New bill to help prevent cougar damage kills

State Rep. Peter Buckley of Ashland has introduced a bill to require the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife to help landowners use nonlethal methods to avoid conflict with cougars, bears and other animals.

House Bill 2694 aims to reduce the number of cougars that are killed legally because of damage complaints. The ODFW would lend technical assistance on installing animal-proof containers for trash; installing motion-sensors, frightening devices or fencing; penning animals at night; removing carcasses from pastures; and using guard animals.

"This bill simply tries to get the state to embrace prevention, rather than causing problems and shooting animals," said Spencer Lennard of Williams of Big Wildlife, an animal advocacy group.

The cougar issue heated up starting with the ban on hunting them with dogs back in 1994. The ODFW says populations have risen above 5,000 in Oregon, a number disputed by Big Wildlife, and encounters with humans have increased.

In 2006 the Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission approved a cougar management plan that called for killing cougars to see if those conflicts would decrease. The plan also includes cougar conflict prevention tips.

The bill does not attempt to change the management plan. Local ODFW officials declined to comment on the bill. The management plan calls for annually killing up to 24 animals in Jackson County, one of the target areas. Seven were killed in 2007, 12 in 2008 and two so far in 2009 in Jackson County.


Last year the commission voted to allow hound hunters to kill "problem" cougars. Before, only government employees could use hounds.

Kills because of damage complaints are tabulated separately. From 2005 through 2008 in Jackson and Josephine counties combined, there were 9, 5, 5 and 10 kills, respectively, according to the ODFW. Another six have been killed in 2009, five in Jackson County. Two more were killed because of safety issues, including one cougar in a residential area of Ashland.

Buckley and Big Wildlife members believe the ODFW plan is killing dominant large male cougars and leaving younger males to roam to establish territory, creating more conflict.

"A rancher from the Applegate testified in 2007 that it's like giving the drunken teens the keys to the car," Buckley said.

Lennard said the killing of a cougar in Williams in early January after it killed two llamas would have been prevented by the new law. The llamas were left outside at night.
The bill goes to the Natural Resources and Agriculture Committee for discussion.

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Reach reporter Jeff Duewel at 474-3720 or jduewel@thedailycourier.com