Washington – Comments Needed by 2/18/15

WASHINGTON

SB 5940 – Concerning a pilot program for cougar control

New year, same bill: SB 5940 is nearly identical to bills that have been introduced (and failed) in recent legislatures. SB 5940 seeks to establish a “five-year pilot program” to pursue and kill cougars with hounds in Ferry, Stevens, Pend Oreille, Chelan, Okanogan, and Klickitat counties. In 1996, Washington voters approved Initiative 655 by a 67% to 33% margin, outlawing hound hunting statewide. SB 5940 is an attempt to subvert the will of the majority of Washington State citizens.

The Senate Natural Resources and Parks Committee is holding a public hearing on SB 5940 on Wednesday, February 18th, 2015.

Click here to send an email to the Senate Committee telling them you oppose SB 5940 (This link will open a pre-addressed email to the Senators in your default mail client. If it does not open properly, make sure you have selected a default mail client on your computer or device. Please contact us if it still does not work). Be sure to include your name and where you are from in the body of the email. Please be polite and courteous. Also consider including some or all of these talking points in your message:

  • The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) already has an effective response plan to deal with conflict and depredation incidents, which includes the lethal removal of “problem” cougars by trained department personnel.
  • Researchers at Washington State University found that high levels of cougar harvest resulted in increased complaints and conflict. These findings are being supported by research in other states, too. As hunters remove older, trophy-sized cougars from the population, these “well behaved” adults are often replaced by inexperienced juveniles who are more prone to conflict with humans. In response to these findings, WDFW has adapted their approach to cougar management. SB 5940 would undermine current best science and the expertise of Washington wildlife managers.
  • Current best-available science also indicates that even extremely high harvest of predators has little long-term benefit for declining ungulate populations (the major culprit remains habitat loss or degradation).
  • WDFW has devoted a great amount of time and resources to educating the public and livestock producers on how to coexist with predators. These programs have been very successful, proving that increased awareness – not increased hunting – is the key to reducing conflict between humans and wildlife.

Be sure to submit your comments on this bill before Wednesday, February 18th. To read the full text of the bill and watch the Committee hearing, click here.

Tom Mangelsen’s Take on Teton Park Hunt

Let me tell you ’bout the Bears and the Bees!

 

Mountain LionFarming at an elevation of 8000 feet is challenging in itself. Farming while paying attention to the greater picture of environmental integrity is the vision of Zach and Jasmine Cecelic of the Wildhood Farm in Truchas New Mexico. A vision which is encapsulated in this line from Zach’s web-bio, “Today, he makes his personal philosophy a practice by creating room and habitat for all of his human and non-human friends.”

Jasmine talked freely and happily about her dedication to being a producer and honoring the natural world. Read more

Hunting: Just a right or does it come with responsibilities?

 

cougar_coyote

photo credit Laurie Iverson USFWS

Seventeen states constitutionally recognize the right to hunt and fish and eight more are planning to introduce amendments to guarantee  this same right to their citizens in the 2014 legislative session.

Recently, there have been numerous high profile cases of hunters enjoying their right to hunt,  but clearly failing to understand the responsibility that goes with that privilege, when they end up “mistakenly” killing an animal they do not have a license for.  Large carnivore hunting seems to generate more excitement and as a result, more mistakes.

Examples of such “mistakes” Read more

Cougar caught in Seattle being released in wild

A cougar that apparently had lived in Seattle for more than two weeks and forced the city's largest park to close was captured early Sunday and returned to the wild, state wildlife officials said.

Male Mountain Lion Hunting Closed In Districts 445 And 455

The hunting of male mountain lions in north-central Montana hunting districts 445 and 455, which includes portions of Cascade, Lewis and Clark and Meagher counties, closed at one-half hour after sunset on Monday, April 11, 2011.

Montana's big-game hunting season ends; no extensions planned

Montana's 2009 general big game hunting season will close at one-half hour after sunset on Sunday.

Mother Fights Off Cougar to Save Son

A 5-year-old Canadian boy is recovering after being attacked by a cougar in Washington state last week.

Mountain lion roaming Santa Fe

A mountain lion spotted near downtown Santa Fe Tuesday morning may be living in a residential area, the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish said while warning people to take precautions.

Predatory mountain lion killed

State game officials killed another collared mountain lion that they say has been preying on bighorn sheep in the Kofa Mountains Complex Predation Management Area.