more New England mountain lion rumors

[hikerfast]

i guess what everyone is waiting for is a picture or video of one up in northern new england where people are hiking and hoping to see them. this is my favorite thread. im glad things dont get too catty

 

[DougPaul]

i guess what everyone is waiting for is a picture or video of one up in northern new england where people are hiking and hoping to see them. this is my favorite thread. im glad things dont get too catty

It isn't quite hiking, but I remember a scene from a PBS program dealing with mountain lions:

It was a shot of a mountain lion hiding in the shrubbery in front of a building in Jasper (Canada). People were walking on a nearby sidewalk completely oblivious to the cat in the bushes...

IIRC, the topic was how some animals were living in close proximity to people, often with minimal awareness on our part.

Doug

 

[Stan]

i guess what everyone is waiting for is a picture or video of one up in northern new england where people are hiking and hoping to see them. this is my favorite thread. im glad things dont get too catty

I, too, am thrilled to see any large mammal in the wild, it is part of my objective on many hikes, but two that I'd be content not to encounter, at least on anything but my own terms, are the grizzly and the mountain lion. Both view humans as prospective prey, the latter, in my mind, more dangerous because their attack is quicker and likely more of a surprise leaving less time to react. ... lends a whole new perspective on "leave no trace."

 

[hikerfast]

i have to admit id rather see a pic of a mountain lion than see one when I am hiking alone. People have been killed by them out west. If I was in a group and I got to be the one taking the picture and meeting the president..well that's fine with me.

 

[funkyfreddy]

Ok, I now live in upstate NY right by the Canadian Border. Apparently cameras on the border have caught mountain lions in Flat Rock Gulf and Champlain NY. I was told this by someone who works for the US Government. Lots of open land for them to wander as well as food up here....

 

[StaggerLee21]

I find this all very funny because my friends and I have all seen cats up north for years now. They first started being seen in the Carter Range and wildcat wilderness by AMC staff on solo hikes in winter. If you want to see one, all you have to do is go to the Sandwich range often during the off-season. There was so many last march that another hiker and I actually saw a black one(not rare) at over 3000 feet on Blueberry ledge trail and it was enormous. There were clean prints all over the brook near the homes at the trailhead and they were from two different cats. I actually have at least one photne was easily over 90 pounds, and the other no less than 70. Trust me. there is no mistaking a cat or the prints when you see them,lol. They are terrifying and ultra-stealth, and I'm here to say solo hikers need to be alert. This whole debate thing should have been over years ago. Nothing leaves claws like that or leaves a stretchy leather snowshoe print with 3 inch talons.....and nothing is as terrifying as when you see one and see how differently it views you than a bear.....you can also go see them on success pond road or the far north. Not only is there tons of hem, but they are also getting much heavier than they do elsewhere. Ive seen 3 allready and tons of prints. As far as I'm concerned, it's only a matter of time before the charade is up. Ive spoken with rangers and others about this, including hunters and peopel from out west. My understanding is that in Maine in particular everyone knows they are back, as well as parts of NH and that public officials don't want to confirm sitings because the endangered species or protected species acts cause huge zoning and building conflicts and make enemies......no one wants to be labeled a public loon either. we live in America, where an insecure public likes to crucify people publicly, play officially sanctioned blame games instead of mount collaborative solutions.....there's plenty of game wardens and officials who allready know they are around. No one is going to speak up though, until a child is killed in front of 20 people at a campground outskirts.Saying they arent here is no different than saying the earth is still flat....and saying they are is like saying you can make nuclear power in 1800....denial, violent opposition, and acceptance; the 3 stages of human growth.
As a certified arborist and naturalist, i can tell you that Connecticut and western Massachusetts are in a unique forest zone that is extremely verdant,largely mature and diverse and provides an exceptional habitat for them and other animals. this will all come out of the wash totally soon.

