Harvest Reporting Update

Last month, Texas Native Cats asked you to submit your comments to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) in favor of mandatory harvest (mortality) reporting for Texas mountain lions. The response from all comments submitters was nearly 70% in favor of the proposed rule and we were hopeful the proposal would be viewed favorably by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission at its May 28 meeting.

However, at the outset of the Commission meeting on May 27, Chair Foster announced the following:

"Two guiding principles of the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation are that wildlife is a public resource, and stewardship decisions must be grounded in sound science. This is the path that Texas Parks and Wildlife needs to be on.” He then stated, “This proposal generated significant feedback regarding the approach to acquiring harvest data and intended use of that data. Additionally, underlying sentiment supports the need for more time to engage with private landowners and hunters, those most affected by these decisions, to ensure a complete understanding of the need for data collection and the best solutions to collect that data."

Although this is disappointing news, the issue is not dead, just postponed. Texas Native Cats will continue to advocate for harvest data collection. This data is fundamental for monitoring mountain lions in the state and is required in every western state that permits mountain lion hunting. Wildlife management should be based on science, with input from all stakeholders.

Watch for more updates soon.