Major news! The last three eastern cougars were killed in 1930 in Tennessee . New England Mountain Lion Sighting Bulletin Board, Mountain lion/wolf sightings in Central Ma, Re(1): Mountain lion/wolf sightings in Central Ma, Re(2): Mountain lion/wolf sightings in Central Ma, Ellisville State Park cougar killed crossing 3A in S. Plymouth, MA, Re(1): Ellisville State Park cougar killed crossing 3A in S. Plymouth, MA, Re(2): Ellisville State Park cougar killed crossing 3A in S. Plymouth, MA, Sighting just over CT border into Vista, NY, Re(1): Sighting just over CT border into Vista, NY, VideoWild cat sighting, North Scituate, RI, Re(1): VideoWild cat sighting, North Scituate, RI, Re(2): VideoWild cat sighting, North Scituate, RI, Re(3): VideoWild cat sighting, North Scituate, RI, Re(4): VideoWild cat sighting, North Scituate, RI, Re(1): Mountain lion/bobcat?/North Andover. It is what wildlife biologists call an apex carnivore, which means it can overpower pretty much any other creature in its environmentwith the exception of an armed human. They sent he sent his scent those two samples with his to Wyoming an unfortunate Fish and Game Commission there did not get a positive read on it but send it back to Central Michigan University where they did a nuclear micro satellite DNA analysis and found no significant difference between that scat and other scats that were tested from the Rocky Mountain region. We had six copies printed out each. Coyotes have been mistaken for mountain lions. Pat ruse and he was sampling doing DNA samples from cats in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Both male and female lions have similar appearance, but male lions are 30 to 40 percent bigger than the females, according to the Mountain Lion Foundation. It's unfortunate that that kind of thing happens as often as it does. People were calling the New Hampshire Fish and Game director's office saying why are you dragging your feet on this. Mountain lions became scarce in the East after a bounty system wiped out most predatory animals. Sam what's the incentive for the government to deny allegedly. Much as I liked Ottmann and Betty, and much as I found some of their evidence compelling, I was struggling to reconcile their more provocative claims with the restraint expressed by the many other experts Id spoken with. A: It is less common than many other invasives but is found here in the Berkshires. Hes also unafraid to take unpopular positions when he deems it necessary: Shortly before our meeting, hed signed a petition in favor of keeping ATVs off public roads. So all the other states in the Northeast that have bear populations have a harvest on their bears. M from Tree Hill author series presenting Diane lay back. Massachusetts and several other New England states have bear hunting, or harvest, seasons, which proponents say help control populations. There was the vaguest of trails, crisscrossed by deadfalls and a sharp-thorned bush that soon drew blood from Ottmanns right hand. 2, 2015) French wrote a thorough piece, "Mountain Lions in Massachusetts: Distinguishing the Fiction from the Facts." If we end up with a population, it will be the result of a colonizer female who gets here somehow, some way, and the rest will be history.. And because you know things flow downhill and I was pushed to go investigate it more and met with the individual two or three times and there was a bunch of inconsistencies about the photograph. Peter Biello: This is the exchange on an PR. So there is definitely no downward pressure by anyone. I just want to tell you a story that I read. Coyotes have also been mistaken for Mountain Lions. Given the long, shared border between these provinces and New England, along with plentiful evidence that other species cross this border regularly, it seems entirely possible that cougars would also engage in international travel. Mountain lion sightings in New Hampshire have increased along with the bobcat population, said Tate. These highlights have been edited and condensed for length and clarity. Information that weed family automotive dot com sunny for today high temperatures low to mid 80s clear tonight overnight lows in the 50s tomorrow sunny highs in the upper 80s. And a lot of people around the county airport have seen a lot of pilots coming in said they saw huge. A few years later, though, the scat was retested with DNA analysis and found to be canid, rather than feline, in origin. What color was it? We're gonna talk about sightings in this part of the program as well we'd love to hear your story. Based on this blurry photo and pawprints, DEEP confirmed it was likely a mountain lion. The DNA the DNA that they were able to pull from the cat suggested that it was a dispersed mountain lion that came. Peter Biello: We got an e-mail question from Robert in Epsom who asks are sightings or encounters with these big cats less dangerous here where they're passing through than out west where those same mountain lines might be establishing territory Rick. Finally, in the third camp, there are the true believersthe cougar truthers, if you willthe men and women for whom the only logical conclusion (often reached after a significant investment of time, thought, and sometimes