OK, I know you folk in the East are not terribly concerned,
but here in the Pacific NW, and especially in Oregon, we are deeply
involved with cougars (mountain lions).
A few years ago that dreaded organization, The Humane Society,
launched a public campaign to put an end to the use of dogs (hounds)
while hunting cougars, etc.
Surprisingly, ,that public referendum passed, mainly by the
highly populated Portland, Salem, and Eugene voters.
The ODFW rules were changed, and since then have prohibited the use
of dogs in hunting cougars, bears, and maybe one or two kinds of other game.
It's always been legal in Oregon(with a hunting license) to hunt them,
but a single hunter or even group of hunters is very ineffective,
and many hunters are taken by the "thrill of the hunt" and
"reading the hounds" as the dogs chase and "tree" the animal.
So, hunters were outraged by the vote, and it's been a public fight ever since.
And now, a Bill has been introduced in the Oregon Legislature to nullify the public referendum.
Now in Oregon, that right there is a No, No.
Legislators often lose their next election if they vote to overturn a public referendum.
But now this... a string of 3 sightings of cougars in the PDX metropolitan area...(very coincidental ?)
KATU.com
6/1/13
ODFW to investigate cougar sighting near OHSU
Quote:
PORTLAND, Ore. – Two people, separately, say they saw a cougar
early Thursday morning near Oregon Health & Science University in Southwest Portland.
And the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife is investigating whether
a wild cougar is prowling around the hospital's parking garages.
The calls about a mysterious cat came from separate hospital rooms at about 2 a.m.
OHSU checked security cameras and found nothing.
But on Friday, police put up warnings for the 20,000 patients, employees and students at the hospital.
<snip>
The last time biologists from Oregon Fish and Wildlife confirmed an actual cougar roamed the area was in Gresham in 1996.
According to ODFW, there has never been a documented case in Oregon of a cougar attacking a person.
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