The government of Utah used to cap the number of mountain lions a person could hunt to one per year, but it recently removed that limit and began to encourage hunters to kill the predators. Indeed, the cougar population has been in decline in Utah since 2016; the population fell from 1,900 mountain lions to just 1,100 in 2024. From October of last year to March this year, hunters have killed 45 mountain lions in the state under the new policy. The state claims that it is attempting to boost populations of the cougars’ prey, but critics argue that there isn’t a scientific basis for the culling. They argue that the mule deer in question are in decline owing to habitat loss, not overpredation. This is the worst news for the future prospects of Utah’s cougars since The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives went on hold.
Comments