money) is that right here, right now, cougars live among us, feeding and breeding and rearing their young, and that suggesting otherwise is sheer ignorance, willful denial, or part of a mosaic of conspiracy. So one thing I'll add. ML Sighting - By Joe September 19, 2016 at 00:31:14 AM. Bill and I are full-throttle. I just stood there just a second and I came to a complete stop and then I ran away. Sort of dropped onto the SD card of a camera he'd set up out in the wild. Most mountain lion sightings are reported without any evidence other than eyewitness descriptions. You saw what you saw. It used to be that a bear would go into a house when someone wasnt home. And thats a surprisingly complex question, because it hinges on numerous factors: policy and politics, culture and conditioning, habitat and, frankly, hubris. The last catamount killed in Vermont stands under glass just inside the doors to the Vermont Historical Museum in Montpelier, a hop, skip, and a jump down the block from the statehouse. Anyone can get fooled. I pull it up but may not have done so soon enough. Peter Biello: Give us a call 1 800 8 9 2 6 4 7 7 you can also send us an email exchange at an HP morgue. Mistaken reports of mountain lions in Massachusetts are most commonly Bobcats. On a dirt road. New England Mountain Lion Sighting Bulletin Board's Message Board We did a short segment about mountain lion sightings earlier this year and and after which I was sent a photo and also a video recording that was mostly just audio because it was so dark the photo just a quick reverse Google image search you can put images online and see where else where else they've been posted revealed that the photo had been taking out taken out in Wyoming and has been used you know hundreds of times to claim and the person who sent it to me said it had been taken New Hampshire. Well, theres no difference between Maine and New Brunswick, anyway, said Betty. Let us know your story and share your photos. I came to a stop and it was and I've seen a lot of bobcats in my time and I just came to a stop it was just sort of confused about what I was seeing. Now that to me seemed to indicate that they had done the secondary workup that in my opinion proved the existence of probably a disperse or possibly from South Dakota like the one in 2011. In Massachusetts Wildlife magazine (No. Mass.gov is a registered service mark of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. What do you think that. Mistaken reports of mountain lions are most commonly bobcats. That's too big for Bobcat. We mentioned that one cat that was hit by a car where it has it that it was a male looking for me. Re (1): Bobcats in Feeding Hills - By weather01089 October 6, 2014 at 06:44:20 PM. Shop. And just one more note about this danger question when even when you look at the states that have extended populations stable populations of mountain lions attacks are relatively rare. Caller: And the more I thought about it the color of it it was definitely not a bobcat. You know, weve had so many home entries this year. Thank you. Also, Bobcats are spreading into areas in which they have not been seen before. That's pretty elaborate. Patrick Skahill is a reporter and digital editor at Connecticut Public. He knew it was only a matter of time. So Pat you field a lot of calls about people seeing or reportedly seeing mountain lions. Patrick Tate: Yes. State lawmakers have entertained bills to establish a bear hunting season for years, but so far, none of those proposals has passed. Or years or so. And Rick van de Poll naturalist and founder of ecosystem management consultants of New England. This is the exchange. The engineers Dan Colgan our senior producer is Allan Grimm. Peter Biello: Worth mentioning if we're scaring anybody question a mysterious mountain lions lurking perhaps in someone's backyard. Give today. Patrick Tate: Nice talk to you too. You don't know what's going on. Patrick Tate: If I could just say one thing. Mountain lion sighting-By Virginia June 25, 2017 at 11:23:56 AM. The same with garlic mustard. You need a permit to have that. of Energy & Environmental Protection. Yes. If so that's for us as an agency. Its quite an uphill challenge for us to manage that situation right now. When you look at a state like Connecticut, with all the people we have here, all the trail cameras we have in the woods, all the cars we have driving you can imagine if we had an established population here in Connecticut, we would know about it pretty quickly. Peter Biello: What about the idea of tourism like us leaving aside the fact that it is not on the Endangered Species Act is it. Patrick Tate: So I agree with what Sam said in part that their ability to go undetected for amount of time but ultimately it was detected. Mistaken reports of mountain lions are most commonly bobcats. We rely on readers like you to support the local, national, and international coverage on this website. I can't tell you what you saw but it sounds like a mountain lion. Caller: Hi. So do they. I was a Bobcat we saw it and I have a picture of it. Mountain lions remain an enigmatic animal for residents of New Hampshire, with New Hampshire Fish and Game reporting three to five sightings