They were also reluctant to certify that turkey and moose had returned the Quabin reservoir lands for many years after locals reported seeing them. Photos of the cat did nothing to convince DEEP the cat was here. But further inspection revealed it was a very large coyote. Patrick's reporting has appeared on NPR's Morning Edition, Here & Now, and All Things Considered. It was hunted to extinction last century, but throughout the Blue Ridge, there are claims from locals that the cat has returned. Public opinion surveys show many more would support reintroduction, than oppose. Today marks the date of our inception. And even the home entries are kind of changing. LINCOLN, Neb. You can subscribe to Connecticut Magazine here, or find the current issue on sale here. The map from that publication is shown below, with the current mountain lion range in green and confirmed mountain lion locations as black dots. . I saw on three occasions in about the same location a beautiful mtn lion with the long bushytail that curves at the end. Hawley, a wildlife biologist with the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, says data dont support a breeding population of mountain lions in Connecticut. This is the second mountain lion sighting in North Texas in less than a month. It is healthy to have respect and caution, but fear shouldnt drive ecological decision making. The CDFW defines a mountain lion attack as an incident resulting in direct physical contact between a human and a mountain lion resulting in physical injury or death to the person. and with my friend Chris Christinat who lives in hartsville we saw one stalking a rabbit on her lawn about autumn of 2009. Its a cool story with how far that animal walked. Here are some things to keep in mind if you come across or see a big cat like a mountain lion: Be mindful of . 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. My neighbors have seen several over the last 15-20 years. On a mountain lion that died on a Connecticut highway. 2439 Adams Farm Ct, Snow Camp, NC 27349 $299,000 MLS# 2479163 PRICE REDUCTION!! She didnt claim to see the mountain lions long tail, but optical illusions can lead people to think theyve seen a tail. Clearly, Puma concolor once inhabited the forests of the Northeast, although its difficult to say in what numbers. However, Hawley noted that Eastern bobcats tend to have very few spots compared to bobcats that are out west or even in the Midwest. If they have spots, they are typically in the white, underside part of the bodies or on the insides of their legs. Mountain Lion Sightings in CT Was the animal a pet set free? But right now youre dealing with top-notch guys. Mountain Lions:100 all the way up to 200 pounds, Mountain Lions:Can grow up to 6 feet long. He can be reached by phone at 860-275-7297 or by email: pskahill@ctpublic.org. Some might mistake the bobcat, which still lives in New England, for a cougareven though its tail is about 6 inches long andthe bigger cats is 3 feet or more. With 18 native South American names, 25 Native American names, and 40 English names, this big cat has a big list of sobriquets that all boil down to the same thing: mountain lion. CNN . These sightings are so persistent that there is a conspiracy theory that says DEEP officials know mountain lions are in the state but cover up their existence. The big cat sighting is the third in the past month in New Canaan, and close to the previous one, Aug. 8, on White Oak Shade Lane.. We get a lot of pictures sent to us, and people say, I took this picture of a mountain lion in my backyard. And Ill look at it, and to me, its clearly a bobcat, Hawley said. The police and everyone else just shook their heads but she to her dying breath said she saw a mountain lion in Lexington MA. Its fur is a light, tawny brown color which can appear gray or almost black, depending on light conditions. Wednesday, November 25th 2020. Indeed! Bios and videos of the New Haven Register's 90th First-Team All-State Football players. I also know of someone who said they showed F&G a photo of one from a game camera in NH. My heart was saying, Maybe this is it, he recalls. . I saw one yesterday in Windsor Cty Vermont. It was huge! But a high-profile sighting in 2011 stirred up renewed interest in the animals here, when a mountain lion from South Dakota was hit and killed by a car on a Connecticut highway. It is hard for me to believe that the big cats havent found plenty of space to roam without regular detection. Weve done a lot of work over the years investigating sightings. As a carnivore biologist, Hawley says he would love it if mountain lions were here. You cant mistake the long tail. The image has since been deleted from social media. Males can reach up to two metres in length and weigh over 60 kilograms. I had been foraging up in an area that is rocky. The expert opinion held up until a man was killed by a Great White not too far away. Mountain lions also have tails that can grow up to 3 feet. 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. 