The Cougar Fund
  • Our Work
    • Education
      • The Cougar Fund has educational resources for a wide variety of ages and groups.

      • Wild Lives
      • Overview
      • Programs & Resources
      • Books & Videos
    • Science & Conservation
      • The Cougar Fund was founded to help ensure the conservation and protection of cougars.

      • Overview
      • The Cougar Fund & B-Wild Mexico
      • Protecting Females & Kittens
      • Conservation Research
      • Cougar Researcher Bios
    • Advocacy
      • Learn what is happening in your state and how you can help protect these incredible animals.

      • Overview
      • State by State
      • How to Help
      • Donate
  • About the Cougar
    • Overview
    • Family Life
    • Living with Cougars
    • Conflict Prevention & Coexistence
    • Cougar News
    • Historical Timeline
    • Books & Videos
  • About Us
    • Our Mission & History
    • Our Team
    • Programs
    • Policy Comments
    • Partners
    • Frequently Asked Questions
    • Contact
  • Get Involved
    • Donate
    • Volunteer
    • Gift & Estate Planning
  • News + Media
  • Search
  • Menu Menu

Oregon HB 2050

April 13, 2015/in News

The House Committee on Agriculture and Natural Resources will hold a public hearing on HB 2050 on April 16. Strong committee support will mean the Bill will be passed on to the House. Comments must be submitted 24 hours in advance of the hearing, so please make sure to send your comments before April 15th.

Please complete the form above (the form has been removed following the close to public comments) to send an email to the House Committee and to the FULL House telling them you oppose HB 2050. Please be polite and courteous. Also consider including some or all of these talking points in your message:

  • In 1994, Oregon citizens voted to approve Measure 18, a statewide ban on hound hunting of cougars. This bill would go directly against the will of the Oregon people.
  • Despite quota increases (the quota now stands at 970) and astronomical license sales (nearly 50,000 per year), hunter harvest has remained relatively stable in recent years (between 200-300 animals each year). This suggests that the population may not be as robust and fast-growing as some are claiming.
  • Cougar complaints are declining (from a high of 1,072 in 1999 to 287 in 2012). This is in large part due to ODFW’s expanded education and outreach efforts. Increased awareness – not increased hunting – is the key to reducing conflict between humans and wildlife.
  • Research in nearby Washington State found that high levels of cougar harvest resulted in increased complaints and conflict. 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, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife has adapted their approach to cougar management.
  • Female cougars spend nearly 75% of their lives pregnant or caring for dependent young. Any increase in hunter harvest will bring with it an increase in kitten orphaning, an outcome that neither managers, hunters, or non-consumptive users will find palatable.
  • Current best-available science 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).
  • The proponents of these bills have failed to provide any data that justifies hound hunting. Increased opportunity and participation have not resulted in increased harvest, and conflict has been gradually decreasing. Combined with the lack of empirical data on cougar populations, the need for hound hunting is not supported.
https://cougarfund.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/CougarFundBlack.png 0 0 Penny https://cougarfund.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/CougarFundBlack.png Penny2015-04-13 09:05:002015-04-13 09:05:00Oregon HB 2050

Stay Connected

Comments Box SVG iconsUsed for the like, share, comment, and reaction icons
We wouldnt cross a bridge in danger of collapse or go into a building that wasnt stable, so why do we accept the removal of keystone species for human gratification and a landscape without all the parts that keep the system functioning? Celebrating the PUMA today and everyday for what this magnificent animal gives us and our environment. https://cougarfund.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Keystone-Species.pdf

We wouldn't cross a bridge in danger of collapse or go into a building that wasn't stable, so why do we accept the removal of keystone species for human gratification and a landscape without all the parts that keep the system functioning? Celebrating the PUMA today and everyday for what this magnificent animal gives us and our environment. cougarfund.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Keystone-Species.pdf ... See MoreSee Less

3 weeks ago
View on Facebook
· Share
Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
View Comments
  • Likes: 203
  • Shares: 48
  • Comments: 9

Comment on Facebook

Right!

Beautifully stated.

Needed to control the whitetail population in Indiana.

So beautiful.. Love them all.

Nothing like a little face to face in the fog at night, after your ride forgot to pick you up, (the one time I left my hiking bells at home). Unless it is waking to fresh snow and big cat tracks right up to where your head had been laying while you slept. Here Yowler! Here boy! 🤣

Hunting wild animals should be outlawed and replaced with outdoor photography

Humans worst parasites

Humans are inhumane. Ironic.

View more comments

This content isn't available right now ... See MoreSee Less

This content isn't available right now

When this happens, it's usually because the owner only shared it with a small group of people, changed who can see it or it's been deleted.
1 month ago
View on Facebook
· Share
Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
View Comments
  • Likes: 46
  • Shares: 0
  • Comments: 3

Comment on Facebook

Just look in the White House

There should be no hunting or trapping

The #GreatWhiteHunter is a predator..

Wow! it's that time again, The Cougar Fund is once again participating in Old Bill’s Fun Run, a community wide fundraiser through the Community Foundation of Jackson Hole. During Old Bill’s gifts to participating nonprofits are partially matched, meaning your gift to the Cougar Fund has even greater impact. You can give online at oldbills.org and designate The Cougar Fund as the recipient of your gift. www.oldbills.org/give ... See MoreSee Less

Link thumbnail

How to Give

www.oldbills.org

Learn how to give through Old Bill's of Jackson, WY - there are many ways to donate to Teton County nonprofits. By donating through Old Bill’s during the giving season, the impact of each designated...
1 month ago
View on Facebook
· Share
Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
View Comments
  • Likes: 7
  • Shares: 0
  • Comments: 0

Comment on Facebook

PlayHow do you cougar-proof a domestic animal enclosure?

A very useful presentation to help small livestock growers AND mountain lions! ... See MoreSee Less

2 months ago
View on Facebook
· Share
Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
View Comments
  • Likes: 16
  • Shares: 2
  • Comments: 0

Comment on Facebook

EXPLORE

Our Mission & History
Frequently Asked Questions

ABOUT THE COUGAR

Overview
Cougar News
Living with Cougars

CONNECT

Sign-Up for E-News
Contact Us
Volunteer
Employment

GIVE

Donate Now
Shop – Coming Soon

The Cougar Fund is 501(c)3 non-profit
EIN: 31-1796418
P.O. Box 122
Jackson, WY 83001

Signup for our Newsletter!

Photography & Video by Thomas D. Mangelsen and Wild Nature Media.
© The Cougar Fund. All rights reserved.

Co-existing may not be a new ideaCanadians offer advice for living and recreating in mountain lion country
Scroll to top