BigGameHoundsmen.com

I have spent the last several evenings reading, re-reading and, reading again our current cougar management plan. After studying it closely I have sent out several emails to members of the Cougar Management Board, asking for clarification on several items that concern me as a houndsmen. I know this post is long but PLEASE take the time to read it in its entirety.
I would like to present to you what I have learned, not from an “I heard from
someone who heard” but rather a firsthand knowledge of what our state is doing with our Cougars. These numbers and issues are not speculation or guess but rather fact - documented for all to read. My fear is that unless someone has been involved in the decision making/drafting of the plan, or looks closely and asks questions, one may not understand the impact the plan will have on us.

1. Female Harvest
• Over the last 3 years we have averaged just over a 40% female harvest, to
some this might seem ok. What we are not being told is that unless the
female is 3 years or older they are counted in the male bucket because they
aren’t considered a part of the breeding population. With the average lion
killed in Utah being aged at just over 3 years old, it’s anybody’s guess on
what is the real percentage of females killed. , For example if a 6 year old
tom is killed, it would then take 3 yearling lions to bring that average down
to the 3 year old average. If 2 of those yearlings are females they aren’t
counted in the female harvest but rather the tom harvest.
• Right now the Management Plan calls for approximately an 18-20% female
harvest, and gives formulas for what happens if we exceed or fall below the
target percentage the tags are either decreased or increased respectively.

2. Conservation Tags
• Our lion units are grouped into 5 regions; Northern, North Eastern, Central,
Southern, and South Eastern. Those tags are auctioned off and the buyer
gets the chance to hunt all units within that region. In 2009, 25 of these
conservation tags where auctioned off. I have been unable to get a straight
answer to how many for the 2010-2011 season where auctioned. This year I
know that several of the Central Region so called “conservation” tags where
killed by an outfitter on the Wasatch West unit. So now rather than the
recommended 10 tags issued for the Wasatch West, we have the standard 11
killed plus the “conservation tags” killed. Will that unit’s tags be adjusted the
following year for the over- harvest? NO

3. Population Estimates
• The population estimates that the state is working off of are from a study
done 1999 in Utah, California, and New Mexico, a 12 year old study.
Regardless of how long you have been running, think about the population
changes you have seen in that time.
• The state wants to manage the lion population so that we catch an average
of .25-.35 per day hunted. That means one lion per 4 days hunted. For most
of us that equates to 1 lion per $200-$300 dollars of gasoline or diesel.

4. Predator Management Plan
• All of the above stats and info are what the state lays out as being acceptable
numbers in our Cougar Management. All that goes out the window if a
specific unit falls under a “Predator Management Plan” in that case tags are
often doubled in an effort to kill almost all adult females. The sickening part
to this is that on a study done on two separate units in Utah, one where an
intense cougar harvest was done and one where the majority of lions are
untouched. The study found that “Deer populations showed little to no
response to the decreased cougar densities.”

There you have it, the future of Lion hunting in Utah. We may be too late to reverse the
damages but I believe that we can still impact our future. I would ask each of you to
consider several things.
1. Become committed today more than any time before, to stop allowing females
to be killed. I understand the pressure of money, clients, friends, and the thrill of
the moment. Become so committed that none of those can change your mind.
Make up your mind now what you will do in each of those situations so that
when the time comes there is now question what you will do. We may not be
able to stop everyone but we can reduce the numbers as a group.
2. Spend the time to educate every houndsmen and hunter you know. I have had
enough of the conversations with deer hunters to understand how that typically
ends, but never give up.
3. Take ten minutes and type up a clear concise email, one that represents
houndsmen well, but expresses your displeasure in the current management
system. Email it to members of your region’s board member and each of your
region’s rack members. Click here for contact info for Board Members http://wildlife.utah.gov/dwr/board-members.html and click
here for contact info for RAC Membershttp://wildlife.utah.gov/dwr/rac-members.html , I have attached my email below so that
you can see an example.
4. Commit 10 minutes a day, week, or month, whatever your schedule will allow,
and call the RAC and Board Members to discuss your email and make sure that
your voice is heard.
5. Take the time to email as many of your friends, family members, and other
houndsmen and explain our situation and ask for their help.
6. The state will be calling all those with tags and pursuit permits in the coming
months for their annual survey. Please understand that the info that they gather
will have a huge impact on our future quotas. Be honest in what you tell them
but remember that they feel the sign of a healthy population is based off us
catching 1 lion per 3-4 days hunted. More than that and they increase the
number of tags for the following year.

My email to Board and Rack Members.

To whom it may concern,

As a houndsmen here in the state of Utah I am concerned with the direction of our
Cougar management. I spend every spare minute that I have in the hills following
Cougar tracks and looking for sign. I have watched the last several years as the state has declared war on one of our natural recourses.
I do not support our current Management Plan and am extremely disappointed
in the way that as a state, we have allowed and sanctioned the over harvest of female cougars. I believe that there are much better systems that allow for a stable Cougar population and as Trustee of our natural resources, I believe that it is the responsibility of the state to closely look at alternative ways to manage Cougars, specifically thefemale harvest. In the Management Plan it calls out that the ideal number for female harvest would be 18-20% of the total take, and yet the average for the last several years is well over 40%. This is completely unacceptable to me. An easy solution to this over harvest would be a female sub-quota on all units, where once the 18-20% female harvest is reached, the unit shuts down all harvest for the remainder of the season.
I understand the current concern with Utah’s deer herd but we cannot sacrifice
our Lion’s based on assumptions of predation. As I read through Professor Wolfe’s
study done in Utah it is obvious that Lion populations have little to do with current deer herds. I am not ok with the system set in place for how our cougars are managed when a unit falls under the Predator Management Plan, and would like to see data to prove the effectiveness of such a plan.

