Statement from Panthera Puma Director on Washington's Adoption of New Cougar Hunting Regulations

Media Contact: Susie Weller Sheppard, 347-446-9904, sweller@panthera.org

New York, NY - On Friday, July 19, Washington’s Fish and Wildlife Commission adopted new cougar hunting regulations in an overwhelming majority vote of eight to one. 

In order to better match the hunting seasons of other species, the cougar hunting season is now one month shorter, running from September through March. Further, there is no longer unlimited hunting of subadult cougars, and all human-caused cougar mortalities will now be counted towards regional hunting quotas, including kills carried out in response to cougar-livestock conflict. 

Leaning on Washington’s Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) cougar density estimates, regional hunting limits are now also capped at 13% of independent animals in each population unit. In areas that reach the 13% limit before the hunting season begins, this cap will increase to 20% of the population for that season to provide local hunting opportunities. 

Panthera Puma Program Director, Dr. Mark Elbroch, stated: 

“Panthera applauds the Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission for its recent adoption of new cougar hunting regulations and embrace of science-based wildlife management that will ultimately protect dozens of cougar lives and support a stable cougar population.

While previous regulations allowed for the potential for unsustainable overharvesting of the species, the Commission has wisely voted to close this loophole and in doing so, celebrate and support the state’s incredible biodiversity.

Washington is now home to the most defensible and progressive cougar harvest regulations nationwide, and regulations that better reflect the diversity of American values we see in today’s society. In the pockets of habitat across the western United States where cougars still roam, Washington now serves as a model for states like Texas, which after decades of resistance has finally solidified its first-ever mountain lion protections.  

Still, Washington’s progress is being made as states including Idaho, Utah and Montana backpedal by ignoring sound science and stripping cougars of many protections such as hunting quotas, designated hunting seasons and indiscriminate trapping.

Wildlife commissions were created in part to ensure democratic, public input in wildlife rule making, given that commissioners are an extension of elected officials. This recent vote is a signal to me that the process is working in Washington.”

About the Olympic Cougar Project
The Olympic Cougar Project (OCP) is a multi-national collaborative effort to assess and increase cougar connectivity in western Washington State where the big cats are genetically fractured. The OCP additionally facilitates co-existence between cougars and human communities through various education and community outreach initiatives. OCP scientists study puma dispersal, assess competition between pumas and bobcats, and analyze cougar movement and genetic data. The project is carried out by Panthera and the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe alongside multiple other tribal nations, including the Jamestown S’Klallam, Quinault Nation, Makah, Port Gamble S’Klallam and Skokomish Tribes, respectively.