Cougar sighting in Champlin

[gatorhunter]

I am more worried about getting T-boned on the drive to the grocery store than I am worried about getting eating by a mountain lion.

EGGGzactly Batman!

[Youngbuck]

Back in the Winter of 2000 right after deer hunting season (No luck that year and did not see anything)something attacked one of my mothers horses. We had the vet come and stitch her up in the chest neck area. Vet said that it was from her getting in some barb wire funny thing is that where the we found the most blood was in the middle of the pasture where some sort of struggle happened and there was no barb wire around that area. I did some research on the internet about cougers and how they attack animals. What I found is that the pearch above the animal jump onto its back and swing around the front of the animal going for the jugular vein. From all the wounds on the horse it was exactly how it was described on the internet. I think that these cougars have been around allot longer than we think but the DNR does not acknowledge them for the fear that the farmers would have for their livestock.

[Muthagoose]

Quote:

I am more worried about getting T-boned on the drive to the grocery store than I am worried about getting eating by a mountain lion.

Living amongst the city people can be challenging enough in that regard...

Yes one can own pretty much any animal with the right permit,it was years ago the tiger killed it's keeper.. Think it was south of Annandale?

Not to likely that anyone could own something for to long without the authorities hearing and checking into it eventually..

Quote:

I for one don't have my panties all bunched up over a handful of lions, there are tons of them in residential areas in California, but they aren't eating up all the kids and pets out there.

Living in Egan I'm sure your not to worried about big cat's.The ones in California mainly eat just the yuppie hiker's and biker's on the trails....

Wish the state had more big cats might clean up some of the trash around.,judging from working in the egan area there's plenty of 2 legged animals down there to worry about.

[Muthagoose]

Quote:

I was wondering if the car cougar accident that happened thurs night on hwy 7 near odessa MN was reported? I was out visiting relatives in sodak and have it on firsthand info it occured

DEAD CAT = Concrete proof

Not that I am doubting you at all. I wanted to see if anything was reported being I used to live in Odessa.. So I wrote to the newspaper in Ortonville The "Independent"

I received this from Mike Swenson

""I got a reply from the DNR office in Appleton who are in charge of area and they say they have not heard of a cougar shot in our area. They said they get periodically get reports of what they call "unconfirmed sightings" but nothing as of late. If I hear any more I will let you know.

Mike S."""

I was clear in my email inquiry that it was a car incident and Not sure how there could have been any confusion on his end..

Michael8129,,Who was it that saw the "dead cat"? If you know more contact Mike at the paper,,,

[email protected]

[bobbymalone]

Living in Egan I'm sure your not to worried about big cat's.

So the Virginia, MN mountain lions have a stronger taste for human blood? Is that what I am supposed to get out of that? There have been plenty of unconfirmed sightings in the MN river valley across the street from my house. And living in Virginia, you should be worried about the big cats?

The ones in CA eat deer just like the ones in MN. CA dept of fish and game says there have been 16 verified human attacks since 1890.

[Muthagoose]

The lack of wilderness and natural areas in the concrete jungle

I wish they had a stronger taste for human blood less tourist up here would be good.

[bobbymalone]

There is apparently enough wilderness down here that a mountain lion is strolling through. Lord knows there is enough wilderness to provide plenty of lion food. And with the increased population density, encounters with humans are far more likely.

If you want to hole up with a your family to avoid the impending mountain lion doom go for it.

[Muthagoose]

LOL make me laugh

I head to bear camp early aug and don't bother coming home till ice locks up the lake and even then I may stay to trap.Then in the spring im at the lake again.. Ya know come to think of it I'm only working 4 months of the year nice being semi retired..

I'm in the woods more than you are at work seeing you have time to reply so fast...

Holed up Im looking for a reason to shoot one..

The only reason you city boys are seeing them is the declining deer population up here..

[bobbymalone]

I'm in the woods more than you are at work seeing you have time to reply so fast...

I wish I had your problem

ssshhhhh, don't tell the boss

Go to to another state with real numbers if you want to shoot one. Or make a raw meat suit and wander around the woods everyday until you can convince one to attack, then shoot it. You might be wandering for a long long time though.

[Harmonica Bear]

The wolf man from the DNR was on KFAN Outdoors last night. There was now a report of a cougar sighting in Spring Valley, Wi. He seemed to suggest it was all the same cat moving like most dispersed cats from the Dakotas do, move east to west looking for a new range. He said the continued easterly movement also suggested the cat was most likely a wild cat vs. a pet or pen raised cat which most likely would tend to stay closer to its "home" area. He did say this of course was all specualtion. Thought it was pretty intersting.

