DWR Proposes Cougar Hunting Rules for the Next Three Years

If you’re interested in Utah’s cougars, pay attention to the
Division of Wildlife Resource’s latest cougar hunting proposals --
they’ll be in effect for the next three years.

”Keeping the hunting rules and permit numbers consistent will give
our efforts to manage cougars more time to work,” says Kevin Bunnell,
mammals coordinator for the DWR. “And that will result in future
recommendations that will be best for the cougars and for the animals
the cougars prey on.”

Utah’s cougar management plan was updated in 2009. This is the first
season cougars will be managed under the new plan.

In addition to keeping the number of hunting permits consistent for
three years, the plan gives biologists more direction on how to manage
cougars on units that have bighorn sheep. It also provides more
direction on how to manage cougars on units where the number of mule
deer -- the main animal cougars prey on -- is still under the goal
specified in unit management plans.

For the 2010 - 2011 season, biologists are recommending a slight
increase in the number of cougars hunters can take. They estimate
raising the number by about eight percent will result in hunters taking
an average of about 325 cougars each season for the next three seasons.

Over the past three seasons, hunters took an average of 300 cougars
each season.

(The state’s cougar management plan is available at
www.wildlife.utah.gov/pdf/cmgtplan.pdf.)

Learn more, share your ideas

After you’ve reviewed the DWR’s cougar hunting proposals at
www.wildlife.utah.gov/public_meetings, you can let your Regional
Advisory Council members know your thoughts by attending your upcoming
RAC meeting or by sending an e-mail to them.

RAC chairmen will share the input they receive with members of the Utah
Wildlife Board. The board will meet in Salt Lake City on Aug. 19 to
approve cougar hunting rules for the next three seasons.

Dates, times and locations for the RAC meetings are as
follows:

Southern Region
July 27
7 p.m.
Beaver High School
195 E. Center St.
Beaver

Southeastern Region
July 28
6:30 p.m.
John Wesley Powell Museum
1765 E. Main St.
Green River

Northeastern Region
July 29
6:30 p.m.
Uintah Basin Applied Technology College
450 N. 2000 W.
Vernal

Central Region
Aug. 3
6:30 p.m.
Springville Civic Center
110 S. Main St.
Springville

Northern Region
Aug. 4
6 p.m.
Brigham City Community Center
24 N. 300 W.
Brigham City


E-mail

You can also provide your comments to your RAC via e-mail. E-mail
addresses for your RAC members are available at
www.wildlife.utah.gov/public_meetings.

The group each RAC member represents (sportsman, non-consumptive, etc.)
is listed under each person’s e-mail address. You should direct your
e-mail to the people on the RAC who represent your interest.