The following discussion comments were posted by OreCAT on the Democrat Herald newspaper website in response to the October 23rd article, “Mailbag: A Cougar Story“

Photo courtesy of the Mountain Lion Foundation

We have an epidemic of greed and ignorance, not cougars.  Asalways just before State Legislature, we hear about cougars.  They are not forgotten because to kill a cougar means money for the hounds men.  Up to $6000 per dog and $12,000 per hunt.  They want their dogs back and exploiting cougar in the news and keeping people ignorant about them, is an effort to pass a Bill to use hounds to kill cougar here in Oregon.  Because cougar are extinct in 36 States of the Union primarily from “sport” hunting, Oregon Cougar Action Team a not-for-profit 501c3 was started to help protect Oregon’s Cougar.  Their website is:  www.OreCat.org and they offer for free community presentations and volumes of free downloadable documents regarding non-lethal protection of livestock such as predator pen building programs and more. One document alone is over 20 pages of valuable information.   Tax payer dollars regarding poor livestock management are reduced when OreCat’s documents are used to protect livestock from cougar.  This cougar did not have to die a terrible death in a trap.  The goats did not have to fall victim to poor livestock management that made them vulnerable. Livestock should never be a turnkey operation.  Oregonians cannot afford to live in ignorance about their cougar and according to OSU, the Smithsonian, Dr. Jane Goodall and many more, we cannot afford to have our cougar so poorly cared for.  There is no sustainable plan for orphaned cubs, and they are treated as vermin and either left to die or are raised in captivity and eventually released near public and livestock.  Read Ron Baker’s book, “The American Hunting Myth”, and get the DVD influenced by Professor William Ripples research, “Lords Of Nature, Life In The Land Of Great Predators” www.LordsOfNature.org.  Join OreCat to help save Oregon’s cougar from greed and ignorance.