Mountain Lion Foundation seeks review of Utah cougar removals

The Mountain Lion Foundation is urging Utah to pause intensive cougar removal under WRI-7707 and commission an independent scientific review of state mountain lion management. The request comes as state estimates show adult cougar numbers fell about 40% from 2018 to 2024 and as Utah’s deer goals remain far above current herd levels.

Why it matters: - The Mountain Lion Foundation says Utah should not continue intensive cougar removals without independent review because the state’s mountain lion population has already declined sharply. - Utah’s management decisions affect both cougar recovery and mule deer numbers, which remain well below the state’s stated objective. - The outcome could shape how Utah balances predator control, public access, and long-term wildlife sustainability.

What happened: - The Mountain Lion Foundation, through its Utah Wild campaign, is calling for an independent scientific review of Utah’s mountain lion management policies. - The group is also asking Utah to pause intensive cougar removal under WRI-7707 while that review is conducted. - Utah Division of Wildlife Resources estimates put the state’s adult mountain lion population at about 1,748 in 2018 and 1,058 in 2024, a decline of about 40% over six years. - The 2024 estimate came before WRI-7707 began.

The details: - WRI-7707 is a multi-year predator-removal study in six deer-management units: Boulder, Monroe, Stansbury/Cedar, Pine Valley, Wasatch East and Zion. - The study is intended to test whether lowering predator densities increases mule deer survival and population growth. - The public summary says the study will last at least three years. - The summary does not set a numeric cap on cougar removals or a cougar-population threshold that would trigger a pause. - The summary lists $300,000 in combined outside funding from the Utah Wild Sheep Foundation and Sportsmen for Fish & Wildlife. - Utah’s cougar management changed in 2023 under HB 469, which removed cougar-specific permits and limits on the number of cougars killed and allowed year-round hunting and trapping. - The cougar provisions were added later in the legislative process and did not receive a separate committee hearing before passage. - The Mountain Lion Foundation and Western Wildlife Conservancy challenged HB 469 in Third District Court Case No. 230907889. - The Utah Supreme Court heard oral arguments in September 2025, and no decision had been issued as of Aug. 21, 2026. - Across the 2019-20 through 2024-25 hunting seasons, 3,489 mountain lions were killed statewide, according to figures cited by the Mountain Lion Foundation. - In the 2023-24 season, 567 mountain lions were killed. - Utah estimated its mule deer population at about 295,200 in 2024, below a statewide management objective of 404,900. - The Mountain Lion Foundation says research cited in Utah cougar-management materials has found predator removal can have limited or short-lived effects on mule deer populations. - The group is also urging state officials to consider the effect of removals on adult female mountain lions, since the species reproduces slowly and female survival affects population recovery.

Between the lines: - The dispute is not only about predator control. It is also about who gets to define the science behind Utah’s wildlife policy and what level of risk is acceptable while a long-running study is underway. - The large gap between Utah’s mule deer estimate and its management goal gives supporters of predator removal a rationale for action, while the cougar decline gives critics a reason to call for restraint. - The legal challenge to HB 469 suggests the fight over cougar management has shifted from biology to constitutional and procedural questions as well.

What's next: - The Mountain Lion Foundation is asking Utah wildlife officials to pause intensive predator removal under WRI-7707 pending independent scientific review. - The group also wants biological safeguards for mountain lions, independent population assessments, public participation, and a broader review of factors affecting mule deer populations. - Utah’s next move on WRI-7707 and the pending Supreme Court case will likely shape the future of cougar management in the state.

The bottom line: - Utah is being pressed to slow down a predator-removal experiment until independent scientists can assess whether the state’s cougar policy is sustainable.