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. Despite frequent claims, there has only been one confirmed mountain lion sighting since the late 1800s here. Typically, they will slink out of there as quickly as they can to get away from humans. Apr 20, 2020. (Throughout history, people have had a deep fear of these creatures, hounding and hunting them mercilessly.) March 20, 2022; Bob Dylan is Staying Busy in Isolation May 5, 2020; An Argument Against Gen Eds February 18, 2013; Forgive or Forsake: When an Artist Messes Up April 6, 2018; Computer Science and ESPN: An Interview with Christine Chung February 18, 2015; The Emperor Has No Clothes: Trump and COVID-19 April 22, 2020 Ive heard some biologists say it is not a distinct subspecies. I knew it was a cat track because the tracks were in a straight line and no signs of claws like you would see with a coyote track. The tail, I said. However, many of their claimsespecially Mr. Bettys contention of roughly a dozen personal sightings in New Englandare hard to take seriously. In July 2019, the Center for Biological Diversity and the Mountain Lion Foundation petitioned the Fish and Game Commission to list mountain lions as a candidate species under the California Endangered Species Act ( CESA) within a proposed evolutionarily significant unit (ESU) located in Southern California and the central coast of California. WOODBRIDGE, CT (WFSB) - Police in Woodbridge said they have received reports of mountain lion sightings in town. Also known as cougars, panthers or pumas, mountain lions range in color from tan to grey, according to the U.S. Department of Agricultures Forest Service. Wildlife biologists, as professional scientists, require a higher level of documentation and proof. He was previously a reporter for the Danbury News-Times and the Ridgefield Press. They can be found in several different ecosystems including mountains, forests, wetlands, and deserts. By mid-19th century, forests made up only about 30 percent of New England (its notable that today that number stands at approximately 80 percent, nearer to what it was when cougars thrived here). I lived in Woodstock, CT in 2005/2006. Ive attended talks with Sue Morse. Length of body. But no. Eastern cougars (mountain lions) do not have a native, self sustaining population in New York State. Even so, for decades, skeptics dismissed mountain lion sightings in Connecticut out of hand, pointing out that if the cats were here in anywhere close to the number of reported sightings, there would be DNA and physical evidence of their presence, not to mention photos and videos. Regarding a breeding population that is the unknown. Theyll say, Hey, you can see in the picture that it has a long tail, and when I look at the picture, I say, I see how you would see that because they way these cats walk, theyll kind of stand and trail their rear leg. Facebook Twitter Email Copy to clipboard Live Now All times eastern NOW - 8:30 AM 8:30 AM 9:00 AM 9:30 AM 10:00 AM 10:30 AM Fox News. Instead, the responsne I heard were nonchalant, Oh, yes, lots of people have seen that mountain lion around here; pretty isnt it?. How to Report a Possible Mountain Lion Sighting. So its this gathering storm. I think they never left, Ottmann piped in. Hes even had his own false sighting. I also had the vague notion that when it comes to cougars, people tend to sort themselves into one of three camps. Prior to becoming a reporter, he was the founding producer of Connecticut Public Radio's The Colin McEnroe Show, which began in 2009. Wildlife do really crazy things, and you just never know.. There have been several sightings of mountain lions in New Hampshire recently. Walking our dog in the woods, she had just seen a giant feline saunter across the path. Got a question or comment? But its also a great story that lays out how an animal this large, at 150 pounds, traveling through even rural areas, leaves signs and is detected. These powerful cats can weigh between 70-220 pounds, with males weighing more. They are much larger than bobcat and lynx, young adults can still have spots too. The big cat on the ground before him, motionless, yet somehow still embodying that particular feline litheness, as if, with the flick of its tail, it might bound to its feet and disappear into the woods. Females ranges are much smaller so it will take reintroduction or a few savvy wildlife biologist in the dead of night. Those are the two closest populations that we have here. The main habitat requirement for mountain lions is stalking cover to successfully hunt prey. Weight: 70-170 lbs. Based on this blurry photo and pawprints, confirmed it was likely a mountain lion. Your donation today will allow us to continue this work on your behalf. Initially, officials believed it had been released from a private handler. Males (100 to 170 lbs.) The big cat traveled some 1,100 miles before his life came to a tragic end after being hit by a SUV on Route 15 in . The discussion of whether federal lands should be a place to subsidize cattle ranching is another question. Patrick's reporting has appeared on NPR's Morning Edition, Here & Now, and All Things Considered. (Throughout history, people have had a deep fear of these creatures, hounding and hunting them mercilessly.) You wouldnt shake hands with a man like that, she said, and though she was smiling I could tell she was serious. That had to be a mountain lion. Joseph Uscinski, professor of political science at the University of Miami, and a conspiracy theory expert, says these types of theories are not uncommon. Habitat. Wed be seeing more carcasses of prey we would be seeing at least some carcasses of mountain lion prey. I always hold out the possibility of a sighting to be genuine, but at the same time, over decades of experience, we know that the vast majority are misidentifications and a small number are actually hoaxes, he says. Theyre here. If theres a middle ground in the cougar debate, it belongs to John Harrigan, a veteran outdoorsman, newspaper reporter, and widely read syndicated columnist. If this habitat can support them, it should. 