With virtually no discussion, the Utah Legislature on Wednesday passed a bill that would radically alter the rules around cougar hunting. Critics from both hunting and predator conservation groups are calling on Gov. Cox to veto the bill.
If Gov. Spencer Cox signs HB469 into law, it will be open season on mountain lions 365 days a year. No tags required, just a hunting license.
“This is an entirely unscientific and unethical proposal,” said Kirk Robinson of the Western Wildlife Conservancy in an email. “It would also allow potential unlimited take of cougars — again subject to the whim of the Utah Wildlife Board — including no limit on the number of cougars an individual person can legally kill.”
He offered nothing more to justify jettisoning the carefully crafted cougar management plan that has guided its permit system for years, which was created by the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources . Snider agreed Sandall’s substitute is “a big shift” in cougar policy, but he went along with it because the rest of the bill would do much to serve Utahns who enjoy the outdoors.
DWR has long restricted cougar hunting, issuing limited numbers of tags tailored for each of the state’s hunting units. In recent years, the agency has been increasing the cougar harvest issues in response to concerns the big cats are taking a heavy toll on mule deer.disputed Sandall’s justification for removing cougar from Utah’s class of protected wildlife that includes bears, deer, elk and turkeys.
DWR’s current system for managing cougars is working and ensures opportunities for sportsmen to harvest a lion, according to association member Cory Huntsman, who was blindsided by the bill.
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