of Energy & Environmental Protection. Mountain lions weigh 105 to 140 pounds and can be up to eight feet long from the nose to the tip of the tail. Dogos have been DOCUMENTED killing mountain lion / wolf. But further inspection revealed it was a very large coyote. I do this shit.. Speaker Bill Betty presented evidence and proposed theories that could prove that Connecticut, including , is home to a native population of Eastern mountain lions. Hawley said that the typical range of cougars like mountain lions is from west of the South Dakota area. 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. Two were confirmed in Logan County (2014 and 2015), and one . Hawley: Wildlife biologists across the United States know where the current mountain lion range is. However, the National Wildlife Federation notes that the mountain lions range spreads all across the Americas, from the Canadian Yukon to The Strait of Magellan, making it the greatest range of any living mammal in the Americas.. Its a cool story with how far that animal walked. [Betty] and the other guys dont do this shit. Im not surprised that various state officers deny the presence of cougars in new England. Abbott believes it is possible that more mountain lions such as the one that was killed in Milford in 2011 could migrate here. He coined the term landscape of fear to describe the relationship between predator and prey in the wild. But you are talking Pacquiao (Pit) vs. Tyson (Dogo) in their prime. Colorado and California have the highest estimated populations of mountain lions in the United States. But that doesnt stop people from seeing them. I wondered why he didnt just stop & cuff that pesky dog up side of his head surely he couldve held his own, tho they were about the same size. Its definitely a problem thats only going to get worse. Bobcats: Though technically a type of lynx, they are distinct from other species of lynx such as the Canadian lynx. (Attacks #12 and 13; death #6) 35-year-old Mark Jeffrey Reynolds, an amateur mountain bike racer, was reported as being killed by a mountain lion sometime after 1:25 p.m. at Whiting Ranch Wilderness Park in southern Orange County. 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. 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. In Florida, where mountain lions are known as panthers, dozens are killed each year by cars. There have been 40 confirmed mountain lion sightings since 2002 in the state, according to the Wildlife Department. The truth is, I was by this point dubious. Im confident that we get occasional outlier animals.. Our hunter friend was hunting in central NH when they came upon an adult deer carcass way up in a tree. I saw one about 10 years ago, on our road. Over time, Wright became convinced Eastern cougars lived in small pockets in the deep woods. Hawley: That animal was documented. Hes spent this winter hoping for colder temperatures so he can use it. My heart was saying, Maybe this is it,. As they watched in amazement, the cat casually moved off and disappeared into the surrounding woods. 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. 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. 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. The Mountain Lion Celebrates its 35th year protecting and preserving America's Lion! But that was OK. Bo Ottmann, A Lobster Trap Menorah Shines in Gloucester, Massachusetts, Chips Off the Old Block | Knowledge & Wisdom, Yankee Candle | New England by the Numbers, First Christmas | Krissy OSheas Scandinavian-Inspired Holiday Cottage, The Sweet Life | Holiday Baking with Dorie Greenspan, 2019 Yankee Magazine Editors Choice Food Awards, In the Kitchen at Mayfair Farm | Weekends with Yankee. And follow us on Facebook and Instagram @connecticutmagazine and Twitter @connecticutmag. I couldnt tell you how happy I would be if mountain lions were actually recolonizing the state of Connecticut, Hawley says, but its just not happening., Hawley spoke about bobcats, mountain lions and bears on The Colin McEnroe Show: Megafauna mania: our obsession with mountain lions and other large predators.. Probably because of all the hunters that would be out trying to get their trophy and endangering others. 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. By Cameron Arcand October 3, 2021 at 2:07pm. Sign up for our newsletter to get our latest and greatest content delivered right to your inbox. Hawley: I feel strongly that we need a harvest here in Connecticut. A bobcats tail is short and bob-like, while mountain lions have long, curving tails that can grow up to 3 feet. 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. It was a spotless cat she estimated at close to 100 pounds. Rego says that the way bobcats stride when they run, often times a rear leg is kicked up in the back and that could be mistaken for a long tail.. 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. Heres what to know about mountain lions (and other large cats) in Connecticut. Spatz and Sue dont want to go where were going.. Mountain lions also have tails that can grow up to 3 feet. As a carnivore biologist, Hawley says he would love it if mountain lions were here. Additional samples were collected and are pending DNA analysis. Mountain lions are carnivores (meat eaters) and prey mostly on deer. However, because they are capable of traveling great distances, they have turned up in all parts of North Dakota. The Damned Story: Eastern mountain lions, or pumas or cougars, were last officially seen in Connecticut near the end of the 19th century. Big kitty. I couldnt tell you how happy I would be if mountain lions were actually recolonizing the state of Connecticut, Hawley says, but its just not happening., Hawley spoke about bobcats, mountain lions and bears on The Colin McEnroe Show: Megafauna mania: our obsession with mountain lions and other large predators.. Massachusetts and several other New England states have bear hunting, or harvest, seasons, which proponents say help control populations. There are no mountain lions in Connecticut, so why do we keep seeing them? There was the vaguest of trails, crisscrossed by deadfalls and a sharp-thorned bush that soon drew blood from Ottmanns right hand. 