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. I came across a dead adult deer carcass high up in an oak tree. The young typically remain with their mother for 2 years. And yet there I was, on a Saturday in early November, crammed into a booth with Bo Ottmann, 48, and Bill Betty, 72, of Cougars of the Valley, the organization that Ottmann founded in 2007 to gather evidence of and alert the public to the big cats living among us. Mountain Lion Weight: 80-160 pounds Length: About 7-8 feet long Tail: 2-3 feet long (up to half of the total length) Identification The mountain lion is a large, slender cat, with a long rope-like tail. A trail runner in Utah experienced a terrifying encounter with a mother mountain lion that stalked him on a trail for six minutes, lunging him at least three times . Another important difference: bobcats are found in Connecticut while mountain lions are not. Respect predators, protect them but dont worship or try to hug them! Nearby grocery stores include Food Lion, Star Food. So its this gathering storm. Friends that go backcountry skiing in Vermont have reported seeing tracks to me many times and I have seen pictures of the pawprints myself that look overwheming like a mountain lion. Dont forget, south Texas also used to home to two other species of cats ocelots and jaguarundis. She was also the voice behind the weekly Connecticut Real Estate newsletter by CT Insider. "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. 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. Bearded, bowler hat, expression impenetrable behind facial hair and the stoicism of an earlier era. In another version, its about habitat protection and the onerous federal regulations the state would have to follow if we found a mountain lion within the state. I have pictures of tracks around my car and up to the back steps of my deck in Arkville, NY . Over time, Wright became convinced Eastern cougars lived in small pockets in the deep woods. Diana Marchibroda and her miniature schnauzer froze in their tracks when the mountain lion stepped out of the woods last May. I just heard from a fellow college student of a siting in Greenfield last fall and two in Colrain this spring. Body coloration can range from tan to gray and cubs are usually covered with blackish brown spots. Connecticut Time changes all and Im not going to shut the door on the future and say that a breeding population of cougars is not here because the day after tomorrow they could be here its just a matter of time., Though a deer hunter herself, Morse is opposed to the way mountain lions have been hunted in the western U.S., where they are found. And even the home entries are kind of changing. Connecticut Dept. Mountain Lions: They are officially extinct. We need [an apex] predator back on the land, Sue Morse told me. It also doesnt mean there wont be more sightings in the future, as these animals have been known to reclaim areas their species once roamed. To date, Keeping Track has helped conserve 40,000 acres in 12 states and inQuebec. And so we come to the great divide over cougars in New England. Mountain Lions:They can have similar coloring and their tails can look alike, which has lead to some house cats being mistaken for them, even though mountain lions are much, much bigger. Watch Live at 7:00 PM: The U.S. and the Holocaust, a film by Ken Burns | Screening & Panel Discussion . If you have a worldview in which the government is conspiring to do weird stuff, than thats what youre going to see, and all the evidence is going to point to exactly what you believe, he says. Email editor@connecticutmag.com. Prior to becoming a reporter, he was the founding producer of Connecticut Public Radio's The Colin McEnroe Show, which began in 2009. I have learned one thing in my career, and thats to never say never, she said. To obtain grouse distribution and harvest information, the Wildlife Division is asking grouse hunters to submit hunting reports through the Ruffed Grouse Hunter Log . 