ODFW Cougar quotas

[BigGame]

Is that number just hunter harvest?

Yes, hunter harvest.

Big game hunting harvest statistics | Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife

See the latest and historic data about big game hunting statistics for different hunts.

myodfw.com

 

[BigGame]

Here's the total mortality. Still less than half of the quota.

Cougar Quota by Zone | Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife

While there is a general, statewide season for cougars, there are quotas set by zone. Once a quota in a certain zone is met, that zone will close for cougar hunting. Below are the most recent numbers on cougar harvest by zone.

myodfw.com

 

[Tlock]

Roadkill and livestock damage are 2 big factors when it comes to state take too

 

[Koda]

It doesn't look like the quota is the limiting factor. The last several years show 350 or fewer annual reported harvest.

This doesn't make sense. I'm not a biologist so I'm wide open to learning, but given the depredation damage to already decreasing ungulate population and increasing cougar population the overall quota of 970 is way low, theres no reason for that low of a quota.
And the documented low hunter success rate is an indicator the state could do more to encourage cougar hunting like eliminating the cougar tag requirement until their quota is met.

 

[BigGame]

Roadkill and livestock damage are 2 big factors when it comes to state take too

Yes, I'm sure you're right. ODFW doesn't provide much insight into their figures for "non-hunter" mortality. Likely many kills not reported also. But it doesn't look like the quota is a constraint for hunters. I guess more of us should get out there after some cats.

 

[Tlock]

This doesn't make sense. I'm not a biologist so I'm wide open to learning, but given the depredation damage to already decreasing ungulate population and increasing cougar population the overall quota of 970 is way low, theres no reason for that low of a quota.
And the documented low hunter success rate is an indicator the state could do more to encourage cougar hunting like eliminating the cougar tag requirement until their quota is met.

That involves them dislodging there heads from there a$$! Pretty big ask from something ran by the state of Oregon

 

[Koda]

That involves them dislodging there heads from there a$$! Pretty big ask from something ran by the state of Oregon

I suspect that the anti-hunters have ODFW's head in a noose. As if suggesting hunting as a management tool would lose their jobs. It seems like the current strategy is that hunting is allowed only as a byproduct of "successful" game management.

 

[Val1884]

.Gov doesnt want you to eat. They want you to stand in line and beg for crumbs. Thats why the predators are allowed to run free and un checked.

 

[Bobbygun]

It doesn't look like the quota is the limiting factor. The last several years show 350 or fewer annual reported harvest.

Yeah, I was thinking there's really no reason to get too worked up about the quota. From what I've observed over the years the quota is rarely reached, probably never reached in certain zones. The quota is for both hunter and non-hunter mortality. I just Googled "ODFW cougar quota" and the first result shows the quotas and mortality as of November 10, 2022. The overall quota is 970 and the mortality is 433. That left a lot of cougars to kill by December 31st. I'm willing to bet that didn't happen. All zones were still open and the closet zone to filled was Coast/N.Cascade. It still had room for 34 more cats before year end as it shows 146 mortalities vs. quota of 180. The other five zones only showed around 20% to 55% of the quotas filled.

My hunting buddy and I have tried calling cougars a handful of times without success. The only time I've called one in is when I called in an elk with a cougar hot on its trail. I had a tag but couldn't get a shot with my bow. He was only 42 yards away and I could have shot him in the head if I'd had a rifle. We sure had a lot of big cats on our game cameras in 2022, after having very few in 2021.

Edit to add: Oops. I see you posted a link to the same exact information I Googled.

 

[Koda]

I still dont get why the overall quota is so low. We have over 6500 cats now and their numbers are growing.

 

[Bobbygun]

I still dont get why the overall quota is so low. We have over 6500 cats now and their numbers are growing.

I think I get where you're coming from. Even if 100% of the quotas were filled, that would still leave too many cats. I'm just saying the quota could be 6,500 and it wouldn't really matter because without dogs the mortality rate is too low anyway. If we're not reaching the quotas, raising them isn't going to help.

 

[Koda]

If we're not reaching the quotas, raising them isn't going to help.

I get that, but the low quota is sending a different message than helping ungulate populations grow.

Learning to hunt cougars without dogs can be done. Hunting is a well documented means of population control.

 

[Mikej]

.Gov doesnt want you to eat. They want you to stand in line and beg for crumbs. Thats why the predators are allowed to run free and un checked.

They do the same in the cities with criminals. Let them run free.

They allow the same with our salmon and steelhead. Let the predator's live free to decimate the fish and destroy moorages. Even the ones such as the terns that nest by the thousands on the man made dredge spoil islands on the Columbia. When they did try to add predator's to kill the eggs on those islands the rabid earth muffin's had a fit and were able to stop them.

 

[Tlock]

They do the same in the cities with criminals. Let them run free.

They allow the same with our salmon and steelhead. Let the predator's live free to decimate the fish and destroy moorages. Even the ones such as the terns that nest by the thousands on the man made dredge spoil islands on the Columbia. When they did try to add predator's to kill the eggs on those islands the rabid earth muffin's had a fit and were able to stop them.

The cormorants up there where raising hell with salmon smolts for year. They did finally go in and take nest and kill adult birds

 

[Mikej]

The cormorants up there where raising hell with salmon smolts for year. They did finally go in and take nest and kill adult birds

I know they work on the cormorants sometimes. There was a show, on a hunting channel I think, where they were shooting them around the Astoria-Megler Bridge. They are rotting the metal with their feces. And they used to, maybe still do, have volunteers that would haze the cormorants in Nehalem bay. I doubt it's something you can just do, and they won't come back. They will come back. And seeing as our state no longer views hunting and fishing as really important, they'll allow it all to go away.

 

[Tlock]

I know they work on the cormorants sometimes. There was a show, on a hunting channel I think, where they were shooting them around the Astoria-Megler Bridge. They are rotting the metal with their feces. And they used to, maybe still do, have volunteers that would haze the cormorants in Nehalem bay. I doubt it's something you can just do, and they won't come back. They will come back. And seeing as our state no longer views hunting and fishing as really important, they'll allow it all to go away.

Your 100% correct. It's putting a band-aid on a severed arterie. Plus they spend way to much of the tax payers dollars to get the job done when hunters could go wack the rants just as easy. No good to eat but really fun to shoot

 

[Mikej]

Your 100% correct. It's putting a band-aid on a severed arterie. Plus they spend way to much of the tax payers dollars to get the job done when hunters could go wack the rants just as easy. No good to eat but really fun to shoot

I originally voted for that dog ban. I'm kind of ashamed to admit it. And fully ashamed that I voted that way. I was looking at it as not sporting. That wasn't for me to decide. The numbers were considered and there was no danger of destroying the cats all together. I was was wrong! NOW I wish they would allow dogs again and issue licenses for outfitters and/or the general public to hunt how they wish in the areas where populations are causing problems. But that makes sense, so Oregon wouldn't do that.

 

[Tlock]

Well I'm glad you've changed your mind! Now instead of people paying to hunt cougars with dogs, the state and feds use tax money to hunt them with dogs

 

[Mikej]

the state and feds use tax money to hunt them with dogs

That's the dumbest thing ever. Rich guys out there that would love to pay big money to shoot a cougar out of a tree. Instead the state pays someone to do it. :head shake:

 

[Tlock]

I am one of the guys that does it. I love my job but definitely don't agree on how it all plays out. But someone has to do it since this state is so messed up. I'd vote hound hunting back in in a heart beat!