Proposed cougar hunting regulations in Washington state are consistent with science; support them

On May 8, 2021, south of Sequim, we captured a 2-year-old cougar as part of the Olympic Cougar Project and fitted it with a GPS collar. We used her data to determine where cougars are most likely to cross highways and contribute to Washington’s habitat connectivity strategy.

Yoko, as we called her, lived on the outskirts of the city, moving around country estates and recreational areas. She gave birth to two litters, the first of which just 200 meters from the popular Burnt Hill hiking and mountain biking car park.

By documenting 100 of her kills, we learned that while weaving among people, pets, and cattle in south Sequim, Yoko ate mostly deer, as well as a coyote, a raccoon, a snowshoe hare, and one domestic cat that ventured onto public land.

It is unclear what changed on April 12, 2024. Perhaps the play of moonlight on the white fur caught her attention. That night, Yoko killed an alpaca that was not secured by a proper fence or night run, an animal she had passed many times in previous years. The furious livestock owner demanded revenge, and the Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife removed not only Yoko but also her two one-year-old kittens when they were trapped at the site.

Currently, WDFW hunting regulations do not account for their deaths, as only adult cougars legally killed by hunters count toward regional hunting quotas. Yoko didn’t count because she was killed by WDFW, and her kittens didn’t count either because they were young.

This month, the Fish and Wildlife Commission is trying to close these and other loopholes with much-needed changes to Washington’s cougar hunting regulations. Washingtonians who want to protect wildlife and places and expect better, science-based management and protection of our state’s natural resources should support the proposed rules.

Time is of the essence: express your support for the proposed changes as the WDFW Commission discusses public comments at its June 21-22 meeting, with a vote taking place on July 19. (To comment, go to st.news/cougar)

A glaring problem with the current quota structure is that it fosters an environment prone to overharvesting cougars, which affects their numbers and social organization. In fact, the Olympic Cougar Project found that 50% of local cougar deaths are not accounted for in management decisions because the animals are killed by the state, illegally poached, or die in vehicle collisions.

If the new rules are adopted, all independent cougars (over 18 months of age) and all cougars killed by humans, whether legal hunters or state wildlife officials, will contribute to Washington’s regional hunting quotas. The new rules would also use WDFW’s cougar density estimates to set regional hunting limits, specifically limiting local mortality to 13% of independent animals in each population. In regions that reached the 13% limit before the start of cougar hunting season – say, due to government deconfliction – the limit would increase to 20% of the population this season to ensure local hunting opportunities.

These changes will also ensure that Washington has the most scientific and progressive cougar harvesting laws in the nation and provide a model for states like Texas, which after decades of resistance finally made headlines by giving mountain lions, or cougars, their first-ever security.

The deaths of Yoko and her two kittens did not “count” against Washington’s hunting limit this year. However, if the proposed rules are successful, WDFW can and should take a pause – so as not to jeopardize hunting opportunities – before killing another Yoko and her kittens.