Goat-slaying cougar killed near Sisters

A lone cougar came wandering though the Sisters Country, found one of Kathryn Godsiff's small goats to her liking - more so than a mule deer or turkey - killed it and carried it off earlier this month.

Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) policy says a cougar that kills a domestic animal - no matter what for and where - must be killed. Godsiff called ODFW, and they instructed her to call a USDA Wildlife Services biologist/hunter who hunted down a female cougar.

In an email to The Nugget, Godsiff stated, "I just spoke with the wildlife specialist. He'd come back on Tuesday and looked along Indian Ford Road and Stevens Canyon Road and (he) didn't find any other cougar tracks. He also said that the one that had taken my goat wasn't nursing, and they didn't find any other tracks but hers near the carcass."

With those results, there is no need for anyone to feel he or she should be patrolling the area with a rifle - a problem that USDA Wildlife Services agents often run into after a cougar-kill.

The incident serves as a reminder to residents of Sisters Country that cougar are present year-round; they feed on mule deer, but will opportunistically take a domestic animal.

According to ODFW, there are about 5,000 cougars wandering around Oregon. Like the coyote, a few of them are becoming urbanized - too much so for the comfort and safety of cougars and human's pets and livestock.

So, how do you manage your activities so as to not attract a cougar's attention that you, your pet, or your livestock are something they'd like for breakfast on Sunday morning?

ODFW has repeatedly urged residents to stop feeding deer in their backyards. Therefore, attracting mule deer to your premises will also invite cougar to your neighbor's premises.

Godsiff has taken steps on the property she and her husband manage to avoid further cougar incidents:

• Turned on outside lights in different areas at night, changing it every few nights.

• Have two radios going at night. One is near where the attack occurred, not that far from the owner's home. The other is in the barn where the goats are now housed.

• Moved goats to a barn further from the houses. They are not locked in at night but have access to a stall. The area in front of their pen is open, with no trees nearby.

• Have a light on in the barn.

• Moved the owner's horses at the end of the day to a field that has a large shelter and no trees.

To date, there has never been a human fatality caused by a cougar in Oregon, but such incidents have occurred in California.

Bicycling in forest and field has become a very attractive form of recreation, and so has jogging and running for sport and health. A running human - out along a forest or country road, far from humanity - could trigger a natural chase response in a hungry cougar.

If you happen to bump into one of those 5,000 or so cougars it could ruin your day if you keep running, or think you can peddle faster than it can run and leap.

According to ODFW wildlife biologists, it is best to stop immediately, make eye contact and shout (not scream). Most times a cougar will back down. While it's thinking things over - and without breaking eye contact - sneak your phone out and call 911. Tell the dispatcher what you're looking at, what's going on and where you are.

If the cougar does not respond and depart immediately, assert yourself: shout louder, wave your hands over your head; make yourself look bigger by pulling your jacket over the back of your head, shake your bike at it - do all you can to scare it off.

If, however, you are attacked, fight back with anything you can get your hands on. Don't turn your back and run. That's curtains.

With deer migration season underway, and cougar moving with them, there's a possibility conflict may arise if you happen to be in the area with a loose dog.

Forest Service Law Enforcement Officer Fred Perl feels people should use a little extra precaution when biking, hiking, and jogging. If you happen to bump into a mother cat with kittens, and your dog is loose, there could be serious trouble. Don't get between mom and kittens to try to save your dog. Back off as swiftly as possible without losing that all-important eye contact.

Deer move around in the morning and twilight hours - prime hunting times for cougars. Be cautious about running in areas with deer populations at those times.

The 2006 Oregon Cougar Management Plan put together by the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife contains 146 pages of methods for leaving cougar alone to live out their lives and prevent them from having problems with humans. If everyone is polite and considerate of each other's needs for space, food, and shelter, it should be possible for cougar and people to live together.