Columbia County mountain lion.

[squirrel slayer]

if im not mistaken i thought the PA state record mt lion was taken not too far from the NY border near Wilawanna. Now im not saying the DEC is hiding this from us but as was said, how long did they know of the wild bore before they let it be public news. and in this area of NY and all of upstate the habitat is ideal for them, here we have hillsides with some great hiding spaces, plenty of food for them and there only real competition for food is yotes and some black bear. if they are to make a sustainable population our deer herds are going to dwindle even more so than the outbreak of the yote population and they are sneaky bastards. they will flourish in this area with no other predetors to take them out... just my opinion.

[Jennifer]

When I interned with the DEC, you would not believe how many "cougar" sigtings and trailcam photos ended up being bobcats or even housecats at a distance. When there is no easy size reference, a big feral tom a long ways off can look much bigger than he is. I once saw a trailcam photo where people were arguing... some were 100% sure it was a cougar, and then the owner showed a size reference of themselves in the next shot and you could see it was clearly a domestic cat. A lot of people really just don't know what they are seeing and their imagination gets the better of them. How many times have you gone to your stand or entered the woods in the dark, and every little sound seems like it could be a bear? Haha-- I'm guilty of that one too.

I am not saying that everyone that's seen a cougar is crazy, not at all. I think that it's possible that there have been a few in our state in the last few decades. The one was confirmed, after all. But I think a lot of it is mistaken identities of other animals, and a few hoaxes. As a scientist, I like to see some reputible evidence.

The DEC "fessed up" to wild boar because they were able to prove their existence in the state with reputible evidence.

[Doc]

and theres been tons of "sightings" that after someinvestigation turned out to be anything from large house cat to someones dog

Lol .... One thing I will say with certainty. That trail cam picture is not a large housecat or someone's dog. I can't say that the picture actually came from NYS, or that it isn't a very expert Photoshop project, but there is no question it is a mountain lion.

[BK40]

I new this would cause some cntroversy. The photo was sent to me this summer and I cant verify if its real. I dont post much but am an active viewer. However my deceased uncle, who hunted his whole lfe, swore he saw 2 cats with long tails in just the last 10 years here in Columbia County. I'll have to ask more questions on the sources of the photo. I still think these cats are here!

[waterweasle]

well heres a pic that one of my college buddies sent me, he said they've seen him a few times mostly during parties when they are having a campfire.................I hope I see him during the rut......................................must be true I have "witnesses"

[waterweasle]

http://www.gohuntn.com/gohuntn/trail-cam-proof-are-cougars-living-michigan/ maybe its this cougar....................ran to MI and got the same pic.....amazing

[growalot]

hahaha

[mxsmitz201]

regardless of what anyone thinks, it is not far out of the question that some day maybe in the near future we could have a breeding pair of cougars in the state if there isnt already and we are unaware of it, which would mean the DEC would have to change their stance on the situation. obviously the evidence is there that cougars found in the wild do show up in ny from time to time. so you cant deny that our state is most likely on the outer edges of their range. which to me means there here, maybe not often, but you certainly cant count them out.

it is entirely realistic that cougars could be making a comeback just like the black bears.

in my opinion considering how elusive they are, and the confirmed sightings/evidence regardless of whether the DEC has been contacted, that there is a small population somewhere in the state, most likely the adirondacks.

[waterweasle]

and I'll continue to keep beliving in the buckmouse, as in the picture I posted, since theres just as much proof of his existence as a NY cougar, a pic and a few witnesses seem to be enough.....................dont forget all teh bigfoot sighteings in NY too

[SteveB]

regardless of what anyone thinks, it is not far out of the question that some day maybe in the near future we could have a breeding pair of cougars in the state if there isnt already and we are unaware of it, which would mean the DEC would have to change their stance on the situation.

Mountain Lions don't live in families - there are no breeding pairs anywhere in north America.

[nyantler]

http://www.gohuntn.c...iving-michigan/ maybe its this cougar....................ran to MI and got the same pic.....amazing

Haha... come on fellas you should know these pics get emailed everywhere... and always with the caption "sent to me by a friend of a friend of a friend that might have taken this on his trailcam in a county near you"..LOL

Edited October 7, 2012 by nyantler

[SteveB]

I new this would cause some cntroversy. The photo was sent to me this summer and I cant verify if its real. I dont post much but am an active viewer. However my deceased uncle, who hunted his whole lfe, swore he saw 2 cats with long tails in just the last 10 years here in Columbia County. I'll have to ask more questions on the sources of the photo. I still think these cats are here!

http://www.gohuntn.c...iving-michigan/ maybe its this cougar....................ran to MI and got the same pic.....amazing

No controversy at all.

