , King County (Cougar)
November 3, 2010 – Cle Elum, Kittitas County (Cougar)
November 2, 2010 – Tonasket, Okanogan County (Cougar)
October 31, 2010 – North Bend, King County (Cougar)
October 31, 2010 – Winlock, Lewis County (Cougar)
October 31, 2010 – Twisp, Okanogan County (Cougar)
October 28, 2010 – Edwall, Spokane County (Cougar)
October 27, 2010 – Woodinville, King County (Cougar)
October 27, 2010 – Enumclaw, King County (Cougar)
October 27, 2010 – Sumner, Pierce County (Cougar)
October 27, 2010 – Okanogan, Okanogan County (Cougar)
October 27, 2010 – Sumner, Pierce County (Cougar)
October 26, 2010 – Colville, Stevens County (Cougar)
October 25, 2010 – Kelso, Cowlitz County (Cougar)
October 25, 2010 – Kelso, Cowlitz County (Cougar)
October 23, 2010 – Walla Walla, Walla Walla County (Cougar)
October 23, 2010 – Quincy, Grant County (Cougar)
October 21, 2010 – Wenatchee, Chelan County (Cougar)
October 21, 2010 – Wilkeson, Pierce County (Cougar)
October 21, 2010 – Wilkeson, Pierce County (Cougar)
October 20, 2010 – Kelso, Cowlitz County (Cougar)
October 20, 2010 – Chehalis, Lewis County (Cougar)
October 20, 2010 – Prescott, Walla Walla County (Cougar)
October 19, 2010 – Bridgeport, Douglas County (Cougar)
October 19, 2010 – Winthrop, Okanogan County (Cougar)
October 18, 2010 – Monroe, Snohomish County (Cougar)
October 18, 2010 – Eatonville, Pierce County (Cougar)
October 17, 2010 – Colville, Stevens County (Cougar)
October 16, 2010 – Twisp, Okanogan County (Cougar)
October 15, 2010 – Kalama, Cowlitz County (Cougar)
October 15, 2010 – Sammish, King County (Cougar)
October 14, 2010 – Chehalis, Lewis County (Cougar)
October 13, 2010 – Silverdale, Kitsap County (Cougar)
October 13, 2010 – Shelton, Mason County (Cougar)
October 12, 2010 – Graham, Pierce County (Cougar)
October 11, 2010 – Entiat, Chelan County (Cougar)
October 11, 2010 – Kelso, Cowlitz County (Cougar)
October 11, 2010 – Toledo, Lewis County (Cougar)
October 10, 2010 – Amanda Park, Grays Harbor County (Cougar)
October 9, 2010 – Sunnyside, Yakima County (Cougar)
October 9, 2010 – Union Cap, Yakima County (Cougar)
October 8, 2010 – Lake Stevens, Snohomish County (Cougar)
October 7, 2010 – Brush Prairie, Clark County (Cougar)
October 7, 2010 – North Bend, King County (Cougar)
October 7, 2010 – Snoqualmie, King County (Cougar)
October 7, 2010 – Newport, Pend Oreille County (Cougar)
October 6, 2010 – Bellingham, Whatcom County (Cougar)
October 6, 2010 – Lyle, Klickitat County (Cougar)
October 5, 2010 – Deer Park, Pend Oreille County (Cougar)
October 4, 2010 – Entiat, Chelan County (Cougar)
October 4, 2010 – Elk, Pend Oreille County (Cougar)
October 3, 2010 – Olympia, Thurston County (Cougar)
October 2, 2010 – Usk, Pend Oreille County (Cougar)
September 30, 2010 – Olympia, Thurston County (Cougar)
September 30, 2010 – Neilton, Grays Harbor County (Cougar)
September 30, 2010 – Bellevue, King County (Cougar)
September 30, 2010 – White Salmon, Klickitat County (Cougar)
September 29, 2010 – White Salmon, Klickitat County (Cougar)
September 28, 2010 – Arlington, Snohomish County (Cougar)
September 27, 2010 – Colville, Stevens County (Cougar)