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). That's not to say that pits are not formidable dogs, they are. And Im assuming whatever were doing right now, its not working. With all the thousands of trail cameras in the woods of New England, one would think that there would be at least one picture taken of a catamount. Saw one on old mountain rd Peterborough N.H. a few years ago on my property followed it and ran to get my camera have a photo but in distance by time got it was amazing animal t Metcalf. State conservation officials believe this photo, taken in Greenwich in 2011, shows a mountain lion. Snowy winter AM just before us neighbor kids were heading to catch the bus, we (myself, my dad and neighbor) all watched a large cat cross the yard and leave huge prints and a distinct tail drag mark in the snow! A lifelong Connecticut resident, Nicole has a degree in Communications from Fairfield University. Were getting more and more home entries every year. McEnroe: Scientifically, this is a case where absence of evidence is kind of evidence of absence, right? are received by 1:00 p.m. CT, June 9, 2020 by Sheri Henderson at the Lincoln . 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. 75-170 pounds. At least once a year thered be a story from somewhere, but I only ran the absolute best, he told me. . Connecticut Public Radio | 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. Adult Cougars have short fur that is brown or greyish (sometimes reddish) over most of the body, with a white chest and belly. We have people eating dinner in their kitchen, they hear a noise, all of a sudden a bear walks in, so they run into their bedroom to get away from the bear, while the bears out ransacking their refrigerator. Not really, Rego says. Hawley, a wildlife biologist with the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, says data dont support a breeding population of mountain lions in Connecticut. Hunters and property owners have also set up tens of thousands of trail cameras at various locations throughout the state. 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: Harrigans interest in cougars was sparked in the late 70s, after he took ownership of, Perhaps, then, the ultimate question isnt whether cougars are among us, but rather how we can encourage them to settle here, After 20 minutes or so, we turned and stumbled our way back to the parking lot. The females are where its at, she said. If a young male Cougar disperses East, instead of West, they're going to keep walking because they're going tokeep looking for an area where they can find a mate, he said. It may not surprise you to learn that I was quite intrigued by this third group. The size of a lion's territory depends on the availability of food and habitat quality. McEnroe: Scientifically, this is a case where absence of evidence is kind of evidence of absence, right? Then in June 2011, there were reports of a mountain lion in Greenwich and, for the first time, a photo. Patrick Skahill is a reporter and digital editor at Connecticut Public. Though promoted as a once in a lifetime event and offered at the dirt-cheap price of $15, only 395 Nebraskans applied for the chance to hunt a mountain lion. Please. Colin McEnroe is a radio host, newspaper columnist, magazine writer, author, playwright, lecturer, moderator, college instructor and occasional singer. Then saw him a few more times from further away across the road and along the edge sometimes of the woods. But other hard evidence of the big cats presence is elusive. About Us; For decades, wildlife experts should have been seeing occasional scat and paw prints in the winter. Ive seen bobcats before, this wasnt a bobcat. And its a lose-lose situation, because theres really not a whole lot you can tell them in most cases thats going to change their mind.. To Betty and Ottmann, the dominant narrative of the occasional itinerant cougar from the West is not particularly relevant to the facts on the ground. 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. I saw an adult cougar/catamount twice within a two week period. It has a long, black-tipped tail and black . We hadnt seen a cougar, nor any evidence to suggest a cougar had traveled these woods recently. And follow us on Facebook and Instagram @connecticutmagazine and Twitter @connecticutmag. Can they really all be cases of false identification? Mountain lions inhabit the badlands and Missouri River breaks regions of North Dakota. 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. Its documented through track surveys, aerial surveys, trapping and collaring surveys. These highlights have been edited and condensed for length and clarity. Obviously, this is the reason why the experts are loathe to admit that the species is here. Broken Down: The National Society of Leadership and Success? Cougars, Lynx, Bobcats, Wolves, Bears etc were and are a Massachusetts and several other New England states have bear hunting, or harvest, seasons, which proponents say help control populations. It was a 140-pound male mountain lion, the first confirmed in Connecticut in more than 100 years. Reading Time: 4 mins read . Unlike male cougars, the femaleslike this Montana cat with her cubdont tend to strike out for new territory, which makes it unlikely that a breeding population would establish itself far from the cougars current habitatsbut not impossible. He wore red suspenders and a baseball cap. Ive seen tracks (Downeast Maine) and others have seen them, plain as day. Fish and Wildlife Service unofficially declared the Eastern cougar extinct. The tavern was quiet except for some hard-rock music playing on the radio, the murmur of a handful of men at the bar, and us. A quick Google search reveals