RE: mountain lions in ny
 

I always find it amazing with the hundreds of thousands of trail cameras out in the woods that nobody has a verified picture of a mountain lion on it. Every other animal KNOWN to be in the northeast except the mysterious mountain lion. Unfortunately it takes more than my uncle has a pic or I know I saw what I saw to prove it.

RE: mountain lions in ny
 

Hey, here is everyone's chance. When you go out for the deer opening in NY and you see a mountain lion, SHOOT it! Then take pictures and call your friends and take More pictures.Then you call the local TV station and when they get there and have it on film you call the DEC. While waiting make sure you take a DNA sample, something with hair roots will do,then measure it. Everything, how long, the feet, around the head, etc.so you can prove it is a North American cougar not a "quote unquote eastern cougar". Maybe you will get lucky and it is actually a South American cat so you can keep the mount because it is an escaped exotic with no season on it.

As to a picture, get it in a newspaper and then link it to here. That way everyone can see it.

RE: mountain lions in ny
 

RE: mountain lions in ny
 

That's a nice pic Reb. Utah?[:-]

RE: mountain lions in ny
 

Florida

RE: mountain lions in ny
 

nice pic, lotta mule deer here in ny....or did dec release them to feed the cougars that werent eating enough wolves????

salty- thanks for the encon report, interesting read, but it confirms what i'm saying... probally a released pet, did you read the declawed remarks?

that eastern cougarnet is a bunch of crack pot conspiracy theorists, in my opinion, as are the several other NY cougar sites.

i'll tell you this though, i'm gonna get a 150 pound can of tuna, crack it open and wait for a shot. then i'll believe

RE: mountain lions in ny
 

So they have mule deer in New York now too?
Seen this one a million times.
I sure wish we could see this picture that's being spoken of.

RE: mountain lions in ny
 

Nice try Salty, but it is still just an opinion. Granted by a wild life biologist, but no photos, hair, scat or any verifiable proof.


Moose - everyone knows that after the DEC released the ML's, they where having trouble catching the coyote's they should with those pesky dewclaws. So the DEC contracted with the local Bigfoot populations to catch the ML's and remove the dewclaws - hence the appearance of pet animals.:D

I know this is true because my uncle's neighbor friends father in law knew a guy whose brothers buddy took pictures of it happening once.
I will drive 5 hours this weekend to get the pics.

Steve

RE: mountain lions in ny
 

feel free to call the dec, ask them about the pic that was taken of the mountain lion through the guys window, who put cat food out and watched it.

RE: mountain lions in ny
 

I thought long and hard before I sent a post thinking maybe hunters would recognize this as interesting. If it was me I would say, "hey, anything is possible", I just haven't seen a mountain lion yet. Why is it we hunters are so negative? No wonder the anti's are gaining on us. We can't even get along with each other.

RE: mountain lions in ny
 

NY DEC thought it would be better for any insurance settlements if they declawed any mt lions released into the wild. I hear the DEC actually trained the cats to eat coyotes and nothing else. This is true and my uncle has a pic5 hrs from here damit




serious question..

wouldn't you guys like to see a mt lion in the wild? I know I would like to see one. They are awesome animals

RE: mountain lions in ny
 

pretty sure if a mtn lion was declawed it would starve to death. what are they gonna do, beat a deer to death? or just bite it w/o holding on?

RE: mountain lions in ny
 

I have a friend who has been a DEC officer in NY for 25 years. I also have a friend who retired as the DEC director of law enforcement. I have talked at length with both of them about this. Neither of them has seen proof of cougars in NY but they both agree that there probably are some here. They said there are too many reported sightings and some animals may have travelled through the state and stayed. They don't believe there is a significant population though. They said theDEC's official stance on this is they don't exist in NY because there isn't a sustainable population.

They both deny any involvement in NYS introducing cougars and I believe them, I know them well enough that they wouldn't keep it a secret.

