Oregon Cougar Management Plan 2017 Update ODFW Commission

Oregon Cougar Management Plan 2017 Update ODFW Commission Meeting October 13, 2017 Derek Broman Carnivore-Furbearer Coordinator Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife

Presentation Outline • Review Process • Plan Overview and Recent Changes • Plan Summary

Review Process Commission Meetings • April 2016 • • October 2016 • • Stakeholder Panels Public Testimony August 2017 • Public Testimony Public & Tribal Correspondence Mountain Lion Workshop

2006 Plan Chapter I- Introduction Chapter II- Life History of Cougars Chapter III- Information on Oregon Cougars Chapter IV- Oregon Management History Chapter V- Objectives Chapter VI- Adaptive Management Chapter VII- Economics Chapter VIII- Literature Cited 2017 Update Chapter I- Introduction Chapter II- Information on Oregon Cougars Chapter III- Objectives Chapter IV- Adaptive Management Chapter V- Literature Cited

Chapter II- Information on Oregon Cougars Notable Additions, Updates • Genetics • Hunting and Hunter Harvest • Density • Survival • Interactions with Ungulates • Population Growth Rates • Oregon Cougar Research • Oregon Publications/Reports • Interactions with Other Carnivores • Habitat

Chapter III- Cougar Management Objectives • Update Objectives continue to maintain healthy populations, reduce conflict, and manage cougars in concert with other game mammals • Objectives utilize Adaptive Management • Propose reduction from five to four Objectives • Two Objectives remain mostly unchanged

Chapter III- Cougar Management Objectives Objective 1: Manage for a cougar population not below 3, 000 cougars statewide. • Objective used to establish zone quotas (mortality caps) • Ensures continued focus on resilient, healthy populations through mandatory check-ins, monitoring, and research • Uncertainty on cougar population responses to wolves restricts ability to set management objectives

Chapter III- Cougar Management Objectives Objective 2: (So long as objective 1 is met) Manage cougar-human safety/pet conflicts as measured by nonhunting mortalities. • Ensures continued focus on proactively and correctively addressing human safety/pet conflict • Focus on non-lethals and use of new tools and techniques • Requires continued recording and monitoring of conflict • Change to conflict measurements and thresholds • Dynamic and indication of events outside the norm • Comprehensible calculation for staff and public

Chapter III- Cougar Management Objectives Objective 2: (So long as objective 1 is met) Manage cougar-human safety/pet conflicts as measured by nonhunting mortalities. • Ensures continued focus on proactively and correctively addressing human safety/pet conflict • Focus on non-lethals and use of new tools and techniques • Requires continued recording and monitoring of conflict • Change to conflict measurements and thresholds • Dynamic and indication of events outside the norm • Comprehensible calculation for staff and public

Chapter III- Cougar Management Objectives • Change to conflict measurements and thresholds • Dynamic and indication of events outside the norm • Comprehensible calculation for staff and public

Chapter III- Cougar Management Objectives Objective 3: (So long as objective 1 is met) Manage cougar-livestock conflicts as measured by non-hunting mortalities. • Ensures continued focus on proactively and correctively addressing livestock conflict • Focus on non-lethals and use of new tools and techniques • Requires continued recording and monitoring of conflict • Change to conflict measurements and thresholds • Dynamic and indication of events outside the norm • Comprehensible calculation for staff and public

Chapter III- Cougar Management Objectives Objective 4: (So long as objective 1 is met) Manage cougar populations in a manner compatible and consistent with management objectives for other game mammals outlined in ODFW management plans. • Ensures continued focus on relationships between cougars and other game mammals • Recommends increased cougar take in areas where predation is a significant factor to game populations failing to meet objectives • Emphasis on hunting as primary tool for increased take

Chapter IV- Adaptive Management • Findings on 2006 Plan hypotheses: cougar take to reduce human conflict, improve ungulate populations, or reduce livestock conflicts, and confirm cougar population resiliency • Management Scales and Objectives • Attention to fine-scale situations • Target Area Management • Stakeholder Attention • Frequency of Use • Design and Considerations • Zone Updates

Chapter V- Literature Cited • 100+ new citations Appendices • Habitat Analysis • Past target area and expense summaries • Incident Response Guidelines* • Captive Kitten Guidelines* • Glossary* • Target Area development* * Adopted into rule

External Review 22 Cougar Researchers & Managers • Ten state agencies, two federal agencies, two universities, & one NGO • Six responded, three provided comment • Questions and concerns relative to their research and jurisdiction • Support use of scale-specific and adaptive management • Valuable points made and questions posed • Minor edits made but no notable changes

Summary • Added new information and removed unnecessary sections • Increased information on indicators of population health and trends • Attention to coexistence and responses to sightings and conflict (damage/safety) • Attention to the science behind target areas, evaluation of the management technique, and lessons learned

Summary • Objectives identify current and future cougar management priorities: • Increased abundance into northwest Oregon and Willamette Valley • Human dimensions • Density estimates in new areas • Habitat and refugia analyses • Population models and monitoring tools • Cougar response to wolves