that the theory is not limited to Connecticut and similar tales are told throughout the Northeast. This article appeared in theNovember 2019issue ofConnecticut Magazine. Early spring 2019 I caught a glimpse of one entering over grown brush on the side of the road very very early in the morning. Of course no dash cam or accessible phone camera at the time! It was fast as hell but there was no mistaking its not only long,but THICK tail as it disappeared into the woods. It was a lion-like cat with a tan coat and no spots that was about three times the size of our 30- to 35-pound dog. Its closest living relative is the cheetah. Hear the full interview: Megafauna mania: our obsession with mountain lions and other large predators, Connecticut Dept. They denied it until a cougar was hit as it tried to cross the very busy Merritt Parkway. I could hear the steady rush of traffic on Route 315. Patrick Skahill is a reporter and digital editor at Connecticut Public. For mountain lions in Connecticut, a lack of evidence is very good evidence. In some versions, state officials dont want to alarm people about the feline predators in their midst. They certainly have, you know, lower levels of conflicts and home entries than we do here in Connecticut. Working in the 1980s in southern California, where there are cougars, biologist Paul Beier said that 95 percent of cougar sightings they investigated turned out to be misidentifications. What time of day was it? Betsy started as an intern at WNPR in 2011 after earning a Master's Degree in American and Museum Studies from Trinity College. What set it off was a National Geographic special on mountain lions in California, right after my daughter and I had two encounters in my driveway, Betty told me. The states beautiful wilderness and mountainous terrain are prime mountain lion habitats. The photos were time-stamped December 7, 2020. It had rained previously. Weve had housecats misidentified as mountain lions and even deer, Rego says. No need since so we guess it has moved on from the northeast corner of Connecticut. But sometimes, instead of mountain lions, people thought they saw other creatures in the Connecticut woods, of which authorities were supposedly aware. He has also reported for the Marketplace Morning Report. He has also reported for the Marketplace Morning Report. of Energy & Environmental Protection. The Mountain Lion will return to feed on the prey for up to 10 days. What color was it? Im not an expert on human psychology, but if youre looking for something, you have a greater chance of actually seeing it. 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). Its documented through track surveys, aerial surveys, trapping and collaring surveys. Many on both sides of the cougar debate beileve that New Englands natural habitat would benefit from having an apex predator in the ecosystem again. The next week, on June 11, the cat was hit and killed by an SUV on the Wilbur Cross Parkway in Milford. So theres fresh mud. The bobcat population has since recovered due to improving forest habitat conditions and legal protections. We even had a sighting someone here at DEEP, in my office, was convinced they saw a mountain lion. CT Style. 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. In the 1930s, Bruce Wright, an influential wildlife manager from New Brunswick, Canada, began gathering reports of sightings of mountain lions in the East and searching for their tracks. There are many officials in denial up here, but we know what we saw and there are too many sightings by the local folks to be ignored. State lawmakers have entertained bills to establish a bear hunting season for years, but so far, none of those proposals has passed. If you dont think cougars are coming to the East, think again, she said, leaning forward for emphasis. And he said, This is where the mountain lion crossed. We walked in and there were fresh bobcat tracks in there. Harrigans interest in cougars was sparked in the late 70s, after he took ownership of The Coos County Democrat and began noticing the steady influx of reported sightings. Mountain Lion Update - May 8, 2020, by Sam Wilson, Furbearer and Carnivore Program Manager. MLF. If seen bobcats and moose and coyotes and coy dogs ! The cat is dead. listeners, viewers, and readers like you who value fact-based journalism and trustworthy information. For anyone stuck with using Mountain Lion, I can recommend without hesitation Waterfox Classic web browser. Learn More Who We Are & What We Do. Its closest living relative is the cheetah. Out & About | Best New England Holiday Events for 2019. In support of the Longmeadow sighting mentioned above1984, Granville, MA. It was his great coolness and daring (either that, or fear) that enabled Crowell to shoot the animal at a distance of one rod only (roughly 16 feet), first hitting it in the leg with his shotgun, then dispatching it with a bullet to the head from a borrowed rifle. Distinguished by a boxy head, big paws and a VERY long tail. He points out that when there was a real mountain lion in the state in 2011, his office publicized it immediately. 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. 