WIDNR on the trail of Mt Lion, real deal!
03-14-2009, 05:31 AM
#52
Typical Buck
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: N/W WI.
Posts: 814
RE: WIDNR on the trail of Mt Lion, real deal!
You know what? You are correct that a state like WI. isn't a wilderness area. It has been said before that we have a populated area within any lions territory. They (the lions) need roomand we don't have room where people don't exist. The reason they were killed off to begin with was they are trouble with farmers and citizens who settled our state.
I think many who have posted on this thread are more concerned about the miss-trust of the DNR and think they have a sick part in reintroducing the big cats here. Maybe-maybe not we will never know.
As some have said I would not allow one living on my land period.
Catch and release them out in montana where they can survive as they were meant to do. People who want them back are not the ones who will suffer loss because of them. I am a farmer and it is hard to survive now and it makes me wonder what the cost will be if the big cats are allowed to prosper and multiply here. I wonder what the people who want them to survive here would do if one was living in their back yard??????
No, I don't kill snakes and I am not of the mentality that exterminated the couger in the first place. How would you know what I think, are you an expert on reading a persons thought process!!!!!!!!!!!
Come-on I feel we are all sports men and women and every one has an opinion about this, nothing was drilled into our heads its just how we feel. We just disagree on this one.
I think many who have posted on this thread are more concerned about the miss-trust of the DNR and think they have a sick part in reintroducing the big cats here. Maybe-maybe not we will never know.
As some have said I would not allow one living on my land period.
Catch and release them out in montana where they can survive as they were meant to do. People who want them back are not the ones who will suffer loss because of them. I am a farmer and it is hard to survive now and it makes me wonder what the cost will be if the big cats are allowed to prosper and multiply here. I wonder what the people who want them to survive here would do if one was living in their back yard??????
No, I don't kill snakes and I am not of the mentality that exterminated the couger in the first place. How would you know what I think, are you an expert on reading a persons thought process!!!!!!!!!!!
Come-on I feel we are all sports men and women and every one has an opinion about this, nothing was drilled into our heads its just how we feel. We just disagree on this one.
03-14-2009, 09:33 AM
#53
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: park falls wi
Posts: 615
RE: WIDNR on the trail of Mt Lion, real deal!
By DENNIS ANDERSON, Star Tribune
Last update: March 5, 2009 - 11:08 PM
Treed near Spooner.
Steve Curtis, Star Tribune
The four hunters fixed their eyes on a rare sight: a mountain lion their hounds had run up an oak tree Wednesday near Spooner, Wis. Then they looked over their shoulders for the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources wildlife officials who minutes earlier had attempted -- and failed -- to tranquilize the big cat.
For Mark Brown and his three friends, it was a no-brainer: They liked the big cat more than the DNR.
"We just pulled the dogs off and that was it,'' Steve Thompson said. "Hopefully the lion can go wherever he wants.''
Not exactly a Free Willy story.
The three-day saga played out in northwestern Wisconsin this week.
Today, the mountain lion -- having thwarted multiple stings from a DNR tranquilizer gun and the baying of dogs -- remains free.
Mountain lion sightings are rare in Minnesota and even rarer in Wisconsin. Some are thought to be captive animals released into the wild. But some wild cats are slowly moving east from the Dakotas, officials say.
Brown, Thompson, Steve Curtis and Kevin Radman are experienced mountain lion hunters who frequently travel to the western United States with their dogs to chase cats. Tuesday morning, they received a tip that a mountain lion track had been found near Spooner -- about 100 miles northeast of the Twin Cities -- and that afternoon they crisscrossed the nearby backcountry in their pickups until they found hand-sized cat prints fresh enough to put their dogs on.
"We just used two dogs. We didn't want to put a lot of dogs down and risk a fight,'' Brown said. "It doesn't take a lot of dogs to track a cat, just good, straight dogs that won't go off following a deer or coyote.''
