In 1978, mountain lions were listed as a state threatened species. There was a tin of American Spirit tobacco on the table (Ottmanns), a laptop (Bettys), a notebook (mine), and a tumbler of Bacardi and Coke (Ottmanns again). If these people say they saw something, Im going to listen., If theres one thing people on all sides of the debate can agree on, its that a breeding population of cougars is essential to the overall health of New Englands ecosystems, which currently lack an apex predator. They certainly have, you know, lower levels of conflicts and home entries than we do here in Connecticut. Bios and videos of the New Haven Register's 90th First-Team All-State Football players. Sign up for our newsletterto get the latest and greatest content fromConnecticut Magazinedelivered right to your inbox. We even had a sighting someone here at DEEP, in my office, was convinced they saw a mountain lion. It was a spotless cat she estimated at close to 100 pounds. Had trouble sleeping last night cause that was to close and I think she may have stalked me from where I was in the woods. My husband and where riding our Motorcycle down Rte 110 near Milan NH We think theyre coming in from Canada, Betty told me. That had to be a mountain lion. I had been the first vehicle in a line held up by one lane traffic on a bridge reconstruction. Hed encouraged me to keep my eyes open for deer carcasses cached in the trees (according to Ottmann, cougars are fantastic climbers and are known to stash their kills high in trees), but I saw only leaf-bare branches. Now that USFW has declared them extinct, why not formally reintroduce them. She was calling from a trail in Pootatuck State Forest, the 1,200-acre strip of nature occupying the hills above Squantz Pond in New Fairfield. Body length: 3-4 ft. Tail: 2.5-3 ft. State wildlife experts say those big cats have been extinct in Connecticut. The bobcat population has since recovered due to improving forest habitat conditions and legal protections. Humans and wildlife MUST learn to live along side each other and we MUST learn to respect nature. Mountain lions are nocturnal hunters, mostly going after deer. Photos of the cat did nothing to convince DEEP the cat was here. The 1881 death of this catamount officially marked the end of cougars in Vermont; however, the very last Eastern cougar is thought to be an animal that was killed in Somerset County, Maine, in 1938. The scientific name for the catamount is Puma concolor. The key to Morses assertion can be found in the term breeding population. Although the fact that cougars have traveled through New England is irrefutable (a DNA-confirmed roadkill is hard to deny), Morse believes its unlikely that they have settled here and created a self-sustaining population. Those are the two closest populations that we have here. It can run at speeds of up to 50 mph. He drove me out to the spot. Honestly, leaving this out of your article would seem to perpetuate the notion that there is a conspiracy to keep us all in ignorance. We met for lunch on a Sunday morning in early March, and it didnt take long for me to understand why Harrigan is such a popular columnist. I also had a coworker report a similar experience around the same time. The regions top predator, the coyote, is classified by biologists as a mesopredator (a type that in New England includes skunks and raccoons), which feeds primarily on smaller animals. I saw one about 10 years ago, on our road. State lawmakers have entertained bills to establish a bear hunting season for years, but so far, none of those proposals has passed. A threat to livestock, they were hunted out of the state and driven to parts more wild. The last catamount in Vermont is finally, officially, certainly dead. Mountain lions, on the other hand, weigh in at between 130 to 150 pounds for males and between 65 and 90 pounds for females. Betty folded his arms across his chest, where they rose and fell and rose again with his breathing. Ottmann nodded. They are here in the Catskill Mountains, so named for the magnificent felines. No doubt of what it was; size, color and recognizable tail. Many, many times, in many different ways along its travel up through Minnesota, Michigan and to Canada, down through New York, through hair samples, blood samples, trail camera photos. And were one of the most densely populated states as far as humans. Wed be seeing more carcasses of prey we would be seeing at least some carcasses of mountain lion prey. I could hear the steady rush of traffic on Route 315. CT Style. For who but we humans can look across the landscape and not acknowledge our role in the diminishment of cougars and the myriad ways in which we have knocked the landscape out of balance? As I turned a corner going north toward Waterbury, I saw the cat come up from the cornfield, saunter across the highway, turn and look in my direction and then amble off into the brush. Besides, Ottmann had revealed that hed been charged by a bear in this same piece of woods, and I felt conflicted about diverting my gaze from the underbrush. This is always been a debate however as someone who is an avid