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About The independent. (Vernonia, Or.) 1986-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 4, 2010)
Page 16 The INDEPENDENT, November 4, 2010 Ike Says… From page 14 four encounters with cougars while hunting elk. I have heard there was a sighting of a cougar just south of Vernonia and one just north of town in the last couple of months. There was a cougar hit and killed by a car over by Clatskanie and also a rumor of one being hit out by Camp 18 on highway 26. They are here people, and all indicators are that they are a growing threat to our deer and elk herds. How long will it be before we are fac- ing the same declines that are occurring in eastern Oregon? Preliminary results are com- ing out of the Mt. Emily cougar study that has been ongoing for two years. Eighteen cougars were fitted with GPS radio tracking collars so that re- searchers could find cougar kill sites. Over the course of the study, six collared cougars were lost due to malfunction of the collars, damage removal, being hit on a highway, or leav- ing the area. Note, not one was removed by hunters. The results so far are 1800 kill sites with deer making up 65%, elk 30% and other animals only 5%. Calves were 75% of the elk kills. With 18 functioning collars and 1800 kills observed (surely not all kills were ob- served) this works out to 4.2 kills per month on average per cougar. This does not take into account the six collared cougars that fell out of the study during the two years, and which would increase the kills per cougar per month. It ap- pears that ODF&W has con- firmed it’s own documentation, in the Oregon Cougar Plan, and that of researchers in other states. The facts are in, peo- ple, cougars eat deer and elk, around 270,000 of them per year! Oregon simply will not support this type of predation and provide hunting opportuni- ty. With hunters taking only 43,000 deer and elk per year (and decreasing), I think we are more than doing our part of sharing the wildlife with the rest of the critters Izaak Walton League, Nehalem Valley Chapter meets monthly on the 3rd Thursday at 7:00 p.m. Call 503-429-7193 for location. Tony Johnson Construction DALE WOODWORKING N I A .CO NT U O SPECIALIZING IN REMODEL & REPAIR M M Service Directory C ABINET D ESIGN & M ANUFACTURING S INCE 1976 J OEL T EMPLIN CCB #43965 503-429-5504 503-429-5436 V ERNONIA , O R 97064 FALL CREEK WOODWORKING WOOD FLOORS INSTALLED & REFINISHED 503-429-4351 Cory Colburn 11561 Keasey Road, Vernonia, OR 97064 • CCB #79876 St. Helens-Scappoose Septic Tank Pumping & Drain Cleaning Office 503-397-3172 Cell 503-396-1408 or 503-396-1409 P.O. Box 203 • St. Helens, OR 97051 • • • • • • Excavating Septic Systems Site Prep Underground Utilities Driveways & Roads Trenching PO. Box 65 Vernonia CCB 166815 DEQ 38649 UTILITY SHEDS GARAGES CAR PORTS ADDITIONS DRYROT DRYWALL VINYL “Have Tools Will Travel” WINDOWS & DOORS POLE BUILDINGS ROOFING FENCING SIDING DECKS TILE CCB #85280 Office (503) 429-7009 • Cell (503) 989-9109 P OPPINO P AINTING FREE ESTIMATES Licensed • Bonded • Insured • CCB No. 90548 503-429-7101 New Construction and Remodeling Additions, Kitchens, Bathrooms, Ceramic Tile, Finish Carpentry & More! Jim Morrison Jr. General Contractor (503) 429-0154 Licensed • Bonded • Insured CCB# 112057 DA NELSON LLC T’N’T TOPPING FREE ESTIMATES 503-429-8930 Reliable Commercial and Residential Service BI G HO R N L OG G I NG CORPORATION SINCE 1981 CONTRACT LOGGING IN OREGON & WASHINGTON Emergency Generator Transfer Switches Now New Technology allows for easy “Plug-in” for most home applications Under $1,000 WE BUY TIMBER • 503-324-2422 Licensed & Bonded • CCB No. 19808 VERNONIA, OREGON Dennis & Schann Nelson • P.O. Box 310 • Vernonia, OR 97064 T REE S ERVICES Marvin Nelsen Over 20 Years Experience 503-429-4963 503-369-3200