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A law signed on June 27th, 2007 brought back hound-hunting of cougars which essentially overturned a measure enacted by voters in 1994 that prohibits the use of packs of hounds to hunt cougars. The new law permits the agency to train citizens to act as "agents" on its behalf, and to use their hounds to hunt cougars.

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If the number of cougars drops to 3,000 or less, as determined by surveys, then the hunts will stop. The goal of this new law in conjunction with Oregon's Cougar Management Plan is to kill cougars that might attack people or livestock. Scientists say the new law may have the opposite of its intended effect. Hunting in that state actually led to more ougars -and more complaints about problem animals. Recently, the state has made changes in recording and reporting harvest information.

Hunting rates are up, coincidental with deer and elk harvests, however more deer and elk hunters have been targeting cougars because Oregon offers the "sports pac" license, which grants tags for black bear, a general cougar tag, one elk, one deer, upland game bird validation, Oregon waterfowl validation, spring turkey and combined angling harvest tag for $130. Residents are charged $10.00 for a general cougar tag.