Outdoorsman I can say with certainty I know of at least 12 people that have personal accounts of seeing mountain lion in Central and Western Massachusetts. LINCOLN, Neb. Bobcats: Though technically a type of lynx, they are distinct from other species of lynx such as the Canadian lynx. The big cat has been extinct here since the mid-1800s. He/she was UNMISTAKEABLY a mountain lion: stretched out straight, long tail straight out behind him, golden/beigey color, and smallish head, little ears. When a group of officers arrived at a neighborhood in Loveland, Colorado . One one occasion she had two little ones with her so their den must have been sort of closeby. Weights range from 80 to 225 pounds, but the average is 140 pounds. of Energy & Environmental Protection. She favors plaid shirts, green Dickies work pants, and hiking boots, and she chided me for shaking her hand too gently. Part of this belief is rooted in his journalistic experience, which across the decades has cultivated his nose for sincerity. To report grouse sightings, please contact Wildlife Division biologist Will Cassidy at william.cassidy@ct.gov or 860-418-5961. . He knew it was only a matter of time. If you believe you have seen a mountain lion and want to report it to NH Fish and Game, please contact the Wildlife Division at (603) 271-2461 or wildlife@wildlife.nh.gov to request an observation report form. This is part of the cougar business. Someone told New Canaan police that a mountain lion was spotted on Gerdes Road, just north of the Darien-New Canaan border, at about 6 p.m., Saturday, Aug. 14.. I kept trying to make it be something else because I was shocked that I was, indeed, watching a mountain lion pass in front of me. So theres fresh mud. Hawley: Yeah. Mountain lions in Eastern Connecticut? He explains that we frequently overestimate the size of animals in the wild, particularly ones we are afraid of. Rumors of their hidden presence persisted. Stephen Gencarella, professor of folklore studies at the University of Massachusetts and a Connecticut resident, says, The government coverup is only the latest version of something that could stretch back in the oral tradition to precolonial times. He notes that supposed mountain lion sightings spiked in the late 1800s and early 1900s shortly after the animals disappeared from New Englands woods. I have pictures of tracks around my car and up to the back steps of my deck in Arkville, NY . I lived in Woodstock, CT in 2005/2006. On the idea of bear hunting in Connecticut. Fight at end of CT high school basketball game involving Middletown, Weaver second in as many days, How UConn women's basketball forward Amari DeBerry landed on ESPN SportsCenter's Top 10 plays, Connecticut boys hockey top performers / games to watch (Jan. 17), Goggles? I was deer hunting with my father, it was in the fall about 7 years ago, in Barre Ma towards the Templeton Ma lines. When he suggested we retrace our route, past lion, to see a sow bear with cubs, we headed in the opposite direction. They denied it until a cougar was hit as it tried to cross the very busy Merritt Parkway. THAT is a mountain lion! Now, ocelots are critically endangered and jaguarundis might be completely gone. The U.S. Department of Agricultures Forest Service reports that mountain lions typical habitat is steep, rocky canyons or mountainous terrain, but they generally can be found wherever deer are present. Uscinski, a Connecticut native, adds that the theory that the government is covering up the existence of mountain lions is likely motivated by a distrust of authority. As unlikely as it sounds, it was a more believable theory than some of the alternatives, among them that the cat was evidence of a breeding population in the state that was being kept secret by DEEP. The mountain lion is also known as cougar, panther, or puma. Having retired from a career at General Dynamics, he devotes many of his waking hours to cougar research, a passion hes cultivated for nearly twodecades. I will never forget what I saw! Verified Mountain Lion-Human Attacks. The tail, I said. Megafauna mania: our obsession with mountain lions and other large predators., Megafauna mania: our obsession with mountain lions and other large predators. Mountain lions are solitary animals, traveling alone except during mating season or when a female is supporting young. But what might be his most compelling argument is that since this is Connecticut, the budget is too limited. on the regular. I also know of someone who said they showed F&G a photo of one from a game camera in NH. Today marks the date of our inception. State lawmakers have entertained bills to establish a bear hunting season for years, but so far, none of those proposals has passed. The reasons for this conspiracy vary depending upon whom you talk to, but they coalesce around the idea that wildlife agencies would be inconvenienced by the cougars presence, as theyd be forced to respond in ways that would tax their resources. Today, nearly 60% of Connecticut is covered in forest, and bobcats are regularly observed throughout the state. Well, theres no difference between Maine and