Just another example of why these posts are met with such skepticism.

There is NEVER any verifiable evidence posted with the sightings and rumor reports.

[Guns&ReligionCop]

Regardless of anyones opinion its not beyond possiblilty, 1 confirmed means there has been a lion here recently and there can always be more and just to rule it out like waterweasle is being nieve. They use to be indigenous to this region so its obvious that this region can support them.

[Fanaddict]

I know a DEC Officer quite will and when I asked him about mountian lions in NY he just said we're not aloud to say there in NY. LOL

[WNY Bowhunter]

it's not impossible that there are cougars in NY. However, I won't believe that they're here until I see one for myself!!!

[covert]

There's a difference between an incidental sighting of an animal passing through and a breeding resident population. Look in any bird book and you'll find countless examples of areas where a species is occasionally sighted outside of their normal range.

[Geno C]

anything is possible... im sure they are out there.

[Jennifer]

I'm not saying it's impossible.. but every time I've read or seen one of these "mountain lion spotted!" posts it's always been an accidental hoax or mistaken identity. The cat in the picture above is obviously a mountain lion, but it obsiously isn't from NY as earlier stated...

http://tinyurl.com/8o4ften

MI isn't that far away, and if someone gets images of cougars that they can prove were taken in NY, I doubt the DEC would deny that. When that cougar came though the state they didn't deny it, but there was evidence that it was the same one that was killed in CT. All I'm trying to say is that I doubt there is a huge coverup-- more likely there is just very little evidence.

[Paula]

http://www.gohuntn.c...iving-michigan/ maybe its this cougar....................ran to MI and got the same pic.....amazing

[Doc]

Ever wonder what it would take to orchestrate a statewide cover-up. Imagine the volume of DEC personel that would have to be sworn to life-time secrecy. Imagine trying to control that information and contain it from all of NYS. Let's face it, this is not the CIA that we're dealing with .... lol. And of course there is the motive ... what could that possibly be?

[Guns&ReligionCop]

I'm not saying it's impossible.. but every time I've read or seen one of these "mountain lion spotted!" posts it's always been an accidental hoax or mistaken identity. The cat in the picture above is obviously a mountain lion, but it obsiously isn't from NY as earlier stated...

http://tinyurl.com/8o4ften

MI isn't that far away, and if someone gets images of cougars that they can prove were taken in NY, I doubt the DEC would deny that. When that cougar came though the state they didn't deny it, but there was evidence that it was the same one that was killed in CT. All I'm trying to say is that I doubt there is a huge coverup-- more likely there is just very little evidence.

The DEC was denying it and calling it hoax until the dead kitty showed up and there was irrefutable evidence. I don't believe that there are many if any in this state but its very possible especially in northern and western NY

[Pygmy]

Ever wonder what it would take to orchestrate a statewide cover-up. Imagine the volume of DEC personel that would have to be sworn to life-time secrecy. Imagine trying to control that information and contain it from all of NYS. Let's face it, this is not the CIA that we're dealing with .... lol. And of course there is the motive ... what could that possibly be?

Doc, you are spot-on with this...

That's why the conspiracy theories are so absolutely ridiculous !!

[Jennifer]

The DEC was denying it and calling it hoax until the dead kitty showed up and there was irrefutable evidence. I don't believe that there are many if any in this state but its very possible especially in northern and western NY

Was there an official statement from the DEC before the cat was hit and killed? I am not being snarky-- I am genuinely curious. I didn't hear one but I might have missed it. The only official statement that I know of was after they were able to test the scat found in NY state and confirm with proof that it came through.

[wdswtr]

LMAO wow unreal another Moutain Lion hoax busted. Do people really have nothing better to do than make them self look like an ass when the truth comes out. Kind of like shooting the next state record buck from a deer farm and claiming it was legit. Unreal how dumb some people are for there 5 minutes of fame they desperatley need.

[erussell]

I had a guy the other day telling me he saw a helocopter literally unloading them out of cages into stateland in NY!! I was like wow, really, that is terrible. In the words of the great Bugs Bunny " What a Marooooon!!!!