Big cat sighting!

[Jonas Pilot]

September 18, 2009


POSSIBLE MOUNTAIN LION SIGHTING IN NEW HAMPSHIRE

CONCORD, N.H. -- The New Hampshire Fish and Game Department today reported that one of its staff members, following up on a routine report of a mountain lion sighting, saw what is believed to be a mountain lion in a rural area of Barnstead, N.H.

Mountain lions are known to exist in the wild in states no closer than Iowa and Florida, so it is not thought to be a dispersing wild animal, but rather is most likely an illegally released pet.

"Survival of this type of animal is typically extremely low as they normally do not have the developed abilities to catch prey on a consistent basis, and/or may have been de-clawed," said Fish and Game Wildlife Division Chief Steve Weber. "If the animal does survive, we would expect to collect hard evidence of its existence in the form of a picture, tracks, scat and/or DNA evidence."

Mountain lions were extirpated from their range in the Eastern United States by the late 1800s, with the exception of the endangered Florida panther. According to the nonprofit research organization cougarnet.org, there have been four confirmed reports of mountain lions in the Northeastern U.S. since 1938.

"The Fish and Game Department receives numerous reports of mountain lions every year," said Weber. "We still have no documentation to confirm their presence. While we do not believe this is a harbinger of a recovering population of mountain lions in New Hampshire, it does add one more credible report to several others we have received over the years."

NH Fish and Game release.

[Pineedles]

These are the laws in Nebraska. What are the laws in New Hampshire?

– A mountain lion may be destroyed by a landowner if it attacks or attempts to attack livestock. If he looks even crossed eyed at my Belgium Belted Galloways, he's dead meat

– People may defend themselves by killing a mountain lion if it attacks or shows aggression toward them. Hopefully the same in NH

– If a landowner believes livestock has been killed or injured by a mountain lion, the scene should be left undisturbed and the Commission contacted immediately.If Smith & Wesson aren't with me, then I guaranty I'm out of there

– If evidence of depredation by a mountain lion exists and a landowner wants action, an attempt will by made to prevent further damage by killing the mountain lion. What is it with these big words extirpated and depredation?

– An attempt will be made by the Commission or local law enforcement to kill a mountain lion that is confirmed to be within town limits. I would hope so, they're dangerous!

– Anyone who kills a mountain lion for any reason must contact the Commission immediately and surrender the carcass.Does that mean I can't invite the neighbors over for a bar-b-que?

– By law, a mountain lion will be left undisturbed if it is not threatening people and has not caused depredation.There they go again with the big words. Do they have a right to a phone call before they jump on me?

[Slickcraft]

Human deaths due to mountain lion attacks average less than one per year, like 5 in a 20 year period.

Auto related deaths run about 42,000 per year. Fatal dog attacks numbered 23 in 2008.

Clearly it is safer walking in the woods than driving a car to the grocery store or walking down the street past the neighbors dog.

It would be a real shame for a cat to be shot.

[Airwaves]

I'd be careful hunting Mountain Lion if I were you Pineedles. They may be federally protected, at least according to this website the Eastern Mountain Lion is protected.
http://www.defenders.org/wildlife_an...ntain_lion.php

[Pineedles]

Oh my gawd guys/girls?, I was trying to be funny. Guess I should use more of the and the symbols in my posts.

BTW, I was reading the story in the Laconia Sun and they are reporting it as probably a "pet" that has been released or escaped. THAT, is the real tragedy of this story.

The fact that people think they can keep WILD animals as pets is nuts and dangerous. We had a woman here in CT who kept a "pet" chimp at home. It didn't kill the woman's friend when it attacked her, but it did bite off her hands, lips, ears, and nose. I'll take the "wild" variety of cougars that as slickcraft's correct stats state, haven't attacked that many people.

But I gotta say that the Connecticut chimp attack may be an anomaly for chimp attacks, but how many attacks take place by "wild" pets? The CT legislature passed a law not too long after, prohibiting many wild species to be kept as pets.

Is there a law in NH prohibiting potentially dangerous wild animals being kept as pets?

