Connecticut Public Radio | One summer I saw what I assumed was the same cougar several different times in my neighborhood which was near a long strip of woods along I 91 and used to be a large open field across the road from our home. 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. Habitat. 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. If you dont think cougars are coming to the East, think again, she said, leaning forward for emphasis. September 16, 2020. in Bethlehem, Environment, News, Towns. 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. Yet I also remembered something Sue Morse had told me months before, as we sat in her living room drinking beer and chatting cats. This is a carousel. Colin McEnroe is a radio host, newspaper columnist, magazine writer, author, playwright, lecturer, moderator, college instructor and occasional singer. I will never forget what I saw! The image has since been deleted from social media. The Damned Story: Eastern mountain lions, or pumas or cougars, were last officially seen in Connecticut near the end of the 19th century. . But perhaps an even larger portion is the product of his enduring faith in the men and womanloggers, hunters, trapperswhose vocations and avocations have instilled in them a deep familiarity with wild places and the creatures who inhabit them. 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. In the second camp, there are those issuing the denials, pointing to the lack of photographic evidence, or the absence of tracks, or the simple truth that many people dont seem to know the difference between a cougar and a bobcat and a lynx and even, in some cases, a golden retriever. 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. It lowers the population in a way thats not going to affect the long-term population. You know, weve had so many home entries this year. 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. Massachusetts and several other New England states have bear hunting, or harvest, seasons, which proponents say help control populations. Facebook . Sign up for our newsletter to get our latest and greatest content delivered right to your inbox. 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. 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 Bobcat sightings are not uncommon in Connecticut. Regarding a breeding population that is the unknown. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate. I saw a Mountain Lion in 2007 in Northfield, MA at the junctions of Rtes 10 and 63. 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. As a carnivore biologist, Hawley says he would love it if mountain lions were here. Length of body. Thats a reasonable assertion. Mountain lions in Eastern Connecticut? Height at shoulder: 25-30 in. Hes also unafraid to take unpopular positions when he deems it necessary: Shortly before our meeting, hed signed a petition in favor of keeping ATVs off public roads. Theres also the lack of visual evidence, more glaring each passing year as so many hikers and hunters now carry phones with cameras. Theres probably 100 in Connecticut, Ottmann interrupted, rolling a cigarette as he spoke. I heard from Neighbors that they have been sighting from the mass pike which runs along this area but also very close to Quabbin! Wildlife biologists, as professional scientists, require a higher level of documentation and proof. They are named for their short (bobbed) tail which is often about six inches in length. The average annual population estimate from 2004-2020 of 2,876 total mountain lions, based on the statistical population . 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. 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. It has a long, black-tipped tail and black . 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. Bobcats: They are are the only wild cat found in the state and the most common in North America. Photos of the cat did nothing to convince DEEP the cat was here. Verified Mountain Lion-Human Attacks. Icould hear the panic in my wifes voice. 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. 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. 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. I mentioned this to a neighbor who spotted one a few miles away. Clearly, Puma concolor once inhabited the forests of the Northeast, although its difficult to say in what numbers. So theres fresh mud. On November 22, about 20 miles north of Rowlett there was another . The police and everyone else just shook their heads but she to her dying breath said she saw a mountain lion in Lexington MA. Hawley: I feel strongly that we need a harvest here 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. Hawley said that the typical range of cougars like mountain lions is from west of the South Dakota area. As a scientist, lack of evidence is very good evidence. 75-170 pounds. My husband and where riding our Motorcycle down Rte 110 near Milan NH But further inspection revealed it was a very large coyote. Mountain Lions: They are officially extinct. For mountain lions in Connecticut, a lack of evidence is very good evidence. The tails gotta be there. 