Modified Thursday, June 5, 2003

Cougar program background information

Cougar (Felis concolor) are found statewide in Utah, occurring in habitat types ranging from rugged desert areas to above timberline. Seasonally their movements and habitat selection follow their main prey, mule deer. While cougar will also feed on rabbits, elk or other animals, about 80 percent of their diet consists of deer.

The cougar became a protected animal in Utah in 1966. Prior to that time harvest was unregulated. A bounty, ranging from $2.50 to $30.00, was offered periodically from 1888 to 1960. Professional hunters and trappers working for Animal Damage Control (ADC) also killed cougar to protect livestock. From 1913 to 1967, an average of 106 cougar were killed annually by ADC personnel or by the public for bounty.

Cougar harvest by sportsmen has been regulated by the Utah Wildlife Board since it became a protected animal. A combination of a small game license and a cougar permit has been required to harvest cougar, and a limit of one cougar has been set since 1970, except for 1972, 1976 and 1983–84 when second cougar permits were available for some areas. Currentlly, cougar maybe taken from 39 cougar managment areas throughout the state on a limited entry application system.

Utah began a research project on the Boulder Mountain in 1978 to learn more about Cougar in Utah. Research topics addressed included movements, home range, diet selection, habitat selection, differential vulnerability of age, and sex classes to hunting, the effects of hunting, the effects of hound pursuit, and census techniques. This project was completed in 1989. A second research project was started in 1996 on the Monroe Mountain and is expected to be completed in 2001. This project is to research the accuracy and utility of using population estimators to manage cougar populations in Utah.

Goal

To manage cougar consistent with prey base, habitat and other biological and sociological constraints to meet the needs of the resource and the resource user.