The Arizona Wildlife Federation (AWF) is disappointed to see the recent lawsuit challenging Arizona Game and Fish Department’s (AZGFD) management of mountain lion hunting and seeking to suspend the state’s mountain lion hunting season.

AWF takes concerns over wildlife populations seriously and has carefully reviewed the harvest and population data that AZGFD uses to make its management decisions. Based on the available data, we do not believe there is any risk that Arizona mountain lions will become extinct in the next 25 years, as referenced in the lawsuit.

Decades of Scientific Data Prove Stability

AZGFD has maintained publicly available mountain lion harvest data since 1958. This data, collected from a mandatory physical inspection of all hunter-harvested mountain lions, demonstrates that Arizona's mountain lion population remains stable and healthy. 

Key scientific indicators from this decades-long data collection show:

• Stable Trends: Arizona mountain lion harvest rates have remained steady for nearly 70 years.

• Healthy Populations: Neither total female nor adult female harvest rates exceed levels that would indicate a declining population.

• Peer-Reviewed Proof: A peer-refereed scientific model (Howard et al. 2020) used by AZGFD demonstrates that Arizona’s mountain lion population is robust and in no jeopardy.

Flawed Interpretation and Rejected Expert Review

Prior to filing the lawsuit, AWF was asked to review the alternate model that formed the basis of the conclusion that the Arizona mountain lion population was headed for extinction. AWF convened a panel of four professional wildlife biologists to conduct a thorough, independent review. Their responses were provided, pointing out errors in both methodology and how AZGFD's data was interpreted. Despite this expert independent scientific feedback, those inputs were ignored and the lawsuit was filed.

The Success of Regulated Harvest

"AWF strongly supports sound, science-based management of all wildlife," said Glen Dickens, a Certified Wildlife Biologist and the President of the Arizona Wildlife Federation. "Regulated harvest based on scientific approaches does not put mountain lion populations in jeopardy. In fact, regulated harvest has never resulted in an unsustainable wildlife population anywhere in North America. The work to protect and manage Arizona’s wildlife using the best available science is never done, and AWF encourages the professional biologists at AZGFD to ensure their mountain lion population models include the latest available data and are shared with the public.”