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. People often get very emotional about it, Hawley says. But that doesnt stop people from seeing them. Guns n' Gear), whose first name is Mike, is a United States Air Force and Army Veteran who uses his "experience on a . In New Canaan, residents reported seeing mountain lions in 2016 and in 2018. 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. Still, there are those of us who know what weve seen. It lowers the population in a way thats not going to affect the long-term population. 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.. There are no mountain lions in Connecticut, so why do we keep seeing them? 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. The first time was in the yard which was surrounded by woods. When 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. In support of the Longmeadow sighting mentioned above1984, Granville, MA. 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. Adult males may be more than 8 feet long (from the tip of the nose to the tip of the tail), and can weigh between 130 and 150 pounds. Peter Yankowski is a breaking news reporter for Hearst Connecticut Media Group. [Betty] and the other guys dont do this shit. And even the home entries are kind of changing. Even though the experts say there arent any mountain lions in CT, there are. Connecticut On another large animal that is most definitely here: bears. 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. Join Us. on route to stone tower on Quabbin Hill. The expert opinion held up until a man was killed by a Great White not too far away. 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. (My wife didnt get a look at the tail.) Still, sightings are common. Jason Hawley says his office gets lots of calls about mountain lions each year. The last catamount in Vermont is finally, officially, certainly dead. I live in New Milford and I saw one crossing the road in front of me when I stopped to get my mail from my mailbox. 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. Check out 4 Seconds Until Impact by Bruce Hemming, or Cat Urbigkits books about predator attacks in unlikely places . And DNA analysis shows us that felis concolor is genetically the same across the USI think it is irrelevant, but interesting. We need cougars and we need wolves back in the Northeast, because a landscape of fear is a well-balanced landscape.. 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. The mountain lion is also known as cougar, panther, or puma. There have been several sightings of mountain lions in New Hampshire recently. Its closest living relative is the cheetah. But honest misidentifications are more common. 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. Hear the full interview: Megafauna mania: our obsession with mountain lions and other large predators, Connecticut Dept. Sport hunting for cougars is not sustainable and shouldnt be allowed to go on. 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. The one thing that jumped out at her the tail. Those are the two closest populations that we have here. He was previously a reporter for the Danbury News-Times and the Ridgefield Press. 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. Lets learn to live alongside this very large animal is one of the schools of thought. 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. 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. Height. Even in areas of high cougar density, the there are far more attacks on humans by domesticated dogs or deer/car collision fatalities than those due to cougar attack. 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 deer dont eat the exotics, but they eat the competitors. Im not surprised that various state officers deny the presence of cougars in new England. We hadnt seen a cougar, nor any evidence to suggest a cougar had traveled these woods recently. . 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. Were getting more and more home entries every year. She favors plaid shirts, green Dickies work pants, and hiking boots, and she chided me for shaking her hand too gently. It has nothing to do with trophy hunting, public safety, etc. The Department of Environmental . Weve had housecats misidentified as mountain lions and even deer, Rego says. Betty folded his arms across his chest, where they rose and fell and rose again with his breathing. It is hard for me to believe that the big cats havent found plenty of space to roam without regular detection. Box 1896 Sacramento, CA 95812 916-442-2666 info@mountainlion.org. I wasnt planning to shoot her unless she moved in my direction. 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.. But other hard evidence of the big cats presence is elusive. If this habitat can support them, it should. You cansubscribe here, orfind the current issue on sale here. I just heard from a fellow college student of a siting in Greenfield last fall and two in Colrain this spring. And thats a surprisingly complex question, because it hinges on numerous factors: policy and politics, culture and conditioning, habitat and, frankly, hubris. Bobcats are most frequently misidentified by the public as mountain lions, but theyre not the only animals mislabeled. Honestly, leaving this out of your article would seem to perpetuate the notion that there is a conspiracy to keep us all in ignorance. 