Here are confirmed registerd complaints with the WDFW for cougar that I requested a few years back.

1995 247 confirmed cougar complaints

1998 927 confirmed cougar complaints

During that same time period they still estimated the population to be 2500 animals! Those animals sure got active in a three year period, didnt they. How can they say such a thing with those numbers they supplied me.
Would sure like to see the data you speak of, showing how the populations are now dropping because so many boot hunters are taking females.

I believe the state has no idea as to what the cougar population is doing.