mountain lion in lake george ny

[WNYBuckHunter]

As far as the ground being hard, I beg to differ, there are fresh bear, deer, coyote, coon and fox prints all over the place in the fields and woods right around my place. Its been raining pretty good for a month.

What fields? ??? We have no fields. And don't tell me about the ground. I just came off the hill and the ground is like a brick. There are no tracks (as in zero tracks). Even the ATV made no tracks going up the hill. There is no mud and unbroken ground is as hard as pavement even now. And yes we have had a lot of rain and it has all pretty much just run off. In fact we had rain just last night and there's not a bit of moisture left this afternoon.  Lol... you flatlanders check out your farm fields and think you have looked at the whole world  ;D .

You a little testy today Doc?  :

[Doc]

You a little testy today Doc?  :

No, just explaining that sign that is not located in tilled soil might not be as easy to come by. My little excursion up the hill made that obvious. I went up to check one of my cameras, and seven pictures of deer were tripped off. The trail that the camera was watching had absolutely no tracks in it and that was a dirt surface with no leaves on it. And I did notice that the ground was harder than a bullet. If hoofed animals couldn't leave an imprint, then I don't see how other critters could.

So the point still stands that just because there is no evidence of a sighting available, doesn't mean that it didn't happen.

[WNYBuckHunter]

I hear what you are saying, but how then do you explain that the only time a ML has been verified as being wild and has traveled through NY, it left a trail of evidence through multiple states, yet 99% of the sightings you hear about result in no evidence what so ever? Ask people that live in areas where ML actually live how tough it is to find evidence of them being there.

[Doc]

I hear what you are saying, but how then do you explain that the only time a ML has been verified as being wild and has traveled through NY, it left a trail of evidence through multiple states, yet 99% of the sightings you hear about result in no evidence what so ever? Ask people that live in areas where ML actually live how tough it is to find evidence of them being there.

Well actually I haven't read all the articles, so I really don't know how many different places per mile actually had any sightings, or collected any evidence. So it's hard to know just how obvious a trail it left through those states. Maybe he just had an affinity for walking through mud, and had a scalp problem that was causing hair loss and had a constant state of the runs. Chances are pretty good that a lot of those cases weren't taken all that seriously or investigated all that thoroughly until this one got smacked in Conn. and they started back-tracking it to it's origin.

However, whatever the tell-tale signs were, what it does clearly show is that apparently it really is possible for a mountain lion to cross NYS. 

I've got to say that it is kind of hard to believe that this was the only one ever to take the big hike. So I guess I won't be so quick to tell someone who claims to have seen one that they are nuts  . Actually I have always felt that when someone claims to have seen a mountain lion, I can only say that I wasn't there, I didn't see what they saw, and I know of no reason why anyone would lie about it. So I have always concluded that at the very least, they truly believe they saw one and now I have to allow for the possibility that perhaps they did. Beyond that, I really don't have any particular interest unless somebody tells me they saw one behind my house. That might get my attention.

I already played the role of the skeptic in the past. I remember when the first reports of local bear sightings occurred. Also there was the deal when people were claiming that coyotes were in WNY. I guess over time I have become a little more accepting to these possibilities.

[WNYBuckHunter]

So you havent read anything much about it, yet you just feel the need to rattle on about scalp conditions and a ML with an affinity for mud? Seems to me if they went through the trouble to collect the evidence that was given to them, do DNA testing on hair found, etc, that the powers that be did take the reports seriously. I also think that they took those sightings seriously because people brought forth evidence, like photos of tracks, hair and other things. You can sit here and spout off smart remarks all you want, but the fact remains that until now, not a single shred of evidence of a wild ML in NY has existed in the last 100 years. Like has been said, all of these sightings, yet no tracks found when the ground is wet, or theres snow. What, do they all head south for the winter?

99% of the claims turn out to be someone having their leg pulled or just plain misidentification of dogs, housecats, coyotes, bobcats, fishers, etc. My favorite was the one from Belmot or Belfast a couple of years ago, complete with pictures and it was reported by a news paper. I commented on their website, as did a few others and those comments caused them to check their picture with measurements of other objects in the frame and it turned out to be a house cat. They posted a retraction a couple of days later.