September 27, 2010 – North Bend, King County (Cougar)
September 27, 2010 – Morton, Lewis County (Cougar)
September 27, 2010 – Kelso, Lewis County (Cougar)
September 27, 2010 – Bellevue, King County (Cougar)
September 27, 2010 – Colville, Stevens County (Cougar)
September 27, 2010 – Monroe, Snohomish County (Cougar)
September 26, 2010 – Colville, Stevens County (Cougar)
September 26, 2010 – White Salmon, Klickitat County (Cougar)
September 26, 2010 – Chehalis, Lewis County (Cougar)
September 25, 2010 – Oroville, Okanogan County (Cougar)
September 24, 2010 – Entiat, Chelan County (Cougar)
September 24, 2010 – Snoqualmie, King County (Cougar)
September 23, 2010 – Yelm, Thurston County (Cougar)
September 23, 2010 – Vancouver, Clark County (Cougar)
September 23, 2010 – Kelso, Cowlitz County (Cougar)
September 23, 2010 – Kelso, Cowlitz County (Cougar)
September 23, 2010 – Sedro Wooley, Skagit County (Cougar)
September 22, 2010 – Waverly, Spokane County (Cougar)
September 22, 2010 – Spokane, Spokane County (Cougar)
September 22, 2010 – Sunnyside, Yakima County (Cougar)
September 21, 2010 – Bonney Lake, Pierce County (Cougar)
September 21, 2010 – Seabeck, Kitsap County (Cougar)
September 20, 2010 – Port Angeles, Clallam County (Cougar)
September 20, 2010 – Chewelah, Stevens County (Cougar)
September 19, 2010 – Port Ludlow, Jefferson County (Cougar)
September 19, 2010 – Ellensburg, Kittitas County (Cougar)
September 19, 2010 – Wenatchee, Chelan County (Cougar)
September 17, 2010 – Yacolt, Clark County (Cougar)
September 17, 2010 – Chehalis, Lewis County (Cougar)
September 16, 2010 – Maple Valley, King County (Cougar)
September 16, 2010 – Kalama, Cowlitz County (Cougar)
September 16, 2010 – Maple Valley, King County (Cougar)
September 15, 2010 – Spokane, Spokane County (Cougar)
September 15, 2010 – Amboy, Clark County (Cougar)
September 15, 2010 – Kalama, Cowlitz County (Cougar)
September 15, 2010 – Elma, Grays Harbor County (Cougar)
September 13, 2010 – Colville, Stevens County (Cougar)
September 13, 2010 – Spanaway, Pierce County (Cougar)
September 12, 2010 – Colville, Stevens County (Cougar)
September 12, 2010 – Kittitas, Kittitas County (Cougar)
September 10, 2010 – Cashmere, Chelan County (Cougar)
September 10, 2010 – Twisp, Okanogan County (Cougar)
September 9, 2010 – Kingston, Kitsap County (Cougar)
September 9, 2010 – Bellevue, King County (Cougar)
September 8, 2010 – Port Angeles, Clallam County (Cougar)
September 8, 2010 – Tumwater, Thurston County (Cougar)
September 8, 2010 – Bellevue, King County (Cougar)
September 8, 2010 – Cheney, Spokane County (Cougar)
September 8, 2010 – Tacoma, Pierce County (Cougar)
September 6, 2010 – Port Ludlow, Jefferson County (Cougar)
September 5, 2010 – Ollala, Kitsap County (Cougar)
September 4, 2010 – Spokane Valley, Spokane County (Cougar)
September 3, 2010 – Tonasket, Okanogan County (Cougar)
September 3, 2010 – Newport, Pend Oreille County (Cougar)
September 2, 2010 – Camas, Clark County (Cougar)
September 2, 2010 – Carnation, King County (Cougar)
September 1, 2010 – Nooksack, Whatcom County (Cougar)

