cougar Archives - Northwest Public Broadcasting

New Rule Allowing Hound Training For Cougar Tracking Highlights Wildlife-Human Challenges

By Courtney Flatt February 24, 2021

A young cougar, which was previously tagged with a tracking collar, is treed by hounds in Washington. Courtesy of Buddy Woodberry

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife Commission recently approved a new rule that could soon grant George’s wish. But the rule is not without controversy. Many conservationists worry that training more hound handlers could put a strain on Washington’s cougar population and lead to catastrophic unintended consequences for the big cats.Read More

Are There More Cougars In Our Space Or More Of Us In Theirs?

By Erin Ross June 26, 2019

Problem encounters with cougars have increased in Oregon's Willamette Valley. CREDIT: NATIONAL PARK SERVICE

It’s hard not to notice that cougars are making it into the news these days. It’s also hard to miss how they’re getting there: by entering neighborhoods and putting residents on edge.Read More

Oregon May Be Over-Hunting Cougars — Which Could Cause More Conflicts

By Erin Ross November 9, 2018

Groups of Oregonians, particularly hound hunters, say that Oregon’s cougar population is growing out of control. Cougar advocates, on the other hand, say that Oregon is over-hunting cougars, which research suggests can lead to an increase in problem encounters.Read More

Hunt Planned For Cougar Suspected Of Killing Oregon Hiker

By Erin Ross September 13, 2018

This March 8, 2006, file photo provided by the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife shows a cougar in the Beulah Wildlife Management Unit in Oregon's Malheur County. Oregon authorities say a dead hiker whose body was recovered this week was likely killed by a cougar, marking the first verified fatal attack by a wild cougar in the state and the second in the Pacific Northwest in 2018. CREDIT: BRIAN WOLFER/ODFW/AP

The search is on for the cougar suspected of killing a hiker near Mount Hood. It is the first confirmed fatal attack by a wild mountain lion in the state. The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife plans to use mules and dogs to search for the mountain lion.Read More

Oregon Hiker Likely Killed By Cougar, Authorities Say. Would Be First Documented Fatality In State

By NWPB News September 12, 2018

Authorities say a dead hiker whose body was recovered this week was likely killed by a cougar, marking the first fatal attack by a wild cougar in Oregon and the second in the Northwest this year.Read More

Cougars In The News: Shift In Range Brings More Reported Encounters

By NWPB News July 26, 2018

Northwesterners are hearing a lot about mountain lions lately. Since May, an extremely rare fatal attack in the Washington Cascades, a Willamette Valley pool party interrupted by a wandering cat and a viral Facebook video of a mountain lion lounging in a southern Oregon woman’s living room have made headlines across the region. Are the Northwest’s mountain lions acting Read More

Cougar Attack Kills And Injures Mountain Bikers Near North Bend, Washington

By Tom Banse May 20, 2018

Washington Dept. of Fish & Wildlife agents tracked and killed the cougar thought responsible for the attack, May 19, 2018. Courtesy Washington DFW

A rare attack by a cougar killed a Washington state man over the weekend Saturday, May 19 and seriously injured another man near North Bend, Washington.Read More