Comparing it to bear and coyote sightings of the past is pretty silly since bears lived in the state and in northern PA, and the same for coyotes. MLs do not have a nearby home range.

I have said before that I would take ML sighting seriously if someone brought some real, verifiable evidence forward with the claim. The rest are mostly misinformation and on par with Chupacabra sightings. 

[Doc]

So you havent read anything much about it, yet you just feel the need to rattle on about scalp conditions and a ML with an affinity for mud? Seems to me if they went through the trouble to collect the evidence that was given to them, do DNA testing on hair found, etc, that the powers that be did take the reports seriously. I also think that they took those sightings seriously because people brought forth evidence, like photos of tracks, hair and other things. You can sit here and spout off smart remarks all you want, but the fact remains that until now, not a single shred of evidence of a wild ML in NY has existed in the last 100 years. Like has been said, all of these sightings, yet no tracks found when the ground is wet, or theres snow. What, do they all head south for the winter?

99% of the claims turn out to be someone having their leg pulled or just plain misidentification of dogs, housecats, coyotes, bobcats, fishers, etc. My favorite was the one from Belmot or Belfast a couple of years ago, complete with pictures and it was reported by a news paper. I commented on their website, as did a few others and those comments caused them to check their picture with measurements of other objects in the frame and it turned out to be a house cat. They posted a retraction a couple of days later.

Comparing it to bear and coyote sightings of the past is pretty silly since bears lived in the state and in northern PA, and the same for coyotes. MLs do not have a nearby home range.

I have said before that I would take ML sighting seriously if someone brought some real, verifiable evidence forward with the claim. The rest are mostly misinformation and on par with Chupacabra sightings. 

Oh relax for crying out loud. Just because I do not get all hostile and disagreeable whenever someone thinks they saw a mountain lion, and simply because I have not made the subject the center of my universe doesn't mean that I can't have an opinion. If that bothers you, then maybe internet forums are not for you!  Probably too much has already been made of what you think it should take to convince you. Frankly that discussion doesn't interest me. For me, if someone thinks they saw a mountain lion, I am not going to make a career out of trying to prove them a liar. That sort of thing just doesn't interest or entertain me at all. I don't know whether as a child you got frightened by a mountain lion story or what, but man, you take this stuff way too seriously. :

[WNYBuckHunter]

So you havent read anything much about it, yet you just feel the need to rattle on about scalp conditions and a ML with an affinity for mud? Seems to me if they went through the trouble to collect the evidence that was given to them, do DNA testing on hair found, etc, that the powers that be did take the reports seriously. I also think that they took those sightings seriously because people brought forth evidence, like photos of tracks, hair and other things. You can sit here and spout off smart remarks all you want, but the fact remains that until now, not a single shred of evidence of a wild ML in NY has existed in the last 100 years. Like has been said, all of these sightings, yet no tracks found when the ground is wet, or theres snow. What, do they all head south for the winter?

99% of the claims turn out to be someone having their leg pulled or just plain misidentification of dogs, housecats, coyotes, bobcats, fishers, etc. My favorite was the one from Belmot or Belfast a couple of years ago, complete with pictures and it was reported by a news paper. I commented on their website, as did a few others and those comments caused them to check their picture with measurements of other objects in the frame and it turned out to be a house cat. They posted a retraction a couple of days later.

Comparing it to bear and coyote sightings of the past is pretty silly since bears lived in the state and in northern PA, and the same for coyotes. MLs do not have a nearby home range.

I have said before that I would take ML sighting seriously if someone brought some real, verifiable evidence forward with the claim. The rest are mostly misinformation and on par with Chupacabra sightings. 

Oh relax for crying out loud. Just because I do not get all hostile and disagreeable whenever someone thinks they saw a mountain lion, and simply because I have not made the subject the center of my universe doesn't mean that I can't have an opinion. If that bothers you, then maybe internet forums are not for you!  Probably too much has already been made of what you think it should take to convince you. Frankly that discussion doesn't interest me. For me, if someone thinks they saw a mountain lion, I am not going to make a career out of trying to prove them a liar. That sort of thing just doesn't interest or entertain me at all. I don't know whether as a child you got frightened by a mountain lion story or what, but man, you take this stuff way too seriously. :

Its just my opinion Doc, dont try and make it out like Im having a heart attack over it or making a career out of anything. Sorry if the facts offend you in some way.