New Brunswick, anyway, said Betty. Mountain lions, however, arent seen much in the Nutmeg State, even though several have reportedly been spotted around the Woodbridge area this month. Connecticut Dept. Its documented through track surveys, aerial surveys, trapping and collaring surveys. About This Home This charming 2 bed, 2 bath home, sits on a large lot facing north/south. What time of day was it? Put bluntly, Morse does not believe that New England is home to cougars. Kim Royar, a biologist at the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department, told me she receives 40 to 50 reports annually, and although she believes that few, if any, are actual cougar sightings, she doesnt dismiss the possibility that someday someone will happen upon the real deal. On November 22, about 20 miles north of Rowlett there was another . 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I thought I saw signs posted in Pawling NY about 8 years ago, that DEC released a pair to control deer population,mane several people have seen them in Wingdale, NY. We hadnt seen a cougar, nor any evidence to suggest a cougar had traveled these woods recently. The recent social media posting of what was thought to be an image of a mountain lion in Prairie du Rocher brought skepticism . Interesting article, but it is really incomplete without a discussion of the legal implications of having a confirmed endangered species such as the Eastern Cougar in New England. Using DNA and physical evidence, state environmental officials said they determined that the animal likely trekked more than 1,500 miles from South Dakota, a journey that was captured by trail camera (above). There was the vaguest of trails, crisscrossed by deadfalls and a sharp-thorned bush that soon drew blood from Ottmanns right hand. We hadnt seen a cougar, nor any evidence to suggest a cougar had traveled these woods recently. Listen & Learn. She lives near the end of a gravel road in a modest, low-slung house tucked into the flanks of the Green Mountains. It is also known as cougar, panther, mountain lion, and puma, though catamount is the preferred regional vernacular. Responding to complaints about a predator eating a local farmers sheep, Crowell and a small group of fellow hunters had tracked the big cat through the snow. On a mountain lion that died on a Connecticut highway. Patrick Skahill is a reporter and digital editor at Connecticut Public. Out & About | Best New England Holiday Events for 2019. Next to the jaguar, it is the largest North American cat. Wildlife is unpredictable (and several people go missing in wild areas, parks especially, every year -Probably not because of alien abduction). Eastern cougars (mountain lions) do not have a native, self sustaining population in New York State. The real reason that they wont admit that a breeding population exists, is that listing a population of endangered species would wreak ECONOMIC havoc in a number of arenas, mostly logging/forestry. Once at dusk driving in the Berkshires, he saw what he initially thought was a cat-like creature that was far bigger than a bobcat leap across the road. Morse is a Vermont-based naturalist and the founder of Keeping Track, a nonprofit that trains people in the scientific protocols needed to detect, interpret, record, and monitor wildlife tracks and signs. I knew it had to have been from a mountain lion Ive seen bobcats and their tracks and from the size of the deer carcass Im convinced there are mountain lions amongst us in Massachusetts! (My wife didnt get a look at the tail.) Because while male cougars eventually strike out on their own and occasionally wander far from home, females are, as Morse puts it, hardwired to remain close to their mothers home range. ALSO KNOWN AS Bobcats: Though technically a type of lynx, they are distinct from other species of lynx such as the Canadian lynx. Morse founded Keeping Track in the belief that getting citizens interested and engaged in wildlife will have the knock-on effect of getting them interested and engaged in how land-use decisions affect wild populationsand might provide the impetus for conservation efforts. Well, I KNOW there was at least one mountain lion in NE because years ago (maybe 35 or so) I lived in Longmeadow, MA. Our wildlife biologists and enforcement agents are mostly political bureaucrats who dont often venture more than 100yards from the truck. But, yes, thats exactly what it was. Ive attended talks with Sue Morse. The history of this theory in Connecticut and New England goes back long before our current era of fake news. And the clincher, What would you say was the most distinguishing feature? Black panthers, which are not found in the U.S., are actually black jaguars or leopards. You know, weve had so many home entries this year. He soon developed a five-question litmus test: How far away were you? Over time, Wright became convinced Eastern cougars lived in small pockets in the deep woods. People like you are the problem and cause of extinctions. As livestock farming came to dominate the landscape, pressure on the big cats slowly mounted on two fronts: The number of farmers wanting them dead was increasing, while the rapid transition from forest to farmland meant their habitat was shrinking. 