CHANGE THE POLICIES, NOT THE COUGAR

2017 Oregon Cougar Management Plan Adopted October 2017, page 51 

"The deterministic model includes a density-dependent factor that results in a slowing of cougar growth rates as population numbers begin to reach the maximum number the area can support (i.e., carrying capacity). That estimate of carrying capacity is the product of cougar density and habitat. The statewide maximum cougar estimate is approximately 7,609 cougars across all age classes (~3,800 adults), but this estimate could change should new information on densities or habitat become available. The statewide model estimate for 2015 was 6,493 cougars across all age classes (~3,300 adults) (update April 2017). After decades of population growth, cougar populations in 5 of 6 zones are nearing those maximum levels and therefore the model suggests populations are relatively stable (Figure 8, Figure 9) (Reference Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife Cougar Management Plan page 51)."

In 1994 Oregon policymakers estimated that 3000 adult cougars lived in the state. As with deer and other species young, ODFW did not count the cougar kittens due to their high mortality rate. Regardless that 3000 was an estimate that was not tested by the hallmarks of science (scientific finding depends heavily on whether the research has been replicated and has stood up to rigorous challenges) policymakers used it to start a computerized cougar population model count. In 2004 Jayne Miller, director of Oregon Cougar Action Team, was informed by ODFW Ron Anglin that Oregon still had only 3000 adult cougars. Three weeks after telling Ms. Miller this number, ODFW decided to include the kittens and once again, guessed how many cougar kittens Oregon had. In just three weeks ODFW’s normative science inflated cougar population numbers from 3000 to a hypothetical number of 6000.

Oregon does not have 6000 or 7000 cougars. We have approximately 3300 cougars, and the rest are cougar kittens for which many are already dead or have never been born. Recently, ODFW killed an eight-year-old female cougar who had only been pregnant once in her life.

GO TO OUR COUGAR KITTEN STATS PAGE TO LEARN THE TRUTH ABOUT KITTEN MORTALITY!!

K-2 News investigative reporter discovered that ODFW is not telling you the truth about Oregon's cougar kittens.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=colv5FIZHrw 

*Lyme disease reports for humans and dogs increase in the kill zone areas ODFW has targeted for increased cougar removal.

*ODFW stats show that cougar kittens dispensing from their mother were not the conflict issues, it is the orphaned cougars who are the conflict issues. ODFW statistician, Dr. Jackson, stated that killing more cougar creates more orphans and conflict issues. Hunting and humans are the primary cause for cougar mortality and orphaned cougar kittens.  

*We are killing more cougar now without dogs than before M18 with dogs. ODFW's cougar management plan, hunting policies, and hound hunters kill more cougar than any other cause, and this makes it unsafe for livestock and humans.

*Regardless ODFW has never hit their target zones of killing 777 cougars, they increased it to 900.

*It costs approximately $800,000 in federal, state, grant funds, and some tag sales to manage 112 wolves from eating 2 million cougars. Yet ODFW refuses to release how much money they are granted for managing an inflated biased number of 6000 to 7000 cougars. Since Oregon only has approximately 3300 cougars and far fewer kittens, where is the extra money going?

Oregonians deserve the truth rather than inflation biased kitten numbers and stealth policy advocacy that benefits a small minority of hound hunters while putting the rest of the population at risk for Lyme disease and cougar conflict issues. There is as much variation in the quality of scientific research as there is in the people who conduct the studies. ODFW cougar management plan is lacking in integrity and reliable science. Oregon does not have 6000 plus cougar. They have 3300 adult cougars which are a reasonable number in relation to other state cougar populations.

As a memorial to Diana Bober, we ask that in her name, Oregonians create a cougar management plan that is based on the hallmarks of science rather than profit, holistic perspectives rather than fear and has an honest cougar model population count rather than stealth policy-making. ODFW has known, as does the global science on large carnivore’s for which cougar are included, that killing them increases human-cougar conflict issues. Allowing these American lions to be left alone to do the job of regulating the ecologies, would be safer for all of us.

Who are Oregon’s apex predators?

Mountain Lion (Felis Concolor). Cougar can be found in the coast ranges, Blue Mountains and the Cascade, but like the wolf, their historic range variables (H.R.V.) once included the entire state of Oregon as well as all the states in the U.S.A.  Current population numbers are wrong. Oregon does not have 6000 cougar but are heavily suppressed for livestock and hunting industries.

Wolf (Canis lupus). Coast ranges, Blue Mountains and Cascade Range.  Near extinction levels in Oregon.

