Petition drive targets lion hunt

More than 300 local signatures have been amassed on a petition asking that a proposed cougar hunting season in Unit 48 be denied by the Idaho Fish and Game Commission.

A series of pet killings in and around local cities blamed on the big cats prompted regional Department of Fish and Game officials to seek the hunt.

The commission will meet this weekend to vote on the proposed season, which would go into effect for the spring of 2000.

The anti-hunting petition’s organizer, Karen McCall of Ketchum, author of a book on mountain lions called "Cougars, Ghosts of the Rockies," said the ratio of written comments received by Fish and Game officials at an open house meeting in Hailey on Feb. 10 was skewed. She blamed the "black and white" nature of the gathering, and said there was no discussion.

Following quickly on the heels of published incidents of lions in local neighborhoods, the meeting resulted in 30 written comments that expressed approval of opening the hunting season, and 12 against.

It is clear, McCall said in reference to the petition, that far more than 12 local residents are against opening the season.

The petition states that cougar hunting in Unit 48 should not be undertaken for the following reasons:

• It would be in "direct and potentially dangerous" conflict with popular outdoor winter recreation in the Sun Valley area.

• Research indicates that hunting cougars with dogs does not instill in cougars a fear of humans and, therefore, does not act as a means of keeping cougars from approaching residential areas.

• The prospect of a hound hunt on public lands adjacent to privately owned property in Blaine County raises the potential issues of trespassing, public safety and property damage.

Unit 49 in Blaine County, as well as all but three units—including Unit 48-- in the state of Idaho, are open for lion hunting.

According to McCall, who admitted that she is not in favor of mountain lion hunts in general, cougar hunts consist of "high-profile and electronic" methods that are not fair for the animals.

The hunts are conducted using hounds wearing electronic telemetry collars. Also, these collars have a mercury switch in them that signals when a hound’s head is raised. The switch lets the hunter know when a cat is treed. The telemetry makes it possible for the hunter to easily find and kill a treed cougar, said McCall.

Cougar hunters are out to get trophies, not for the sport, McCall contended.

Man is encroaching on the mountain lion’s space and habitat, she said, adding that they should not be hunted because of this.

"There are ways to cohabit with predators," McCall said. "I like to compare it to living in Africa. When you go out at night, wear bells, make noise, do anything so that you won’t surprise the animal."

McCall said, "If confronted with a cougar, stand firm and strong and look at the animal. Don’t leave dog food out. Don’t put cats out at night."

As to the fear, which the proposed hunting season’s advocates hope will be instilled in mountain lions through opening the hunt, McCall said it won’t work. Research says hunting with dogs does not instill a fear of humans, she said; a fear of barking dogs is the more likely result.

Finally, McCall said she and other valley residents are concerned that hunting close to the Wood River Valley could result disastrously. She contended that the many local winter recreation enthusiasts could encounter a conflict with hunters while skiing, snowshoeing or hiking in Unit 48’s scenic and abundant mountains.