Cougar

People need to be aware that cougars are starting to invade their towns and property. Just walking to your car at night could be a chance for a cougar to attack. Of the fatal cougar attacks on people recorded in since 1890 in Washington, Oregon, and California, approximately half were in the past 10 years (Naiaonline). Since 1990, there have been eight fatal cougar attacks in Washington, Oregon, and California and thirty-one nonfatal attacks (Naiaonline). Even though Oregon has no documented case of a fatal attack on a human, Oregon is surrounded by states that have hunting bans on cougars that have had fatal attacks on humans in the past decade (Cougars attack). Wildlife biologist Mark Vargas said, "I"m amazed we haven't had an attack in Oregon and I hope it never happens, but odds are it will." (Cougars attack).
             Inherent Barriers.
             The ban on hunting cougars with dogs has cause a conflict between the hunters, animal activist, and the government. The ban was first enforced in 1994 and was petitioned and upheld by the voters in 1996. The Department of Oregon Fish & Wildlife has tried to pass bills to allow the killing of fifty percent of the cougar population in two regions of Oregon. The bill stated that the cougar population was becoming detrimental to the elk and deer population and regeneration (www.api4animals.org). The Human Society of the U.S said "it was just one more effort to thwart the will of the Oregonians who have voted to protect the cougars in 1994 and reaffirmed in 1996" (www.api4animals.org).
             Since the early 1990's the cougar population has grown from approximately 3,000 to an estimated 5,000 cougars and growing (ODFW). With the increase in cougars there has been an increase in the number of damage and human safety complaints in Oregon. Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife handled 645 cougar complaints in 2000, up from 151 in 1991 (naiaonline). With the increase number of complaints, Oregon passed a law to enable landowners, ODFW, and people to kill a cougar without a tag if it poses a threat to human safety or to livestock.