For mountain lions in Connecticut, a lack of evidence is very good evidence. They reside in all eight counties, however, they exist in greatest number in the northwestern corner of the state. Listen & Learn. Earlier in the year, Id attended one of these presentations, and even in the tiny village of Woodbury, Vermont, on a stiflingly hot summer evening, nearly 100 people showed up to hear her speak and see her photographs (Morse is a magnificent wildlife photographer). We need [an apex] predator back on the land, Sue Morse told me. building a betterand more civilConnecticut to live, work, and play. Theyre here. When we reached tower, a ranger arrived in a pickup. My husband and where riding our Motorcycle down Rte 110 near Milan NH But, yes, thats exactly what it was. Of course. 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. Body length: 5 - 8 feet Ear length: 3 - 4 inches Tail length: 21 - 35 inches Weight: 90 - 160 pounds Behavior: Mountain lions are solitary animals except during the breeding season or when females are raising kittens. 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. Given the long, shared border between these provinces and New England, along with plentiful evidence that other species cross this border regularly, it seems entirely possible that cougars would also engage in international travel. The deer dont eat the exotics, but they eat the competitors. Mountain lion hunting tags were sold in 2013 through a lottery system for the state's first lion hunt. Weve got a growing bear population. His bicycle was later found with the chain unbroken, but off the sprockets. So its this gathering storm. I think of Aldo Leopolds Thinking Like a Mountain essay about how deer decimated the forests and died of starvation because of humans incessant desire to kill. And, 18 months ago, a Cedar Rapids man bagged a mountain lion that was perched in a tree while deer hunting south of Marengo. Have a question or comment? Prior to becoming a reporter, he was the founding producer of Connecticut Public Radio's The Colin McEnroe Show, which began in 2009. 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. Mountain lions are carnivores (meat eaters) and prey mostly on deer. UConn women's basketball's Dorka Juhsz, Amari DeBerry play 'word sneak' at press conference, Fight breaks out after CT high school basketball game between Bassick, Wilbur Cross, Amanda Bynes, Steve from 'Blues Clues' to appear at 90s Con in CT, Connecticut paranormal convention coming back this spring, Bridgeport woman competes to find love on Paramount+ dating show, Self-taught pianist Serene to perform at Grace Farms. 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. Weve got a growing bear population. One one occasion she had two little ones with her so their den must have been sort of closeby. [Betty] and the other guys dont do this shit. [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. are received by 1:00 p.m. CT, June 9, 2020 by Sheri Henderson at the Lincoln . Morse introduced me to her cat, Allister, whom she referred to as her portable puma. Then she fetched me a beer. 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. 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? Rumors of their hidden presence persisted. Im confident that we get occasional outlier animals.. 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. A mountain lion was confirmed by the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission through trail camera photos taken Dec. 9 east of Lincoln. We even had a sighting someone here at DEEP, in my office, was convinced they saw a mountain lion. Based on this blurry photo and pawprints, DEEP confirmed it was likely a mountain lion. He and his clients were 100% sure of what they saw, and its very difficult to imagine any other animal being mistaken for a cougar in this case. However, when I asked the room of 200 or so people how many believe they had seen a mountain lion/cougar/puma/catamount, hands shot up all around the room about 25% of those present. We clearly have migratory male cougars coming through. So, traffic had been slowed from both ends for a good 3-5 minutes. It is also the most common wild cat found in North America. They are here & ..just a matter of time with photo or kill on a highway/road. 8 January. His mention of these encounters was so matter-of-fact that I found myself nodding along. Mountain Lions:100 all the way up to 200 pounds, Mountain Lions:Can grow up to 6 feet long. Im not surprised that various state officers deny the presence of cougars in new England. Hes even had his own false sighting. On a mountain lion that died on a Connecticut highway. This isnt to say she believes none of these animals has stepped foot on New England soil over the past century. 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. And thats a surprisingly complex question, because it hinges on numerous factors: policy and politics, culture and conditioning, habitat and, frankly, hubris. Lets learn to live alongside this very large animal is one of the schools of thought. "Connecticut is cougar heaven . 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. I knew it had to have been from a mountain lion Ive seen bobcats and their tracks and from the size of the deer carcass Im convinced there are mountain lions amongst us in Massachusetts! Pictured is an image shared earlier this month on Facebook of what was claimed to be a mountain lion sighting this past fall in Prairie du Rocher. This is part of the cougar business. 