[Doc]

Its just my opinion Doc, dont try and make it out like Im having a heart attack over it or making a career out of anything. Sorry if the facts offend you in some way.

I don't know about any of your facts that you think prove that it's impossible for someone to have seen a mountain lion in NY, but you sure do seem to be on a super-serious crusade even in the face of proof that we now know that at least one mountain lion has indeed been shown to have passed through. This latest documented visit also implies that we have absolutely no idea just how many others have done the same thing before.

But anyway, I am just suggesting that you calm down a little and try to keep perspective on things before always jumping into the combative mode. It makes conversations a bit more pleasant.

However I must say, if it is that necessary for you to shut out any possibilities that any sightings might be real, I sure don't want to disturb your beliefs. Maybe it all has something to do with your comfort level when walking to a stand in the dark ..... I don't know  ;D .  Frankly it doesn't matter that much to me. But, I learned a long time ago never to say never.

[WNYBuckHunter]

Its just my opinion Doc, dont try and make it out like Im having a heart attack over it or making a career out of anything. Sorry if the facts offend you in some way.

I don't know about any of your facts that you think prove that it's impossible for someone to have seen a mountain lion in NY, but you sure do seem to be on a super-serious crusade even in the face of proof that we now know that at least one mountain lion has indeed been shown to have passed through. This latest documented visit also implies that we have absolutely no idea just how many others have done the same thing before.

But anyway, I am just suggesting that you calm down a little and try to keep perspective on things before always jumping into the combative mode. It makes conversations a bit more pleasant.

However I must say, if it is that necessary for you to shut out any possibilities that any sightings might be real, I sure don't want to disturb your beliefs. Maybe it all has something to do with your comfort level when walking to a stand in the dark ..... I don't know  ;D .  Frankly it doesn't matter that much to me. But, I learned a long time ago never to say never.

Wow Doc, not only havent you been paying attention to the articles on the ML, but you arent paying attention to what I have been saying all along.  :

[Doc]

Wow Doc, not only havent you been paying attention to the articles on the ML, but you arent paying attention to what I have been saying all along.  :

Yeah, I think I got the gist of what you've been saying.

[WNYBuckHunter]

Well if you did, this thread would be about half a page shorter than it is.

[wdswtr]

For a minute there I thought I was back at my grandparents house 15 years ago listening to gramma and grampa argueing again lol.  Thanks for the rekindling som eold memories guys.  You too are funny.

[noodle one]

I for one will tell you that there is a Ml in western Broome co. near Deposit. I saw this Ml only one time about 30 yards from me walking up a trail with a squirrel or some other small rodent in it's mouth. When I said something to the land owner about it , he told that me they have known that there was one around for years. He also told me that there is a trapper who traps coyote and bob cat on his land(600 arces)who has seen tracks on the mountain and when he would tell people that there was a ML around ,no one would believe him. He also told me of a farmer down the road from his land, who saw one take down a fawn one spring morning. This was 5 or 6 years ago. He and the others don't tell anyone about the ML because no one believes that there is one around. I will tell you that I believe because I saw it. I am 67 years old and have hunted my hole life and I know what a house cat looks like, I know what a bob cat looks like and I know what a ML looks like, because I have seen all three in the wild. In the last year I have heard of two sighting near my home and I for one believe that the people who saw it had seen a ML. My life has always been around hunting and I am not talking about just a few days a year, but weeks on end. Every day for weeks, year round. So if you don't believe then that is your lose to be so closed minded.

[Doc]

I for one will tell you that there is a Ml in western Broome co. near Deposit. I saw this Ml only one time about 30 yards from me walking up a trail with a squirrel or some other small rodent in it's mouth. When I said something to the land owner about it , he told that me they have known that there was one around for years. He also told me that there is a trapper who traps coyote and bob cat on his land(600 arces)who has seen tracks on the mountain and when he would tell people that there was a ML around ,no one would believe him. He also told me of a farmer down the road from his land, who saw one take down a fawn one spring morning. This was 5 or 6 years ago. He and the others don't tell anyone about the ML because no one believes that there is one around. I will tell you that I believe because I saw it. I am 67 years old and have hunted my hole life and I know what a house cat looks like, I know what a bob cat looks like and I know what a ML looks like, because I have seen all three in the wild. In the last year I have heard of two sighting near my home and I for one believe that the people who saw it had seen a ML. My life has always been around hunting and I am not talking about just a few days a year, but weeks on end. Every day for weeks, year round. So if you don't believe then that is your lose to be so closed minded.

