New cougar season.

[Kain]

I have written this letter to the commissioners and thought I would share with the rest of you.  Feel free to forward it to commission if you support a longer season and/or more tags.  They will be making their decisions for this next years season very soon and the season that WDFW is proposing I feel is not nearly long enough for the amount of available cougars that can safely and responsibly be taken. 

You can add your name to the bottom and email it to:

commission@dfw.wa.gov

Dear Commission,

I ask you to look at these numbers and see that cougar hunting season and limits should be much longer than the WDFW is proposing. 

Year   Total Harvest   Boot Hunter Harvest                                       Source
2011         124                      108                     http://wdfw.wa.gov/hunting/harvest/2011/reports/cougar.php
2010         165                      145                      http://wdfw.wa.gov/hunting/harvest/2010/reports/cougar.php
2009         142                      123                      http://wdfw.wa.gov/hunting/harvest/2009/reports/cougar.php
2008         188                      139                      http://wdfw.wa.gov/hunting/harvest/2008/reports/cougar.php
2007         201                      106                      http://wdfw.wa.gov/hunting/harvest/2007/cougar.php
2006         200                      146                      http://wdfw.wa.gov/hunting/harvest/2006/cougar.php
2005         202                      129                      http://wdfw.wa.gov/hunting/harvest/2005/cougar.php
2004         208                      136                      http://wdfw.wa.gov/hunting/harvest/2004/cougar.pdf

I added all of the harvest guideline numbers together from http://wdfw.wa.gov/about/regulations/2012/wsr_12-04-098.pdf and got 205-277 harvestable cats.  Supposedly this is 12%-16% of all the huntable cats in WA.  This percentage of cougars is supposed to be the most cats that can be harvested without effecting cougar populations or social structures.  But if I calculate 12-16% of the estimated cougar population of 1900-2100 cats I get:

   1900        -      2100
12%  16%       12% 16%
(228-304)   -  (252-336). 

These numbers are much higher than the guideline numbers and according to Dr Martorello the estimated cougar populations do not even include subadults, which are huntable cats.  So these number should be 24% higher.

If the boot hunter harvests never even come close to the lowest number of cats that can be harvested why are hunters being so limited on season length and number of tags?  A year round season (like Oregon has started) could be opened with unlimited tags and boot hunter would still not be able to reach these numbers in most cougar units.  Any unit that did get close or over is usually only by one or two cats and they are quickly replaced by the migrating cats from neighboring units.  With mandatory reporting and cougar guideline protection in place I see no reason why hunters are being unfairly limited.

We have the data from past years when the season started August 1st and lasted until the end of March.  There is no guessing or estimating involved in lengthening the season.  We have the data.  Not once did boot hunters come close to harvesting all that the newest scientific data allows for a stable cougar population.  Even when you take all forms of hunting and depredation harvests it rarely meets the minimum goals.  The vast majority of boot hunter harvests occurred during general deer and elk as incidental harvests.  Outside of that time cougar harvest is extremely low.  This means that even with a year round season the additional number of cats taken would be minimal.  Cougars can breed anytime of the year so limiting cougar season to the fall does not have the same effect on cub mortality that we see with fawns and calves. 

Hunters need to be allowed to hunt and harvest all the cougars that sound science will permit.  Seasons should not be based on emotions or other non scientific reasons.  All of our predator numbers are doing excellent in this state while other wildlife numbers continue to decline.  Hunting as a conservation and behavior modification tool has always been the most effective.  Please, please consider implementing the longest season that our best science and past harvest data supports.

Sincerely,

[Special T]

Excellent letter Kain. 

[denali]

Thanks for the work you put in Kain.

[carpsniperg2]

That's great Kain

[fair-chase]

Great work Kain. Will forward it to both the commission and the director. Thank you for doing this.

[Kain]

Thanks guys.  I hope you will all send this letter or write your own.  I can tell you Washington For Wildlife has had some great success' since it was started.  All because of our strength in numbers and by using real facts and sound science as our best arguments.  The more hunters and their supporters make the opinions heard, either with emails or at the meetings, the stronger we are. 

Please consider joining WFW and adding your voice to our mission to preserve hunting in this state.  The committees are open to all members to help shape what direction the WFW takes on each issue. 

[WildlifeAssassin]

sent in, thanks for staying on top of things as always Kain.

[aer212]

Sent in. Thanks Kain.

[Knocker of rocks]

Sorry,  I thought this would be about mom's in tank tops at little league games

[Kain]

Sorry,  I thought this would be about mom's in tank tops at little league games

That season is always open.  I'm just a wildlife watcher for that species though.    

[BOWHUNTER45]

I just emailed my letter .....

[ouchfoss]

Very well written Kain! 
I like the idea of a year round Cougar season. I would think that having an open season during fawn and calving season would make it far easier to find them if you trail elk herds that time of year. 

[Kain]

Thanks for taking action guys.  I hope many of the people that read this do the same.  Remember friends and family can have their say also.  The commission listens to everyone at the meeting for or against and our spouses, family and friends can support hunting, even if they dont do it themselves,  just as much as the non hunters.

[Kain]

Now if your wife think you hunt too much already maybe just skip asking her to support more hunting opportunity.   

[Kain]

Only a week left so make sure you send an email soon.  Want to give them enough time to actually receive them and read them.