
A cougar may stalk an animal for an hour or more. Cougars rely on short bursts of speed to ambush their prey. Except for females with young, cougars are lone hunters that wander between places frequented by their prey, covering as much as 15 miles in a single night. A large male cougar living in the Cascade Mountains kills a deer or elk every 9 to 12 days, eating up to 20 pounds at a time and burying the rest for later. Other prey species, especially for younger cougars, include raccoons, coyotes, rabbits, hares, small rodents, and occasionally pets and livestock (e.g. Adult cougars typically prey on deer, elk, moose, mountain goats, and wild sheep, with deer being the preferred and most common prey. GMUs 658, 660, 663, 672, 673, 681, 684, 699Ī Hunters possessing a deer or elk special permit for GMU 485 may hunt cougar in this unit during that permit hunt.įrom Verts and Carraway, Land Mammals of OregonĬougars are most active from dusk to dawn, but it is not unusual for cougars to hunt anytime during the day.

No one may possess an open WDFW cougar seal unless it has been cut by a licensed taxidermist or fur dealer who has received and invoiced the pelt for processing (WAC 220-415-050). Placing a stick or wedge in the cougar's mouth after harvesting it aids in the removal of teeth. The skull and hide (both non-frozen) must be presented so teeth and biological samples can be taken. Ensure proof of sex is left attached to the pelt. Contact a WDFW office to set up an appointment to have the pelt sealed. Mandatory reporting and hide-sealing requirementsĪll successful cougar hunters must report cougar harvest to the cougar hotlines at 86 within 72 hours (state holidays are not counted as part of the 72 hours) and must have the pelt sealed within five days of notification. The use of dogs for recreational harvest of cougar is prohibited statewide. Hunters may use any legal weapon for hunting cougar. However, smaller kittens may not be visible to hunters so please observe and be patient before shooting. Since cougars are solitary, observing multiple tracks suggests a female with offspring. It is unlawful to kill or possess spotted cougar kittens (usually <80 lbs ) or adult cougars accompanied by spotted kittens. The hotline and website will be updated weekly beginning Jan.
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Cougar hunters can verify if the season is open or closed by calling the toll free cougar hunting hotline (86) or visiting the department's website. It is each cougar hunter’s responsibility to verify if the cougar late hunting season is open or closed in hunt areas with a harvest guideline.

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1, hunters may hunt cougar until the hunt area harvest guideline has been reached, or April 30, whichever occurs first.Īll cougars killed by licensed hunters during the early and late hunting seasons, and seasons authorized by the Fish and Wildlife Commission shall be counted toward the harvest guideline. In hunt areas with a harvest guideline, the cougar late hunting season may close on or after January 1 in one or more GMUs if cougar harvest meets or exceeds the guideline. 30 or when the harvest guideline is reached, whichever occurs first Harvest guideline system