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. Adult males can be around 8 feet in length and weigh between 130 and 150 pounds, while adult females can be 7 feet long and weigh between 65 and 90 pounds. Big kitty. But you are talking Pacquiao (Pit) vs. Tyson (Dogo) in their prime. In 1994, scat collected after a sighting in Craftsbury, Vermont, was found to contain cougar hair (the animals are prone to ingesting their hair while grooming), and the commissioner of the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department circulated a memo with the following line: It is possible that cougars of unknown origin may be breeding to a limited extent in Vermont. Still more confusion ensued when a lab technician said she might have gotten some samples confused, and thus the canid result was thrown into doubt. Spatz and Sue dont want to go where were going.. Mountain lion hunting tags were sold in 2013 through a lottery system for the state's first lion hunt. The discussion of whether federal lands should be a place to subsidize cattle ranching is another question. There were caribou antlers mounted above the front doors, and the interior walls were covered in row upon row of books; a long table was piled high with still more books in seemingly random arrangements. To learn more about "lion country" in Colorado check here. In Florida, where mountain lions are known as panthers, dozens are killed each year by cars. Hawley: That animal was documented. "Mountain lions are considered extinct in the northeast." Bobcats are not uncommon in Connecticut, according to the state, although their population is limited throughout the state, with the. Updated . Public opinion surveys show many more would support reintroduction, than oppose. A witness captured the terrifying moment when a deputy escaped the jaws of a mountain lion in Colorado. Because they are.. There are an estimated 3,000 - 7,000 Mountain lions in Colorado. To date, Keeping Track has helped conserve 40,000 acres in 12 states and inQuebec. He points out that when there was a real mountain lion in the state in 2011, his office publicized it immediately. The cougar and the states refusal to admit it was here made the local paper. They are there and thriving!!!! Mountain lions have traveled through Fairfield County in the past. As a carnivore biologist, Hawley says he would love it if mountain lions were here. I saw one yesterday in Windsor Cty Vermont. Sometimes people feared fishers (erroneously attributing the blood-curdling screams of foxes to these hard-to-spot creatures), and in the late 1930s, after several animals were slain under strange circumstances in Glastonbury, the Hartford Courant dubbed the lion-like creature supposedly responsible, the Glawackus. Bobcats are found across Connecticut, but even fully grown they are much smaller than what she was describing, only weighing between 18 and 35 pounds. For instance, a favorite food for deer is the seedlings of forest tree species. Hawley:Were sort of stuck between a rock and a hard place right now. It seems humans just cant resist destroying these animals and either dont realize or dont care what damage we have done to our natural environment over the centuries. Although there are numerous reported sightings of mountain lions in Connecticut every year, the animals have actually been extinct in this state for more than a century. But sometimes, instead of mountain lions, people thought they saw other creatures in the Connecticut woods, of which authorities were supposedly aware. He can be reached by phone at 860-275-7297 or by email: pskahill@ctpublic.org. You know, weve had so many home entries this year. Hes spent this winter hoping for colder temperatures so he can use it. It is also known as cougar, panther, mountain lion, and puma, though catamount is the preferred regional vernacular. I only saw the back side, but he was huge. They are here & ..just a matter of time with photo or kill on a highway/road. Its not a bear, not a dog, not a deer, not a bobcat. Pictured is an image shared earlier this month on Facebook of what was claimed to be a mountain lion sighting this past fall in Prairie du Rocher. A few years later, though, the scat was retested with DNA analysis and found to be canid, rather than feline, in origin. Heres what to know about mountain lions (and other large cats) in Connecticut. And the last confirmed sighting prior to the 2011 instance would be a couple hundred years ago, according to Hawley. Ive never forgotten that and told it to many folks over the years, most of whom, I must say, thought I was hallucinating I guess but, it/he/she was a fact in Longmeadow, MA that summer long ago. Hey, I know what I saw. Indeed, one of her steadiest sources of funding for Keeping Track is a presentation on cougars that has been known to draw more than 500 audience members. The problem and cause of extinctions Betty told me but so far, none of those proposals passed! 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