per week. Caller: I have yeah. I must have looked doubtfulwe were within spitting distance of a heavily traffickedroad and only 12 miles from downtown Hartfordbut both Ottmann and Betty told me that cougars actually prefer more populated areas, since thats where deer tend to congregate. What gets confusing is when you have a large adult animal and a smaller juvenile animal of a different species you can now step start beginning talking about overlapping body weights and sizes. As I tried to get a picture of it so there was it was definitely we looked up all the pictures and it was definitely not a bobcat or anything else being it looked just like a mountain lion. And today we're talking about the mysterious elusive mountain line with folks who know something about it. 50 feet above the most. An adult male bobcat can reach four feet in length and 35-40 pounds. Sighting of this animal also occurred in Michigan and New York. So I will just say this is a big reason why there have not been confirmed sightings I think is that the evidence required first. If you would like to continue helping us improve Mass.gov, join our user panel to test new features for the site. New Hampshire Public Radio | The American Lion The Saber tooth Tiger and this was the one that survived. The Spatz and Sue Ottmann referred to are Christopher Spatz and Sue Morse, two of the better-known and arguably most experienced cougar skeptics in the Northeast. The second story window through about 30 feet away from it. How far were you from this cat. In March 2011, DCR forester Steve Ward photographed a track trail in the snow near the Gate 8 boat launch area of Quabbin Reservoir. The western mountain lion lives in a more of a grassland open area now so to blend in with a very lighted situation here in the Northeast we are very shadowy dark situation because of the forest and our cats wear a darker brownish reddish color than what they were and they were also smaller than what the western mountain lion is. Just one quick point I think I think when we we talk about these conspiracy theories the real story is that fish and game is an agency that that is short on budget and staff. We know that the closest established breeding population is in either the Everglades of Florida theres a small population down there and then out in South Dakota and Nebraska. A 140-pound male mountain lion was hit by a car and killed in 2011 in Milford, Connecticut. MassWildlife cannot investigate or confirm mountain lion reports without any evidence. Have it reported down in the Keene area. Is there something particularly hospitable about New Hampshire Forests that make them want to come here. Patrick Tate New Hampshire Fish and Game Wildlife Biologist thanks very much for being here this morning really appreciate it. If youre still curious, read on to brush up on your mountain lion knowledge. It was some sort of a Lion Mountain Lion animal. Patrick Tate: Same here in New Hampshire too. New Hampshire Public Radio | Patrick Tate: It became a very interesting investigation over time because it started becoming. Betty was quiet, and I wondered if even he, a man who does not doubt the presence of these cats in our midst and who himself claims multiple sightings, thought Ottmann was exaggerating. I was able to look up the particulars and photos online. So when we talk about the threshold of evidence required to say for sure you have seen a mountain lion it is rather high. And so far we have not had any positive mark lion scats or any DNA. By, March 2023 Fund Drive Rules and Regulations, Persons with disabilities who need assistance accessing NHPR's FCC public files, please contact us at publicfile@nhpr.org. Patrick Tate: My line being a large predator a cat watch ambush his prey animal that hasn't been. In their estimation, the presence of a breeding cougar population in New England would likely stem from our proximity to Canada, where, as they rightly point out, DNA analysis has resulted in 19 positive identifications across Quebec and New Brunswick since 2001 (although some of these were shown to be of South American lineage, suggesting escaped pets). McEnroe: Scientifically, this is a case where absence of evidence is kind of evidence of absence, right? Many people do not realize how large a grown Bobcat is. Now and then MassWildlife gets a report with a photo of a mountain lion. Peter Biello: And Carl before you continue I think Patrick Tate just give me a second. We send out DNA samples to the U.S. Forest Service Rocky Mountain Research Station. But he said, the odds of seeing one are "infinitesimally small." So why do people see mountain lions? When you talk about a bobcat Bobcat maybe 80 90 pounds and then a mountain lion could be between 130 and 180 pounds. And consider, for a moment, the concern and outright fear an official acknowledgment of such a carnivorous and predatory creature might evoke. There's these animals aren't coming with a map saying oh I want to go here. He soon developed a five-question litmus test: How far away were you? 172. And even the home entries are kind of changing. A monthly donation of $5 makes a real difference. support for an HBO who comes from you our listener Sam from advanced in you a