Thursday, July 29th 2010

Tags:
Wyoming, Management, Game Agency, Public Comment, Quotas

The regulations, proposed by the Wyoming Game and Fish Department, would exclude many types of mountain lion deaths that currently count toward overall hunting quotas.

Deaths that count toward the quota would change from "any human-caused mountain lion death documented by the department" to "any legal or illegal human-caused mountain lion death, excluding mountain lions taken by the department, mountain lions

[killed for causing damage to property]

, and known natural or accidental mountain lion deaths," said Tim Fuchs, wildlife supervisor for the Game and Fish Jackson Region.

The rules would also eliminate distinctions between male and female cats that could be killed by hunters.

That means Area 2 north of Jackson would go from an overall quota of seven human-caused deaths, with a limit of three females, to an overall hunting quota of five of either sex. Area 29, south of town, would go from an overall quota of nine, with a four-female limit, to a hunting quota of six.

Eliminating the female limit "gives a much truer picture" for wildlife managers to use when deciding how many cats should be hunted in a given hunt area, Fuchs said.

Fuchs said areas 2 and 29 would still be managed so that the number of mountain lions in those hunting areas will remain high enough to produce a surplus of cats that contributes animals to the region.

Conservation groups, however, say the changes could mean people kill more mountain lions in Wyoming.

Sara Carlson, director of programs and operations for The Cougar Fund, said the proposed changes would be a huge step backward for Wyoming's cougar population.

"Wyoming refuses to utilize peer-reviewed research to manage cougars and is falling victim to politics," she said in an e-mail.

People can see the proposed changes at gf.state.wy.us/admin/Regs/index.asp.

Written comments will be accepted through 5 p.m. today by mailing: Wyoming Game and Fish Department, Regulations, 3030 Energy Lane, Casper, WY 82604. All comments will be presented to the Game and Fish Commission before its July 28-29 meeting in Saratoga.