[Kain]

August 31, 2010 – Kingston, Kitsap County (Cougar)
August 31, 2010 – Morton, Mason County (Cougar)
August 31, 2010 – Orting, Pierce County (Cougar)
August 30, 2010 – Richland, Benton County (Cougar)
August 30, 2010 – Ione, Pend Oreille County (Cougar)
August 29, 2010 – Chehalis, Lewis County (Cougar)
August 29, 2010 – Longview, Cowlitz County (Cougar)
August 29, 2010 – Graham, Pierce County (Cougar)
August 28, 2010 – Bellingham, Whatcom County (Cougar)
August 27, 2010 – Cashmere, Chelan County (Cougar)
August 25, 2010 – Springdale, Stevens County (Cougar)
August 25, 2010 – Conconully, Okanogan County (Cougar)
August 24, 2010 – Kennewick, Benton County (Cougar)
August 24, 2010 – Colville, Stevens County (Cougar)
August 24, 2010 – Washougal, Clark County (Cougar)
August 24, 2010 – Fall City, King County (Cougar)
August 24, 2010 – Poulsbo, Kitsap County (Cougar)
August 24, 2010 – Rockport, Skagit County (Cougar)
August 24, 2010 – Fall City, King County (Cougar)
August 23, 2010 – Everson, Whatcom County (Cougar)
August 23, 2010 – Carnation, King County (Cougar)
August 23, 2010 – Woodinville, King County (Cougar)
August 22, 2010 – Carson, Skamania County (Cougar)
August 21, 2010 – Spokane, Spokane County (Cougar)
August 21, 2010 – Kettle Falls, Stevens County (Cougar)
August 21, 2010 – Spokane, Spokane County (Cougar)
August 21, 2010 – Bellevue, King County (Cougar)
August 20, 2010 – Renton, King County (Cougar)
August 20, 2010 – Okanogan, Okanogan County (Cougar)
August 19, 2010 – Colville, Stevens County (Cougar)
August 19, 2010 – Kelso, Cowlitz County (Cougar)
August 18, 2010 – Yakim, Yakima County (Cougar)
August 18, 2010 – , Yakima County (Cougar)
August 17, 2010 – Olalla, Kitsap County (Cougar)
August 16, 2010 – Spokane, Spokane County (Cougar)
August 16, 2010 – Olympia, Thurston County (Cougar)
August 16, 2010 – Duvall, King County (Cougar)
August 16, 2010 – Duvall, King County (Cougar)
August 16, 2010 – Quilcene, Jefferson County (Cougar)
August 15, 2010 – Port Orchard, Kitsap County (Cougar)
August 14, 2010 – Colville, Stevens County (Cougar)
August 14, 2010 – Chewelah, Stevens County (Cougar)
August 14, 2010 – Loon Lake, Stevens County (Cougar)
August 14, 2010 – Colville, Stevens County (Cougar)
August 14, 2010 – Duvall, King County (Cougar)
August 14, 2010 – Olalla, Kitsap County (Cougar)
August 13, 2010 – Hunters, Stevens County (Cougar)
August 13, 2010 – Port Townsend, Jefferson County (Cougar)
August 13, 2010 – Renton, King County (Cougar)
August 12, 2010 – Kelso, Cowlitz County (Cougar)
August 12, 2010 – Littlerock, Thurston County (Cougar)
August 11, 2010 – Kettle Falls, Stevens County (Cougar)
August 11, 2010 – Chimacum, Jefferson County (Cougar)
August 10, 2010 – Ephrata, Grant County (Cougar)
August 10, 2010 – Mount Vernon, Skagit County (Cougar)
August 9, 2010 – Colville, Stevens County (Cougar)
August 9, 2010 – Colville, Stevens County (Cougar)
August 9, 2010 – Kettle Falls, Stevens County (Cougar)
August 9, 2010 – Snohomish, Snohomish County (Cougar)
