Cougardaville

Great question Phil.....we know in nature that every species finds its own kind. The mountain lion would be one of the easiest, they roam long ranges I heard of one that was collard and hit by a car, she had made it over 750 miles! Released animals may tend to stay together if they were raised together, that's what they know. In the wild ML seek their own territory, these releases may not desire to be solitary until breeding season or maturity and they learn more about being wild?? Look at zoo's and sanctuary's they get along just fine!

Cougardaville

Now your cooking.!!....yes the urine works. Almost any cat urine will work. If you use a camera set it 24 inches off the ground, use one that is quiet, don't check the camera every day, and set it on a deer trail.....where the food is the cats will follow. Also set up in some what of a clearing, they like road ways and power lines, don't let too much brush be in your background, they camouflage very well!
Cougardaville

DougE

Sproul,you're all over the place.You say mountain lions move out in the winter and then turn around and say there's been numerous sightings over the past two months.Where's the tracks?If they're seen on a dirt road,they obviously get off the road at some point where tracks could easily be found.

SteveBNy

Doug - if they got off the road, how could they know asome oneis coming and be able to accurately and safelytime their crossing to be 20 yds or less in front of the vehicle. They have to stay out of the deep snow to continue to be seen.

Steve

NorthPA

Sproulman, my comment was mostly about you bringing false, (PGC coyote), information into this discussion. My point being that if you make false statements about that, then why would a WCO believe you about cougars?

The whole concept that cougars leave during periods when they would be easier to document seems pretty far-fetched.
Cougars may travel great distances to mate, find food or establish territories, but that is the same logic that some use to say that they have left “other” areas to arrive here.
Doesn’t it seem odd that the same argument is used to say they are here and then used again to say they aren’t here when snow is on?

My take on this would be that if I was convinced I saw multiple cougars in an area, or so many other folks also saw so many cougars, then I would be organizing a tracking party of these individuals and interested persons to “prove” those sightings were legitimate.
Apparently you know the Sproul. You then must know how easy it is to spot tracks of anything that moves there in fresh snow cover. There are dozens of miles of gas co. roads and forestry roads that could be cruised with spotting scopes and binocs to spot tracks on flats and hillsides and check them out. The gas co plows the main roads and there is good access out across the top.
Keep in mind, cougars will kill and eat about 50 deer per year. They will continually return to feed on a kill for 6 – 8 days. Feed sites and tracks to those sites would be very evident. Out west this tactic is used to put dogs on a track with astonishing success.

Picture this says;
That doesn’t change the fact that Sproul and many others report seeing them on “roads” and in “open fields.”
It seems convenient that undocumented sightings occur on roads and open fields but provable sightings are difficult because of remoteness!
I would urge the folks who are convinced that they have seen cougars to actually do research as to cougar behavior and habits. Then set out to find that proof based on the inevitable sign any cougar simply must leave.
Let’s not subscribe to the “ghost” theory that they float above the surface, eat nothing, don’t have scrape and scratch areas, don’t leave scat, hair or tracks and only dwell in remote areas, except when teasing people by appearing in open fields and on public or forest roads.

And please read these posts. No one here is saying it is impossible for cougars to exist. Wild or domestic makes no difference. Most here are only saying that unconfirmed sightings are not proof. If someone is so convinced, don’t wait on a busy WCO to prove it for you.
If so many are actually seen, by so many people, then getting proof is a matter of some basic tracking and investigation.
Lacking snow, any good tracking dog should be able to pick up the trail from the sighting point and lead you directly to that cougar. It is legal to use dogs for coyotes (no fur taker license is even required). The same methods could be applied to tracking cats.

DougE

Like you,I don't think anyone would doubt the possibility of their existence.Released pets are a definately a possibility but the chances of them surviving and finding a mate are slim at best.I read an article recentlywhere a male was documented to had dispersedaround 800(I believe)miles from where it was originally tagged.So the possibility certainly exists that they could possibly migrate into Pa.Once again though,Pa is a huge area and the chances of them finding a mate is rare at best.

I'm also sure that post people that claim to see them,really believe that's what they saw.I know several reputable people that claim to have seen them and none are on drugs and none have any reason to lie.Along those same lines,i've seen at least 4 different pictures of bobcats posted on different websites.In every case,you were clearly looking at a bobcat,yet the argument that it was a mountain lion went on for weeks.

I personally think it would be neatif they found concrete evidence of a mountain lion in Pa.ButI along with most people,want to see concrete evidence.

I think Dan brought up some rational points that are definately possible.I can live with that but the conspriracey theories many bring up are totaly irrational and irresponsible.

sproulman

douge, again you are twisting my words,you should be a reporter..

first, i only put out question,COULD COUGARS BE LEAVING SOME AREAS OF PA IN WINTER?as was said, they migrate long ways..this could be reason of no tracks in snow in some areas that cougars were seen before in june/dec..as i said, my research has most of sighting from june /dec..

lycoming co.is being exception right now but it may be do to cougars being close to homes there that they are seen more,i dont know..

maybe as someone said,as pgc wannabess said we dont go into woods to far,so how can we find tracks..BUT most of sighting i have documented were almost all on dirt roads in REMOTE areas of clinton,centre/potter/cameron co..

i did have 3 confirmed sighting in hyner near a farm,in bitumen near homes,just outside lock haven..by confirmed, i mean i TRUST that those people saw cougar..another was in the paper by local woman that writes articlesbut that picture was a BOBCAT not cougar..

1 to my knowledge, 1 in hyner,pa. was investigated by clinton county wcobut i did not hear finding..

you keep bringing up the tracks in snow theory,i have not seen a cougar track but how many people know what cougar track is anyhow?

if there is snow and cougar is reported in that area earlier,then only few reasons,1 is he left, other is he does not rome out of the WAYBACK,boy, i hate that word,areas and we dont get off roads as hunters,ha..

if cougars are around dirt roads in remote areas in june/dec,then why would they not be there in winter..coyotes all are walking roads,so i would say cougar will also..

only reason i could give is they LEFT and went elsewhere for winter,places that may have warmer weather and more winter food..like deer, they get off tops of mountains when weather is bad,could be cougar does same thing,i dont know..

this is only guess,dont come back and say, SPROUL you are all over place..

T_in_PA3

The same reporters that write about mountain lions in PA??

sproulman

northpa,first, i told you that statement was made by trapper in the williamsport gazzette,not me..he was stating that the pgc told him years ago that coyotes he was seeing were FERAL DOGS..now, they report a cougar in williamsport and pgc says,ITS A DOMESTIC CAT..

thats ALL i reported here and being article was in paper with MANY more,i only thought we should hear what hunters are reporting that go WAYBACK..

so, if those hunters /trappers are giving out FALSE info as you said,then you should write a rebuttal in williamsport gazzette or call editor..

i got 17 PM in last 6 days, 2 out of 17 say i am full of it and i dont go WAYBACK, others say, good job sproul, thanks for reporting what you see and hear, we also believe that cougars exist..

T_in_PA3

That's it. I'm convinced. After lunch I'm headed to Sproul to check things out.