Wyoming legislation Archives

A Victory for Lions. The Cougar Fund’s long serving Directors help defeat Wyoming’s notorious cougar bill

February 16, 2025/in Cougar News, News, Blog, Policy, Policy Comments, Wyoming legislation, WYOMING

Spirit and her cubs taught us to be passionate and compassionate about protecting cougars, and to tell their story of mystery and vulnerability, especially mothers and their kittens.

In Cheyenne Wyoming, on a chilly late Saturday afternoon, January 26th 2025, one of the most devastating wildlife bills ever to reach the floor of the State Legislature was introduced.

HB0286, if passed, would have heralded a new standard of legislative overreach in a state rich with wildlands and the wildlife that lives there.

The Cougar Fund Board of Directors, staff, and fellow professionals leapt into action to start a campaign to bring awareness to this grave injustice.

HB0286 proposed the following changes and threatened the overall survival of mountain lions in Wyoming.

It all came from the unsubstantiated notion that it would bring back mule deer.

If passed, there would be no hunting zones and geographic boundaries for cougars.

It would remove statewide and local mortality limits, and would allow unrestricted killing of cougars.
It would authorize cougar trapping and snaring, practices that are neither selective nor humane.
It was slated to cut off an existing revenue stream from the Wyoming Game & Fish Department and pass on the ability to freely hunt cougars with other game licenses, such as antelope, deer, or elk.
A specific and regulated cougar license would no longer be needed!

Experts used targeted social media outreach to help spread information: the calm and experienced presence in the Capitol of Director Corey Rutledge provided the human factor in talking to politicians; while our working group partners provided insight and support.

Press releases were sent out and Corey was the absolute showstopper point of contact for interviews and follow up.

After HB0286 was introduced to the floor of the House of Representatives, everyone had to wait on pins and needles for what might come next. A long week went by, we kept our supporters and those Wyoming residents who were anxious to talk to their representatives in the loop with every day that passed.

Finally, the bill was assigned to a committee, but would it be heard? would it remain in the chairman’s drawer and time out? or would it be discussed and opposed, or pass and go back to the chamber for a vote? It was hard to tell.

February 4th. 2025: The day came, the Travel, Recreation, and Wildlife Committee hearing was scheduled and commenced.

(February 4th reminded us that it is just ten days short of twenty six years, when on St. Valentine’s Day 1999 the idea for The Cougar Fund was born. A similar awakening to the plight of cougars took place on the National Elk Refuge, just outside the town of Jackson Wyoming. Co-Founders Cara Blessley-Lowe and Thomas D Mangelsen were privileged to see into the life of Spirit and they realized the terrible and unacceptable risk that hunting posed to mothers and kittens. They became passionate advocates for cougars)

Director Cara was already signed up for her ZOOM testimony and Corey was in a front row seat to be the voice of The Cougar Fund in person.

State Capitol. Cheyenne, Wyoming

Rarely do so many diverse stake-holders share one voice either for or against something. This was one of those rare times. Advocates with the same compassionate values as The Cougar Fund spoke out. Hunters, houndsmen, Wyoming Game and Fish Department, and mule deer specific groups testified. The resistance to HB0286 was united. the Chairman was efficient, he kept testimony brief and on point.

HB0286 died for want of a motion to even be considered.

The bill also failed for reasons other than the diversity of opposition. The Cougar Fund believes that HB0286 failed because a story could be told. A Story about the lives, the hardships and the value of lions in the wild, and why they need protection. Stories come so easily to our founders, either in beautifully crafted words or in breathtaking images. Today advocacy has the advantage of being able to communicate rapidly through technology which can mobilize people quickly and effectively. They can respond just as fast. Our hearts are full of thanks that they did.

This is a success story, that many groups are sharing in. Thank you for supporting The Cougar Fund’s efforts. Hard work is always done by more people than you can imagine. Please always remember that we could do none of it without you.

More misunderstanding in Wyoming

February 14, 2023/in News, Wyoming legislation

When legislation is considered about how to avoid stock depredations by wild predators, it can become mired in looking at short term solutions. Killing coyotes, foxes, wolves, mountain lions, and bears en masse, doesn’t really solve anything. It is a very temporary ‘fix’. Let’s take a moment to ask ourselves why we opt for widespread slaughter of coyotes when the body of scientific evidence indicates this can often increase the population.