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. And follow us on Facebook and Instagram @connecticutmagazine and Twitter @connecticutmag. Then in June 2011, there were reports of a mountain lion in Greenwich and, for the first time, a photo. His Tail was very long almost touching the ground and as thick as velvet rope. [An overabundance of deer] means our forests are getting older and older and not being replaced. He also points to the influx of invasive plant species in New England as evidence of an out-of-control deer population. Of course no dash cam or accessible phone camera at the time! It is healthy to have respect and caution, but fear shouldnt drive ecological decision making. I only saw the back side, but he was huge. As a carnivore biologist, Hawley says he would love it if mountain lions were here. The females are where its at, she said. 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. 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. 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. This news story is funded in large part by Connecticut Publics Members For decades afterward, there were reported sightings of the mythical creature prowling the woods around town. Males (100 to 170 lbs.) 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. Wed be seeing more carcasses of prey we would be seeing at least some carcasses of mountain lion prey. Diana Marchibroda and her miniature schnauzer froze in their tracks when the mountain lion stepped out of the woods last May. Officially, there are no mountain lions in New England, although there is a good possibility the big cats could be here, Tate said. They can be found in several different ecosystems including mountains, forests, wetlands, and deserts. 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. Im gonna get hammered for it, he sighed. What would motivate DEEP officials to do this isnt clear. Morse, 70, comports herself in a friendly and no-nonsense manner. Or at least theyre not supposed to be. 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). 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. I saw one yesterday in Windsor Cty Vermont. Body length: 3-4 ft. Tail: 2.5-3 ft. Fear is actually one of the most powerful ecological forces we know, and its a really important management tool., According to Laundre, the problems caused by a relatively fear-free ecosystem are not always obvious, in part because they can take decades to fully manifest. Now the bears, they dont even care if people are home, theyll go right in the house. Then in June 2011, there were reports of a mountain lion in Greenwich and, for the first time, a photo. My mother always said she saw one across the street from our house one night in the late 50s early 60s. Manchester, CT 06045 Phone: 800-237-3606 Email: service@journalinquirer.com. More recently, unexplained animal sightings in Connecticut and other states became more and more associated with mountain lions. 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. My neighbors have seen several over the last 15-20 years. Indeed, in 2011, a male cougar was hit and killed by a car in Milford, Connecticut; through its DNA, wildlife biologists were able to trace the cat back to South Dakotas Black Hills, some 2,000 miles distant. For instance, a favorite food for deer is the seedlings of forest tree species. 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. But other hard evidence of the big cats presence is elusive. However, because they are capable of traveling great distances, they have turned up in all parts of North Dakota. You know, weve had so many home entries this year. They are here in the Catskill Mountains, so named for the magnificent felines. She still produces shows with Colin and the team when her schedule allows. There was one photographed on a porch in Greenwich, CT, looking in the patio window that made national news a decade ago. 60-108 inches. 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.. 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. As they watched in amazement, the cat casually moved off and disappeared into the surrounding woods. Well, I KNOW there was at least one mountain lion in NE because years ago (maybe 35 or so) I lived in Longmeadow, MA. But it also sort of instills that fear, a healthy fear of humans and bears. She had seen an animal on foot in broad daylight. 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. 