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Show MOUNTAIN RS KILLED PROJECTED DWR STATISTICS Ona o . "92° 94 "93 Continued from page 12 Mike Leavitt to have the board reconsider its drastic measure. The governor refused. “We want to get the hunting permits reduced to a pre-1994 level, until the state can do a population study,” Axford said. Without a real population study, the Utah Wildlife Board, dominated by ranching and hunting interests, is regulating the hunt based on anecdotal information. Presently, Utah wildlife biologists can only guess at the cougar population. Axford notes that some State Division of Wildlife Resources biologists agree privately that the cougar hunt is out of control and now is possibly harming the population. But they dare not speak out because of the “Cowboy Caucus” leg islators who wield power at the state house. And because the Leavitt Administration has forced out dozens of wildlife biologists, who have taken stands not seen as politically correct. “One DWR employee told me they were selling more cougar permits in the Henry Mountains than there were cougars. I know there is frustration in DWR. I know there are good scientists there, who want to do their jobs,” Axford explained. Although they estimate there are between 2,000 and 3,000 cougars in 95 Get the newly designed YEAR the state, the population may indeed be in big trouble. statistics, 60 According to DWR percent of last year’s “harvest” was of sub-adult cougars. That means that after several years of killing 300 or more cougars, hunters aren’t coming across as many adults The Utah Cougar Coalition will work to get the Legislature to restore the felony penalty for poaching, Axford said. But just as importantly, the organization will try to get legislation introduced to ban hounding, baiting and steel-jawed traps. “These methods are all unsportsmanlike. We would really like to see some sportsmanship in this,” he said in a Mountain Times interview. Hounding cougars and bear-baiting are the accepted methods of hunting in Utah. Trained hounds set off to follow cougar tracks in snow and may chase a big cat for two hours before cornering the feline, usually in a tree Following on snowmobiles, and sometimes using radio-telemetry, hunters find their dogs and shoot the mountain lions at close range. Although Axford says he is doubtful legislation curbing hounding and baiting will pass, its failure will set the stage for a ballot initiative. “It’s probably unrealistic in this state to put forth an initiative to outright ban hunting We'd rather draw attention to the methods these hunters use,” he explained “Hopefully in 1998, the voters of this to state will have the Opportunity decide whether these practices should continue or not.” The Utah Cougar Coalition knows that a ballot initiative would be an uphill battle with monied special interests leading the fight against the mea sure. “I have no illusions that our opposition will have more money than we will,” he says, pointing to the National Rifle Association and other hunter groups “But when the public sees the images of steel-jawed traps and dogs they will be on our side. The public will respond passionately.” Axford says he realizes that hunting has been a tradition, particularly in the West. “For people who shoot deer or elk for meat, at least the animal is being used. But when they go out and kill a cougar to have it mounted, that is reprehensible There is no justification to kill an animal to put on your wall or spread across your floor.” Although there is a lot of misinformation surrounding the cougar’s impact on the deer herd, Axford says the cats shouldn’t be blamed for a dwindling herd. “Predators are actually beneficial to the herd. Most of Utah’s deer herds are recovering, with the exception of those in Southern Utah, because of the drought.” Utah’s newest environmental activist says he hopes others will join him, to protect the state’s cougar pop- ulation. 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