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M/CLOUDY Temp: 50 °F Wind: W at 9 mph Tuesday, April 1, 2003 SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA HomeLife Magazine W3 Magazine Jobs @ Mail Tribune Tempo A & E Oregon CarZone Wellness Connection Real Estate Newspaper in Education Prime Times Outdoor Journal Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find Everything E SOUTHERN OREGON Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar ABOUT US FAQ What's New Advertise Home Delivery Classified Ad Contact Us Media Kit Email Story to a Friend March 27, 2003 This dog don’t hunt: Cougar bill suffers setback By DON JEPSEN for the Mail Tribune SALEM — A bill to repeal a 1994 initiative banning the use of dogs to hunt cougar and bear was sent back to committee after it became clear the votes weren’t there to pass it in its present form. Backers will now attempt to work out a compromise that would allow hound hunting for cougars but not bears. The compromise would continue the ban on the indiscriminate use of bait to lure bears into rifle range. Republicans on the House Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee last week voted out the repeal bill. Two Democrats on the panel, Reps. Dave Hunt of Milwaukie, a freshman, and Terry Beyer of Springfield, promptly filed a minority report to allow hunting only cougars with dogs. Faced with the prospect Hunt and Beyer would prevail, embarrassing majority Republicans, Rep. Jeff Kropf, R-Sublimity, the committee chairman, pulled the bill. He said the provisions of the minority report will become the main bill. "We’re not going to make anyone happy," said Kropf. "But I think this is a good compromise." Hunters and farm and livestock interests want to remove the ban on using dogs to pursue both cougars and bears. Environmentalists are vehemently opposed to any changes in the current law. An initiative to repeal the ban two years after it was approved was rejected by voters. Hunt said he and Beyer agreed to loosen restrictions on hunting cougars because populations have been growing, pushing the animals into populated areas where they pose a danger to humans and domestic animals. "I am convinced there is a public safety issue with cougars," said Hunt. Kropf agreed. During the three-hour hearing last week, not one public safety issue came up about bears, Hunt said. Hunt appeared bemused by his successful ploy in taking on the GOP leadership in his first term. He said he met with Speaker Karen Minnis on his proposal, adding she probably was a factor in getting the main bill pulled. "She weighed in on it," he commented. The compromise is generating its own controversy, Hunt said. "The beauty of our approach is that no interest group likes this compromise. We’re getting hammered on both sides," he said. In addition to allowing hound hunting for cougars, an amendment may be considered permitting limited baiting of bears that are causing extreme damage to seedling trees. The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife would make that determination on a case-by-case basis. Gov. Ted Kulongoski has said he does not support repeal of the hunting restrictions on cougar and bear. "I don’t know his position on this compromise," Kropf said. "I have heard that something less than full repeal will get a favorable review by the governor." Senate President Pro Tem Lenn Hannon, R-Ashland, said he hopes the House and Senate pass the compromise. He said there have been a number of cougar sightings reported in his hillside neighborhood. But Steve Kafoury, lobbyist for The Wildlife Society, predicted that while the revised bill may get through the House, it will die in the Senate, where there are 15 Democrats and 15 Republicans. Don Jepsen is a free-lance writer living in Salem. Printer Friendly Version Email Story to a Friend Subscribe Archive: Click to Search Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2003 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy Website Feedback A D V E R T I S E R S