August 9, 2010 – Graham, Pierce County (Cougar)
August 8, 2010 – Mead, Spokane County (Cougar)
August 8, 2010 – Sumas, Whatcom County (Cougar)
August 8, 2010 – Morton, Lewis County (Cougar)
August 8, 2010 – Bellingham, Whatcom County (Cougar)
August 7, 2010 – Mt Vernon, Skagit County (Cougar)
August 6, 2010 – Underwood, Skamania County (Cougar)
August 5, 2010 – Kettle Falls, Stevens County (Cougar)
August 5, 2010 – Fall City, King County (Cougar)
August 5, 2010 – Cle Elum, Kittitas County (Cougar)
August 5, 2010 – Winlock, Lewis County (Cougar)
August 4, 2010 – Selah, Yakima County (Cougar)
August 3, 2010 – Port Angeles, Clallam County (Cougar)
August 3, 2010 – Kelso, Cowlitz County (Cougar)
August 3, 2010 – Castle Rock, Cowlitz County (Cougar)
August 3, 2010 – Wapato, Yakima County (Cougar)
August 3, 2010 – Olympia, Thurston County (Cougar)
August 2, 2010 – Vader, Lewis County (Cougar)
August 1, 2010 – Wapato, Yakima County (Cougar)
July 31, 2010 – Ferndale, Whatcom County (Cougar)
July 30, 2010 – Olympika, Thurston County (Cougar)
July 30, 2010 – Olympia, Thurston County (Cougar)
July 30, 2010 – Washougal, Clark County (Cougar)
July 30, 2010 – Camas, Clark County (Cougar)
July 29, 2010 – Colville, Stevens County (Cougar)
July 29, 2010 – Monroe, Snohomish County (Cougar)
July 29, 2010 – Shelton, Mason County (Cougar)
July 28, 2010 – Deer Park, Stevens County (Cougar)
July 28, 2010 – Olylmpia, Thurston County (Cougar)
July 28, 2010 – Snoqualmie, King County (Cougar)
July 28, 2010 – Vader, Lewis County (Cougar)
July 28, 2010 – Bothell, King County (Cougar)
July 28, 2010 – Brown Creek Campground, Mason County (Cougar)
July 28, 2010 – Gig Harbor, Pierce County (Cougar)
July 27, 2010 – Battleground, Clark County (Cougar)
July 27, 2010 – Snohomish, Snohomish County (Cougar)
July 26, 2010 – Rainier, Thurston County (Cougar)
July 26, 2010 – Camano Island, Island County (Cougar)
July 25, 2010 – Cashmere, Chelan County (Cougar)
July 24, 2010 – Colville, Stevens County (Cougar)
July 24, 2010 – Winlock, Lewis County (Cougar)
July 23, 2010 – Wenatchee, Chelan County (Cougar)
July 23, 2010 – Belingham, Whatcom County (Cougar)
July 23, 2010 – Everson, Whatcom County (Cougar)
July 23, 2010 – Washougal, Clark County (Cougar)
July 23, 2010 – Washougal, Clark County (Cougar)
July 23, 2010 – Kelso, Cowlitz County (Cougar)
July 22, 2010 – Kettle Falls, Stevens County (Cougar)
July 22, 2010 – Carnation, King County (Cougar)
July 21, 2010 – Acme, Whatcom County (Cougar)
July 21, 2010 – Twisp, Okanogan County (Cougar)
July 20, 2010 – Spokane, Spokane County (Cougar)
July 20, 2010 – Maple Valley, King County (Cougar)
July 19, 2010 – Spokane, Spokane County (Cougar)
July 19, 2010 – Olympia, Thurston County (Cougar)
July 19, 2010 – Vancouver, Clark County (Cougar)
July 19, 2010 – Vancouver, Clark County (Cougar)
July 19, 2010 – Sumas, Whatcom County (Cougar)
July 19, 2010 – Port Orchard, Kitsap County (Cougar)
July 19, 2010 – Newport, Pend Oreille County (Cougar)
July 18, 2010 – Colville, Stevens County (Cougar)
