Archery deer hunter kills cougar in Buffalo County

FILE- A photo of a cougar capture on a trail cam in 2018.
WI Dept. of Natural Resources

A bow-hunter killed a cougar in Buffalo County on November 11th.

The Wisconsin DNR confirmed the shooting Wednesday.

Cougars are a protected species in Wisconsin.

The DNR investigated the death and provided information to the Buffalo County District Attorney.

No charges will be filed.

The DNR says the archery deer hunter encountered the cougar while hunting.

The person felt their safety was a risk and shot the cougar.

They reported to the DNR shortly after.

Cougars are a native species to Wisconsin but were extirpated from the state in the early 1990s.

There’s not been evidence of a breeding population in the state currently.

There’s been an increased number of sightings in recent years, but it’s still considered rare.

The DNR says they confirmed 15 to 20 sightings each year.

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Katie Thoresen is WXPR's News Director/Vice President.