Black Bear (Ursus Americanus). Coast ranges, Blue Mountains and the Cascade.  Omnivore.  Heavily suppressed for timber operations.

Ungulate Prey Base

Eastern Oregon Mule Deer (O.h. hemionus) 

Eastern Oregon Rocky Mountain Elk (Cervus elaphus)

Why are they important to protect Oregon’s ecosystems?

Bear, cougar and wolf protect Oregon’s ecology for future generations. Cougar, wolf and bear affect the dynamics of species diversity and abundance that influence water and nutrient transfer, oxygen, Net Primary Productivity, pollinators, soil health and many more trophic interactions. Cougar have strong ecosystem effects that can increase the efficiency of resource use and help stabilize socioeconomic concerns.

What must we do to help protect Oregon’s ecosystems?

Oregon’s community well-being, resiliency and transformability are directly connected to the health of the plant community, soil resiliency and threshold limits that the apex predators, cougar, wolf and bear defend. Taxpayers costs to repair the ecological damage done to soil and plant base from cattle, timber and hunting industries nullify any money made from hunting tags, rancher grazing fees or the predictably unsustainable timber jobs.

It is time to remove cattle from county, federal and state lands and instead create a sustainable rotational grazing program that allows large segments of land to rest from human encroachment.  Replace the large-scale cattle operations with small sustainable permaculture locally grown cattle and food on small farms suitable for energy producing cattle biodigesters.  Reduce global demand for beef.

Wouldn't it be good if everyone thought like an ecologist!  Every livestock owner, timber company, fishing industry and hunter would be required to pass an ecological certification program before being allowed to venture into any industry or sport associated with ecosystem functions and services.

Why such radical changes in management?

It takes all three apex predators to balance the ecology of an ecosystem community.  Seasons reflect the bears eating habits, forests are cougars preferred hunting grounds, and wolves stay on the fringes of the meadows where bears hunt.  Because of the reduced ecoservcies of the apex predator guild, human-induced irrupted numbers of ungulates have severely altered N.P.P. functions.  The soil has lost the capacity to hold moisture and erosion, and aquifer declines are growing in Oregon. Desertification further reduces soil health, reducing nutrient flow and increasing plant base declines and albedo concerns.  Reduced plant nutrients have contributed to ungulate diseases and patchy population fluxes.

When ecosystems and animals suffer, so do humans. Vulnerability creeps up slowly on ecological and the socioeconomics of communities susceptible to the loss of trophic ecoservices feedback from apex predator suppression and removal. Oregon’s community well-being and transformability are directly connected to the health of the plant community, soil resiliency and threshold limits these apex predators help defend and why they should no longer be managed as pests.

Some of the worst environmental damage to Co2 and soil is being done by the cattle industry. In 1915, elk numbered 70,000 across the North West. Now they number over one million and deer are so many that they cannot be counted. Deer are migrating into human areas simply because ecosystem nutrient foodwebs are declining. These irrupted numbers of ungulate graze alongside Oregon's two million invasive species cattle. The soil and vegetation were not designed to sustain so many ungulates, let alone when the apex predators have been killed to extinction or suppressed.  All this unsustainable and environmentally irreversible damage is being done so a small handful of ranchers, trappers, hound hunters, and sports hunters can profit from the of killing animals for fun and profit.



 



The Zuniga Forbes Family Fund of The Oregon Community Foundation Grant
awarded to OreCat

Weary after the long battle educating the Legislatures about our cougars and why we must not kill them for sport or with hounds; I was overcome with joy and humbled to receive a grant for Oregon Cougar Action Team from the Zuniga Forbes Family Fund of The Oregon Community Foundation. On behalf of the Oregon Cougar Action Team and all our members, I thank the Zuniga Forbes Family Fund of The Oregon Community Foundation from the very bottom of my heart to the Heavens above. Oregon Cougar Action Team will use this grant to further promote a safe wilderness for Oregonians, their children, and our wildlife by protecting our cougar and working toinsureODFW has a better plan to manage our cougar. A plan that is safe, humane, honest and based on sound science! Thank you and forward we go!

WHO IS ORECAT. 

Oregon Cougar Action Team is a 501c3 educational foundation dedicated to the preservation of Oregon's cougar, bear, and wolves and the ecosystems they sustain.  We promote education in our communities. Honest and humane sound science behind the apex predator guild plans and policymaking. We are strong supporters of M18 and future cougar, bear, and wolf protection polices.