I did some seasonal summer work with NH F & G in the early 90's. When this question came up the answer was that "individuals may be seen while passing through the state but there was no known resident population." Based on that I'd say that when someone finds a denning female then they'll have to say NH has mountain lions again. As for why any agency or group might be reluctant to declare that mountain lions are back in the state; really? Making such a declaration doesn't have any impact on reality so no one needs to make it. However such a declaration does impact perception and with a species that's behavior is not necessarily well understood by the general population but has a reputation or "mythos" associated with it that could create disquiet among some... why would anyone be in a hurry to kick that hornet's nest?
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