Cougar hunt in Alberta sparks debate among scientists, hunters and activists
Hunters have been killing cougars in Alberta for decades.
They often follow prints in the snow or use dogs to track the big cats before they are shot with guns or bows.
Last month, outdoor television host Steve Ecklund’s cougar hunt led to online threats and criticisms — including a penis comment from Laureen Harper, wife of former prime minister Stephen Harper — after he bragged about it on social media.
Similar outrage followed the killing of No. 148, a well-known Banff grizzly bear, by a hunter in British Columbia last summer. Both kills were legal. Scientists say a cultural divide still exists — even within their own community — about hunting large carnivores.
“It’s seeing a much greater value on an individual animal rather than a population, but the system is set up for us to manage populations, not individuals,” said Adam Ford, an assistant professor of biology at University of British Columbia Okanagan.
“You see this come up when the individual-focus conservation people see a dead cougar and call people out for having a small penis.
“The way hunting has been designed for a long time is to not have an impact on the population.”
Alberta has regulated its cougar population since 1969. An annual quota allows up to 155 animals to be hunted each year.
The province estimates there are 2,000 to 3,500 cougars.
Both the government’s top carnivore expert and University of Alberta biologist Mark Boyce have said it’s a sustainable population that must be managed because cougars can prey on cattle or become a public safety risk.
Similar debates have taken place around grizzly bears. The hunt in B.C. was banned last month after surveys showed it wasn’t supported by most residents.
Although people are con- cerned about “beautiful cuddly carnivores” being shot, Ford said he worries scientists have been weighing in on the ethical debate over hunting.
“My morals are different than yours, but facts should be facts,” he said, noting he’s working on a paper looking at the growing divide between scientists on issues such as hunting.
Hunters have defended the hunt as a tradition.