July 17, 2010 – Yacolt, Clark County (Cougar)
July 16, 2010 – Kelso, Cowlitz County (Cougar)
July 15, 2010 – Wenatchee, Chelan County (Cougar)
July 15, 2010 – Camas, Clark County (Cougar)
July 15, 2010 – Longview, Cowlitz County (Cougar)
July 15, 2010 – Auburn, King County (Cougar)
July 15, 2010 – Bonney Lake, Pierce County (Cougar)
July 15, 2010 – Kelso, Cowlitz County (Cougar)
July 14, 2010 – Bellingham, Whatcom County (Cougar)
July 14, 2010 – Centralia, Lewis County (Cougar)
July 13, 2010 – Trout Lake, Klickitat County (Cougar)
July 12, 2010 – Sequim, Clallam County (Cougar)
July 12, 2010 – Maple Falls, Whatcom County (Cougar)
July 12, 2010 – , Okanogan County (Cougar)
July 11, 2010 – Chehalis, Lewis County (Cougar)
July 10, 2010 – Camas, Clark County (Cougar)
July 9, 2010 – Northport, Stevens County (Cougar)
July 9, 2010 – Loon Lake, Stevens County (Cougar)
July 8, 2010 – Colville, Stevens County (Cougar)
July 8, 2010 – Seven Bays, Lincoln County (Cougar)
July 8, 2010 – College Place, Walla Walla County (Cougar)
July 7, 2010 – Snoqualmie, King County (Cougar)
July 7, 2010 – Roy, Pierce County (Cougar)
July 6, 2010 – Washougal, Clark County (Cougar)
July 6, 2010 – Maple Valley, King County (Cougar)
July 5, 2010 – North Bend, King County (Cougar)
July 5, 2010 – Matlock, Mason County (Cougar)
July 5, 2010 – North Bend, King County (Cougar)
July 2, 2010 – Leavenworth, Chelan County (Cougar)
July 1, 2010 – Rochester, Thurston County (Cougar)
July 1, 2010 – Goldendale, Klickitat County (Cougar)
June 30, 2010 – Olympia, Thurston County (Cougar)
June 29, 2010 – Camas, Clark County (Cougar)
June 28, 2010 – Indianola, Kitsap County (Cougar)
June 28, 2010 – Newport, Pend Oreille County (Cougar)
June 28, 2010 – Newport, Pend Oreille County (Cougar)
June 26, 2010 – Kettle Falls, Stevens County (Cougar)
June 25, 2010 – Wapato, Yakima County (Cougar)
June 25, 2010 – Wapato, Yakima County (Cougar)
June 25, 2010 – Walla Walla, Walla Walla County (Cougar)
June 25, 2010 – Sedro Wooley, Skagit County (Cougar)
June 24, 2010 – Hockinson, Clark County (Cougar)
June 24, 2010 – Spokane, Spokane County (Cougar)
June 24, 2010 – Walla Walla, Walla Walla County (Cougar)
June 24, 2010 – Matlock, Mason County (Cougar)
June 23, 2010 – Tenino, Thurston County (Cougar)
June 23, 2010 – Bellevue, King County (Cougar)
June 19, 2010 – Northport, Stevens County (Cougar)
June 17, 2010 – Yacolt, Clark County (Cougar)
June 17, 2010 – Lake Tapps, Pierce County (Cougar)
June 17, 2010 – Oysterville, Pacific County (Cougar)
June 16, 2010 – Kettle Falls, Stevens County (Cougar)
June 14, 2010 – Bonney Lake, Pierce County (Cougar)
June 13, 2010 – Yakima, Yakima County (Cougar)
June 13, 2010 – Okanogan, Okanogan County (Cougar)
June 11, 2010 – Peshastin, Chelan County (Cougar)
June 11, 2010 – Port Orchard, Kitsap County (Cougar)
June 10, 2010 – Renton, King County (Cougar)
June 9, 2010 – Port Ludlow, Jefferson County (Cougar)
June 8, 2010 – , Clallam County (Cougar)
June 7, 2010 – Redmond, King County (Cougar)