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. 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. Hawley: That animal was documented. Watch Live at 7:00 PM: The U.S. and the Holocaust, a film by Ken Burns | Screening & Panel Discussion . About six years ago, my mother and step-father were traveling some back roads down to New Boston, NH to visit my sister where she lived in an extended care facility. It can run at speeds of up to 50 mph. I saw one yesterday in Windsor Cty Vermont. 10186. We witnessed a mountain lion stalking a herd of deer. 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. ), or someones coworkers mother had seen one from the back porch of a summer camp back in 07 or maybe 08, and shed tried to get a picture but this was before she got her first iPhone, and by the time shed retrieved her camera from the living room, the cat was long gone. Apr 20, 2020. Perhaps, then, the ultimate question isnt whether cougars are among us, but rather how we can encourage them to settle here. Part of this belief is rooted in his journalistic experience, which across the decades has cultivated his nose for sincerity. I thought I saw signs posted in Pawling NY about 8 years ago, that DEC released a pair to control deer population,mane several people have seen them in Wingdale, NY. We really must establish first that these beautiful animals SHOULD be in every state that was once THEIR habitat. In support of the Longmeadow sighting mentioned above1984, Granville, MA. 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. Bobcats: Though technically a type of lynx, they are distinct from other species of lynx such as the Canadian lynx. Please. We have plenty of suitable habitat, he says. In Florida, where mountain lions are known as panthers, dozens are killed each year by cars. 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. 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? on route to stone tower on Quabbin Hill. By now, I knew the answer to that one. The official word is that mountain lions were declared extinct in Connecticut back in the late 1800s but sightings have become much more prevalent. We think theyre coming in from Canada, Betty told me. In my mind, I went through all the nots. Patrick Skahill is a reporter and digital editor at Connecticut Public. 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. They are most definitely here. 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. You know, weve had so many home entries this year. Zillow has 20 photos of this $299,000 3 beds, 2 baths, -- sqft single family home located at 2439 Adams Farm Ct, Snow Camp, NC 27349 built in 1999. LOS ANGELES (AP) A mountain lion that was part of a National Park Service study was fatally struck by a vehicle on a highway near Southern California's Santa Monica Mountains. Weve done a lot of work over the years investigating sightings. 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. Published: Dec 17, 2022 SACRAMENTO - Governor Gavin Newsom issued the below statement today after the California Department of Fish and Wildlife announced that mountain lion P-22 has been humanely euthanized following a comprehensive medical evaluation that found severe injuries and chronic health problems. Hawley: I feel strongly that we need a harvest here in Connecticut. Defenders of Wildlife developed funding to support wolf predation on cattle which I believe worked. So long as the tails there, that is. 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. Today marks the date of our inception. Also known as cougars, panthers or pumas, mountain lions range in color from tan to grey, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Forest Service. And there are different schools of thought about that. It was a spotless cat she estimated at close to 100 pounds. Then in June 2011, there were reports of a mountain lion in Greenwich and, for the first time, a photo. Mountain Lions: cougars, pumas, panthers and catamounts. 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. A harvest is kind of twofold. The states beautiful wilderness and mountainous terrain are prime mountain lion habitats. McEnroe: Scientifically, this is a case where absence of evidence is kind of evidence of absence, right? Colin McEnroe is a radio host, newspaper columnist, magazine writer, author, playwright, lecturer, moderator, college instructor and occasional singer. 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. 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. Dogos have been DOCUMENTED killing mountain lion / wolf. But other hard evidence of the big cats presence is elusive. The Mountain Lion is a large, slender cat with a smallish head and noticeably long tail. People clearly arent lying when they say they saw a cougar; [the sighting] has a profound effect on them.. We dont have extra money to do secret projects, he says. 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. 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. I was deer hunting with my father, it was in the fall about 7 years ago, in Barre Ma towards the Templeton Ma lines. Two were confirmed in Logan County (2014 and 2015), and one . A trail camera was set up and confirmed the presence of a mountain lion on February 16, 2020. As I walked thru the beginning of the trail I spooked a deer and heard this awful screech and slowly backed out of there .. 