A crowd of admirers gathers
Brown and the other houndsmen and their dogs eventually treed the mountain lion Tuesday afternoon. The cat, which they estimated weighed 130 pounds, was believed to be only the second wild mountain lion seen in Wisconsin in generations, and the men soon lit up their cell phones, calling hound-running friends. And hound-running friends of hound-running friends.
"Soon we had 30, 40 people standing around that tree,'' Brown said.
When dark fell, the crowd dispersed and the mountain lion skedaddled.
Wednesday morning, DNR wildlife technician Gary Dunsmoor of Spooner asked the four houndsmen if they would run the cat again. DNR wildlife researchers wanted to tranquilize it and fit it with a radio collar, Dunsmoor said. "If this truly was a dispersing mountain lion, it would be interesting to see where he goes and how fast he travels,'' he said.
Fresh hounds were put on the cat's track and the mountain lion was treed again Wednesday. But the DNR's tranquilizer dart either didn't pierce the animal's hide, didn't pierce it fully enough or missed altogether.
That's when a tranquilizer-gun-toting DNR employee climbed up the oak tree to get a closer shot.
"A lion ain't going to attack nobody, I wasn't worried about that,'' Brown said. "I ain't saying it's never going to happen. But I ain't never seen it.''
But neither was this mountain lion inclined to be shot again. He bounded to the ground gracefully and booked it into the distant beyond.
With dogs in pursuit.
Soon, the lion was again in a tree, this time a basswood. Arriving on the scene, Brown, Thompson, Curtis and Radman didn't like what they saw.
"You can only harass a cat so much,'' Brown said "Before the DNR guys got there, we let the cat run. That cat had earned our respect. We let him go. We won't use our dogs on him again. We've called our friends with dogs and told them if the DNR calls for help tracking the cat, tell them to go to hell.''
But the DNR was not so easily dissuaded.
One dart isn't enough
Area wildlife supervisor Ken Jonas of Hayward, Wis., said his agency could gain valuable information from the mountain lion if it wore a radio collar, and if tissue samples could be obtained.
Thursday morning, other houndsmen were found to help the DNR, and again the mountain lion was put up a tree. But not without a confrontation with Brown, Curtis, Radman and Thompson.
"We found out where they were and gave them hell for chasing the cat again,'' Curtis said.
The DNR's attempt to tranquilize the mountain lion "didn't go very well'' Thursday, Jonas said.
"We got one dart into him, but it didn't make him groggy enough,'' he said. "He jumped from the tree and ran.''
This time the dogs were held back, and the mountain lion, Jonas said, would not be tracked again anytime soon.
Continue to next page Next page
Brown and the other houndsmen and their dogs eventually treed the mountain lion Tuesday afternoon. The cat, which they estimated weighed 130 pounds, was believed to be only the second wild mountain lion seen in Wisconsin in generations, and the men soon lit up their cell phones, calling hound-running friends. And hound-running friends of hound-running friends.
"Soon we had 30, 40 people standing around that tree,'' Brown said.
When dark fell, the crowd dispersed and the mountain lion skedaddled.
Wednesday morning, DNR wildlife technician Gary Dunsmoor of Spooner asked the four houndsmen if they would run the cat again. DNR wildlife researchers wanted to tranquilize it and fit it with a radio collar, Dunsmoor said. "If this truly was a dispersing mountain lion, it would be interesting to see where he goes and how fast he travels,'' he said.
Fresh hounds were put on the cat's track and the mountain lion was treed again Wednesday. But the DNR's tranquilizer dart either didn't pierce the animal's hide, didn't pierce it fully enough or missed altogether.
That's when a tranquilizer-gun-toting DNR employee climbed up the oak tree to get a closer shot.
"A lion ain't going to attack nobody, I wasn't worried about that,'' Brown said. "I ain't saying it's never going to happen. But I ain't never seen it.''
But neither was this mountain lion inclined to be shot again. He bounded to the ground gracefully and booked it into the distant beyond.
With dogs in pursuit.
Soon, the lion was again in a tree, this time a basswood. Arriving on the scene, Brown, Thompson, Curtis and Radman didn't like what they saw.
