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

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!

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.

does friskies or fancy feast work best?

escaped exotic pets

mystery solved.

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.

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.

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.

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.