I don't know how many of you watched the 11:00pm broadcast(may have been on earlier too) about Jane Goodall getting involved to save the cougars before they are extinct. I felt the need to write them about reporting misinformation/false information concerning cougars in Washington. First, cougars are no where near extinct. The WDFW "estimates" there is over 2,500 cougars in the state, and climbing thanks to I-655. Total harvest for 2001-2002 was only 220 cats.

They also gave hunters a negative spin because cougars are the only big game species in the state that are hunted during/after the berthing period. This makes us barbaric somehow when it is already illegal to shoot cats that have cubs. While I'm sure it happens occasionally, I don't think the WDFW would allow the season to be so late if it was adversely affecting the population. This point was made at the same time a cat was shown being shot out of a tree. I don't know and they didn't say if it was being tranquilized or killed, but you could tell the angle they wanted to put on it.

This whole thing falls in line with the proposal for the creation of cougar and bear preserves here in Washington. It also follows the same line of reporting as the "Gun Show Loophole" story KIRO did a few weeks back that was riddled with half-truths and false insinuations to stir the public. I felt compelled to tell KOMO TV how I felt, and I encourage all of you to do the same. You can e-mail them at [email protected] If you are going to report something to the public via a news broadcast, get your facts straight. They owe us that much.
>>--->Shannon

Hunt hard, live right, and tell your kids you love 'em!