Big predators belong in Washington’s wild places, not mounted on a rich guy’s wall | Opinion

Native carnivores are essential to the integrity of Washington’s ecosystems and the treasured wildness of our landscapes. Unfortunately, recent changes in the rules governing the hunting of black bears and cougars in our state now put both species under unprecedented trophy hunting pressure.

Conservation groups recently brought a petition to the Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission to undo these harmful and inhumane policies by updating the rules to align bear and cougar management with current science and the recommendations of the state’s own biologists, as well as the values of Washingtonians.

Policy changes adopted between 2019 and 2021 deviated from the principles of science-based wildlife management in deference to a vocal minority that wanted fewer carnivores and more trophy hunting “opportunity.” The flawed hunting rules resulted in drastic, disastrous increases in how many bears and cougars can be killed.

The Commission doubled the “bag limit” for each bear hunter and significantly extended the bear hunting season across much of the state. This led to a shocking 2,211 bears killed during the 2022-2023 season. The number of cougars that can now be trophy hunted was raised by nearly 130 — an increase of 50% over the 2019 guidelines.

This increase in killing is unsustainable and entirely unjustified. In fact, killing bears does not reduce conflicts, and excessive hunting of cougars can actually lead to an increase in conflicts with livestock and pets because it destabilizes cougars’ social structures. Groundbreaking research in Washington found that when too many mature, resident adult cougars are killed, it leaves vacant territories for young, inexperienced cougars to move in and target easier prey like livestock or pets.

The petition now before the Commission would open rulemaking to reverse the current destructive and counterproductive policies, giving Washington’s bears and cougars much-needed relief from unsustainable levels of trophy hunting. It proposes measures such as limiting hunters to one bear per season, shortening and standardizing the bear hunting season statewide, restoring cougar conservation rules grounded in science, and requiring a three-year review and update of bear and cougar hunting rules, as is standard with every other game species.

Black bears are omnivorous: more than 90% of their diet consists of plant material like grasses, berries, and nuts, with the remainder of their diet consisting of fish, small animals, insects and scavenged meat. Black bears can even disperse more seeds than birds.

As apex carnivores, cougars influence herbivores such as deer and elk, indirectly affecting the composition and structure of plant communities and promoting biodiversity. Bears and cougars are intelligent, social, and a valued part of the Washington landscape. In fact, a 2020 Remington Research Group poll found that 65% of Washington respondents oppose the trophy hunting of cougars.

Washingtonians value our wildlife alive and thriving; wildlife belongs to us all, not just those who are hunters, or the even tinier percentage who hunt for trophies. The passage of this petition by the Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission would responsibly safeguard bear and cougar populations for their own intrinsic value, for the health of our ecosystems and communities and for future generations.

The petition will be considered during the Commission’s upcoming virtual meeting on Dec. 15, and there will be an opportunity for the public to comment over Zoom. The public can also support the petition by submitting written comments.

This story was originally published December 14, 2023 at 1:15 PM with the headline "Big predators belong in Washington’s wild places, not mounted on a rich guy’s wall | Opinion."