The State of Oregon likes its shinny green image, but if one scratches the surface of the public relations image, one finds state policies more in tune with the culture of say, a West Virginia. A case in point is the state policy towards cougars (felis concolor). Oregon has recently begun hunting the beautiful feline again. Once hunted to near extinction, cougar numbers have rebounded, although wildlife advocates say the state counts are inflated. The potential for conflict between humans and the big cats has therefore increased. Conflicts with humans is the primary reason wildlife management officials offer to justify the hunting program. The state started culling in 2006. About 100 cats have been killed by state hunters so far. There is only one problem with the reasoning. Reports of conflicts are down from a peak in 1999 as public education of how to live with large predatorsis making humans more comfortable with sightings of the awesome animal. Thirty years ago cougars ranged in about a quarter of the state, now they have been spotted everywhere except in the densest urban areas. Despite the apparent lack of actual conflict, the state has made it easier for the public to hunt mountain lions: extending the season, reducing the price of a hunting license and increasing limits. The voters of Oregon did ban the use of dogs to hunt cougars in 1994, and a bounty has not been paid since the early 20th century. Biologists think that puma numbers are closely controlled by the amount of prey available, primarily deer and elk. Relocation of unwanted cats is more expensive and time consuming, but cougars are worth protecting from death as a mere pest. Public education of how to deal with a close encounter in the wild (rule one: never turn your back) will also help the normally reclusive cougar to live peacefully in the state near human habitats. There has never been a documented attack on a human by a cougar in Oregon.