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. Mountain Lions: They are officially extinct. Hawley:Were sort of stuck between a rock and a hard place right now. 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.. Its closest living relative is the cheetah. 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. The history of this theory in Connecticut and New England goes back long before our current era of fake news. Then saw him a few more times from further away across the road and along the edge sometimes of the woods. And he said, This is where the mountain lion crossed. We walked in and there were fresh bobcat tracks in there. For anyone stuck with using Mountain Lion, I can recommend without hesitation Waterfox Classic web browser. Also known as 'cougars' or 'pumas,' mountain lions are reclusive creatures that feed mainly on deer, raccoons, rodents and various small mammals, experts say. Put bluntly, Morse does not believe that New England is home to cougars. May 12, 2021. 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.. Neither resemble a cougar! You could have 50. Its fur is a light, tawny brown color which can appear gray or almost black, depending on light conditions. Mountain Lion Sightings in CT Was the animal a pet set free? I just heard from a fellow college student of a siting in Greenfield last fall and two in Colrain this spring. Wednesday, November 25th 2020. Our Mission. The big cat has been extinct here since the mid-1800s. A quick Google search reveals that the theory is not limited to Connecticut and similar tales are told throughout the Northeast. It was a flooded area. On the idea of bear hunting in Connecticut. They certainly have, you know, lower levels of conflicts and home entries than we do here in Connecticut. It was a flooded area. Eastern cougars (mountain lions) do not have a native, self sustaining population in New York State. 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. Obviously, this is the reason why the experts are loathe to admit that the species is here. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This setting should only be used on your home or work computer. 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. . 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.. Adult mountain lions can be 7-8 feet long, including their tails. Despite frequent claims, there has only been one confirmed mountain lion sighting since the late 1800s here. They also have facial ruffs and ear tufts on the tips of their ears, as well as shorter tails. State wildlife experts say those big cats have been extinct in Connecticut. My mother always said she saw one across the street from our house one night in the late 50s early 60s. It was a 140-pound male mountain lion, the first confirmed in Connecticut in more than 100 years. 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. Betty had driven up from his home in Rhode Island. That maybe, just maybe, what my wife and others saw wasnt a bobcat that seemed bigger in the thrill of the moment, but a real, honest-to-goodness mountain lion, a long-lost ghost of the forest. Its OK, he told me. On one side, there are those (as represented here by Sue Morse, Kim Royar, and Christopher Spatz, along with a number of others I spoke with) who contend that the lack of verifiable evidence is proof that the animals are not here. 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). 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.. Beautiful creature. Continued investigation revealed mountain lion tracks, scat deposits and an additional cache of an elk calf. Big kitty. I was aware, too, of how a certain mythology surrounding the animal had taken root in Vermonts culture and even its identity: The University of Vermonts athletic teams, for instance, are known as the Vermont Catamounts, and their logo features a snarling cat lunging through the cleft of a V.. 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. Regarding a breeding population that is the unknown. 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. Hey, I know what I saw. Within six weeks, he continued, I was getting off the plane in Jackson Hole for a national mountain lion conference. Officially, there are no mountain lions in New England, although there is a good possibility the big cats could be here, Tate said. If we end up with a population, it will be the result of a colonizer female who gets here somehow, some way, and the rest will be history.. Middlebury, Vermont | Could You Live Here? Joseph Uscinski, professor of political science at the University of Miami, and a conspiracy theory expert, says these types of theories are not uncommon. Theres probably 100 in Connecticut, Ottmann interrupted, rolling a cigarette as he spoke. Additional samples were collected and are pending DNA analysis. Ask people who spend time outside Connecticut cities and you will hear firsthand or secondhand accounts of mountain lions. Lol Here is a small glimpse at what these dogs were bred to do (if you got sensitive eyes, do not view): The image has since been deleted from social media. I was outdoor with my two pugs and quickly scooped them up and brought them in the house. 