I implore you to spend time looking for lion tracks in fresh snow, to listen to
hounds as they trail a lion across a hillside and to follow them to a tree, but most
importantly to not take for granted such an incredible animal and resource. I believe in harvest and management of Lions, but our current management practices are
irresponsible and unacceptable.

Sincerely,
Jordan Hasler
801-360-4106

Very well written, Thanks for doing the research thats alot of good info.

There has been very little in the past that would or could get us as houndsman together for some common purpose. I believe that this is something that we cannot afford to sit back and take a wait and see approach. We must come together on this or our sport is going to be a thing of the past. Jordon has spent a ton of time and research to get facts not just hersay. Lets do all that we can as a group so we can protect this sport that we all love.

Jordan,

I think you're on to something. I've seen this problem coming from a long way off. In my opinion, the only way to fix the extinction of lions in Utah, is to group together as houndsmen and make something happen. Problems I see: (1) houndsmen are way out numbered compared to big-game hunters, so big-game animals take priority over lions; (2) there is a lack of funding to promote lions, and (3) hound-hunters, in general, don't enjoy being involved in politics (i.e., legislation, rack, or other meetings). I know with the recent mule-deer changes, several hunters, probably hundreds, complained to the Fish and Game and Rack members and look how fast they changed the deer hunting regulations! Just an idea, but maybe we should follow a similar route? I can think of a lot of houndsmen who would support a lion change. Keep me posted on what information you obtain; I'm more than willing to help.

Kason Smith

Thanks guys, this is critical information. I sent off my email to the board and rack members last night and I have already gotten response from one of the rack members who would like to do lunch and discuss this. No doubt this is a loosing battle but "what the mind of man can conceive and believe, it can achieve"

very good read walker 83. thanks for postin, Jared.

[quote="walker83"]I have spent the last several evenings reading, re-reading and, reading again our current cougar management plan.
1. Female Harvest
• Over the last 3 years we have averaged just over a 40% female harvest, to
some this might seem ok. What we are not being told is that unless the
female is 3 years or older they are counted in the male bucket because they
aren’t considered a part of the breeding population.

"Anderson and Lindsay 2005 Cougar Management"
Expermintal Evaluation of Population Trend and Harvest Compestsion in a Wyoming Cougar Population this is the basis behind the system of using % adult females in the harvest to adjust quotas that Utah and Wyoming are now applying. With this system there is no separate male and female quotas, just a total quota. Subadult females aren't counted towards the 'male quota'...there is no separate male quota. I don't think anyone is arguing that a subadult female should count as a male, they just don't count as an adult female. Adult females are the most valuable members of the cougar population so the system is intended to make sure their mortality is not too high.??????????

When I was growing up working for my dad calvin cows, a hefer calf was a female and a bull calf was a male...
I guess with lions it's different!!!!!!

Jordan, nice work.

Jordan,
You are 110% correct very nice post.....that's the main question we asked at the last wildlife board meeting on the lion management plan WHY are we not counting all female lions in the statistics or % of harvest.....there explanation was "they are only concern was adult females in the harvest"..... when actually if they counted all females it would have been around 57%....which is way out of bounds with the management plan.....which inturn would have been the result of a major reduction in lion tags, which should have happened......BUT......with the pressure of the S.F.W. and the deer hunter with the big $$$$$$ the lions continue to be over harvested......in a nut shell the D.W.R is being bought off by the big $$$$$$$ and doing what they are told to get the all mighty money...........MISS MANAGEMENT in the name of money and the miss leading theory that lions are over populated, and killing all the deer.

Fact about this Management plan: it was written and pushed through by Utah Federation of Houndsmen right along with S.F.W.

I have a question? how do you keep a adult breeding female population around if the fish and game does not protect a sub female population? As for the F.S.W arent there any houndsmen in that organization? Heck atleast you dont have to hear about a mule deer initiative everytime someone brings up lion management. :roll

Real fact about this plan is the Utah Houndsmen Association members were the houndsmens representative during the drafting of this plan.

AT NO TIME DID WE EVER SUPPORT NOT COUNTING SUB-ADULT FEMALES!!!!

Yet once again the udwr and sfw did not comply with our thoughts.
Apparently that is how things work in a very diverse group.

At least we showed up.

Lloyd,

The management plan isn't even being followed!!! 40%+ females getting killed and name one unit that has had a reduction in tags. Increase, increase, and more increase.

i think if more houndsmen put more time and effort in to studing and revaluating our lion situation like jordan has and is trying to get us to do we would have a much better chance diagnosing and fixing the problem ......................we all can agree we have a problem right?!!!