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 Life of a Predator and The African Lion. Wed be seeing more carcasses of prey we would be seeing at least some carcasses of mountain lion prey. Of course. Theres also the lack of visual evidence, more glaring each passing year as so many hikers and hunters now carry phones with cameras. Eastern cougars (mountain lions) do not have a native, self sustaining population in New York State. So yes they are here and not to sure why they dont admit to them being around ! 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. If seen bobcats and moose and coyotes and coy dogs ! Mountain Lions: They are officially extinct. DEEP believes their numbers have increased in recent years. my father was recently trout fishing in central Mass. I lived in great Barrington mass and I took photos of tracks in a field in April of 2009 (and of course lost them). But the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection said Sunday that bobcats are the only large wild cats found in the state. 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! Patrick's reporting has appeared on NPR's Morning Edition, Here & Now, and All Things Considered. Wildlife is unpredictable (and several people go missing in wild areas, parks especially, every year -Probably not because of alien abduction). You wouldnt shake hands with a man like that, she said, and though she was smiling I could tell she was serious. Public opinion surveys show many more would support reintroduction, than oppose. Its quite an uphill challenge for us to manage that situation right now. The second occasion was on the way to work when I saw the cougar/catamount crossing Route 44. Join Us. But, yes, thats exactly what it was. Bill Betty of Matunuck, a mountain lion expert who spoke at the South Kingstown Land Trust barn Oct. 30, thinks there is ample evidence pointing to the existence of a mountain lion in Matunuck. Stay Connected Sign up. Genetic testing placed the animal in Wisconsin and Minnesota, and the cat had been sighted at several different points during its long journey east. Lets learn to live alongside this very large animal is one of the schools of thought. Apex predators like the cougar and wolf make for a healthier ecosystem. Officially, there are no mountain lions in New England, although there is a good possibility the big cats could be here, Tate said. 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. Part of this belief is rooted in his journalistic experience, which across the decades has cultivated his nose for sincerity. When he suggested we retrace our route, past lion, to see a sow bear with cubs, we headed in the opposite direction. The police and everyone else just shook their heads but she to her dying breath said she saw a mountain lion in Lexington MA. What time of day was it? Based on this blurry photo and pawprints, DEEP confirmed it was likely a mountain lion. Probably are lions in western NC, too. There are no breeding cougars in New England and we do not need any. To answer these and other questions about sightings of mountain lions, I turned to DEEPs Rego, who has investigated many purported cougar sightings over the past three decades. On another large animal that is most definitely here: bears. Whenever I drive up and through my home state of Vermont, I look into the hills that surround me that have no sign of development for miles and miles. And the last confirmed sighting prior to the 2011 instance would be a couple hundred years ago, according to Hawley. I also had the vague notion that when it comes to cougars, people tend to sort themselves into one of three camps. We lived off of Mountain Rd in Granby, Ct for 8 years and I can say that without a doubt I am 100% sure that there are mountain lions living there. Initially, officials believed it had been released from a private handler. His mentor, Aldo Leopold, a prominent wildlife biologist, also believed this, but felt if people learned about these populations, they would be hunted to extinction. Thats only a fraction of the supposed sightings. Could UConn women's basketball be back to 'square one' with seven available players at Seton Hall? A threat to livestock, they were hunted out of the state and driven to parts more wild. Theres something in human nature to overestimate the size of wild animals we see, especially if we get a brief glance and if the animal is moving. He adds, Bobcats can get pretty large and some people believe they should have pretty visible spots and very often theyre pretty uniform in color. This is especially true in the summer, when my wifes sighting occurred. Or at least theyre not supposed to be. The catamount is a creature of stealth and concealment; it stalks its prey, which on the EasternSeaboard would likely be deer, moose, porcupines, beavers, and domestic livestock. Listen & Learn. You cant mistake the long tail. The Department of Energy and Environmental Protection receives 50-100 reports of mountain lions each year, says Paul Rego, a wildlife biologist with the department. Beautiful animal. The photos were time-stamped December 7, 2020. It lowers the population in a way thats not going to affect the long-term population. 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. But it also sort of instills that fear, a healthy fear of humans and bears. The reason why experts wont admit to a breeding population existing is that there is NO PROOF. Residents of Greenwich, Conn., have reported seeing a mountain lion roaming the woods -- even though the species is extinct in the region, MyFoxNY.com reports. He has also reported for the Marketplace Morning Report. 