Coyotes play a crucial role in North American ecosystems, and their removal or reduction can have significant impacts on the environment. Coyotes are known to regulate populations of small mammals, such as rodents, which can have negative impacts on the landscape if left unchecked. Coyotes also help to control the spread of disease by reducing the populations of those same small mammals that are often carriers of disease. In addition, coyotes can serve as a food source for a wide range of predators, including eagles, bears, and mountain lions.

Interestingly, there is research to suggest that coyotes actually reproduce in larger numbers when their populations are subjected to high levels of mortality. This phenomenon is known as compensatory reproduction, and it has been observed in a number of species.

One study, conducted by Dr. John Way and colleagues at the Eastern Coyote Research Center in Massachusetts, found evidence of compensatory reproduction in coyotes in response to predator control programs. The researchers found that as predator control efforts increased, coyote populations responded by increasing their reproductive output. There have been many other studies that show similar findings.

We understand the devastation of losing stock and the impact on livelihoods. Perhaps looking at how the coyote responds to adverse predator control is the first step towards coming up with a solution that honors human interests AND the natural world.

New bill on coyote night hunting passes both Senate and House

Cara Blessley Lowe

Legislative News

February 12, 2023/in Cougar News, News, Blog, Wyoming legislation

The most challenging aspect of advocating for wildlife is the uncertainty of whether our efforts are making progress or if we are losing ground. This is particularly relevant when it comes to recognizing that every species plays a role in the ecosystem.

Requesting consideration for the ecological impact of large carnivores is not just about emotions.

The term “emotion” is often used to belittle individuals who have a different perspective on wildlife and its relationship with human presence.

However, we are an emotional species at every level, not just those who advocate for a non traditional approach to managing our precious wildlife resources. The 10th Amendment of the Constitution assigns responsibility to each state This responsibility is actually held in the public trust for all people, similar to clean water and air.

It is hard to comprehend the “sport” hunting of mountain lions, which is allowed in 14 out of the 16 states with breeding populations. It is important to understand that “sport” hunting is a hobby, and while some hunters may eat the meat of the animal they hunt, this is not their primary motivation. In states where bears, lions, and wolves are classified as Trophy Game and there is no wanton waste statute, nothing is required to be taken back except proof of the animal’s sex and a tooth for data recording. Often only parts that can be hung, mounted, or walked on, are retrieved.

In Wyoming, hunt areas have reached their “harvest mortality limits” for lions quickly, and hunters who use hounds have lobbied to continue chasing lions until the end of the season, even after the limit has been reached.

This extended chase season is not a harmless alternative to killing. It is in addition to the long days and weeks of pursuing lions from September 1st until the limit is met.

The Cougar Fund has grave concerns about adding to the already harsh mountain lion hunting opportunity.

Mountain lions are a keystone species

A keystone species is a species in an ecosystem that plays a critical role in maintaining the balance of that ecosystem. Its presence and impact on the ecosystem are much larger than would be expected based on its abundance. The loss of a keystone species can cause significant changes to the ecosystem, potentially leading to a cascade of effects that alter the balance of the ecosystem and the interactions between its species.

Hounding mountain lions can disturb the balance of the ecosystem by driving lions out of their territory and leading to competition for food and resources and intra-species conflict.
It can also cause significant stress to the animal, especially female lions who may have young not traveling with them and become separated.
It can lead to the death of the animal, either from the hounds themselves or from the lion’s inability to find food or shelter after being chased out of its habitat.
This practice can be cruel, as the animal may be tracked for long distances and chased for hours before finding refuge in a tree or cave. (Most hunting occurs when an animal is unaware of its fate)
The hounds can also kill kittens that cannot climb to safety.
Being chased by hounds is not a hazing tool; lions are simply cats that climb to escape, a remnant from a time before humans when they had to escape large canids on the landscape.
Lions are often near where they can find food, so constant hounding will also affect the winter range of ungulates during their most vulnerable time of the year.
Chasing lions through the end of March coincides with the critical last two months of deer pregnancy, when the doe’s health is vital for the viability of the fawn.

Let’s remember when we hear that a season has closed and there is a problem because there are hounds that can no longer be trained or exercised but have to be fed, is that having these hounds is a choice, a hobby. Should our wildlife really be expected to pay for those choices?

Mountain lion pursuit bill passes WY Senate, heads to House