Oh now you've done it! I imagine ol' WNYBuckhunter will be explaining why it is impossible for you to have seen what you saw ...... ;D . He should be in here momentarily demanding pictures, hair samples and casts of tracks and maybe even a DNA report all on a notarized form......lol.

[First-light]

Breeding population, probably not, ML in N.Y yes sir. Hell I can't find my house cat in my house half the time, the DEC needs to trap one of these and put a collar on it with one of those little bells! lol

[WNYBuckHunter]

I for one will tell you that there is a Ml in western Broome co. near Deposit. I saw this Ml only one time about 30 yards from me walking up a trail with a squirrel or some other small rodent in it's mouth. When I said something to the land owner about it , he told that me they have known that there was one around for years. He also told me that there is a trapper who traps coyote and bob cat on his land(600 arces)who has seen tracks on the mountain and when he would tell people that there was a ML around ,no one would believe him. He also told me of a farmer down the road from his land, who saw one take down a fawn one spring morning. This was 5 or 6 years ago. He and the others don't tell anyone about the ML because no one believes that there is one around. I will tell you that I believe because I saw it. I am 67 years old and have hunted my hole life and I know what a house cat looks like, I know what a bob cat looks like and I know what a ML looks like, because I have seen all three in the wild. In the last year I have heard of two sighting near my home and I for one believe that the people who saw it had seen a ML. My life has always been around hunting and I am not talking about just a few days a year, but weeks on end. Every day for weeks, year round. So if you don't believe then that is your lose to be so closed minded.

Oh now you've done it! I imagine ol' WNYBuckhunter will be explaining why it is impossible for you to have seen what you saw ...... ;D . He should be in here momentarily demanding pictures, hair samples and casts of tracks and maybe even a DNA report all on a notarized form......lol.

You know what you can do with that comment Doc.

If youd get off your high horse and start reading instead of skimming comments and ASSuming, youd see that I dont demand anything, but Im not going to take your story seriously unless you back it up with evidence. I dont give a rats ass what you think of my opinion. If you are going to make a claim and someone calls you on it, and you cant back it up with evidence, dont start crying foul.

[Doc]

I for one will tell you that there is a Ml in western Broome co. near Deposit. I saw this Ml only one time about 30 yards from me walking up a trail with a squirrel or some other small rodent in it's mouth. When I said something to the land owner about it , he told that me they have known that there was one around for years. He also told me that there is a trapper who traps coyote and bob cat on his land(600 arces)who has seen tracks on the mountain and when he would tell people that there was a ML around ,no one would believe him. He also told me of a farmer down the road from his land, who saw one take down a fawn one spring morning. This was 5 or 6 years ago. He and the others don't tell anyone about the ML because no one believes that there is one around. I will tell you that I believe because I saw it. I am 67 years old and have hunted my hole life and I know what a house cat looks like, I know what a bob cat looks like and I know what a ML looks like, because I have seen all three in the wild. In the last year I have heard of two sighting near my home and I for one believe that the people who saw it had seen a ML. My life has always been around hunting and I am not talking about just a few days a year, but weeks on end. Every day for weeks, year round. So if you don't believe then that is your lose to be so closed minded.

Oh now you've done it! I imagine ol' WNYBuckhunter will be explaining why it is impossible for you to have seen what you saw ...... ;D . He should be in here momentarily demanding pictures, hair samples and casts of tracks and maybe even a DNA report all on a notarized form......lol.

You know what you can do with that comment Doc.

If youd get off your high horse and start reading instead of skimming comments and ASSuming, youd see that I dont demand anything, but Im not going to take your story seriously unless you back it up with evidence. I dont give a rats ass what you think of my opinion. If you are going to make a claim and someone calls you on it, and you cant back it up with evidence, dont start crying foul.