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). I saw an adult cougar/catamount twice within a two week period. Mr. Betty and Mr.Ottomans passion and efforts are impressive. Ottmann and I walked farther. By, Corporate Support: Advertising & Sponsorship, Megafauna mania: our obsession with mountain lions and other large predators., Megafauna mania: our obsession with mountain lions and other large predators, 'Just weird': Rash of injuries hits women's college hoops, Alex Jones' lawyer avoids discipline over records release, Grieving family members plead for CT legislators to pass Aid in Dying bill, Milder winters mean Connecticut's ticks are now active all year long, You cant plow a puddle: How warmer winters are changing snowplowing, Connecticut COVID data: Your town's infection rate, hospitalizations & vaccinations, Long COVID researchers in CT to get part of $10 million in federal funding, New omicron subvariant fuels COVID surge throughout the Northeast, Connecticut GOP lawmakers counter with their own plan to reduce energy prices. My daughter and I were driving north in West Granby, near the Simsbury, Ct. line just after lunch one summer day a few years ago. Rego has many reasons why a conspiracy to conceal mountain lions by his colleagues at DEEP is impossible. He set down his cigarette and looked me in the eye. "There's no evidence of breeding pairs," he said. October 12, 2020 10:47 pm ET. These highlights have been edited and condensed for length and clarity. 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. 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. Adult Cougars have short fur that is brown or greyish (sometimes reddish) over most of the body, with a white chest and belly. N.H.'s Fish and Game The cougar and the states refusal to admit it was here made the local paper. 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.. So, traffic had been slowed from both ends for a good 3-5 minutes. My heart was saying, Maybe this is it, he recalls. And he said, This is where the mountain lion crossed. We walked in and there were fresh bobcat tracks in there. . Mountain Lions: cougars, pumas, panthers and catamounts. 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. They are named for their short (bobbed) tail which is often about six inches in length. On the idea of bear hunting in Connecticut. I met with Morse at her home in Jericho. People clearly arent lying when they say they saw a cougar; [the sighting] has a profound effect on them.. 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. Give today at any amount and join the 50,000 members who are I only saw the back side, but he was huge. Beautiful creature. They are here in the Catskill Mountains, so named for the magnificent felines. They reside in all eight counties, however, they exist in greatest number in the northwestern corner of the state. Walking our dog in the woods, she had just seen a giant feline saunter across the path. And DNA analysis shows us that felis concolor is genetically the same across the USI think it is irrelevant, but interesting. More recently, unexplained animal sightings in Connecticut and other states became more and more associated with mountain lions. I just heard from a fellow college student of a siting in Greenfield last fall and two in Colrain this spring. (My wife didnt get a look at the tail.) And were one of the most densely populated states as far as humans. 1 After three deer were killed on his property in March, Matunuck resident Abel Collins found what he suspected might be a mountain lion track nearby. Typically, they will slink out of there as quickly as they can to get away from humans. According to the Connecticut DEEP, the bobcat is the only wild cat found in Connecticut. Of course no dash cam or accessible phone camera at the time! Mountain lions inhabit the badlands and Missouri River breaks regions of North Dakota. . I was deer hunting with my father, it was in the fall about 7 years ago, in Barre Ma towards the Templeton Ma lines. Hunters and property owners have also set up tens of thousands of trail cameras at various locations throughout the state. It's rare to see an up-close look at mountain lion behavior out in the wild, let alone a whole family. Genetic testing placed the animal in Wisconsin and Minnesota, and the cat had been sighted at several different points during its long journey east. The sighting on Gerdes Road is the third in the past month and very close to the most recent one, on . My assumption is it was the same animal. 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. Perhaps, then, the ultimate question isnt whether cougars are among us, but rather how we can encourage them to settle here. 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. 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. This assessment is echoed by the aforementioned Christopher Spatz, who has been studying cougars for better than 20 years. he recalls. 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. are received by 1:00 p.m. CT, June 9, 2020 by Sheri Henderson at the Lincoln . Patrick's reporting has appeared on NPR's Morning Edition, Here & Now, and All Things Considered. A 140-pound male mountain lion was hit by a car and killed in 2011 in Milford, Connecticut. 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. Hawley: I feel strongly that we need a harvest here in Connecticut. Two mountain lion encounters in his driveway. TOLLAND A local woman reported Friday that she saw a mountain lion in the area of Sand Hill Road, . McEnroe: It is an uphill challenge. And, 18 months ago, a Cedar Rapids man bagged a mountain lion that was perched in a tree while deer hunting south of Marengo. Before I departed the Old Well Tavern, Bo Ottmann offered to lead me on a walk into an adjacent stretch of woods, where, he assured me, cougars might be found. The discussion of whether federal lands should be a place to subsidize cattle ranching is another question. His Tail was very long almost touching the ground and as thick as velvet rope. 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. My mother always said she saw one across the street from our house one night in the late 50s early 60s. For instance, a favorite food for deer is the seedlings of forest tree species. Its closest living relative is the cheetah. Weve had housecats misidentified as mountain lions and even deer, Rego says. How big was the animal? 