June 7, 2010 – Sammamish, King County (Cougar)
June 7, 2010 – Tonasket, Okanogan County (Cougar)
June 7, 2010 – Anacortes, Skagit County (Cougar)
June 5, 2010 – Toutle, Cowlitz County (Cougar)
June 5, 2010 – Dabob, Jefferson County (Cougar)
June 4, 2010 – Lake Tapps, Pierce County (Cougar)
June 4, 2010 – Castle Rock, Cowlitz County (Cougar)
June 3, 2010 – Issaquah, King County (Cougar)
June 3, 2010 – Eatonville, Pierce County (Cougar)
June 2, 2010 – Deer Park, Spokane County (Cougar)
June 1, 2010 – Walla Walla, Walla Walla County (Cougar)
June 1, 2010 – Wallula, Walla Walla County (Cougar)
June 1, 2010 – Bow, Skagit County (Cougar)
May 30, 2010 – Winlock, Lewis County (Cougar)
May 29, 2010 – Colville, Stevens County (Cougar)
May 28, 2010 – Kettle Falls, Ferry County (Cougar)
May 27, 2010 – Rochester, Thurston County (Cougar)
May 27, 2010 – Ridgefield, Clark County (Cougar)
May 27, 2010 – Ridgefield, Clark County (Cougar)
May 27, 2010 – Elk, Pend Oreille County (Cougar)
May 26, 2010 – Rainier, Thurston County (Cougar)
May 26, 2010 – Lake Tapps, Pierce County (Cougar)
May 26, 2010 – Bow, Skagit County (Cougar)
May 25, 2010 – Battleground , Clark County (Cougar)
May 25, 2010 – Snoqualmie, King County (Cougar)
May 23, 2010 – Walla Walla, Walla Walla County (Cougar)
May 23, 2010 – Snoqualmie, King County (Cougar)
May 22, 2010 – Colville, Stevens County (Cougar)
May 22, 2010 – Colville, Stevens County (Cougar)
May 22, 2010 – Cusick, Pend Oreille County (Cougar)
May 22, 2010 – Port Townsend, Jefferson County (Cougar)
May 21, 2010 – Hoquiam, Grays Harbor County (Cougar)
May 21, 2010 – Shelton, Mason County (Cougar)
May 21, 2010 – Twisp, Okanogan County (Cougar)
May 20, 2010 – Tenino, Thurston County (Cougar)
May 20, 2010 – Granite Falls, Snohomish County (Cougar)
May 19, 2010 – Chimacum, Jefferson County (Cougar)
May 17, 2010 – Mccleary, Grays Harbor County (Cougar)
May 16, 2010 – Deer Park, Stevens County (Cougar)
May 16, 2010 – Klickitat, Klickitat County (Cougar)
May 15, 2010 – North Bonneville, Skamania County (Cougar)
May 13, 2010 – Na, Chelan County (Cougar)
May 12, 2010 – Goldendale, Klickitat County (Cougar)
May 11, 2010 – Colville, Stevens County (Cougar)
May 10, 2010 – Spokane, Spokane County (Cougar)
May 10, 2010 – Spokane, Spokane County (Cougar)
May 9, 2010 – Glenoma, Lewis County (Cougar)
May 7, 2010 – Chimacum, Jefferson County (Cougar)
May 6, 2010 – Port Angeles, Jefferson County (Cougar)
May 5, 2010 – Tieton, Yakima County (Cougar)
May 5, 2010 – Lyle, Klickitat County (Cougar)
May 4, 2010 – Colville, Stevens County (Cougar)
May 3, 2010 – Northport, Stevens County (Cougar)
May 2, 2010 – Spokane, Spokane County (Cougar)
May 2, 2010 – Spokane, Spokane County (Cougar)
April 21, 2010 – Port Townsend, Jefferson County (Cougar)
April 13, 2010 – Peshastin, Chelan County (Cougar)
April 10, 2010 – Liberty Lake, Spokane County (Cougar)
March 18, 2010 – Cheney, Spokane County (Cougar)
March 1, 2010 – Cheney, Spokane County (Cougar)
March 1, 2010 – Cheney, Spokane County (Cougar)

