As a hunter and an outdoorsman, I feel fairly comfortable being alone in the woods. But I know I may not really be alone.
If you look around at any of the hunting magazines right now, they’re talking about cougar problems, problems that most of us aren’t even aware of.
The state of Oregon now has approximately 6,000 cougars and encounters are becoming as common as a fender-bender. For us here in the woods in the Sweet Home area, encounters are becoming very. common. Hunters who come into my shop are complaining that they aren’t seeing the deer they used to. Since an average grown cougar will kill and eat two or three deer a week, with the increase in cats, it’s no wonder we don’t see the numbers of deer we saw 20 years ago.
Cougars are territorial and their kill, with their scent marked on it, establishes their territory. Unfortunately, the cougars are breeding like housecats and there’s not much territory that provides ample food.
If the hair has risen on the back of your neck for no reason out in the woods, chances are you’re being watched by one of those 6,000.
In recent years, hunting cougars has been tough, with all the restrictions the state has placed on this animal. The growth in population of cougars is scary. There has been talk of cougars hunting in packs. In eastern Oregon last hunting season, several bowhunters reported seeing at least two cougars killing a pair of elk. Two or three cougars who want to kill are going to be more than a match for just about anything with a heartbeat.
The real shame of this, like with so many issues, is that the population of Portland does not end up with the incidents that the rest of the state is experiencing. The problem is that cougars aren’t seen in the city. They’re seen in the country, where we live.
When the number of cougars and the number of people in urban development get on a collision course, I’m afraid the cougar may turn out to be the killing machine we know it to be. As the cougar population has risen, most incidents in the Western United States in which the cats have moved into the human realm have involved juvenile cougars, the ones that are trying to establish their territory.
The state needs to increase the numbers of cougars allowed to be hunted so that they do not grow to an unmanageable level. The impact of the cougars on the rest of the game animals is unmatched, but that’s still not a good enough reason to for many people to loosen restrictions on hunting cougars.
If the environmentalists and cougar lobbyists only knew that the cougar also likes a juicy spotted owl once in a while, maybe then they might see that as a problem.
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On the fishing front, Detroit, Foster, and Green Peter reservoirs are all near low pool and carrying good populations of holdover trout and kokanee. Cold water will bring the fish closer to the surface and they should be responsive to an offering of bait, especially in combination with a flasher attractant. Even if the fish decide not to bite the day you go, the experience of sitting in a boat or along the shore with a good friend or your grandson, and catching some of the sun’s warmth on a cool, clear winter day will be time well spent.
The Willamette River is continuing to drop, approaching levels often seen in early summer. Fish counts at Willamette Falls totaled 1,379 winter steelhead through Jan. 28.
Winter steelhead anglers have had some good days since the beginning of the year, but the current cold water conditions are holding back the bite somewhat. Anglers can expect the Meldrum Bar and Dahl Park areas to provide the greatest opportunity. Steelhead will usually hug the bank in this area, particularly during higher flow periods. Most of these fish are destined for the Clackamas River and Eagle Creek.
The recent news out of the Oregon City area is that the first confirmed spring chinook was landed at Meldrum Bar. Since then reports are that a few more were taken by both boat and bank anglers. It’s early to expect spring chinook in good numbers, particularly with the cold water, but this does bring springer angling into the picture.
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The Sweet Home pool will host an Oregon State Marine Board certification course from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 10. The course is required for all boaters from 12-60 years old in the state of Oregon. If you are a boater or know someone who is (or wants to be), make sure you find out about a class. Pre-registration cost for the class is $10, as long as you sign up before Feb. 9. Sign up for the class at the pool.
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Nine chapters of the Oregon Hunters Association have contributed $3,250 towards a reward of up to about $4,500 for information leading to the arrest of the person or persons who illegally killed a bighorn sheep ram in the Long Gulch area of Malheur County in late January.
The funds come from OHA’s Turn in Poachers (TIP) program, which provides rewards for information leading to the arrest and conviction of people who violate Oregon’s fish and wildlife laws, and from local OHA chapters. Chapters contributing to the bighorn sheep poaching incident reward include Baker, Pioneer, Umpqua, Klamath, Capitol, Columbia County, Hoodview, Mid-Columbia and Portland. Backcountry Hunters and Anglers and the Foundation for North American Wild sheep have also contributed award funds.
According to Trooper Robert Wilson, of the Oregon State Police Fish and Wildlife Division in Ontario, four hunters discovered the headless body of an illegally killed California bighorn sheep on Jan. 22 in the Long Gulch area east of Owyhee Reservoir.
“The investigation is open and ongoing and I am arranging for the services of someone with wildlife forensics experience to provide us with additional information,” said Wilson.
California bighorn sheep were first reintroduced into the lower Owyhee River area in 1965. The herd now numbers about 200 animals. It costs about $1,200 per head to transplant a big horn sheep according to the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife so illegally killed animals represent a significant financial loss to the state as well as reduced future hunting opportunities.
The Oregon Hunters Association has been an important supporter of the ODFW bighorn sheep program, providing thousands of volunteer hours and more than $100,000 to benefit the state’s wild sheep.
Anyone with information about the incident should contact lead investigator Oregon State Police Trooper Robert Wilson at (541) 889-6469 ext. 771 or call the TIP hotline at 1-800-452-7888.
The Oregon Hunters Association is the state’s largest pro-hunting organization, with more than 10,000 members and 25 chapters statewide. Its mission is “to provide abundant huntable wildlife resources in Oregon for present and future generations, enhancement of wildlife habitat and protection of hunters rights.”
Shane Ullrich writes monthly about the outdoors during the winter. He can be reached at the American Barbershop at 1121 Main St. or at 367-8086.