Image provided by: Morrow County Museum; Heppner, OR
About Heppner gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1925-current | View Entire Issue (April 3, 2013)
Local man kills cougar south of Heppner Hill Bess,e Wetze» Newspaper Library University of Oregon ^ Eugene, OR 97403 5(K Gary Waddell with a young cougar shot south of Heppner. VOL. 132 NO. 14 8 Pages Wednesday, April 3, 2013 Morrow County, Heppner, Oregon Garden Club reorganizes, meeting set for Saturday Big cat sightings on the increase By Patty Nance Cougar sightings south of Heppner are getting to be more common according to area hunter Gary Wad dell who says the big cats have been spotted at Ruggs junction and on Heppner Hill. Wadell killed a young cougar in a steep canyon on the Haguewood Ranch on March 16. “My son saw them.” he said. “They were in the brush so I went in after them.” Wadell took one cat. The cougar is one of three to come out o f the The long established Heppner Garden Club recently disbanded due to lack of membership Rhea Creek and Sanford as did the Blue Mountain Master Gardeners. A group of local citizens are creating a new Canyon areas. A ccording to Steve opportunity for volunteers to continue some of their projects. Cherry, Wildlife Biologist for the Oregon Dept, of Fish and Wildlife, two of T h e r e is a n e w recognized the continued public areas like flowers the three were a “decent opportunity for volunteers need for projects that these in the m ini-park and at and citizens of all ages to two Clubs were responsible Heritage Plaza. get involved in ‘hands on’ for. They have formed an Yard o f the M onth community activities. informal group, Willow r e c o g n itio n is b e in g How to Identify Following t h e Creek Gardeners, with a co n tin u ed under other Adults o f both sexes n a tio n w id e tre n d o f more casual approach; no sp o n so rsh ip as is the dw indling m em bership, state or national board to popular Christmas wreath have long black tipped tails and black coloration on the som e lo c al civ ic and report to and meetings only and greens project. s e r v i c e c l u b s h a v e as needed. For more information backs of their ears. Adult disbanded including the Some of the projects or to ex p ress in terest, males may exceed eight Heppner Garden Club and on the to -be-continued please contact one of above feet in length, from nose to Blue M ountain M aster list are the flower show at mentioned people. There the end of their very long Gardeners. John Murray, the Morrow County Fair; w ill be a m e etin g on tail, and weigh between Jo A nn B u rle so n , Ed the com m unity garden, Saturday at Heppner City 130 and 170 pounds. Adult females can be seven feet Struthers and Kay Proctor decorating and maintaining Hall at 9 a m. long and weigh between 75 and 105 pounds. Kittens or cubs are covered with blackish brown spots and have dark rings around their tails. The markings fade as they mature. For a fifteenth year, walkers on another day, to 460 N Gale Street. The Habitat walk will start at 10 a.m. Heppner will host the East raise funds that way. The best eastern Or There is no registra and a brunch and raffle ern Oregon Multiple Scle rosis (MS) Walk on April tion fee for the MS Walk. will follow after the walk. egon habitat is the open 20. Pre-registration is ap However, participants are The well-marked 5K route mixed conifer type of the preciated but walk-ons are encouraged to raise $100 is wheelchair accessible. A Blue and Wallowa moun tains, including the pine’ bunch grass and canyon country of northeastern Or egon. All of these habitats are productive deer and elk areas.. Most locations used by mountain lions during the day are characterized by rock outcroppings or downed logs in forests. Cover is important to moun tain lions for bedding -sites and when hunting prey. Cougars have also been Participants getting ready during the 2012 Eastern Oregon Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Walk. found living in ditches and per person to help sup welcomed. Pre-register on marked 10K walk is also the web at www.walkM- port our continuing fight available. There will be 5K Soregon.com, call 503-445- against MS. Walkers can and 10K route maps avail 8342 or register the day of earn prizes for outstanding able the day of the walk. MS fundraising, starting with Walk posters, with registra the event. a T-shirt prize at the $100 tion information, will be If you are unable to attend the day of the sched level. If you bring $ 100 the located in local businesses. uled walk, you can still help day of the walk, you will If you have any questions, the cause by registering as be eligible for a T-shirt that you can also contact Hep a Virtual Walker by walk day, while supplies last. pner MS Walk Co-Chairs, Registration and check Merilee McDowell, 541 - ing on your lunch break, walking to and from work in begins at 9 a.m. at All 571-5853 or Barb Orwick. or walking with a group of Saint's Episcopal Church, 541-256-0455 Willow Creek Gardeners are all local size”. “Young cougars live with their mother until they are one year to 18 months old,” Cherry said. “Then the mom kicks them out and they have to find new territory.” Cherry said the pres ence o f cougars in these areas is not unusual. “Since 1994, there has been an expansion o f the cougar population into more open country,” he said. In 1994, use of dogs to hunt cougars was banned by the Oregon Legislature. According to Cherry, every year since the ban, there have been multiple concepts brought forward to repeal the laws and none have passed. Consequently the big cat population con tinued to flourish. Cherry said that 53 cats were taken over a three year period between from 2006- 2009 during an administra tive removal program. “It worked,” he said. “Before the removal, an average of 15 (elk) calves to each 100 cows survived and since, there are 30 calves for each 100 cows.” Cherry said the elk population has rebounded dramatically. The big cats taken by the department were do nated to schools, univer sities and museums for educational purposes. Most of the estimated 4,000 cougars in Oregon live and roam in forested areas, Cherry explained. Mountain Lion Facts Heppner hosts fifteenth East Oregon MS Walk > Cougar and dog paw prints are very different. culverts in subdivisions. with humans and urban ar eas. Because their mobility makes it possible for the animal to travel many miles away within only a few hours, it can be difficult to track their movements. Reproduction Females begin to bear young when they are about two and one-half years old. Breeding may take place throughout the year, but most females give birth Foraging for Food between April and July. M ountain lions are The three-month pregnancy very powerful and nor results in a litter of two to mally kill large animals three young. such as deer, elk and bighorn sheep for food. Territory However, they can sur A mountain lion can vive on smaller animals such occupy a large territory, as raccoons, and occasion depending on habitat and ally kill domestic livestock how much prey is available. and pets. They usually hunt An adult male’s territory at night and prefer to am can exceed 150-200 square bush prey from behind and miles and usually includes kill with a powerful bite. the territory of several fe T hey kill may be males. An adult female's covered with leaves or territory can cover up to 65 snow. Mountain lions may square miles. Their ability come back to these car to cover such an expanse casses over several days. may bring them into contact