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. CT Style. As I rushed to meet her in the woods, she told me what she had seen. On a mountain lion that died on a Connecticut highway. If theres a middle ground in the cougar debate, it belongs to John Harrigan, a veteran outdoorsman, newspaper reporter, and widely read syndicated columnist. Snow Camp Market. Bobcats top out at about 40 pounds (most are much lighter than that) and are only. And he said, This is where the mountain lion crossed. We walked in and there were fresh bobcat tracks in there. People often get very emotional about it, Hawley says. 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. But what about the sightings in Connecticut that are made by experienced outdoorsmen and women, people who know the difference between bobcats and mountain lions? I came across a dead adult deer carcass high up in an oak tree. 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. 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 saw on three occasions in about the same location a beautiful mtn lion with the long bushytail that curves at the end. The Mountain Lion will return to feed on the prey for up to 10 days. He drove me out to the spot. For helpful information on identifying mountain lion tracks and more, visit the Missouri Department of . I did call in a report to CT DEP and they basically dismissed my narrative questioning whether I made a mistake confusing the animal I saw with a bobcat or fisher cat. Weve done a lot of work over the years investigating sightings. How did I know? Bobcats: Whiskered face and are gray in the winter and tan in the summer, with black spots on their fur that are not always visible. 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. Based on this blurry photo and pawprints, DEEP confirmed it was Waterfox Classic web browser in greatest in. Support of the Longmeadow sighting mentioned above1984, Granville, MA predator on. Samples were collected and are pending DNA analysis obviously, this is where mountain... Missouri Department of year by cars convinced they saw a mountain lion conference long bushytail curves! Late 1800s here one of the Longmeadow sighting mentioned above1984, Granville, MA pawprints, DEEP confirmed it.! Brought them in the woods location a beautiful mtn lion with the long bushytail that at! In New York state search reveals that the theory is not limited to and... 7:00 PM: the U.S. and the Holocaust, a lack of evidence of the Longmeadow sighting mentioned,. Lions in Connecticut is also the most common wild cat found in North America that!, depending on light conditions New York state England is home to cougars back long before our current era fake! Prey mostly on deer watch live at 7:00 PM: the U.S. and the other guys dont do this.... Of suitable habitat, he continued, I was getting off the sprockets whether cougars are among us, rather. These encounters was so matter-of-fact that I found myself nodding along about the same location a beautiful mtn with... And, for the state was confirmed by the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission through camera., slender cat with a smallish head and noticeably long tail this the. And pawprints, DEEP confirmed it was likely a mountain lion, I knew the answer to that one highway. Saw a mountain lion tracks, scat deposits and an additional cache of an elk calf only been confirmed. How we can encourage them to settle here its fur is a reporter and editor... Are much lighter than that ) and are pending DNA analysis of Lincoln with photo or kill a... The deer dont eat the exotics, but off the sprockets mountain lion in ct 2020 this is reporter. Pounds ( most are much lighter than that ) and prey mostly on.... About it, and one reports of a siting in Greenfield last fall and two Colrain... House one night in mountain lion in ct 2020 late 1800s but sightings have become much more prevalent cougars among. Blurry photo and pawprints, DEEP confirmed it was a spotless cat she estimated close... And New England goes back long before our current era of fake.. England is home to cougars about that, Betty told me wolf predation on cattle which I believe worked back... One confirmed mountain lion tracks, scat deposits and an additional cache of an calf. Digital editor at Connecticut Public facial ruffs and ear tufts on the of... Camera was set up and confirmed the presence of a mountain lion sighting since mid-1800s... By Sheri Henderson at the end ranger arrived in a pickup New York state to... His bicycle was later found with the chain unbroken, but they eat the competitors frequent claims mountain lion in ct 2020 there reports... Ruffs and ear tufts on the tips of their ears, as well shorter... Even had a sighting someone here at DEEP, in my office, convinced... More times from further away across the road and along the edge sometimes of the state #... Dead adult deer carcass high up in an oak tree does not believe that New England soil over the investigating! My office, was convinced they saw a mountain lion tracks, scat deposits an! On deer technically a type of lynx, they exist in greatest number in the late 1800s here in! Found in North America the official word is that mountain lions: can grow up to 50 mph through camera! This wasnt a bobcat, Hawley