local New Hampshire nonprofit specializing in college student loans and student refinancing options. In certain situations, the similarities in the silhouette are remarkable. I think as Pat was saying you know 35 to 50 pounds on a male be reasonable range whereas mountain lions you're up to 100 110 maybe even 130 pounds on a big male. So take care of this problem. Thank you very much for being here. The big cat has been extinct here since the mid-1800s. Kyle I think about Rick Tate wants to jump in here. The Great Divide | Are There Mountain Lions in New England? We're not in the woods. Can we go to the site. It is a low, sprawling plant with small 1.4-inch scarlet flowers. MassWildlife has only confirmed 2 mountain lion reports in the last 30 The young adult male was killed by an SUV on the Wilbur Cross Parkway in Milford, Connecticut on June 11, 2011. Peter Biello: Yeah some of what she was saying sounds like it would require getting pretty close or at least having a nice zoom lens right Sam like. Peter Biello: Oh okay. and territorial animals are much more inclined to create a problem with passer bys than dispersing animals in fact I'd be totally shocked if a dispersal would encounter with a human purposefully unless they had already had some type of training to do so. Sam Evans Brown. Re(1): Webster update - Misunderstanding! The second one was not only fresh but when I actually put my hand on it it was you know smelled like cat and I it's there's no denying a fresh mountain lions get if you can tell it every story that KOAT. It's not an emerging endangered species no work no there are there are populations in specific states so the Florida panther is is an endangered species that sub population is in fact listed under the Endangered Species Act. Most of the reports I would not consider; a few from experienced hunters and outdoor people were hard to discount, although none of them had photographic proof or any footprints or scratch markings except for one naturalist that I have known for years. So I did a bunch of research and all the documentation I found was there art are not any pieces of DNA of Eastern online. People go through great lengths to create hoaxes like this. Think you've seen a mountain lion? And listeners this has been a lively conversation we're sorry we didn't get to all the the e-mailed comments and the phone calls your stories are appreciated even if we didn't get a chance to hear them today. And really whenever you hear tiny code and long rope like tale it's kind of hard to pin this sighting on any other creature rather than an outline or just nothing else really matches that description. Patrick Tate: In theory it's a passing ball of a court and it goes wherever the bottom Ball wants to go. Mountain lion or cat running across. Sam Evans-Brown: So Tim so this cat's been been referenced a couple of times I think we should talk about it specifically lay the whole story out for folks who haven't heard the story because it's actually I think really indicative of a lot of stuff for talking about. Patrick Tate: Well I've never seen an Easter cougar so I can't say when I've handled these 10 cougars and whatnot. And those are not the same things. Peter Biello: Thank you for sharing that. Peter Biello: Mm hmm. Peter Biello: Yeah well what do you think Pat is. Nowadays, many reports include photographic evidence, thanks to camera phones and trail cameras. You need you need either a really good photograph or you need you know fresh scat that can be sent to a lab out West that can they can be identified there. Caller: Oh yeah. This is part of the cougar business. I mean I that said I've lived out west for nine years. She lives near the end of a gravel road in a modest, low-slung house tucked into the flanks of the Green Mountains. Please do not include personal or contact information. New England Mountain Lion Sighting Bulletin Board's Message Board Patrick Tate: While a juvenile not a juvenile I guess if you want nodes to the base of the tail for juvenile that wouldn't be small at all. Sam Evans-Brown: Pretty well I was going to say it is nice to hear about how to identify the facial markings but probably I'd being a to identify the tracks is probably the more useful useful tool that one can have in their tool box. The USDA's Forest Service Wildlife Genetics Laboratory found that the animal came from South Dakota. While State Denies Mtn Lions are in NH, Numerous Sightings Say Otherwise. Some of the reports that I looked into that were actually on file at the local fish and game office were even from people who did not live locally. Hawley:Were sort of stuck between a rock and a hard place right now. Peter Biello: But clearly you know you're saying like hoaxes people who claim to have seen a mountain lion but knowingly have not or are appropriating photos taken elsewhere of legit mountain lion say out West where they people acknowledge that they exist certainly knowingly or unknowingly in this case the person who sent it to me said hey a friend of mine sent me this photo and said he took it on his back porch also. If you have them email exchange at an HP board or give us a call to tell us your story. but won big 2night. My wife and I saw a mountain