Cougar Tag A Bargain

Thu., Sept. 24, 1998

From Staff Reports

There’s been no better time for a Washington hunter to have a cougar tag in his pocket while hunting other big-game species.

Cougar numbers are near record highs. Sightings of cougars by hunters also are at high levels. And the cost of a Washington cougar tag has been reduced to a mere $5.

The Washington Fish and Wildlife Department is trying to encourage hunters to shoot cougars to help reduce cougar numbers. By reducing the tag fee to $5, officials are hoping a high percentage of hunters will be ready should the opportunity arise.

Hunters will be cited for shooting cougars without a tag, officials said. And even in a self-defense case, a cougar would be confiscated if the hunter did not have a tag.

The cougar season runs from August through mid-March.

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