"You can only harass a cat so much,'' Brown said "Before the DNR guys got there, we let the cat run. That cat had earned our respect. We let him go. We won't use our dogs on him again. We've called our friends with dogs and told them if the DNR calls for help tracking the cat, tell them to go to hell.''
But the DNR was not so easily dissuaded.
One dart isn't enough
Area wildlife supervisor Ken Jonas of Hayward, Wis., said his agency could gain valuable information from the mountain lion if it wore a radio collar, and if tissue samples could be obtained.
Thursday morning, other houndsmen were found to help the DNR, and again the mountain lion was put up a tree. But not without a confrontation with Brown, Curtis, Radman and Thompson.
"We found out where they were and gave them hell for chasing the cat again,'' Curtis said.
The DNR's attempt to tranquilize the mountain lion "didn't go very well'' Thursday, Jonas said.
"We got one dart into him, but it didn't make him groggy enough,'' he said. "He jumped from the tree and ran.''
This time the dogs were held back, and the mountain lion, Jonas said, would not be tracked again anytime soon.
_________________
Last update: March 5, 2009 - 11:08 PM
Treed near Spooner.
Steve Curtis, Star Tribune
The four hunters fixed their eyes on a rare sight: a mountain lion their hounds had run up an oak tree Wednesday near Spooner, Wis. Then they looked over their shoulders for the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources wildlife officials who minutes earlier had attempted -- and failed -- to tranquilize the big cat.
For Mark Brown and his three friends, it was a no-brainer: They liked the big cat more than the DNR.
"We just pulled the dogs off and that was it,'' Steve Thompson said. "Hopefully the lion can go wherever he wants.''
Not exactly a Free Willy story.
The three-day saga played out in northwestern Wisconsin this week.
Today, the mountain lion -- having thwarted multiple stings from a DNR tranquilizer gun and the baying of dogs -- remains free.
Mountain lion sightings are rare in Minnesota and even rarer in Wisconsin. Some are thought to be captive animals released into the wild. But some wild cats are slowly moving east from the Dakotas, officials say.
Brown, Thompson, Steve Curtis and Kevin Radman are experienced mountain lion hunters who frequently travel to the western United States with their dogs to chase cats. Tuesday morning, they received a tip that a mountain lion track had been found near Spooner -- about 100 miles northeast of the Twin Cities -- and that afternoon they crisscrossed the nearby backcountry in their pickups until they found hand-sized cat prints fresh enough to put their dogs on.
"We just used two dogs. We didn't want to put a lot of dogs down and risk a fight,'' Brown said. "It doesn't take a lot of dogs to track a cat, just good, straight dogs that won't go off following a deer or coyote.''
A crowd of admirers gathers
Brown and the other houndsmen and their dogs eventually treed the mountain lion Tuesday afternoon. The cat, which they estimated weighed 130 pounds, was believed to be only the second wild mountain lion seen in Wisconsin in generations, and the men soon lit up their cell phones, calling hound-running friends. And hound-running friends of hound-running friends.
"Soon we had 30, 40 people standing around that tree,'' Brown said.
When dark fell, the crowd dispersed and the mountain lion skedaddled.
Wednesday morning, DNR wildlife technician Gary Dunsmoor of Spooner asked the four houndsmen if they would run the cat again. DNR wildlife researchers wanted to tranquilize it and fit it with a radio collar, Dunsmoor said. "If this truly was a dispersing mountain lion, it would be interesting to see where he goes and how fast he travels,'' he said.
Fresh hounds were put on the cat's track and the mountain lion was treed again Wednesday. But the DNR's tranquilizer dart either didn't pierce the animal's hide, didn't pierce it fully enough or missed altogether.
That's when a tranquilizer-gun-toting DNR employee climbed up the oak tree to get a closer shot.
"A lion ain't going to attack nobody, I wasn't worried about that,'' Brown said. "I ain't saying it's never going to happen. But I ain't never seen it.''
But neither was this mountain lion inclined to be shot again. He bounded to the ground gracefully and booked it into the distant beyond.
