Who do you think pays for the endangered species within the states borders................THE STATE. If anyone thinks otherwise, they better look again. We have the ever so popular wolf within our borders. The feds have given one million dollars to our state to fund the wolves. One third of that goes to the Nez Perce indians to do their share. That leaves a whopping 2/3 of the amount to manage these critters. This goes to reimburse ranchers for lost cattle, population studies, and problemed animal removal after a court hearing. After that the state picks up the bill or turns it all over to the feds.

These cougars are not going to act like they are in a petting zoo for everyone to come and see. I have logged several thousand hours in the cougar rich back country and have seen 5 total in all those hours. They are elusive animals and can be right next to you without you even knowing it.

You had better hope that if they are there, the powers to be don't acknowledge it, or you will be stuck paying the bill to care for the new predator on the block.

I have lived in New York and am very aware how the voting system works.Most people in New York city will never see a cougar in the wild and will have no clue as to what they are voting on when it comes to these cats. The people who will be most likely to encouter one will have to deal with whatever the people in the city have voted for.

I don't want to turn this into a political arguement, but it sure solidifies the reasons that I left such a wonderful place. Guys I still know back in NY are worried about being able to legally keep their 50 cal. muzzleloaders. They would really love a price increaseto lisc. feesfor ongoing analysis of kitty crap and a reduction of doe permits to help maintain a viable food source.

I am afraid that the negatives would outway the positives in any case, and I can see why the states might hold back from anouncing the population of cougars, which to me seem like very few, and not a viable reproducing population.

I am surprised that in all of the reading and studies that have been done, none have centered around a population data base.In areas that have had multiple sitings, it could be checked for population. Here in the west, they will put up scratching posts laced with catnip. Go ahead and laugh but it is done. With the hair samples left at the site. It is possible for biologists to identify how many cats are in the area by looking at the DNA. In this case, it could show that the cats do roam the eastern woods, not only that, a check could be done on the DNA to see if the cats are related to the western species and so forth. ALOT could be gathered from that information.

Then again, it could let the cat out of the bag.................no pun intended.