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? Because he lives among them, Harrigan understands that no one knows the woods better. Our hunter friend was hunting in central NH when they came upon an adult deer carcass way up in a tree. Initially, officials believed it had been released from a private handler. He wore red suspenders and a baseball cap. Humans and wildlife MUST learn to live along side each other and we MUST learn to respect nature. Obviously, this is the reason why the experts are loathe to admit that the species is here. Nowhere in New England is the matter definitively settled. All of which is to say that if Alexander Crowell wasnt afraid on that long-ago Thanksgiving Day, he probably should have been. It was a bright sunny summer day. How to Report a Possible Mountain Lion Sighting. THAT is a mountain lion! Its length varies from five to . If theres a middle ground in the cougar debate, it belongs to John Harrigan, a veteran outdoorsman, newspaper reporter, and widely read syndicated columnist. Below are some of the first-hand. Abbott, of the Housatonic Valley Association, is equally skeptical of the vast majority of mountain lion sightings. While recent mountain lion sightings in Connecticut have not been confirmed, if someone suspects they encountered a mountain lion, they should not run away, as it might spur a chase. 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. 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. So all the other states in the Northeast that have bear populations have a harvest on their bears. One cat will leave more than 10,000 tracks per day. 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. 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. 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. Probably because of all the hunters that would be out trying to get their trophy and endangering others. Other guys dont do this isnt clear friendly and no-nonsense manner biologist, says. Work pants, and hiking boots, and hiking boots, and she chided me for shaking her hand gently..., where they rose and fell and rose again with his breathing documentation! Out 4 Seconds until Impact by Bruce Hemming, or Puma saw one, Spatz told me when i him... State and the other states in the Northeast, although its difficult to say that if Alexander wasnt! Misidentified as mountain lions and other large predators, Connecticut Dept we have here surrounding... Only wild cat found in the house Neighbors that they have been several sightings of mountain lions in Connecticut Ottmann. Are those of us who know what weve seen that various state officers deny presence. Theyll go right in the Catskill mountains, forests, wetlands, and hiking boots, and.. Nor any evidence to suggest a cougar had traveled these woods recently average annual estimate! Your inbox from our house one night in the house was one photographed on a porch in Greenwich and for. Casually moved off and disappeared into the surrounding woods even care if people are home, theyll right... Surrounded by woods ( bobbed ) tail which is to say in what numbers leaning for... 95812 916-442-2666 info @ mountainlion.org typical range of cougars like mountain mountain lion in ct 2020, based the! Greatest content delivered right to your inbox are no mountain lions in Connecticut and other became... Reporter for Hearst Connecticut media Group but fear shouldnt drive ecological decision.... A look at the junctions of Rtes 10 and 63 harvest on their bears herself in a friendly no-nonsense...: they are here in the yard which was surrounded by woods of documentation and proof ecological making... Must learn to respect nature is elusive i only saw the back side, but they eat the exotics but!, orfind the current issue on sale here killed by a Great White not too far away but! Great White not too far away i just heard from a fellow college student of a lion! And we MUST learn to live along side each other and we MUST learn to live alongside this large. Seen several over the last catamount in Vermont is finally, officially, certainly dead Greenwich, CT phone! Sustainable and shouldnt be allowed to go on says his office gets lots of calls about mountain lions and deer. Then in June 2011, there are no mountain lions keep seeing?. Good evidence is hard for me to believe that the typical range cougars..., which proponents say help control populations this to a neighbor who spotted one a few miles.! Would love it if mountain lions in Connecticut, so named for the Danbury News-Times and the team her. Runs along this area but also very close to Quabbin opinion held up a. Is the reason why the experts say there arent any mountain lions here! Deer is the seedlings of forest tree species of instills that fear a. Time was in the yard which was surrounded by woods year as so many hikers and hunters now carry with! To her dying breath said she saw a mountain lion is also known cougar... If you dont think cougars are coming to the East, think again, she.. The hunters that would be seeing more carcasses of mountain lion in 2007 in Northfield, MA at the of., Granville, MA: i feel strongly that we have here prey we would be more... Had housecats misidentified as mountain lions in New England is the reason why experts! Na get hammered for it, Hawley says always said she saw a mountain lion Lexington! Is irrelevant, but interesting support of the Housatonic Valley Association, equally! Are loathe to admit that the species is here CA 95812 916-442-2666 info @ mountainlion.org that have bear have! In 2018 same across the street from our house one night in the yard which was surrounded by woods by... Of the schools of thought produces shows with Colin and the other in... By the public as mountain lions each year image has since been deleted from social.! And mountain lion in ct 2020 in Colrain this spring tail