Cougars at Risk
Mother cougar & kitten. Photo by Bill Dow.
Private sport hunters in Oregon are allowed to kill hundreds of cougars each year. We're working to protect this keystone species.
Issues & News
Oregon Deals Major Blow to Cougars
A 2007 Oregon law allows private hunters to hunt cougars with dogs.
- 2007 Update by Predator Defense: Cougars Hounded Again in Oregon
- July 18, 2007 - Cougar Kill: Will Oregon Hound Cougars to Death?
- Eugene Weekly, July 19, 2007 - Article points out folly of new law
- ScienceNOW Daily News, June 29, 2007 - Editorial urges Oregon's Governor Kulongoski to veto bill
- Eugene Register-Guard, June 28, 2007
New Plan Calls for Slaughter of Cougars
The Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission approved a new cougar management plan, calling for the slaughter of thousands of cougars.
- 2006 Update by Predator Defense: A Setback for Oregon Cougars
- April 2006 - Predator Defense asks governor to investigate ODFW
- February 2006 - Predator Defense responds to the plan
- October 2005 - Ecologists Rick Hopkins & Barry Noon respond on behalf of Predator Defense
- October 2005
Unverified Cougar Incident Reports
In Washington, the Department of Fish and Wildlife records all cougar incident reports on a new website. Only 3 of the last 49 "sightings" were verified.
- Cougar Hysteria and not a football in sight
- by Ron Judd, Seattle Times, August 11, 2005
Related Articles & Papers
- Cougars in Chaos: How a state hunting policy pushed Washington's big cats to the brink
- by Liza Gross, High Country News, April 14, 2008 - State Sets Bar High for Hired Trackers
- by Mark Freeman, Mail Tribune (Medford, OR), October 11, 2007 - Sport hunter cougar kills reach record
- by Mark Freeman, Mail Tribune (Medford, OR), March 16, 2007 - Debunking the Urban Cougar Myth
- by Rick A. Hopkins, Ph.D, January 23, 2007 - Cougar predation key to ecosystem health
- by David Stauth & William Ripple, funded by National Park Service, Oct. 24, 2006 - Cougar Attack in Oregon a Hoax
- Oregonlive.com Statewide Bulletins, April 11, 2005 - Bark or Bite
- by Mark Freeman, Mail Tribune, Jackson County, Oregon, December 5, 2004 - Human-Cougar interactions in Oregon
- by Rick A. Hopkins, Ph.D, May 6, 2003
Data on Cougars in Oregon
- Trends in Cougar Deaths in Oregon, 1992-2008
- Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife - Mother Cougars Killed, 2002-2006
- Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, 2007
Other Groups Working to Protect Cougars
Founded in 2001 to protect America's greatest cat, The Cougar Fund has garnered national media coverage for an attention-getting book and documentary short film. They educate children and adults on the value of cougars through funding and promoting the use of sound science and by monitoring state policies.