jhoffman

Here is a link to a photo taken in Hartwick, NY
in 2003.

Sure is not a bobcat, housecat, or Golden Retriever.

http://www.thefreemansjournal.com/MountainLion.html

Give me your take on it.

Charlie P

Why isn't it a bobcat. Click on the photo and enlarge it you can see the black end of the tail and it's not very long.

The last time this photo was on here I found pictures of two Bobcats that were under a hunters tree with the exact same colors.

jhoffman

I find it hard to belive that anyone could mistake a Mt Lion for a bobcat - they are not even close in size.

My uncle Gary Kite in ID took one ( Mt Lion ) with a Bow just outside of Rigby, ID. The animal is almost 6' without the tail. He has a full boddy mount of the animal. A bobcat is not even half that size.

I have I picture but I need to find someone with a scanner so I can post it. I am sure you know how big these animals are.

Doesn't it seem a little hard to belive even someone with little knowledge about them could be that wrong?

Maybe I giving people more credit than they deserve by thinking this. I know people can come up with some pretty outragous comments and stories but come on.

Charlie P

If it's a mountain lion it must have had it's tail cut off because that things tail is about 18 inches or less.Like I said put your mouse on the photo and click you can see the black end of the tail. How are you getting an accurate gauge of it's size from that photo? What is in the picture that allows you tell how large it is?
What size do you think the animal in the photo is?

NYMAD1

bearklr
Sorry if I ruffled your fur, I wasn't trying to make an a$$ out of you or anyone else. Turkeyhunter1 is an old friend of mine who I was joking around with. I'm sure there are cougars in PA, maybe WNY too, that seems to be what alot of people believe. I'v heard alot of rumors including the one about a cougar being killed in Gowanda NY. A friend of mine knows the guy who shot it but theres no pics. He just said the DEC was pissed about it and were going to fine him. I'll see if I can get more info for you.
And I'm sorry about beating on your dead horse, I'll try not to do it agian.

Conservationist

The following link is to info regarding large mammal restoration effort for the state of NY -
It is pretty dry reading though http://www.albany.edu/~grobins/mammals.html

It doesn't show any concreate proof that these animals have been released but it shows the steps have been taken and the studies have been concluded and it also shows some of the parties involved - I'll see what else I can dig up for you.

Conservationist

Here is some other info on s atudy that took place in the Adirondak / Hudson Valley area - I am trying to locate a map of the release sites I know that there is one I just don't have all the info with me.

I do alot of travling - I am currently in Copenhagen, NY

Conservationist

Sorry about that it didn't post the first time I'll try again -






Coyotes: Predators in the Urban-to-Rural Landscape:
Top-level carnivores play an essential role in maintaining healthy ecosystems. For example, eliminating coyotes has been shown to have negative impact on songbird populations. This project, in collaboration with Columbia University and the Center for Humans and Nature, is investigating the ecology and health of the eastern coyotes living in the Hudson Highlands of New York. We are focusing on the relationships between coyotes and human land use practices, so that a scientific foundation can be established for solving potential human-coyote conflicts. By radio-tracking individual coyotes, we will let them serve as “landscape detectives,” highlighting where human-coyote conflict is most likely and what the consequences are from an ecosystem health perspective.
Another aspect of the study deals with the direct relationship between the coyote and other native wildlife. By observing the travel patterns of the individual coyotes in a test environment we will be able to get a better understanding of the coyotes affect on populations like the whitetail deer, cottontail rabbit, and other predatory animals in the region.
There will be a total of 12 test pairs released throughout the test area. These animals will be monitored for a time period of 24 months to determine travel pattern and dispersal of the species. The main emphasis of this study is to determine the potential for a healthy coyote population to coexist with a growing human population.

moose1915

there is a big difference in catching coyotes (that were allready in NY for decades) tagging them, and releasing them to track thier routines, than IMPORTING them to INTRODUCE FORIEGN PREDATORS into an ecosystem..........big difference!

the pic of the "cougar" is cool, with a neat story. in my opinion it looks like every bobcat i've ever seen. i saw a HUGE bobcat this year while bowhunting. my first thought was "holy *(&^&!!! a cougar!! oh man, now i gotta apologize to all the cougar-folks on the website!"

but then i looked carefully as it approached and clearly saw it was an exceptionally large bobcat. i'd say it went damn close to 40 lbs. and it looked real big. but it wasn't a cougar.

also, not ONE trail cam pic has surfaced. they were giving them away $39.99 at gander mountain, they sold thousands, but, but, but, wheres the kitties? no trapper in NY has caught one in over 100 years......

i'm sorry, but i think you all are chasing a ghost.

PS --in my opinion, a 17hmr aint gonna cut it on yotes.(if you want to find em.) even a 22 mag (to the head) is marginal. i use 12 gauge hevi shot "dead coyote" or my .223. you get 40 yds with the 12 and as far as you can see with the .223

doughboysigep

for all you "where's a picture" people, well, there it is. Or at least something that is plausible. And you still scoff at the idea. It is no more a bobcat than it is a lion. Point is, you can't tell for sure. The head looks a lot like a lion to me and where are the distinct bobcat markings (mottled fur, etc.) I don't know about others, but I can't tell for sure how long the tail is. It appears to be covered by the grass.

I'm not saying it is or isn't, but this is the best "proof" that has been presented so far and still people can't at least give the idea some merrit.