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03-25-2011, 06:08 AM
By Molly Rosbach
The Associated Press
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OLYMPIA — A House lawmaker from Snohomish is leading an effort to prevent the extension of a pilot program that allows the hunting of cougars with hounds in Washington state.
A pilot program allowing such a practice was launched in 2004. It has been extended twice so far — an effort to address concerns about encounters between cougars and people or livestock.
The state Department of Fish and Wildlife says the use of dogs in tracking and killing cougars makes for better population management. But Rep. Hans Dunshee, D-Snohomish, says the department's assessment needs to be reviewed by an outside party.
To that end, he added an amendment to an omnibus Fish and Wildlife Senate bill as it came through the House Agriculture and Natural Resources committee. The amendment would establish an independent biological-science review board, made up of researchers from the University of Washington and Washington State University.
That way, he says, decisions about wildlife management will receive unbiased, unpaid review from an independent third party.
Though the department does not object to a third-party review, it opposes the amendment and cites a shortage of funds and staff.
"I believe that over time, there would be a cost for the work (the review board) would do, and I'm very concerned that the Department of Fish and Wildlife would have to bear the cost for that in the future," department Director Phil Anderson said.
A bill approved 37-11 in the state Senate would extend the hound-hunting program by five more years. It awaits a House vote after clearing committees.
Dunshee cites studies by Dr. Robert Wielgus, director of the large carnivore-conservation lab at WSU, that suggest heavy hunting of cougars gives rise to an influx of younger male cougars, who are more likely to get in trouble with people and livestock.
"For me, this is about the science," he said. "We all agree that safety should be paramount, and there is good evidence that the sport hound-hunting increases danger."
But Rep. Joel Kretz, R-Wauconda, Okanogan County, sees things differently. He says there's a big difference between heavy "boot hunting" of cougars, which is legal during regular season statewide, and tightly controlled hound-hunting. For him, indiscriminate boot hunting is the biggest problem with cougar management.
"That's where most of the cougars are getting killed, and it's typically not the ones who have a high potential to offend," he explained. "Hound-hunting, by its very nature, is more likely to get cats that have a higher likelihood to offend."
Okanogan County had the highest number of cougar complaints before the pilot program took effect and has seen the most dramatic decline since it began.
Dunshee says the Fish and Wildlife figures show complaints decreased by the same amount in counties without the pilot program.
Data from Fish and Wildlife shows a 48 percent decrease in confirmed cougar complaints in participating counties since the pilot program began. Those counties are Chelan, Ferry, Klickitat, Okanogan, Pend Oreille and Stevens.
In counties not included in the pilot program, however, the decline in complaints is almost identical: 46 percent between 2004 and 2009.
Kretz is quick to point out that just because counties don't have the pilot program doesn't mean there's no hound-hunting: A 1996 law allows for the use of hounds to ensure public safety and control the loss of livestock.
Kretz's main problem with the opponents of continued hound-hunting is that they have no personal experience with cougar attacks.
"I think it's wrong that urban people in Olympia are able to dictate against the will of people out in the country that actually have some skin in the game," he said.
from: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2014592238_cougarhunting25.html
The Associated Press
Related
OLYMPIA — A House lawmaker from Snohomish is leading an effort to prevent the extension of a pilot program that allows the hunting of cougars with hounds in Washington state.
A pilot program allowing such a practice was launched in 2004. It has been extended twice so far — an effort to address concerns about encounters between cougars and people or livestock.
The state Department of Fish and Wildlife says the use of dogs in tracking and killing cougars makes for better population management. But Rep. Hans Dunshee, D-Snohomish, says the department's assessment needs to be reviewed by an outside party.
To that end, he added an amendment to an omnibus Fish and Wildlife Senate bill as it came through the House Agriculture and Natural Resources committee. The amendment would establish an independent biological-science review board, made up of researchers from the University of Washington and Washington State University.
That way, he says, decisions about wildlife management will receive unbiased, unpaid review from an independent third party.
Though the department does not object to a third-party review, it opposes the amendment and cites a shortage of funds and staff.
"I believe that over time, there would be a cost for the work (the review board) would do, and I'm very concerned that the Department of Fish and Wildlife would have to bear the cost for that in the future," department Director Phil Anderson said.
A bill approved 37-11 in the state Senate would extend the hound-hunting program by five more years. It awaits a House vote after clearing committees.
Dunshee cites studies by Dr. Robert Wielgus, director of the large carnivore-conservation lab at WSU, that suggest heavy hunting of cougars gives rise to an influx of younger male cougars, who are more likely to get in trouble with people and livestock.
"For me, this is about the science," he said. "We all agree that safety should be paramount, and there is good evidence that the sport hound-hunting increases danger."
But Rep. Joel Kretz, R-Wauconda, Okanogan County, sees things differently. He says there's a big difference between heavy "boot hunting" of cougars, which is legal during regular season statewide, and tightly controlled hound-hunting. For him, indiscriminate boot hunting is the biggest problem with cougar management.
"That's where most of the cougars are getting killed, and it's typically not the ones who have a high potential to offend," he explained. "Hound-hunting, by its very nature, is more likely to get cats that have a higher likelihood to offend."
Okanogan County had the highest number of cougar complaints before the pilot program took effect and has seen the most dramatic decline since it began.
Dunshee says the Fish and Wildlife figures show complaints decreased by the same amount in counties without the pilot program.
Data from Fish and Wildlife shows a 48 percent decrease in confirmed cougar complaints in participating counties since the pilot program began. Those counties are Chelan, Ferry, Klickitat, Okanogan, Pend Oreille and Stevens.
In counties not included in the pilot program, however, the decline in complaints is almost identical: 46 percent between 2004 and 2009.
Kretz is quick to point out that just because counties don't have the pilot program doesn't mean there's no hound-hunting: A 1996 law allows for the use of hounds to ensure public safety and control the loss of livestock.
Kretz's main problem with the opponents of continued hound-hunting is that they have no personal experience with cougar attacks.
"I think it's wrong that urban people in Olympia are able to dictate against the will of people out in the country that actually have some skin in the game," he said.
from: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2014592238_cougarhunting25.html