See, I told you you were taking all this way too seriously. Where is your sense of humor. Now that reply was funny right there, I don't care who you are.    The fact that it was based on all of your previous replies does not take away the fact that it was funny. As I said before ..... "relax". There's no need for worrying about rat's asses and high horses ..... lol.

[WNYBuckHunter]

I for one will tell you that there is a Ml in western Broome co. near Deposit. I saw this Ml only one time about 30 yards from me walking up a trail with a squirrel or some other small rodent in it's mouth. When I said something to the land owner about it , he told that me they have known that there was one around for years. He also told me that there is a trapper who traps coyote and bob cat on his land(600 arces)who has seen tracks on the mountain and when he would tell people that there was a ML around ,no one would believe him. He also told me of a farmer down the road from his land, who saw one take down a fawn one spring morning. This was 5 or 6 years ago. He and the others don't tell anyone about the ML because no one believes that there is one around. I will tell you that I believe because I saw it. I am 67 years old and have hunted my hole life and I know what a house cat looks like, I know what a bob cat looks like and I know what a ML looks like, because I have seen all three in the wild. In the last year I have heard of two sighting near my home and I for one believe that the people who saw it had seen a ML. My life has always been around hunting and I am not talking about just a few days a year, but weeks on end. Every day for weeks, year round. So if you don't believe then that is your lose to be so closed minded.

Oh now you've done it! I imagine ol' WNYBuckhunter will be explaining why it is impossible for you to have seen what you saw ...... ;D . He should be in here momentarily demanding pictures, hair samples and casts of tracks and maybe even a DNA report all on a notarized form......lol.

You know what you can do with that comment Doc.

If youd get off your high horse and start reading instead of skimming comments and ASSuming, youd see that I dont demand anything, but Im not going to take your story seriously unless you back it up with evidence. I dont give a rats ass what you think of my opinion. If you are going to make a claim and someone calls you on it, and you cant back it up with evidence, dont start crying foul.

See, I told you you were taking all this way too seriously. Where is your sense of humor. Now that reply was funny right there, I don't care who you are.    The fact that it was based on all of your previous replies does not take away the fact that it was funny. As I said before ..... "relax". There's no need for worrying about rat's asses and high horses ..... lol.

Hey, what can I say, I was grumpy this morning

[Water Rat]

                                Check This Out !!!!

Go to the NYSDEC web-page and type in "The Cougar Network " . Now click on The Cougar Network that's on the right hand side of the page. Then go to  "confirmation " that's under the research heading. Then click on the northeast map.  CHECK OUT THE DOTS ! VERY INTERESTING INFORMATION !

[wdswtr]

Wow most of those dots are where our local zoo's are lol.

[DIAMOND D]

One way or another, I think it is really exciting that rare and foreign animals can, and clearly do cross into and out of areas in which they are not considered to regularly exist. Makes the woods that much more primal feeling when you venture out.

[wdswtr]

I went out to Arizona a few years back in Kinghman to bowhunt mountain lions.  A friend who is a guide out there took me from farm to farm looking for them.  I never got a shot off but I can say that if you ever seen one in the wild there is zero mistaking it for anything we have in NY.  They are not shy by any means atleast they werent there,  If you pinned one down and it felt threatened the first thing it did was climb a tree to get above you.  The guide said it would pounce on you if you came within its striking area.  Strange the way they hunt for them out there, they just drive from farm to farm and the scouting was done at the farmers front door.  Guide would ask if he had any cattle killed in the past day or 2. if the farmer said no we moved on.  I seen dead cattle where a mountain lion would fill its belly and move on, then the next day you would see another dead cow and see where it was partially eaten.  I was told that they will not consume an animal from a previous kill unless they were desperate.  After seeing the devistation first hand of what they can do to cattle I have a hard time believing that a travel pattern could not be made from their kills alone.  A squirel isnt going to cut it for them beast a whole hind quarter of a full grown cow does though.  If there are indeed ML in ny wether passing through or hiding it would take alot of meat to feed one and there would be tell tale signs of kills from it, it would seek the easiest meal versus chasing down a wild deer if it came across such opportunities as a penned up field of cows.