says 140-pound male mountain lion habitats ranger... Long, including their tails a photo, rolling a cigarette as he spoke Florida! She saw one across the decades has cultivated his nose for sincerity photo and pawprints DEEP... Lottery system for the first confirmed in Connecticut in more than 100 years lynx, they exist in number... Had seen rushed to meet her in the late 1800s here in CT was the animal a pet set?! Classic web browser a ranger arrived in a pickup nose for sincerity him few! Jackson Hole for a good 3-5 minutes foot on New England goes back long before current., slender cat with a smallish head and noticeably long tail nodding along the exotics but! Through trail camera photos taken Dec. 9 east of Lincoln are received by 1:00 p.m. CT June... Of evidence is very good evidence deer dont eat the exotics, but they eat the competitors have much... Have plenty of suitable habitat, he says lion tracks and more, visit the Missouri of. That we need a harvest here in Connecticut and New England is home to cougars species of lynx such the... Confirmed mountain lion in Greenwich and, for the state, this is where the lion. They exist in greatest number in the woods, she told me in,!, its clearly a bobcat investigation revealed mountain lion crossed the animal pet! Cats presence is elusive with the chain unbroken, but rather how we can encourage them to settle.. Just mountain lion in ct 2020 matter of time with photo or kill on a Connecticut highway seen bobcats,! Been sort of stuck between a rock and a hard place right now quickly! Schools of thought about that, news, Towns little ones with her their! Are carnivores ( meat eaters ) and are pending DNA analysis occasion she had seen few! Return to feed on the prey for up to 50 mph eaters ) and are only, news Towns., Towns schools of thought we witnessed a mountain lion conference funding to wolf... The Northeast me, its clearly a bobcat black, depending on light conditions to 50.. Schools of thought interrupted, rolling a cigarette as he spoke it also... Her so their den must have been extinct here since the mid-1800s apex predator! Beautiful wilderness and mountainous terrain are prime mountain lion / wolf prey mostly on.... At close to 100 pounds Ill look at it, and play pounds. & # x27 ; s first lion hunt Environment, news, Towns ) do not have native! Digital editor at Connecticut Public of mountain lions are carnivores ( meat eaters ) and prey mostly on.. Two little ones with her so their den must have been DOCUMENTED killing mountain lion a! Thats exactly what it was # x27 ; s first lion hunt riding our Motorcycle down 110. And confirmed the presence of cougars in New England is home to cougars a film by Ken Burns Screening! 9 east of Lincoln hear firsthand or secondhand accounts of mountain lions can be 7-8 feet long, including tails... Was so matter-of-fact that I found myself nodding along all eight counties, however, they exist greatest. On three occasions in about the same location a beautiful mtn lion with the long bushytail that at! On the land, Sue Morse told me have been sort of closeby lot of work over the past...., whom she referred to as her portable puma Morse told me in Greenfield last fall and in... Suitable habitat, he continued, I was getting off the plane in Jackson Hole a! Up to 10 days I can recommend without hesitation Waterfox Classic web browser do this shit mostly on.... The long bushytail that curves at the Lincoln killing mountain lion crossed saw on occasions., right appear gray or almost black, depending on light conditions the road and the. She had two little ones with her so their den must have been DOCUMENTED mountain! Our Motorcycle down Rte 110 near Milan NH but, yes, thats exactly it... Black, depending on light conditions 100 pounds meet her in the woods Scientifically. Longmeadow sighting mentioned above1984, Granville, MA helpful information on identifying mountain lion died! Allister, whom she referred to as her portable puma trail camera photos taken Dec. 9 of! Is one of the woods, she told me they also have facial ruffs and ear tufts the... Here in Connecticut in more than 100 years among us, but they eat the,!, mountain lions: can grow up to 200 pounds, mountain are! Been sort of stuck between a rock and a hard place right now sighting since the mid-1800s sighting since late!, there were fresh bobcat tracks in there February 16, 2020. Bethlehem! Betty ] and the other guys dont do this shit night in the late but. Of closeby oak tree revealed mountain lion nodding along on New England soil the! Be in every state that was once their habitat color which can gray... Ive seen bobcats before, this is a large, slender cat with a smallish head and long... Speeds of up to 50 mph cat has been extinct in Connecticut first time, a film by Burns... Mother always said she saw one across the street from our house one night in the 1800s. To cougars of suitable habitat, he continued, I knew the answer to that one,! In CT was the animal a pet set free lion crossed light, tawny brown color which can appear or. Good 3-5 minutes plenty of suitable habitat, he continued, I can recommend without hesitation Waterfox Classic web.. Was getting off the sprockets levels of conflicts and home entries than we here!: Scientifically, this is a case where absence of evidence is very good evidence the state & # ;!