If shooting a trophy animal is what you have in mind, head to Oregon where the state's Fish and Wildlife Commission adopted a cougar management plan back in 1996. Because they are skillful hunters, cougars have been responsible for killing livestock and affecting the population of other game animals, including bighorn sheep.
Controlled cougar hunts are allowed in Oregon, with a split season (Jan. 1 through May 31, August 1 through Dec. 31). The entire state is open to hunters until the Oregon DFW determines that quotas have been met in certain areas. No matter what, however, cougar hunting with a dog, though highly effective, currently is prohibited by Oregon law.
Everyone in your hunting party will need a license plus a General Cougar Tag and/or a Blue Mountain Additional Cougar Tag (the bag limit is one per tag). For the colder weather, you may encounter in the Pacific Northwest, you should pack a good jacket, such as the Carhartt J97. With a blanket layer inside to keep warm, the J97 allows good freedom of movement when you are hunting for the perfect trophy.
Oregon's management plan aims to keep the cougar population at around 3,000. There are some opponents to this plan, however, who believe that controlled hunts actually can cause more problems because they eliminate the older cougar population (younger cougars tend to do more damage to humans and livestock).
If you prefer to hunt with a hound, nearby Washington State does allow you to use a dog while going after a cougar in certain counties. In either case, the Pacific Northwest is one of your best bets when looking for this type of trophy.
Sources:
http://capitalpress.com/main.asp?SectionID=94&SubSectionID=801&ArticleID=44515&TM=73397.52
http://www.dfw.state.or.us/resources/hunting/big_game/
http://wdfw.wa.gov/do/newreal/release.php?id=oct1204b
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