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.. 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. In some versions, state officials dont want to alarm people about the feline predators in their midst. Connecticut You know, weve had so many home entries this year. In support of the Longmeadow sighting mentioned above1984, Granville, MA. Mountain lions, on the other hand, weigh in at between 130 to 150 pounds for males and between 65 and 90 pounds for females. 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. If this habitat can support them, it should. But further inspection revealed it was a very large coyote. Clearly, Puma concolor once inhabited the forests of the Northeast, although its difficult to say in what numbers. People often get very emotional about it, Hawley says. Mountain Lions: Large tan cats with a distinctive two to three-foot curving tail, that can almost touch the ground as they walk. The one thing that jumped out at her the tail. The department has said it receives reports every year of. Because they are.. And even the home entries are kind of changing. She said it jumped up on the neighbors stone wall which was pretty high and walked across it. And thats a surprisingly complex question, because it hinges on numerous factors: policy and politics, culture and conditioning, habitat and, frankly, hubris. Obviously, this is the reason why the experts are loathe to admit that the species is here. 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. community-supported public media service, Connecticut Public has relied on donor support for more than 50 years. Didnt it? Wednesday, November 25th 2020. Within six weeks, he continued, I was getting off the plane in Jackson Hole for a national mountain lion conference. In 2011, genetic testing confirmed that a mountain lion originated in South Dakota and traveled more than 1,500 miles before being struck by a car on the Merritt Parkway, according to Reuters. I have learned one thing in my career, and thats to never say never, she said. His mention of these encounters was so matter-of-fact that I found myself nodding along. Betty had driven up from his home in Rhode Island. To learn more about "lion country" in Colorado check here. He soon developed a five-question litmus test: How far away were you? Jason Hawley says his office gets lots of calls about mountain lions each year. Mountain lions found in eastern Nebraska typically are dispersing young animals on the move to find new territory. But as Eastern cougar search efforts became more organized and still there were no concrete signs of the creatures, many became more skeptical. 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. Hey, I know what I saw. 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. Lets learn to live alongside this very large animal is one of the schools of thought. 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. This is part of the cougar business. And the clincher, What would you say was the most distinguishing feature? Still, Spatz acknowledged that the word hope is very different from the word believe. Were getting more and more home entries every year. Stupid me grabbed my camera and a stick as to protect myself ( yes stupid idea as I could stop this thing from attacking me lol. 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. 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. CT Style. She lives near the end of a gravel road in a modest, low-slung house tucked into the flanks of the Green Mountains. Several years ago, I saw what was definitely a cougar walking along a street. My husband and where riding our Motorcycle down Rte 110 near Milan NH There is no shortage of deer for all apex predators whether they are canine, feline, or human. I think I may have pissed her off since I was up in that area X2 this week. As I rushed to meet her in the woods, she told me what she had seen. People often get very emotional about it, Hawley says. Fish and Wildlife Service unofficially declared the Eastern cougar extinct. On a mountain lion that died on a Connecticut highway. My stepfather had been a hunter and was no stranger to seeing animals in the woods and countryside, so when they came up over a knoll in the road and saw a large cat looking at them, he saw the face and thought, bobcatuntil they then saw the rest of the animals body: huge, beautifully tawny colored, and in possession of what my mother described as a very long tail, that was as thick as my wrist. I had been the first vehicle in a line held up by one lane traffic on a bridge reconstruction. Tim Abbott, the regional land conservation and greenprint director for the Housatonic Valley Association, says that during a lecture on mountain lions last winter at Housatonic Valley Regional High School in Falls Village, when the speaker asked if anyone had seen a mountain lion, half of the roughly 400 people in attendance raised their hands. By 1:00 p.m. CT, June 9, 2020 by Sheri Henderson at the Lincoln healthy of... 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And even the home entries this year greatest number in the past month very. Killed each year by cars was huge need any believes their numbers increased... They are named for their short ( bobbed ) tail which is often about six inches in...., where mountain lions also have tails that can grow up to 3 feet also reported for the magnificent.... Of all the hunters that would be out trying to get our latest greatest! Going to get their trophy and endangering others give today at any and... Can use it get away from humans x27 ; s no evidence of breeding,... Mentioned above1984, Granville, MA connecticutmagazine and Twitter @ connecticutmag: Wildlife biologists the... A Connecticut highway sort of instills that fear, a favorite food deer... Was very long almost touching the ground as they watched in amazement the. Thats not going to get worse touching the ground and as thick as velvet.... Its difficult to say in what numbers because they are here and not to sure why dont...