It's a shame that present conditions in the wild don't support these beautiful creatures. Instead of healthy animals that steer clear of civilization, we have emaciated animals that must kill livestock and pets to survive. Unfortunately given their desperation, they may be driven to attack humans as well. It saddens me to see these animals destroyed, but I guess there is no alternative.??

We need more rabbits in that end of town. I don't like it when I hear of a cougar being put down. I think there should be other meathods employed to deal with those animals like a possible relocation program. I'm aware relocation does not work with bears and thus they are destroyed when becoming a problem, but I think the factors are different with cougars who would have less problems with other territorial cougars and likely would find the food source where ever they are relocated, and also unlike a bear, a cougar would be highly unlikely to return to the spot they were captured due to the unplesent experience.

Could it be that the deer are trying to escape the beetle kill forests for a better life leaving the cougars to find food elsewhere?

The large tracts of beetle killed forest can only improve things for the deer. More openings means more young regeneration, means more browse for the deer. So long as there is sufficient mature stands for the deer to yard up in for the winter.
The problem is the amount of snow which makes it difficult for the cougars to chase down their prey.

Here I go with the copy/pasting again. Sick of me yet Tim? lol... I found this article after I posted my last comment.

http://www.garna.org/beetle/part2.html

"Many species of animals such as juncos, white-crowned sparrows, elk, mule deer, and the snowshoe hare benefit in areas where the beetles have killed 50-75% of the canopy trees. When the beetles kill this many trees the canopy is opened up allowing sunlight to reach the ground, while at the same time nutrients that were locked up in the living trees are now available to grass and shrubs."

Summer time above, winter below i'm assuming.

"Open areas of beetle-killed trees do not meet the thermal requirements of elk and deer but do provide areas of high quality forage."

So does this mean we will continue to have cougar problems every winter until the forests improve? We've had this much snow pretty much every winter and I don't remember hearing about this many cougar sightings in previous years as we have this year. I'm wondering what else the cougars know that we don't know.

:)

From what conservation officers are saying it might be the deep, crusty snow that's making it tough for the cougars to get ahold of the deer. I personally don't think that it has much to do with the MPB, although more openings, more browse, more feed for deer, more prey for cougars, so there should be an increase in the cat's population. Maybe if this increase has already happened, because of the cougar's large individual home range, some cats may be forced into populated areas.

It's like the deer are finding what little good forest we have left for shelter against the cold northern temperatures causing them to go where it is they need to go for winter survival???? I don't know anymore i'm tired today and lost my original thought.....lol.. You say large individual home range? Do they ever change their home ranges or only when they can't find food anymore?


Well hopefully they figure it out quick as I hate seeing them being destroyed as the only answer. Soon we are going to have to call in the large cat rescue team.

Thanks Raparee for the info.

:)