BLACK BEAR Data and IMPACTS
• The Department estimates the Washington black bear population at 25,000 to 30,000
• Schlegel (Idaho in 1976) found that black bears took at least 67% of radio-collared elk calves
• According to 3 Idaho studies, black bear caused 3%, 21%, and 67% of predation on elk calves
• That averages to black bear causing 30% of predation on elk calves over 3 study areas
COUGAR Data and IMPACTS
• The Department estimates the Washington cougar population at about 2000 to 2500
• According to studies, on the average, each adult cougar makes a kill every 10 days
• That averages to 36.5 kills per year for each adult cougar in Washington
• 2000 to 2500 cougar will kill 73,000 to 91,250 deer, elk, moose, sheep, caribou, pets, or livestock yearly
• Hunters are most likely losing much opportunity because of the excessive cougar populations
• Ranchers are losing money due to livestock losses
• Rural economies are suffering due to losses of wildlife related tourism, hunting, and attacks on livestock
• Cougar threaten the safety of rural residents, ranchers, and recreationists every day of the year;
• Cougar hound hunting legislation failed, cougar numbers will increase in the worst problem areas
• WFW encourages the Commission to increase the cougar harvest for all these reasons
• Science dictates that predators can only take so many animals from a herd before the herd declines
• Many herd counts are below objective & increased predation will cause further decline
• The department must reduce existing predator numbers in order to support emerging wolf populations or risk driving prey populations into a predator pit from which prey populations cannot recover resulting in predator and prey populations both suffering
Now add the Wolf Data on top of this...WDFW has a massive challenge on it's hands trying to manage this. We really need to be part of the solution instead of the problem
