Utah DWR outlines controlled cougar-reduction study; public raises safety and process concerns
At an informational meeting in Vernal, DWR staff described a BYU-partnered study that will reduce cougar numbers on selected units to test effects on mule deer survival; the proposal drew strong public concern about snares, hounds, pelts and lack of prior public design input.
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Darren Du Bois of the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources told the Northeast Regional Advisory Council onstage in Vernal that the division will run a controlled, paired-unit study to test whether prescribed reductions in cougar numbers can improve mule deer survival. The three-year field phase will rely on GPS-collared deer and cause-specific mortality investigation, followed by two years of analysis.
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