Two people who shot at a cougar in Deschutes River Woods Sunday were cited after deputies determined one of their bullets hit a house. The cougar was ultimately euthanized.
The incident started at around 5:40 p.m. Sunday. The Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office said several 911 calls came in about gunshots in the area of Shoshone Road and Baker Road.
Arriving deputies learned two people had encountered the cougar. One of the people allegedly said they had seen the cougar killing a deer near Baker Road earlier in the morning.
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As the two walked along Baker Road, they allegedly spotted the cougar in the bushes about 10 feet away from them. According to the sheriff’s office, the two people said the cougar was acting aggressively toward them, so they shot at it. DCSO did not say if they hit the animal.
The cougar was later spotted hiding under the back porch of a home. The animal took off and was seen going through neighbors’ yards before deputies lost track of it.
Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife was called in to find the cougar. ODFW, Oregon State Police and DCSO deputies tracked the cougar to another home. It was eventually put down.
DCSO said deputies learned a nearby house was struck by a ricochet bullet from the people shooting at the cougar. Both were cited with citations for Criminal Mischief II.
The event comes less than three weeks after a cougar was spotted in Deschutes River Woods.