[Pineedles]

As a post script, I am not assigning any intelligence to the CT legislature by passing this law.

[Slickcraft]

Originally Posted by Pineedles

Oh my gawd guys/girls?, I was trying to be funny. Guess I should use more of the and the symbols in my posts.

Good to hear that you were kidding, many would have an instant reaction hunt the cat down.

Last fall there was a large male black bear that passed near a new house in West Alton (half a mile from us) just wondering around looking for whatever to eat. Typical fall bear stuff. The new lady of the house saw the bear, had a melt down and called a friend who was a hunter. A short time later the bear was dead. Stupid.

[Pineedles]

Originally Posted by Slickcraft

Good to hear that you were kidding, many would have an instant reaction hunt the cat down.

Last fall there was a large male black bear that passed near a new house in West Alton (half a mile from us) just wondering around looking for whatever to eat. Typical fall bear stuff. The new lady of the house saw the bear, had a melt down and called a friend who was a hunter. A short time later the bear was dead. Stupid.

Absolutely stupid reaction! The black bear is one of the most non-aggressive among the bear family. But saying that, they also make lousy pets, and if anyone is thinking of feeding the poor beasts off their backyard porch, they are asking for trouble.

[Coolbreeze]

Here kitty kitty!

[jmen24]

Originally Posted by Slickcraft

Human deaths due to mountain lion attacks average less than one per year, like 5 in a 20 year period.

Auto related deaths run about 42,000 per year. Fatal dog attacks numbered 23 in 2008.

Clearly it is safer walking in the woods than driving a car to the grocery store or walking down the street past the neighbors dog.

It would be a real shame for a cat to be shot.

Deaths you are correct, but attacks are much higher in numbers.

http://www.cougarinfo.org/stats.html

While on an elk hunt in the back country of Colorado last fall, we posed the question regarding seeing a mountain lion and what to do if we felt threatened. The outfitter explaned that we had better have bite and claw marks on our body if we were planning on taking the life of a lion outside of the open season. Just feeling threatened was in no way justification for shooting the animal.

Originally Posted by Slickcraft

Good to hear that you were kidding, many would have an instant reaction hunt the cat down.

Last fall there was a large male black bear that passed near a new house in West Alton (half a mile from us) just wondering around looking for whatever to eat. Typical fall bear stuff. The new lady of the house saw the bear, had a melt down and called a friend who was a hunter. A short time later the bear was dead. Stupid.

Not "stupid" as it is now and probably was then, hunting season in the state of NH for Black Bear. The fact that the hunter was tipped off to the approximate location of the bear helps the hunter with an idea of where to look, but two things come to mind when I read this.

If it was that easy that just a short time later (we need to know what this short time period is) the bear was dead, it was probably better off, as bear in the woods are increadibly elusive, its not a hey there is a bear over there and I will just walk in and get it type of thing. Some serious skill is needed in performing a stalk of this animal in order to be successful.

Or the bear was harvested within the legal hunting set back limits of dwellings or roads and if that was the case, I cannot find a report of this within Fish and Game records as this would have been a hunting crime, punishable by loss of hunting privileges within the state of NH and possible confiscation of weapon as well as anything else used in the harvest, recovery and storage of this animal.

Not looking for the whole hunting vs. save the animals discussion but an opportunity to actual see what goes into hunting any of the animals within this state would shed a lot of light on how hard and time comsuming it truely is to harvest a wild animal. It is not at all like it shows on TV.

[SIKSUKR]

Well I am one who believes he has seen a mountain lion in NH.I was headed to my skihouse located at Cannon Mt.It was dusk and as I exited off the Peabody slopes exit,my gf and I saw an animal dart across the road about 500 ft in front of us.We could not see it's coloring at all but clearly saw the profile of a large cat.We both did the "did you see that?!"I did not know what kind of cats we had here except bobcats which are very small.There is no way this cat was a bobcat by it's size.I would estimate it stood about 3 feet high.I sent this info to John Harrigan who writes a wildlife column for the Union Leader and he said there have been reported sightings in that area.No confirmation but I know a saw a large cat.What it was I'm not sure.