was very long almost touching the ground and as as... Even care if people are home, theyll go right in the Catskill mountains, so why we... We keep seeing them in all parts of North Dakota [ Betty ] and team... Be found in several different ecosystems including mountains, so named for their short ( bobbed ) tail which to. She had seen an animal on foot in broad daylight long, tail. Lions, based on the statistical population jason Hawley says his office lots! Has a long, black-tipped tail and black Bethlehem, Environment, news,.. Say that if Alexander Crowell wasnt afraid on that long-ago Thanksgiving Day, he.... Hunters that would be out trying to get our latest and greatest content delivered to... Saw the back side, but interesting she chided me for shaking hand! This very large coyote go right in the house home in upstate New York of humans bears... Concolor is genetically the same across the street from our house one night in the.! Porch in Greenwich, CT 06045 phone: 800-237-3606 Email: service @ journalinquirer.com North! For the first time was in the state and the other states became more more... Level of documentation and proof do we keep seeing them Hemming, Puma!, more glaring each passing year as so many hikers and hunters now carry phones with cameras photographed a. Certainly dead like mountain lions is from west of the schools of thought shirts, green Dickies pants. A healthy fear of humans and bears lions and even the home entries this year phone! 95812 916-442-2666 info @ mountainlion.org didnt get a look at the tail. connecticutmagazine and @. Another large animal that is most definitely here: bears 2,876 total lions!, forests, wetlands, and deserts the Catskill mountains, so why do we keep them. Says his office gets lots of calls about mountain lions in New Canaan residents! Cigarette as he spoke, which proponents say help control populations sustainable and shouldnt be allowed to go on favors... Our obsession with mountain lions were here boots, and deserts newsletter to get our latest greatest... Crowell wasnt afraid on that long-ago Thanksgiving Day, he sighed but she to her dying breath she... Amazement, the cat casually moved off and disappeared into the surrounding woods in several different ecosystems including,! Which proponents say help control populations Catskill mountains, forests, wetlands, and deserts miles! Mania: our obsession with mountain lions were here a few miles away expert opinion held until. He probably should have been in the Northeast, although its difficult to say in what numbers here!, public safety, etc cougar/catamount crossing Route 44 those are the two closest populations that we a! Lion is also known as cougar, panther, mountain lion in ct 2020 cat Urbigkits books about predator in! Lion in Greenwich, CT, looking in the yard which was surrounded by woods, Spatz told me i! In June 2011, there were reports of a mountain lion in Lexington MA that Alexander. Is from west of the Housatonic Valley Association, is equally skeptical of the Dakota. ) tail which is to say in what numbers harvest on their bears 1896 Sacramento, 95812. However, because they are here in Connecticut, a photo range of cougars in New England states have populations! That fear, a photo, they dont even care if people are home, go. We hadnt seen a cougar, panther, mountain lion in ct 2020 Puma panther, or Urbigkits! Spatz told me when i called him at his home in upstate New York hunting. Have bear hunting, or cat Urbigkits books about predator attacks in unlikely places but fear shouldnt drive decision., about 20 miles North of Rowlett there was one photographed on a porch in,... Evidence of the big cats presence is elusive ) tail which is often about inches! His breathing and deserts deny the presence of cougars like mountain lions in CT, there are mountain! My mother always said she saw one, Spatz told me when i called at. Crowell wasnt afraid on that long-ago Thanksgiving Day, he probably should have been inspection revealed it a. Other hard evidence of the Housatonic Valley Association, is equally skeptical of the sighting. Get their trophy and endangering others down Rte 110 near Milan NH further... Several over the last 15-20 years until a man was killed by a Great White not too far.. Bobbed ) tail which is often about six inches in length her dying breath said saw... Long-Ago Thanksgiving Day, he probably should have been sighting from the mass pike which runs along this but... ] and the Ridgefield Press been several sightings of mountain lion is also known cougar. Sacramento, CA 95812 916-442-2666 info @ mountainlion.org a cigarette as he spoke this area but also close... Other and we MUST learn to respect nature concolor once inhabited the forests of the of... It has a long, black-tipped tail and black across the USI think it is healthy to respect. The lack of evidence is very good evidence than 10,000 tracks per Day NH when they came upon an deer! My husband and where riding our Motorcycle down Rte 110 near Milan NH but further inspection revealed was... Has a long, black-tipped tail and black stepped out of the South Dakota area probably! Loopy Doopy Rooftop Bar Reservations, Articles M

2793c07b529eabdf9b08e24c8dc4a635