[Kain]

Over 560 cougar incidents reported to the WDFW since March 2010.  Some might be the same cat getting reported multiple times but just imagine how many didnt get reported.  You could just look at this alone and know that there are far more than 2000 cats in WA.  The season needs to be restored to 2008 regs state wide and extended further is some areas.

[JimmyHoffa]

One thing to note from those cougar reports you posted Kain, is where a lot of those complaints were from.  I looked through it and saw quite a few from, for instance Kitsap County.  Now there isn't exactly much in the way of wilderness over there.  Sure there's a few large treed lots, but nothing expansive like what biologists sometimes try to claim cougars need.  They are living next to the cities or wherever the food source is, so just imagine if that many are next to the towns how many are in the forests.  There are lots of cats that go unreported in areas that are somewhat 'used' to having them from time to time.  One guy near Port Angeles likes having the cougars wander near his property because they eat all the abandoned pets people drop off by his place.

[luvtohnt]

"Because use of hounds for sport hunting of cougar was banned in Oregon in 1994, we asked what would happen if sport harvest were discontinued after 1993 but other human-caused losses continued? The model predicted the population would initially increase at a l3% annual rate.The rate of increase would decline by year 2000. when
density dependency became a factor, and the population would stabilize in the year 2009 at about three times the 1993 level. lf this hypothesized population increase is correct we should see further increases in human-cougar interactions that could include increased damage complaints, more cougars killed as a result of depredation, more sightings, more instances of cougars in urban and suburban areas, and possibly attacks on humans. Another pertinent question was: what harvest was necessary to stabilize the population at the 1993 level? To answer that question, harvest rates were adjusted after 1993 until the modeled population stabilized near the 1993 estimate of 2,960. We found that an annual sport harvest rate of 281 cougars( 10% of the population) and a total mortality rate of 35% would be necessary to stabilize the population"

It sounds like something that may be happening here in our state. They disrupted the management, which caused a population explosion, and now we are seeing the population level off and the biologists are concerned that the population is dwindling so they are limiting our seasons father. Only to further the "decline" or leveling off of the population. At this point I am not sure hound hunting is the answer until WA does some serious cougar research to see what the population actually looks like. (Maybe I should start looking for grant money and do my PhD on cougar population dynamics in WA.)

Brandon

[Cougeyes]

Population estimates are typically based off demographic studies conducted over several years, cougar harvest, kitten survival, adult survival, and fecundity rates, extrapolate that with both male and female home range size to the total number of "wild land" available for cougar habitat and you can obtain a rough estimate. 

 At this point I am not sure hound hunting is the answer until WA does some serious cougar research to see what the population actually looks like. (Maybe I should start looking for grant money and do my PhD on cougar population dynamics in WA.)-luvtohunt quote

There have been several studies conducted in WA and some are still ongoing. Look at the large carnivore conservation lab at WSU-google it, it has several links of completed projects and subsequent reports that you can read for more info.

[bearpaw]

These are only the documented complaints. Actual cougar problems are likely double or triple the documented number. I get calls all the time for help, I tell people they have to call the WDFW but many just say WDFW will not do anything and so they don't call.

[Special T]

Sounds like good intel for guiding BP... Too bad they aren't old toms huh....

[Kain]

It appears that the WDFW is using updated population numbers for management now.  They have slightly increased from the numbers they used to set the past seasons.  Strange how the number have gone up in 2008 but they felt they needed to completely change hunting season and add more restriciton to cougar hunters general season.

2000-2500 is up from the population estimate of 1900-2100 in 2003.
http://wdfw.wa.gov/living/cougars.html

Cougars occur throughout Washington where suitable cover and prey are found. The cougar population for the year 2008 was estimated to be 2000 to 2,500 animals. The cougar population in eastern Washington is declining and the westside population is stable. The Department of Fish and Wildlife has nine management zones around the state designated for "maintain" or "decline," and adjusts harvest levels accordingly.

[D360]

I can see the logic where if a mature cat is harvested the younger cats will move into an area and can cause problems, but at the same time if the season is longer you have more time out in the field and thus a better chance of harvesting the younger dumber cats that make more mistakes while the savvy old cats will continue to elude hunters.

[Kain]

I can see the logic where if a mature cat is harvested the younger cats will move into an area and can cause problems, but at the same time if the season is longer you have more time out in the field and thus a better chance of harvesting the younger dumber cats that make more mistakes while the savvy old cats will continue to elude hunters.

There is just as much "logic" in saying: if a mature cat is NOT harvested he will push out the younger cats into other areas and they can cause problems.  Either way, the problem is over population for the available territory.  If the population is allowed to get to high, prey species will suffer.  Again causing animals to stray into new areas. 

I would like to see the season restored to 2008 regulations and the permit draws for a year long tag.  If the season was year round with no weapons restriction dedicated cougar hunters might not be tempted to shoot the first cat they see. 

[Special T]

Kain, the state know how the citizens FEEL, and they don't want the facts to confuse anyone!

[Kain]

Kain, the state know how the citizens FEEL, and they don't want the facts to confuse anyone!

  It sure seems like it.  If more hunters want to start getting involved in the season setting process it is nice to have a good idea of what some of the facts and numbers are.