[ApS]

A local Forum member (who has given reliable information in the past) has posted that WASR-AM (Wolfeboro) radio dutifully reported the sighting of a lioness and two cubs yesterday. Wolfeboro Police are investigating.

BTW: I think this topic should have been posted on this forum about five years ago—but wasn't.

[Slickcraft]

Originally Posted by jmen24

Not looking for the whole hunting vs. save the animals discussion but an opportunity to actual see what goes into hunting any of the animals within this state would shed a lot of light on how hard and time comsuming it truely is to harvest a wild animal. It is not at all like it shows on TV.

My comments were not intended as anti-hunting. I still hunt on occasion and we are active at skeet/sporting clays where many members are active hunters. Most hunters have a healthy respect for wildlife and I'll assume that jmen24 falls in that group.

The homeowner told me that his wife was terrified that a bear was in the area; the friend shot the bear across the street in a mostly open undeveloped lot. Not much skill here. No idea if it was a legal kill.

I view it as stupid as the new house backs up to the Belknap Range where there will be a continuous stream of wildlife in the back yard. What did they expect? They should expect such and have some respect for it. A little education should have eased any fears. There will be more bear, moose, deer, fox and maybe a bobcat. I know as I live half mile away also backed-up to the Belknap Range.

[jmen24]

Originally Posted by Slickcraft

My comments were not intended as anti-hunting. I still hunt on occasion and we are active at skeet/sporting clays where many members are active hunters. Most hunters have a healthy respect for wildlife and I'll assume that jmen24 falls in that group.

The homeowner told me that his wife was terrified that a bear was in the area; the friend shot the bear across the street in a mostly open undeveloped lot. Not much skill here. No idea if it was a legal kill.

I view it as stupid as the new house backs up to the Belknap Range where there will be a continuous stream of wildlife in the back yard. What did they expect? They should expect such and have some respect for it. A little education should have eased any fears. There will be more bear, moose, deer, fox and maybe a bobcat. I know as I live half mile away also backed-up to the Belknap Range.

Thanks for the clarification, I agree that they should definately get used to the wildlife, but for some folks that does not seem like that is consideration when they move into these areas. I could not imagine moving into a new home and area that is heavy wooded and not expecting to see some animals. I see your point and I agree with your comments regarding the stupidity of the situation.

Quite possibly if the bear was that easy to harvest that it may have currently been or was on its way to being a problem bear. Once they get into the habit of using humans as a source for food, i.e. garbage, it is a slippery slope for the bears.

And you are correct about the respect for the animals, it is the obligation of hunters to maintain this so that the sport and tradition can be carried on into future generations.

[Rattlesnake Gal]

Sunday, April 11, 2010



2:00 pm – Lecture at The Wright Museum

Mountain Lions in NH

Presented by Naturalist Bill Betty

Sightings of cougars in the eastern U.S. continue today, despite their status as extirpated. Cougars with offspring have been sighted in Maine, Vermont, and Michigan in the past fifteen years and there is growing anecdotal evidence that mountain lions are expanding their range into NH.

This presentation will explore the story of this awesome creature.

[Shedwannabe]

Where is the Wright Museum?

It might be self evident to those living in that town, but if I'm on the far side of the lake I may not have heard of it.

..... In fact, I haven't heard of it.

[Rattlesnake Gal]

Originally Posted by Shedwannabe

Where is the Wright Museum?

It might be self evident to those living in that town, but if I'm on the far side of the lake I may not have heard of it.

..... In fact, I haven't heard of it.

Sorry, I forgot to embed the link.




The Wright Museum


77 Center Street
Wolfeboro NH
603/569-1212


Click here for directions

[Lucy Goose]

Originally Posted by Pineedles

Absolutely stupid reaction! The black bear is one of the most non-aggressive among the bear family. But saying that, they also make lousy pets, and if anyone is thinking of feeding the poor beasts off their backyard porch, they are asking for trouble.

Exactly. Why can't folks just enjoy the wildlife. That is part of the reason we live where we do, isn't it?