With dogs in pursuit.
Soon, the lion was again in a tree, this time a basswood. Arriving on the scene, Brown, Thompson, Curtis and Radman didn't like what they saw.
"You can only harass a cat so much,'' Brown said "Before the DNR guys got there, we let the cat run. That cat had earned our respect. We let him go. We won't use our dogs on him again. We've called our friends with dogs and told them if the DNR calls for help tracking the cat, tell them to go to hell.''
But the DNR was not so easily dissuaded.
One dart isn't enough
Area wildlife supervisor Ken Jonas of Hayward, Wis., said his agency could gain valuable information from the mountain lion if it wore a radio collar, and if tissue samples could be obtained.
Thursday morning, other houndsmen were found to help the DNR, and again the mountain lion was put up a tree. But not without a confrontation with Brown, Curtis, Radman and Thompson.
"We found out where they were and gave them hell for chasing the cat again,'' Curtis said.
The DNR's attempt to tranquilize the mountain lion "didn't go very well'' Thursday, Jonas said.
"We got one dart into him, but it didn't make him groggy enough,'' he said. "He jumped from the tree and ran.''
This time the dogs were held back, and the mountain lion, Jonas said, would not be tracked again anytime soon.
Continue to next page Next page
Brown and the other houndsmen and their dogs eventually treed the mountain lion Tuesday afternoon. The cat, which they estimated weighed 130 pounds, was believed to be only the second wild mountain lion seen in Wisconsin in generations, and the men soon lit up their cell phones, calling hound-running friends. And hound-running friends of hound-running friends.
"Soon we had 30, 40 people standing around that tree,'' Brown said.
When dark fell, the crowd dispersed and the mountain lion skedaddled.
Wednesday morning, DNR wildlife technician Gary Dunsmoor of Spooner asked the four houndsmen if they would run the cat again. DNR wildlife researchers wanted to tranquilize it and fit it with a radio collar, Dunsmoor said. "If this truly was a dispersing mountain lion, it would be interesting to see where he goes and how fast he travels,'' he said.
Fresh hounds were put on the cat's track and the mountain lion was treed again Wednesday. But the DNR's tranquilizer dart either didn't pierce the animal's hide, didn't pierce it fully enough or missed altogether.
That's when a tranquilizer-gun-toting DNR employee climbed up the oak tree to get a closer shot.
"A lion ain't going to attack nobody, I wasn't worried about that,'' Brown said. "I ain't saying it's never going to happen. But I ain't never seen it.''
But neither was this mountain lion inclined to be shot again. He bounded to the ground gracefully and booked it into the distant beyond.
With dogs in pursuit.
Soon, the lion was again in a tree, this time a basswood. Arriving on the scene, Brown, Thompson, Curtis and Radman didn't like what they saw.
"You can only harass a cat so much,'' Brown said "Before the DNR guys got there, we let the cat run. That cat had earned our respect. We let him go. We won't use our dogs on him again. We've called our friends with dogs and told them if the DNR calls for help tracking the cat, tell them to go to hell.''
But the DNR was not so easily dissuaded.
One dart isn't enough
Area wildlife supervisor Ken Jonas of Hayward, Wis., said his agency could gain valuable information from the mountain lion if it wore a radio collar, and if tissue samples could be obtained.
Thursday morning, other houndsmen were found to help the DNR, and again the mountain lion was put up a tree. But not without a confrontation with Brown, Curtis, Radman and Thompson.
"We found out where they were and gave them hell for chasing the cat again,'' Curtis said.
The DNR's attempt to tranquilize the mountain lion "didn't go very well'' Thursday, Jonas said.
"We got one dart into him, but it didn't make him groggy enough,'' he said. "He jumped from the tree and ran.''
This time the dogs were held back, and the mountain lion, Jonas said, would not be tracked again anytime soon.
_________________
03-14-2009, 10:37 AM
#54
Typical Buck
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: N/W WI.
Posts: 814
RE: WIDNR on the trail of Mt Lion, real deal!