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. Additional samples were collected and are pending DNA analysis. My mother always said she saw one across the street from our house one night in the late 50s early 60s. Hawley: Yeah. Hawley: I feel strongly that we need a harvest here in Connecticut. 90th Annual New Haven Register All-State Football First Team. They also have facial ruffs and ear tufts on the tips of their ears, as well as shorter tails. Here in southern Utah, lions have been known to occupy home ranges as large as 513 square miles. They reside in all eight counties, however, they exist in greatest number in the northwestern corner of the state. October 12, 2020 10:47 pm ET. We told him what we saw, and he confirmed other sightings on the property. 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. Emaileditor@connecticutmag.com, or contact usonFacebook@connecticutmagazine orTwitter@connecticutmag. On November 22, about 20 miles north of Rowlett there was another . They also want to foster the formation and protection of migration pathways for them and other animals to enter new states. And theres another school of thought, Well, no, there just are too many of them probably we have to reduce that population somehow. Where do you fall in that whole continuum? Lets learn to live alongside this very large animal is one of the schools of thought. More recently, unexplained animal sightings in Connecticut and other states became more and more associated with mountain lions. We strolled across the tavern parking lot and ducked into the forest, where Ottmann maintains a portion of his $15,000 worth of wildlife recording equipment (hes had no luck capturing a cougar on camera, though, despite more than a decade of trying). We clearly have migratory male cougars coming through. Ask people who spend time outside Connecticut cities and you will hear firsthand or secondhand accounts of mountain lions. Still, sightings are common. 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? 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). She served as the Senior Producer for 'The Colin McEnroe Show' for several years before stepping down in 2021 and returning to her previous career as a registered nurse. Genetic testing placed the animal in Wisconsin and Minnesota, and the cat had been sighted at several different points during its long journey east. A 140-pound male mountain lion was hit by a car and killed in 2011 in Milford, Connecticut. 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. THAT is a mountain lion! Im not surprised that various state officers deny the presence of cougars in new England. You need to understand that every biologist that works for the state has a duty to deny mountain lions. According to the Smithsonians National Zoo, bobcats are part of the lynx genus, which means they are related to other cats like the Canadian lynx, Iberian lynx and Eurasian lynx. 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. Even though the experts say there arent any mountain lions in CT, there are. Its extremely rare for a person to see a wild animal and to underestimate its size. According to the Connecticut DEEP, the bobcat is the only wild cat found in Connecticut. There were pine cones on window sills, a well-used hatchet and a variety of animal figurines on display, and, near the television, a stack of videos including. Over time, Wright became convinced Eastern cougars lived in small pockets in the deep woods. The scientific name for the catamount is Puma concolor. Hawley said the last confirmed mountain lion sighting in the state was one that was killed on the Merritt Parkway in 2011 when a car struck the animal near Exit 55. Also known as 'cougars' or 'pumas,' mountain lions are reclusive creatures that feed mainly on deer, raccoons, rodents and various small mammals, experts say. Lets learn to live alongside this very large animal is one of the schools of thought. Size alone . Sport hunting for cougars is not sustainable and shouldnt be allowed to go on. Because they are.. Manchester, CT 06045 Phone: 800-237-3606 Email: service@journalinquirer.com. The next week, on June 11, the cat was hit and killed by an, on the Wilbur Cross Parkway in Milford. And theres another school of thought, Well, no, there just are too many of them probably we have to reduce that population somehow. Where do you fall in that whole continuum? But the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection said Sunday that bobcats are the only large wild cats found in the state. are larger and heavier than females (60 to 100 lbs.). She served as the Senior Producer for 'The Colin McEnroe Show' for several years before stepping down in 2021 and returning to her previous career as a registered nurse. It can run at speeds of up to 50 mph. When a group of officers arrived at a neighborhood in Loveland, Colorado . He is a consummate storyteller, and he wears on his sleeve his affection for the region and the hard-working, commonsense people who inhabit it. Not a bobcat 100% mountain lion and anybody that tries to think a bobcat as any resemblance to a mountain lion clearly has no idea about wildlife there are a lot of false reports because of this however they are without a doubt in part of New England and fish and game has as usual covered up despite coming out and following mountain lion tracks in the snow through the woods in Central Mass and finding a deer carcass 20 feet up in a tree and said to the landowner yep you probably have a mountain lion passing through and asked for the homeowner not to speak much about it furthermore DNA confirmation of a horse that was attacked in Petersham Massachusetts in the last several years and also the Quabbin Reservoir DNA were mountain lion without a doubt they are here. A bobcats tail is short and bob-like, while mountain lions have long, curving tails that can grow up to 3 feet. 