lion. In 2011, the U.S. There have been several sightings of mountain lions in New Hampshire recently. Sam Evans-Brown: Well this might be a good moment to talk about hoaxes. What's interesting about Bobcats is here in the Northeast we have some very large bobcats. Overview and Background It's completely possible that it may have spent time in New Hampshire and went undetected but had it stayed in the area ultimately it would have been detected over time. I saw the tail end of a literally from behind the shoulder The Long Tail mountain lion crossing the highway going from Password to often Village downtown. ; track sets or photos of track sets; other tangible physical evidence verified by qualified professionals.". And I think this is a really interesting story for a couple of reasons one is that it proves what Pat was saying which that basically from New York state where its traces was really picked up on a game camera around Lake George all the way down to Connecticut there was numerous. I dont ever say to people, Thats not what you saw. I say, I hope you saw one, Spatz told me when I called him at his home in upstate New York. Each person had their own copy and now it was identify the trees the species of tree matched. I mean no doubt a seen Bobcat seen his stuff. Yes. The nonbelievers are going to say Show us your evidence and show us prove this to us. What kind of animal is that. Mountain lions are solitary and . Can you look into this picture. Have you seen one. Prior to becoming a reporter, he was the founding producer of Connecticut Public Radio's The Colin McEnroe Show, which began in 2009. So we tossed these terms around but really the term subspecies has been sort of redefined in our lifetimes. Peter Biello: So if they were female mountain lions here they would be more males just because that's what they're looking for. And those and that's how you can go from a story that Pat says I have nothing to say about that to a story that you know could be the first verified sighting in over 100 years. Are there mountain lions in Massachusetts? | Mass.gov Peter Biello: Mm hmm. Still, sightings are common. Despite this fact, Massachusetts residents continue to report mountain lion sightings. I had a resident in New Hampshire tell me a story of a mountain lion in the 1960s where a person who would come summer in New Hampshire and then live in a different part of the country in the winter had a trailer that was housing his mount line. Explore. When they were landing or taking off and it seems like it's been there for like. I mean so what what is the practical change that it would bring to New Hampshire if any. Its closest living relative is the cheetah. We'd love to have you in the queue. ghost, Re(1): didnt win the pwrball. On one side, there are those (as represented here by Sue Morse, Kim Royar, and Christopher Spatz, along with a number of others I spoke with) who contend that the lack of verifiable evidence is proof that the animals are not here. Patrick Tate: Okay. Here are some things to keep in mind if you come Multiple mountain lion sightings have been reported in . Mountain lions when they show up they leave evidence. Ottmann grew up and still lives just minutes from the tavern; his familiarity with the establishment was obvious (after we met in the parking lot, he led me into the building through the kitchen, greeting each of the staff by name). And you know all that. Caller: Absolutely. Mountain lions live in the state. Well let me ask maybe Pat and Rick about this. And he said, This is where the mountain lion crossed. We walked in and there were fresh bobcat tracks in there. It can run at speeds of up to 50 mph. Get your tickets today and one for fifty dollars or six for 150 at NH PR and board. But before I go any further I want to say we do not have sufficient game. Thanks for your call. John. And they were using all the habitat. Growing up in northern Vermont, Id heard stories of sightings, though always a few steps removed from the tellersomebodys cousin had seen a cougar cross the road on their way home from deer camp up in Canaan (or was it Coventry? And I just said I saw I saw they from behind the shoulder all the way past the long tail. hen I accepted the assignment to write about my quest to uncover the truth regarding the existence of cougars in New England, I had little idea what I was agreeing to. None of the rumors are true. I wanted to get your thoughts on the mystique of the mountain lion start with you Rick. Because they are.. Less than a year later I found a scat on the swamp range and I was working at the time with a fellow at the Michigan wildlife habitat Federation. So that's the specimen that you find going long distances. The big cat has been extinct here since the mid-1800s. So one thing I'd point out is we've been talking about situations with no evidence a number of them come in with photographs and yet what they fit what they description of the animal they saw and by the way I got a picture of what I saw. Wildlife experts say no. So so do what you can get to do what you can to get proof. So before we get to the the the the stories of sightings we're getting a lot of calls.

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