I wonder what type of training the DNR guys have to go through to use a tranquilizer gun? Hmmmmm
its obvious isn't it? They ought to practice on some cougers in the zoo so they know how much juice they need. Or maybe next time use a tazer, they're safe on humans. By the sounds of it they are a bunch of good ole fashioned ding-a-lings. They are going to run out of spots on the cats a** to shoot it in. Maybe next time use an ooozie.
its obvious isn't it? They ought to practice on some cougers in the zoo so they know how much juice they need. Or maybe next time use a tazer, they're safe on humans. By the sounds of it they are a bunch of good ole fashioned ding-
a-lings. They are going to run out of spots on the cats a** to shoot it in. Maybe next time use an ooozie.
03-14-2009, 06:30 PM
#55
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Illinois
Posts: 3,558
RE: WIDNR on the trail of Mt Lion, real deal!
ORIGINAL: mr.mc54
Come-on I feel we are all sports men and women and every one has an opinion about this, nothing was drilled into our heads its just how we feel. We just disagree on this one.
Come-on I feel we are all sports men and women and every one has an opinion about this, nothing was drilled into our heads its just how we feel. We just disagree on this one.
04-03-2009, 04:48 PM
#56
Typical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Northern IL&Southern IL
Posts: 963
RE: WIDNR on the trail of Mt Lion, real deal!
I like youre points on this 2Lunger.I live west of chicago around 40 miles or so and hunt my uncles farm alot downstate(near Rend Lake),they have had cougars around for some time in the woods that I hunt,I do bring a side arm to the woods with me when I walk in @ dark morning hunts,you are right there are many things that can harm you when afield,some commonsence and protection goes along way.I have seen cougar and heard reports of them all over our state and watched the local news last year when the chicago police killed that one.Cougar can and do travel a long way and I don't necessarly say that the DNR did or did not plant them,I know for a fact they have planted bobcats and have had some really interesting encounters with them.I won't lie ,when they started seeing the cougar on my uncles place and when I saw the tracks I did start to get a bit un nerved but don't let i ruin my hunts.
04-05-2009, 06:01 AM
#57
Typical Buck
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: N/W WI.
Posts: 814
RE: WIDNR on the trail of Mt Lion, real deal!
I read an article in the paper today ,that the DNR wants people to report couger tracks foundand sightings in WI so they can check it out. They want pictures of cougersand pictures of tracks reported so they can check it out. They also warned people in Northern WI of the dangers of cougers to their pets and children. If they don't think there are many cougers in our state, Why the warning??
I think there may be more to it! Just a thought.
I think there may be more to it! Just a thought.
04-05-2009, 08:19 AM
#59
Typical Buck
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: N/W WI.
Posts: 814
RE: WIDNR on the trail of Mt Lion, real deal!
I really didn't think we had any before the latest episode where the DNR was learning how to dope up a couger. Maybe there are more, but we know there was at least one and he dislikes the DNR also.
04-14-2009, 08:44 AM
#60
Join Date: Oct 2005
Posts: 51
RE: WIDNR on the trail of Mt Lion, real deal!
Some people are so ridiculous it just cracks me up. Anybody who thinks we should kill the mountain lions because they are a threat to people, must then agree that we should kill all potential human predators. Bears, Tigers, Wolves, Alligators, Crocodiles,Lions, Sharks, Rabid Penguins, Leopard Seals, Killer Whales, Wasps, Bees, King Cobras, etc. etc. etc. God put the animals here for a reason, and while we may not understand why all of them are here, I'm okay with it becauseI don't presume to be smarter than God.
We can't be hypocritical and call for the mass killing of mountain lions and wolves here in the states and then tell people in Africa and for that matter all other parts of the world that they need to perserve the natural order of their environment.
You have a greater chance being killed J-walking on the street than being mauled by any animal you can name.
We can't be hypocritical and call for the mass killing of mountain lions and wolves here in the states and then tell people in Africa and for that matter all other parts of the world that they need to perserve the natural order of their environment.
You have a greater chance being killed J-walking on the street than being mauled by any animal you can name.