RE: mountain lions in ny
 

i'd love to see one










at the end of my 300 mag

RE: mountain lions in ny
 

Serious answer...

Yes, I would like to see one dead, with my arrow through it, in the wild, and THAT would be awesome, because then we would have the proof!
I feel the need to shoot any I would see. They are not appropriate for the area of the Northeast. They are carnivores, each requiring a large territory and cannot coexist with the amount of human intrusion we have in this part of the country. When one eats your child, or your dog that you treat like your child, you would then agree. Folks that want to see them take hold in this part of the country have no idea what animal they are dealing with.

RE: mountain lions in ny
 

exactly!!!
theres 100 of sightings, its just there so rare and there so little of them thats it hard to get a pic of one unless your really lucky...
im kinda scared to go in the woods now were the lion was spotted, will they attack people?

RE: mountain lions in ny
 

btw, is that pic real, how can that buck not here a lion 2 feet behind him, i mean he has his tail down and doesnt even care, what is he deaf, im sure that cat dont have scent lock fur on either.

RE: mountain lions in ny
 

I hear they only like to eat people from manhattan and LI.

RE: mountain lions in ny
 

o crap

RE: mountain lions in ny
 

no, its fake. its been around for a while, and its a photoshop

RE: mountain lions in ny
 

No one that is serious here is being negative. Its not a matter of "getting along" - its simple - there is no credibility without proof not in NY - or ANY state in the northeast. To agree that there "must be mtn lions in NY - because there have been 100s of unconfirmed sightings" - would make us quite the ignorant lot now wouldn't it?

I hope you are right - I hope the DEC verifies it - and puts them on the endangered species list for NY. Then if someone shoots one to "prove" their existance - its straight to Jail - probably with a Federal Offense.

FH

RE: mountain lions in ny
 

HEY now, there are Confirmed cougar sightings in the NorthEast. Vermont, Mass, Quebec, Delawareand on the Gaspe peninsula,That is Real close to Maine.

The Federal Gov't says the "eastern" cougar is extirpitated so the Feds are not gonna prosecute you.
The cougars out west are FAR from endangered, in fact more and more are shot every year and now there is a new state to hunt them in where until there was a season last year, NO one had shot one Or hit one with a car! for years!!!!!
As long as you have a small game tag for Bobcats in NY, shoot the cougar!

RE: mountain lions in ny
 

feel free to call the dec, ask them about the pic that was taken of the mountain lion through the guys window, who put cat food out and watched it.


Do you realize how dumb this statement sounds...let me call the DEC in area 9 and listen to how loud they will laugh when I ask them. Why do we continue to waste everybod's time on this subjectwithout proof. You don't have to drive anywhere....remenber we have the internet to transfer pictures in an instant. I'm sureyour uncle lives in some remote area that NOBODYeven has a phone or tv let alone a computer. WITHOUT PROOF....GIVE IT UP.

RE: mountain lions in ny
 

does friskies or fancy feast work best?

RE: mountain lions in ny
 

escaped exotic pets

mystery solved.

RE: mountain lions in ny
 

i wont go starting a new topic without the proof or pics...but i have seen a live black panther in the wild in an area of central west virginia. i was only about 14 at the time, and i was with my father and uncle when i saw it...i wish i could have gotten a pic but we only saw him for about 15 seconds before he spooked and slipped back into the brush very quickly.

RE: mountain lions in ny
 

Back in the late 1960's my father and I saw a mountain lion in our headlights in Addison County, Vermont. We watched it for about 10 seconds before it disappeared into the woods. No one believed us, of course, but about a month later a large Mountain Lion was killed in upstate New York. There was a picture of it in the Burlington Free Press. I wish I'd kept the newpaper clipping, but I didn't. Also, the Vermont F&G have collected confirmed scat and hair from a Mountain Lion in northern Vermont.This would have been in the 1980's or 1990's if I remember right. There were articles about it in the Burlington Free Press and the Vermont Sportsman (monthly hunting/fishing newspaper that is not defunct). I don't know if the Burlington Free Press has any of this in their archives, but they may have. I'lle-mail them to see if they do or not.

