Cougar hunting guidelines

Sophia Ressler’s May 5, 2020, guest opinion, “Commission decision on cougar kills misguided,” demonstrates the Center for Biological Diversity’s anti-hunting position. Washington has a long hunting tradition, sport that is greatly enjoyed by thousands of our residents. The Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission supports opportunity for our state’s hunting enthusiasts through oversight of game population management by the state’s fish and wildlife department.

Cougar hunting in Washington is regulated to sustain stable populations by using a guideline limiting the number of annually harvested animals to biologically predicted replacement through reproduction and survival. This harvest ceiling often is not achieved.

The guideline uses estimates of cougar populations. Census studies of this stealthy species with large territories are resource-intensive. Prior to the recent commission decision, the harvest calculation was based on a statewide average using several point-in-time-and-place population studies. Other data, such as harvest and public safety incidents, suggest that the statewide population average was not a sufficient estimate for all areas of the state. In fact, according to the state’s harvest model theory, the cougar population could increase in some areas if the statewide average estimate was low. The commission decision was intended to improve the population estimates using additional data to set the area guidelines.

Cougar hunting results in Washington are closely monitored for their impact on population diversity. The problem for cougars in Southern California, where they are not hunted, is loss of habitat from urban incursion. There is still plenty of cougar habitat in Washington.

Kim Marie Thorburn, MD, MPH

Spokane