Correct me if my math is off. But an average adult cougar kills an average of 45 ungulates a year to live (USFS). There are well over 6400 cougars in Oregon (ODFW) and growing. Thats 292,500 ungulates a year to feed a cougar population thats growing not declining or even close to endangered.
ODFW puts a cap on cougar kills at 970 a year, total for the state: https://myodfw.com/cougar-quota-zone
With deer and elk on the decline, and predation having a huge impact on that. Especially when ODFW is dependent on game tag sales for deer and elk and considering the great difficulty of cougar hunting and the low success rate... Why is the cougar quota for the state so low?
ODFW puts a cap on cougar kills at 970 a year, total for the state: https://myodfw.com/cougar-quota-zone
With deer and elk on the decline, and predation having a huge impact on that. Especially when ODFW is dependent on game tag sales for deer and elk and considering the great difficulty of cougar hunting and the low success rate... Why is the cougar quota for the state so low?