WHAT'S YOUR THOUGHT

[grizzly]

I got a N.Y magazine the other day and it has an article in it where the USFWS  claim that the eastern cougar is extinct . I have to say I don't believe this to be true .when coyotes started to be seen here in N.Y many years ago the DEC denied it for a long time ,now they just released a report on how there are coyotes in every county . I would have never dreamed of seeing a bear 15 years ago but in the last 4 years i have seen 3 and we even now have a bear season in my county . So  what do you guys think are there no cougars east of the Mississippi or are there still some running around out there[:)]wayne

[eggshell]

I seriously doubt any exist. With the development of land and the number of people in our eastern woods it would be hard for one not to be found. The only thing you ever hear are rumors of sightings. As a former ODNR employee, i saw many of these so called report of sightings, but only one was ever verified with physical evidence. There was one varied lion sighting, but DNR also knew a local man had captive exotics and the animal turned out to be an escape from him. With that said the lion was spotted daily and swamped local authorities with calls.

Some people swear big foot roams our woods too, do you really think something that big could escape the onslaught of deer hunters to the woods every year with zero physical evidence. They are simply a myth and nothing more. Geesh every turkey hunter would be in danger....I hear they love turkey!

[Steve_In]

While the Eastren Cougar may be gone IDNR has a mountain on film. It would seem like it would take a long time for one to get to NY but you never know. I believe the Hoosier cat is a pet turned loose.

Check out this link to the IDNR
http://www.in.gov/dnr/fishwild/files/fw ... mation.pdf

[kygobbler]

I got to agree with you Steve. I would think someone couldn't afford to keep feeding it and decided to let it run free. About 4-5 months ago there was a report of a lion running loose in Bowling Green, KY. When I first heard of it I was like right what is a lion doing around here, but then I watched the news and they were showing footage that someone shot with thier video camera. Get this, the person was riding on his golf cart and going towards the lion to get a better look it. Come to think of it I don't remember if they ever caught the lion or not.

[retranger]

Wayne just recently this has been in the news up here. A report came out in the Adirondack Daily Enterprise talking about the recent report. There also appeared a recent photo from Moores area of a cat like animal in the woods. It could be seen through the trees and had a long tail. Although there has never been any real hard evidence but many sighting have been reported. One area in particular about a mile from here has had many. My wife, daughter-in-law and myself at different times have seen an animal that can't really be identified as one of the natives, and of a cat like look. At one point while I was still working the DEC stocked a few lynx (radio collared) but according to reports none lived and all accounted for. One even turned up in a chicken yard in Vermont. The one thing that seems to always come up in the reports is a long tail. Folks are seeing something not native. My opinion ,,,,,,,,possible.[:-][:-]

[SpitnDrum]

Heres the sightings from northern KY I think in 07

Mountian loin North Ky

Another proof study long but good read

I believe they are out there.I have been seeing evidence of bears around my area for 15 or so years now and have only seen 2 in my travels.We where driving out of Jamestown park near lake cumberland one night.Something run across the road in front of us that I could not identify.I have always thought it was a mountian lion.Thats been about 6 year now.

[BluMtnGobbler]

Its sort of funny that this post came up because I was talking to a friend today that was at a gun club meeting last night and said that alocal police officer reported seeing a mountain lion. And apparently he was following it. It was in the area of the Blue Mtn. I've heard reports from guys saying they saw what they believe to be a mtn lion but I personally haven't seen any.I do believe they do exist here in Pa.

[Duke0002]

I read a couple of articles on this a few weeks ago.  From what I gathered, it was the eastern subspecies that's supposed to be extinct.  What people are seeing in the east are the western subspecies which are expanding their range.  At least, that's how I understood it.

[Treerooster]

I think they are confirmed in Wis.

Heard a lot about them being sighted and here is a link from the WDNR about some confirmed sightings. But like Duke says, probably the western cougar expanding east.

http://dnr.wi.gov/org/land/er/mammals/cougar/index.htm

[mark hay]

I have my own ideas ,,,probably wrong . I do for a fact know what I saw in Clinton County , Ohio in 1974. I didn't see the cats but I did in fact see their tracks on a sand bar and also in a cut soybean field along that watershed . The sandbar had dried off on top , but the field was muddy wet . I was astonished at the size of these cat tracks as I first layed eyes on them on the sandbar . Then minutes later I came upon them again in the field . Only this time they were running and I soon found a set of deer tracks which were also running . The two sets of cat tracks were running parallel at the spot where I found them running .
 It was some pretty exciting stuff for a teenage boy which was out laying a trapline .
 I have not seen another set of tracks of that size from dog or cat since that day .
 
 But as for the possibilties as I see it . I agree with the idea of it being a western cat that's just on the roaming trip , or spreading out eastward in search of a new and better homerange .
 
 Along the same lines ,,,,,how many coyotes are there in a given county . Oh , I know it would vary by region and food availabilty . Woodlands or farmlands . But I tend to believe there are more than the average Joe has an idea of there being .
 What do you think ?