Canyon cougar caged, killed

A two- or three-year-old male cougar killed one sheep and three goats last week at two ranches in McKenzie Canyon northeast of Sisters.

Sherode Powers was riding his horse Monday afternoon, January 17, and spotted a cougar standing behind a large juniper.

"I got bored after a few minutes just sitting there on my horse," Powers said, "so I shouted at the cougar and it loped off down into Squaw Creek Canyon.

"I rode down to where the cougar had been standing," Powers said, "and my horse didn't get nervous until I crossed the cat's trail; then he was ready to go home."

On Monday morning the Kavanaugh family found one of their sheep that the cougar had apparently killed and dragged off the ranch.

On Wednesday morning, January 19, Powers and his wife, Sue, went out to feed their prize meat goats and were surprised to find their llama standing outside the pen, a dead goat inside and another goat missing.

"These aren't just any goats," Sue Powers said. "These are registered Boer meat goats that cost us about $250 a whack."

The Powers followed the drag marks left by the cougar and found the body of the missing goat about 150 yards from the pen. Cougar often cache their prey to make a meal for another day.

Early Thursday morning, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife biologists brought the department's cougar trap to the Powers' ranch and baited it with the dead goat.

On Friday morning, the Powerses discovered they had lost another goat.

"The cougar apparently decided he'd save the one he'd stashed for a rainy day, ignored the goat in the trap, and went after fresh meat," Sue Powers said.

"We should have known better," she added. "That cougar was into killing our stock and if we'd been smart we would have moved the other animals back to the ranch."

On Friday night, the Powers dragged the other dead goat into the trap and hoped that would be enough to entice the cougar to take the bait. The next morning they found the cougar in the trap.

"It sure is acting strange," Sue noted, pointing to the cougar that appeared to be staggering around inside the trap.

"I think it slammed against the sides of the trap in an effort to escape and injured its head."

Sue Powers was not vengeful, despite the loss of $700 in goats.

"I've been calling zoos and museums all day to see if they would come and take the cougar for a display," she said.

She couldn't find any takers.

On Saturday afternoon she was busy acting as a tour guide for the carloads of people who showed up at the ranch to see the trapped cougar. Over and over she advised visitors, "Please, don't go near the cage. That poor animal is under enough stress at it is."

By late afternoon on Saturday, January 22, it was clear that no zoo or museum was going come after the Powers cougar, so biologists killed the cat.

"There's nothing else we can do with a cougar that gets into livestock-killing," Steve George, ODFW biologist said.

"Cougar populations have been slowly rising over the last five years, apparently to the point where they are beginning to conflict with livestock owners throughout Central Oregon," George stated.

Human contact with cougars will become more frequent if the cougar population continues to increase and more and more people live, work and recreate near wintering cougar and deer areas, according to George.

Experts in cougar behavior advise that those who run into a cougar should wave their arms at the animal and shout. Don't lose eye contact. If a hiker has a big dog on a leash the cougar will probably run. Small dogs should definitely be kept on a leash.

If a cougar surprises you while you're riding, experts advise stopping the horse and facing down the cougar. If your horse will put up with it, shout and wave your arms. Some horses will spook badly if the wind brings the cougar scent to them. Never turn your back on a cougar.

Those who do have an encounter are asked to make careful notes and call ODFW at 388-6363, and report the event to Steve George, or one of the department biologists.