WildEarth Guardians

Friday, September 19, 2008
Wildlife Agency Endorses New Mexico Cougar-Management Reforms; Game Commission Poised to Decide October 2nd

Recommendations Limit Female Hunting, Halt Cougar-Snaring Program
Contact: WildEarth Guardians

SANTA FE, N.M. - The New Mexico Game and Fish Department has endorsed key recommendations for cougar protection by WildEarth Guardians. If adopted by the Game Commission, they would represent the most significant change in cougar protection policy in the state’s history.

The Game and Fish proposal includes two policies that will encourage the health and stability of the cougar population. The first recommendation is limiting the hunting of female cougars; the second calls for the halt of a controversial cougar-killing program in southeastern New Mexico.

“New Mexicans wants cougars protected,” said Wendy Keefover-Ring, director of carnivore protection for WildEarth Guardians. “These majestic cats are a critical part of our natural heritage these policies are long overdue. We applaud Game and Fish’s recommendations, which are largely based on the best available science.”

In the past nine years, 42% of all cougars killed were females-with a record of 51% females killed in the 2006-2007 season. WildEarth Guardians recommended to Game and Fish that limits be established on the hunting of female cougars. A relatively slow-breeding species, cougar populations can be harmed if too many females are killed, as orphaned kittens cannot fend for themselves. As a result, Game and Fish will recommend to the Game Commission that no more than 10% of all the cats killed in a specific group are female.

“Those efforts should translate into a reduction in the number of breeding females killed-which will decrease the numbers of orphaned kittens,” Keefover Ring offered.

WildEarth Guardians also recommended to Game and Fish that the Game Commission end a “preventative” cougar-killing program in one of the hunting zones in southern New Mexico.

Since the mid-1980s, New Mexico has paid nearly $1 million to a private trapper for trapping up to 20 cougars per year in this zone to “preventatively” deter potential negative interactions between cougars and livestock-primarily domestic sheep. Over the last 17 years this policy alone has resulted in the killing of over 315 cougars.

The number of domestic sheep grazed in this hunting zone has decreased by 71% over the last two decades since the program was instituted, calling into question the reason for such a program.

Opposition to the proposed change may come from a small group of public lands ranchers in southeastern New Mexico who gain advantages from the program. “The agency is paying hundreds, if not thousands of dollars for each cougar killed for the benefit of a few in the livestock industry, added Keefover-Ring. “The scorched earth cougar-killing program should be scrapped.”

Other recommendations to the Game Commission include:

* a voluntary web-based hunter education program, with a mandatory program coming online in 2010 to help hunters distinguish between male and female cougars.

* ending the double bag limits, so hunters could only kill one cougar per year.

* ending the year-round hunting season on private lands and in bighorn sheep areas.

The New Mexico Game Commission meets to decide on the Department’s recommendations on October 2nd.

View the NMDGF’s Staff Recommendation.

View the hunting zone map.

View grazing numbers data.