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. Could UConn women's basketball be back to 'square one' with seven available players at Seton Hall? The cougar and the states refusal to admit it was here made the local paper. About two years ago in July 2020, there were around 1,500 reports of bobcat sightings in the state, with some bobcat sightings in Brookfield and Ridgefield that year. It lowers the population in a way thats not going to affect the long-term population. May 12, 2021. You know, weve had so many home entries this year. By Cameron Arcand October 3, 2021 at 2:07pm. To date, no footage of a mountain lion has surfaced. The average annual population estimate from 2004-2020 of 2,876 total mountain lions, based on the statistical population . In New Canaan, residents reported seeing mountain lions in 2016 and in 2018. Wright, however, didnt agree with his mentor and began writing publicly about mountain lions in the East. There is also something appealing about the idea that there is an animal out there so cunning that it has escaped our notice and the eyes of our cameras. We hope their support inspires you to donate so that we can continue telling stories that inform, educate, and inspire you and your neighbors. In 2011, the U.S. Using DNA and physical evidence, state environmental officials said they determined that the animal. 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. It was a flooded area. P.O. my husband tapped my leg and asked what is that crossing the road It was a Cougar tan in color long tail which had a slight curl upward .I wish I had my camera to prove it but I know We saw it. On the idea of bear hunting in Connecticut. The second occasion was on the way to work when I saw the cougar/catamount crossing Route 44. Theres probably 100 in Connecticut, Ottmann interrupted, rolling a cigarette as he spoke. Massachusetts and several other New England states have bear hunting, or harvest, seasons, which proponents say help control populations. Sign up for our newsletterto get the latest and greatest content fromConnecticut Magazinedelivered right to your inbox. 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. They usually either don't disperse at all or they'll kind of overlap their mother's home range, or they'll disperse very short distances.. Anyway I got to see that set of eyes way closer than I ever wanted, by the time my hand got on my pistol she was gone. You dont even have to go out and look for it.. Bobcats: They are are the only wild cat found in the state and the most common in North America. Our Mission. Bobcats: Though technically a type of lynx, they are distinct from other species of lynx such as the Canadian lynx. #3. Its distinctive featurethe one that sets it apart from other North American wild catsis its tail, which is thick and often as long as its body. She favors plaid shirts, green Dickies work pants, and hiking boots, and she chided me for shaking her hand too gently. 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? Megafauna mania: our obsession with mountain lions and other large predators., Megafauna mania: our obsession with mountain lions and other large predators. They certainly have, you know, lower levels of conflicts and home entries than we do here in Connecticut. The last confirmed mountain lion sighting in Connecticut occurred in 2011. Betty had driven up from his home in Rhode Island. An attack is verified only when a physician, law enforcement officer or CDFW personnel determine the injuries were caused by a . The restrictions/regulations surrounding management of an endangered species is incredibly cumbersome, and would be difficult to manage. It was his great coolness and daring (either that, or fear) that enabled Crowell to shoot the animal at a distance of one rod only (roughly 16 feet), first hitting it in the leg with his shotgun, then dispatching it with a bullet to the head from a borrowed rifle. Listen & Learn. Matthew Johnson/Vermont Historical Society. Colorado and California have the highest estimated populations of mountain lions in the United States. Were arrogant if we think were the only species that makes decisions based on fear, he told me when I called him at his home in Oregon. Concerned for people / pets and a school just down the street, stopped to report the sighting where dispatch told me that if I did not have proof they would not respond. I lived in great Barrington mass and I took photos of tracks in a field in April of 2009 (and of course lost them). I had been the first vehicle in a line held up by one lane traffic on a bridge reconstruction. Beautiful animal. The mountain lion is also known as cougar, panther, or puma. People often get very emotional about it, Hawley says. For mountain lions in Connecticut, a lack of evidence is very good evidence. More recently, unexplained animal sightings in Connecticut and other states became more and more associated with mountain lions. Anyone can get fooled. Hawley: That animal was documented. 