This week, Big Wildlife, blasted Oregon's Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) for proposing to expand its highly controversial cougar plan and accused the agency of "willfully misleading the public to promote failed and misguided policies for managing" the big cats. Big Wildlife said the agency should scrap its cougar killing plan because it was destabilizing the state's cougar population, causing havoc in natural systems where cougars play critical roles in maintaining ecosystem integrity, and would likely contribute to increased conflicts with the species. At a Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission hearing last week, the ODFW proposed killing cougars in four more areas in the state. Big Wildlife said instead of killing cougars, the agency should strengthen safeguards for cougars and educate the public about how to avoid conflicts with the animals.

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On January 23, 2008 a group of ranchers, along with wildlife advocates, filed suit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon to stop the federal government from indiscriminately killing cougars across the state. The plaintiffs charge that officials at the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Wildlife Services did not examine all the adverse environmental impacts of their decision to kill cougars on behalf of the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, in violation of the National Environmental Policy Act. In 2006, the state approved a plan to kill up to 2,000 cougars across Oregon. The federal government then agreed to help carry out that plan.

The expansive killing of native carnivores has been a common practice in North America since European colonists arrived. In more recent years, lethal damage control programs and trophy hunts have taken their toll on wolves, bears, coyotes, bobcats, and foxes across the continent. Cougars, in particular, have faced ruthless persecution and continue to be the target of trophy hunters and wildlife “management” officials. For example, in Oregon, more cougars are being killed than ever before, even though voters outlawed the cruel practice of hound-hunting the big cats in 1994. The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife has become little more than an advocacy group for trophy hunters. Since the hounding ban was passed, the Department has accommodated hunters by reducing the cougar hunting tag price and expanding cougar hunting seasons to year-round. The agency recently launched its Cougar Management Plan, which calls for killing up to 2,000 cougars over the next four years.

Last year, lawmakers recently enacted legislation that allows hunters to use hounds to implement the cougar killing plan. With the passage of the pro-hounding bill, the Oregon government has removed virtually every protection for Oregon’s cougars.

To read Big Wildlife's extensive comments about cougars to state officials click here.

To see the horror of hound hunting of cougars watch video below.

WARNING: Video is extremely disturbing.