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• t t, , r. - February 22, 2012 SPORTS
Page 15
m Cougars
From page 1
Wildlife, said that although the num-
bers of cougars reported to have been
killed in Linn County have not in-
creased significantly in recent years,
"there's definitely been an increase
in sightings."
"The statistics don't always
show what the situation is on the
ground," she said. "I've been here
since 2003. I might have gotten a call
once a week about a cougar sighting.
Now I'm on the phone three or four
times a week."
Brian Wolfer, another ODFW bi-
ologist, who works out of the Spring-
field office, said he hasn't seen a "big
change" in cougar populations on
the eastern portion of the Willamette
Valley, though he said numbers in the
Coast Range seem to be up.
"Within the Cascades. we've
got cougars throughout the available
habitat." he said. "I don't think that's
changed. We had livestock damage
five years ago and we've got live-
stock damage now."
Ron Henthorne. a private pred-
ator-control trapper who specializes
in coyotes and cougars, said he be-
lieves problems caused by the cats
are increasing.
"There's an awful lot of damage
caused by them," he said.
He blamed Measure 18, passed
in 1994, for changes in the cats' be-
havior. Measure 18 banned the use
of hounds to hunt cougars.
"They're losing their fear of
people," he said. "In the several
generations since Measure 18 was
passed, the cats are starting to lose
their fear of people. They used to be
chased by dogs.
"I think it would be better to run
them with dogs, but that's not an op-
tion with the way the rules are right
now."
New legislation passed in 2007
by the Oregon Legislature allows
deputized hunters to use hounds in
designated counties to reduce cou-
gars. However. Henthorne said. the
law isn't very effective in most cases
because it limits the use of hounds to
the property on which livestock kill-
ing occurred. He said that the longer
it takes him to get a trap set after a
kill. chances of catching the guilty
cougar are minimized.
"'People need to check their ani-
mal s. ""
Rep. Sherrie Sprenger (R-Scio)
has re:introduced legislation she in-
troduced last year, which would es-
tablish a pilot cougar management
plan modeled after a successful pro-
gram implemented in Washington
State.
House Bill 4119 received a pub-
lic hearing last week in the House
Committee on Agriculture and Natu-
ral Resources. It would allow coun-
ties that want to participate to imple-
ment a pilot project overseen by the
ODFW) which allows the hunting of
cougars with dogs.
The bill is the same concept as
HB 2337, the bill she advocated for
in the last session. The bill passed
the House of Representatives in
2011 with overwhelming bipartisan
support, yet failed to be heard in the
Senate committee to which it was re-
ferred.
Sprenger said she continues to
advocate for this issue as a result of
the resounding concerns from her
district about their increasing cou-
gar conflicts, livestock and animal
loss.
"There is no need for taxpayers
to be paying for the ODFW to har-
vest cougars when we have citizens
already willing to do so at no cost."
she said. "This is a responsible plan
to give communities a tool to deal
with growing conflicts.
I
,inn
I I
I I
Other
I
Kills Human Safety Killed Causes Total ,
I
I
2004 1 0 15
2005. 1 4 6 0 . _ 11 " '
2006 1 2 10 0 t3 i
!
2007' 0 2 8 0
At last week's public hearing,
Kevin Strong, business manager for
the Sweet Home School District,
recounted the many cougar sight-
ings around schools and school bus
stops that have been getting more
frequent.
Also among those testifying in
support of the bill were the Associa-
tion of Oregon Counties and the Ore-
gon Hunters Association. House Bill
4119 passed 6-1 after the hearing.
The bill next goes to the Ways and
Means committee and then must re-
ceive a two-thirds vote in the House
and Senate Chambers.
Both Henthorne and Wolfer said
that decreasing populations of black-
tailed deer, due to a variety of fac-
tors, have probably forced cougars
down from the mountains.
"The blacktail deer population
has been affected by hair loss and
loss of habitat up high in the moun-
tains because the Forest Service is
not cutting any more," Henthome
said. "So many things affect the cou-
gar population."
He said he believes cougars are
more active at this time of the year
because this is the peak season for
mating, so males are out looking for
females.
"They start moving an awful lot
and a lot of damage occurs this time
of year," he said. "They're getting
out of their normal range, looking
for mates."
%
fl
Connie Blair
Connie Blair. 69. of Leba-
non volunteers at Twin Oaks
Rehab with crafts, games and
conversation.
She volunteers because
it makes her life more satisfy- (
ing, she said. "I feel I get morea
warmth and love than I give to
others.
"I come to Twin Oaks Re-
hab Center because of the warmth and love the staff
gives the residents. So many of our infirm have no
one or have been forgotten.'"
She enjoys sewing, crochet, knitting and crafts.
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i Eagles
From page 14
golden eagles live in the area."
Patton said this year's event
will focus on golden eagles, includ-
ing opportunities to volunteer for
upcoming field work and informa-
tion about the first year of the Gold-
en Eagle Nest Monitoring Program
in Oregon from Frank Isaacs of the
Oregon Eagle Foundation.
The Round Butte Overlook
Park visitor center, 10 miles west
of Madras. will be the starting point
for visitors 10a.m. - 4p.m. Satur-
day and 10a.m. 3p.m. Sunday.
A yurt village will feature ex-
hibits, displays, and presentations
by regional birds-of-prey experts.
Organized eagle viewing sessions
will be available both days for visi-
tors at the Overlook Park and at lo-
cations within The Cove Palisades
State Park
PGE biologists will provide an
update on the status of Lake Billy
Chinook's significant bald and
golden eagle population and dis-
cuss continuing research studies.
"'Eagle Watch has something for
the whole family," said PGE Park
Operations Manager Tony Dentel.
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