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. Abbott believes it is possible that more mountain lions such as the one that was killed in Milford in 2011 could migrate here. 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. Our hunter friend was hunting in central NH when they came upon an adult deer carcass way up in a tree. This guy was very intelligent, he had abandoned a professional career to pursue his dream of guiding. She IS, perhaps, the most knowledgeable and experienced person in this arena and I listened intently to her presentation (Richmond, VT 2018). However, the captive lion theory was also wrong. It lowers the population in a way thats not going to affect the long-term population. Despite frequent claims, there has only been one confirmed mountain lion sighting since the late 1800s here. As I looked at my daughter and then turned to follow the direction she was looking, I saw the animal in my side mirror. So all the other states in the Northeast that have bear populations have a harvest on their bears. It jumped 28 feet across the road. Nowhere in New England is the matter definitively settled. Hey, I know what I saw. It was a flooded area. The mountain lion occurs throughout the Western Hemisphere and has one of the most extensive ranges of any land mammal, from the southern tip of Argentina in South America to northern British Columbia in North America. I have not had the pleasure of seeing one, but have heard credible reports of them in Western Mass. Facebook . The debate rages in Maine, where the last confirmed cougar kill occurred in 1938, and in New Hampshire, where the last confirmed kill was in 1885. Was INCREDIBLE! As a scientist, lack of evidence is very good evidence. Dogos have been DOCUMENTED killing mountain lion / wolf. The history of this theory in Connecticut and New England goes back long before our current era of fake news. Mountain lions usually retract their claws when walking. Betsy started as an intern at WNPR in 2011 after earning a Master's Degree in American and Museum Studies from Trinity College. [The catamounts] movements were so noiseless that Mr. Crowell found himself in this dangerous proximity before he was aware of it, and it was only by great coolness and daring that he severely wounded the animal and perhaps saved his own life, reads a placard attached to the display case. The journey is chronicled in the 2016 book, Abbott, of the Housatonic Valley Association, is equally skeptical of the vast majority of mountain lion sightings. Mountain lions in Eastern Connecticut? He published his first book in 1959, The Ghost of North America: The Story of the Eastern Panther. You cansubscribe here, orfind the current issue on sale here. In a Facebook poll, 84 people said they believe mountain lions are in the county, 37 say they've personally seen them, and three people say they do not exist. Two were confirmed in Logan County (2014 and 2015), and one . Its OK, he told me. I started asking a lot of questions, and realized theres only one explanation for the answers I was getting: They are here., You could have 30 in Connecticut alone. What to know about unconfirmed mountain lion sightings in CT. Nicole Funaro was formerly a statewide trending reporter for Hearst Connecticut Media Group, covering everything from the most fascinating properties for sale in the Nutmeg State to the latest movie filming in the state. As a carnivore biologist, Hawley says he would love it if mountain lions were here. Part of this belief is rooted in his journalistic experience, which across the decades has cultivated his nose for sincerity. Connecticut Republicans are proposing to reduce the cost of electricity by removing state taxes and surcharges from customer invoices. 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). 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. Thats only a fraction of the supposed sightings. Im gonna get hammered for it, he sighed. There, too, is Crowells photograph, grainy and old: the hunter leaning against a tree stump, his head propped casually on his left hand, elbow to stump, shotgun cradled in the crook of his right arm. Bobcats top out at about 40 pounds (most are much lighter than that) and are only. 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. 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. Bobcat sightings are not uncommon in Connecticut. 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. Young pumas dispersing from Western habitats are being killed at the source, compromising the Easts critical opportunity for ecosystem health and the return of an apex carnivore., Regardless of where they are found, or whether people want to hunt or protect them, people are enchanted by mountain lions. 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