RE: mountain lions in ny
 

RE: mountain lions in ny
 

Mountain lions ambush their prey.Most cameras are set up on trails that deer travel that is more open.How many bears and bobcats have actually been caught on cameras? Consider the bear and bobcat population in these eastern states,You would think everyone would of got one on film.Handful of mountain lions versus 1000sand thousandsof bears and bobcats.How many here have actually got a bobcat or bear on their trail camera compared to who hasn't? That doesn't prove they are not here.

RE: mountain lions in ny
 

Of course it doesn't. Proving a negative is nearly impossible and foolish to waste time trying. Bad logic to infer something exists because of a lack of evidence to show it doesn't. What is of note here is that all the possibilites to produce even a shred of evidenceto support their existencehave failed completely. It is therefore only logical to be skeptical. As far as I'm concerned it doesn't matter how many cousins uncles friends of the family who goes to church every sunday claims he saw one for sure, I'm simply not going to believe the stories. Until a reputable source confirms positive evidence of their existence I'm in the nay category.

BTW, the official NYDEC position on this is not that they don't exist here but rather that there is no evidence to support the claim.

RE: mountain lions in ny
 

Last winter in Long Lake NY my father-in-law and I were walking down a logging road after a fresh snowfall and found tracks that looked like a mountain lion's. We called the DEC, and they sent out a biologist from Albany (about 2 hours away). His response? "Yes, sir, those are mountain lion tracks. However, there are no mountain lions in NYS."

I kid you not.

RE: mountain lions in ny
 

maybe it's owner took his pet lion for a walk? did you see any leash drag marks or human tracks next to the lion prints?

RE: mountain lions in ny
 

No human tracks next to it. There was a drag mark from the tail, as you'll see in mountain lion tracks. Also this was on a private road in a community of about 350 winter residents. One of those places where everybody is related. It makes the paper when somebody gets a new snowmobile, so if it was a pet the owner would be a local celebrity.

I see you're from Marlboro. Do you know the Pagnottas?

RE: mountain lions in ny
 

Yes I do. I grew up in Marlboro but live 40 mins north now in Hurley. I lived in Marlboro for 28 years. A new ATV or Snowmobile purchase around here also makes our weekly newspaper and warrants drinks on Saturday night at the bar!

RE: mountain lions in ny
 

I went to college with Paul and got to know a couple of his high school buddies a little bit, Zupe and Sweet. I'd be willing to bet Paul and his old man Dom will be out in the woods tomorrow morning.

RE: mountain lions in ny
 

Just curious as to how many people do you think believe you or take your story seriously vs. how many you think figure it's just bs and are laughing at you?

RE: mountain lions in ny
 

I thought Dom died? wasn't he the HS science teacher? I had him as a teacher in school and he actually carried a pistol strapped to his ankle. I grew up about 1 mile from his house.

RE: mountain lions in ny
 

I believe his story 100%. All joking aside. During snowmobile season in Tug Hill every bar you come across in the backwoods there is someone just after hunting season talking about a mountain lion or mountain lion tracks in the snow. I dare you to tell one of those locals that they must be blind! LOL that would be funny

RE: mountain lions in ny
 

So would you say most of the locals believe it? Why do you think the NYDEC doesn't believe it?

RE: mountain lions in ny
 

not sure why the DEC wouldn't believe it.It was even in the newspaper up there a couple years back. Honesty I don't see it as that big of a deal. If they are in VT they can easily be in NY. There isn't a 20 ft tall fence around NY last I checked. They are free to roam wherever and whenever just like Moose do.

Put it this way. If the city of poughkeepsie in dutchess county have to chase a cow moose off of main street than I 150% believe there are mt lions in NY.