A10
SPORTS
Blue Mountain Eagle
Wednesday, August 11, 2021
Contributed photo
Baldemar Vargas with his 2020 private land cougar.
SHOOTING THE BREEZE
Cat scratch fever
Contributed photo/Acentric Rodeo
Bailey McCracken, a freshman at Grant Union High School, competes at the National High School Rodeo in Lincoln, Nebraska, last
month. She placed 51st out of 187 riders in barrel racing.
D
espite my chron-
ally killed.
ically habitual cli-
It is
chéd column titles, I
believed
hope you’ll stay tuned in —
that one
I think at least in this case
adult cou-
gar eats
that Mr. Ted Nugent would
between
approve. Recently I read a
Dale Valade
one and two
study taken in one of the
Western states wherein white- deer per week. That’s roughly
tail deer revealed something
50-100 deer each year, per
of a 50% death loss with their cougar. The average hunter
would be hard pressed to take
fawns. After collaring and
that many game animals in a
extensive study the follow-
ing year, black bears proved
lifetime. The latest estimate
to be the culprit in most cases, I’ve heard from the Oregon
yet wolves and cougars were
Department of Fish and Wild-
life is that there are some-
partly to blame. Ray Charles
where in the neighborhood
could see that here in Oregon
of 8,000 cougars in the state
we have been experiencing
of Oregon alone. Even at one
a steady decline in our once
legendary mule deer numbers. deer a week per cougar, that
works out to over 400,000
Don’t get me wrong, I’m
deer per year at 8,000 cats.
not merely trying to knee-
Legislative
jerk place the
blame solely
RAY CHARLES changes in 1994
have in effect
upon preda-
COULD SEE hamstringed
tors. The prob-
lem, as usual, is THAT HERE IN hunting efforts
far more com-
by prohibiting
OREGON WE the use of dogs
plex and mer-
its a more com-
pursue and
HAVE BEEN to
plex answer
tree mountain
than to merely EXPERIENCING lions and bears.
Still, each year,
grab your gun
A STEADY
many Oregon
and shoot some-
thing. That
con-
DECLINE IN hunters
being said,
tinue to punch
of the many
OUR ONCE tags on both
complexities
species simply
LEGENDARY by being out in
involved with
our declining
hills.
MULE DEER the Whether
deer population,
or
one we hunt-
NUMBERS. not you agree
ers can have a
with the moral-
ity of hunting these crea-
direct effect upon is predator
tures, it is permitted with the
populations.
proper licensing and is nec-
Both black bear and cou-
gar have general season (over essary to maintain the proper
predator-prey balance in the
the counter, no lottery) tags.
ecosystem. And as a hunter I
Each costs a mere $16, and
encourage you, our readers,
you can buy a second tag for
each species after filling your to do some research, buy tags
first tag. Spring bear is a draw and hit the hills.
These additional hunt-
hunt, but fall black bear gen-
eral season starts Aug. 1, and
ing opportunities are more
cougar general season runs
good excuses to be outdoors,
year around.
and you’ll be helping to fur-
ther perpetuate the existence
Coyotes, which require
of our deer and elk herds for
no tag (you still need a hunt-
ing license on public land) to
future generations.
hunt, too play a smaller role
How do you feel about
in the lessened survival rate
the cougars and black bears?
of deer fawns and elk calves
Write to us at shootingthe-
each year. Yet, unlike cougars, breezebme@gmail.com!
Dale Valade is a local
coyotes will eat whatever car-
rion they encounter; a moun-
country gent with a love for
tain lion will typically not eat
the outdoors, handloading,
something it has not person-
hunting and shooting.
IN THE FINALS
McCrackens compete at National
High School Finals Rodeo
“IT WAS EXCITING TO BE THERE WITH ALL
OF THOSE PEOPLE, TRAILERS AND HORSES
EVERYWHERE. AND THERE WAS
A REALLY BIG CROWD.”
—Bailey McCracken
Contributed photo/Acentric Rodeo
Sam McCracken, a senior at Grant Union High School, competes at the National High
School Finals Rodeo in Lincoln, Nebraska, last month.
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Last month, two siblings from
Grant Union High School competed
at the National High School Finals
Rodeo in Lincoln, Nebraska.
Bailey McCracken, a sophomore,
finished in the top third overall in bar-
rel racing, an event where a horse and
rider attempt to run a pattern around bar-
rels in the fastest time.
In Bailey’s third performance on her
horse, Chex, she clocked a time of 18.412,
and came back in the eighth with a time of
18.162. Overall, Oregon’s Rookie of the
Year finished in the top 51 out of 187 rac-
ers in the aggregate.
In her other event, girls cutting, she
finished 59th overall.
Bailey said it was “really exciting”
just to compete at the national level.
“It was exciting to be there with all of
those people, trailers and horses every-
where,” she said. “And there was a really
big crowd.”
Sam McCracken placed 72nd in boys
cutting, an equestrian competition where
a horse and a rider demonstrate both the
horse and rider’s ability to handle cattle
before a panel of judges.
Sam made his best run on his horse
ever at nationals, but, in his third perfor-
mance in the pattern, he turned the wrong
direction, which cost him a mandatory
40-point deduction, and he was too far
behind to catch up.
If he could have gotten the points
back, he would have finished 37th over-
all. Nevertheless, Sam came back in his
sixth performance and scored a 181.
Sam has taken the top spot in the state
in boys cutting the last two years and sec-
ond place in 2019. This was the third time
he has competed at the national level.
Additionally, because of his accom-
plishments, Sam, a senior this year, was
nominated by his peers in the National
High School Rodeo Association to “Team
Cinch,” for how he has carried himself
both in and out of the arena.
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By Steven Mitchell
Blue Mountain Eagle