Cougar

The cougar is a large animal with fur that is short and reddish-brown to grey-brown with white on the underside; the tail is black-tipped. The head is fairly small with small, rounded ears and large feet. The average adult male weighs 125 pounds and the female 100 pounds. The cougar is the largest wild cat native to British Columbia. The cougar occurs in BC from the Canada/USA border to Big Muddy River on the Alaska Highway. Although they have not yet reached the Queen Charlotte Islands, they can be found on most other coastal islands. This animal is found only in the western hemisphere of the Americas generally in mountainous areas. Although there is no fixed mating season, 1-6 young are usually born midsummer in a den where they are raised only with the female and remain with her for 1-2 years. The cougar is a strong, solitary, largely territorial hunting species that requires an undisturbed game-rich wilderness. They feed on large animals to mice; the cougar is capable of killing a 600 pound moose or elk. An adult male needs no more than 14-20 mule deer per year to survive. However, the accumulative effect of a high cougar and wolf population in the same ungulate habitats increase the boom and bust of prey cycles. Human intervention is required to implement predator management to keep prey species at or near the carrying capacities of their habitats. Cougar is a popular hunt species.

General issues across the Sub Region will be addressed below, followed by management plans specific to individual populations.

Issues:

  • Increased population sizes of cougar are leading to drops in ungulate numbers below sustainable levels

Goals:

  • Undergo ungulate enhancement by increasing tag limits for cougar

Objectives Management Direction/Strategies Measures of Success/Targets Intent