 

[hikingmaineac]

I find this all very funny because my friends and I have all seen cats up north for years now. They first started being seen in the Carter Range and wildcat wilderness by AMC staff on solo hikes in winter. If you want to see one, all you have to do is go to the Sandwich range often during the off-season. There was so many last march that another hiker and I actually saw a black one(not rare) at over 3000 feet on Blueberry ledge trail and it was enormous. There were clean prints all over the brook near the homes at the trailhead and they were from two different cats. I actually have at least one photne was easily over 90 pounds, and the other no less than 70. Trust me. there is no mistaking a cat or the prints when you see them,lol. They are terrifying and ultra-stealth, and I'm here to say solo hikers need to be alert. This whole debate thing should have been over years ago. Nothing leaves claws like that or leaves a stretchy leather snowshoe print with 3 inch talons.....and nothing is as terrifying as when you see one and see how differently it views you than a bear.....you can also go see them on success pond road or the far north. Not only is there tons of hem, but they are also getting much heavier than they do elsewhere. Ive seen 3 allready and tons of prints. As far as I'm concerned, it's only a matter of time before the charade is up. Ive spoken with rangers and others about this, including hunters and peopel from out west. My understanding is that in Maine in particular everyone knows they are back, as well as parts of NH and that public officials don't want to confirm sitings because the endangered species or protected species acts cause huge zoning and building conflicts and make enemies......no one wants to be labeled a public loon either. we live in America, where an insecure public likes to crucify people publicly, play officially sanctioned blame games instead of mount collaborative solutions.....there's plenty of game wardens and officials who allready know they are around. No one is going to speak up though, until a child is killed in front of 20 people at a campground outskirts.Saying they arent here is no different than saying the earth is still flat....and saying they are is like saying you can make nuclear power in 1800....denial, violent opposition, and acceptance; the 3 stages of human growth.
As a certified arborist and naturalist, i can tell you that Connecticut and western Massachusetts are in a unique forest zone that is extremely verdant,largely mature and diverse and provides an exceptional habitat for them and other animals. this will all come out of the wash totally soon.

Best.First Post.Ever on the Most.Viewed Thread.Ever

P.S.

I actually have at least one photo.

I'm sure we'd all love to see that shot!

 

[StaggerLee21]

one of the melted ones.there were perfect crystal clear ones less than 100 feet away



Theres a melted one. next time I will make sure to get some of the good fresh print for you. they were only about a 150 feet behind these.

 

[Red Oak]

P.S. I'm sure we'd all love to see that shot![/QUOTE] All I could think of was this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OaiSHcHM0PA [note; stagger beat me to it..]

 

[StaggerLee21]

that print is easily 4.5 inches across adn the big and clean ones from the bigger cat were easily 5 inches with splayed toes to float on the snow. each pad had 3 inch claws in front of it. I was a northener, and I lived right nearby in Tamworth and had bears eating my raspberries all the time......so please, no one try to tell me I saw bear tracks.

 

[StaggerLee21]

god its a terrible ribbing, but its a good laugh

 

[StaggerLee21]

if people here dont think that hunters arent allready taxidermizing them on the sly in maine then they arent thinking.....because that is the current price of beef in argentina

http://www.boards2go.com/boards/board.cgi?action=read&id=1380870194.20966&user=katchaya&page=1

 

[Red Oak]

http://www.fws.gov/northeast/ecougar/pdf/easterncougar5-yearreview-final-111610.pdf found this study on the eastern puma. Very interesting on p.10, describes a study where 322 possible scratching/pheromones samples were taken. Ten were puma in origin with the numbers being;4 north american/ 4 belonging to central or south american origin and 2 non conclusive. Never say never but imho it seems if there are sightings they are most likely released species. Apologies if someone already posted this study in this thread..

 

[funkyfreddy]

I'd love to see the photo!

 

[gram]

Really?? Winchester, MA??

http://www.necn.com/02/28/14/Mountain-lion-possibly-spotted-in-Winche/landing.html?blockID=863349

 

[sardog1]

No track picture. No interview with the supposed witness. No interview with the cops. Other than that, one fantastic piece of reporting. And yes, the pun is intentional.

 

[funkyfreddy]

I guess we will put it in the drawer with the Elvis sightings and alien abduction reports?

 

[TJsName]

No track picture. No interview with the supposed witness. No interview with the cops. Other than that, one fantastic piece of reporting. And yes, the pun is intentional.

Oh you, with your evidence based approached. I could easily see someone thinking a bobcat was a mountain lion if they had no idea how big a mountain lion actually was, but the size difference is quite stark.

 

[DougPaul]

Really?? Winchester, MA??

http://www.necn.com/02/28/14/Mountain-lion-possibly-spotted-in-Winche/landing.html?blockID=863349

This "sighting" has been judged to be highly unlikely--more likely to be a coyote or a dog. http://www.wcvb.com/news/state-inve...mountain-lion-sighting-in-winchester/24724658

Doug

 

[Red Oak]

Proof of a mountain lion in the White mountains seems this pic was taken right below the Baldface range. This cat seems to be a mini puma,very scary being so close...