EDIT FYI - You can listen to it on the KFAN wbste, outdoors page or download the podcast. The DNR guy was Dan Stark.

[Muthagoose]

Typical city boy response bobby ...

How about putting a porkchop in your pocket and have ya wander in a area I have in mind. Trust me I wouldn't let any predator get to ya.

Your probably right but anytime ya want to try c'mon up.

I also made the offer to a few bear researches to assist them with a exciting new fast paced predator prey bear research study Didnt get any takers to bad I think it would really work

[Swill]

[fish with teeth]

+1 for the picture

[bobbymalone]

Typical city boy response bobby ...

You sure put a lot of faith in my background based on the location I live at now.

One could make the argument that a typical country boy response is to want to shoot everything, but I wouldn't want to paint ya with a wide swath, now would i?

You should take up Big Foot hunting, there are plenty of sightings up around your area and lord knows the DNR is underestimating (denying) the numbers too.

I have no doubt that there are lions in MN, probably even had one up your neck of the woods at some time or another. Nobody else does either including the DNR for at least the past 5 years. Maybe even have one in your back yard right now. but I wouldn't hold my breath for a chance to shoot one anytime soon. especially not legally.

[caseymcq]

Is this a photo of the actual cougar spotted in Champlin? Is it from a game camera?

[Muthagoose]

Geeeeze bobby

Your response seemed to fit a general consensus of cultured thought pattern regarding the uncommon.A disregard to the most important rule of nature..

There are NO rules or boundary's in nature.

If you look at the response on this subject there seems to be more doubters coming from the city,versus the open minded rural folks when it comes to things like this....

If your a country boy maybe ya'll been living down there to long. Sorry bout that....

Big cat's not on the unprotected species list???

I'll keep that in mind Appreciate ya pointing that out .

My back yard, your probably right never know whats out there.

You could paint away don't care.Proud to be a self sufficient,open minded redneck.....

Ill keep that porkchop in the freezer for ya..

[bobbymalone]

I guess I don't know what your talking about. Which of my city boy doubts do you take issue with?

1. I doubt there are a lot of them in state. I would expect more confirmed sightings, road kills, and trail cam pics if there were.

2. I doubt there is currently a significant public safety risk due to them.

3. I doubt the state is gonna let you take a crack at one anytime soon, unless it is attacking you, hence the meat suit idea.

[BobT]

The largest "city" I have ever lived is probably Eveleth. I grew up in Kinney and lived and worked on the Iron Range and in particular in the forest as a logger for more than half my life. I currently live on an 87 acre hobby farm in rural central MN so for all practical purposes, I am a country hick. I wouldn't have it any other way. Can't stand it just to go into Osakis during the summer due to the increased traffic and human crowds. Imagine how much I must enjoy driving in the Twin Cities metro area!

Thought I'd throw that out there for credibility sake. I have to say that I fully agree with you bobby on all three accounts.

[Muthagoose]

I agree with a couple of your points your totaly right with that fact.

Unlike wolves big cats are a little more recluse so the trail cam is only a percentage of possibility.. Your only seeing them because food base is lower.

bobT

A lot of people that live up here and have hardly ever if at all ever seen a wolf or a bear in the wild.Being a logger I would hope you have seen plenty.Again a lot of trail cams are hung and not all get picks of the above...

After the first thread,all the smart azz remarks to anyone who even stated they saw a cat, that it couldn't be cause DNR say's ect.To those people ... Eat Crow

Guys, stirring the pot back its been fun

.

[RumRiverRat]

So this thread has become a City person versus Rural Person thread?

There is at least one cougar that calls Northern Anoka and North Eastern Sherburne county home.

I have seen said cougar with my own eyes.

[Muthagoose]

Not my intent..Altho it might be fun...

[Surface Tension]

To get back to the topic.

We'll never know where it came from but we have the perfect opportunity to know where it is headed. That there should shed some light on this cats habits.

With snow on the ground and being in a populated area I would hope that there is an effort to monitor its movements and learn something before it disappears and is never seen again.

Wouldn't it be nice if this cat could be tranquilized, radio collared and released.

What we do know over the years of confirmed cougar sightings in MN is, they don't stay put.

[Michael8129]

maybe they aren't HEADED anywhere! They like it here and are going to stay. Why would a Cougar like it better east of here? Remember the Wolf the guy shot last year in Olmstead county down by Rochester when he was coyote hunting? No fines no big news . DNR said that the wolf probably wandered in from Wisco Why would they say that? What's between WI and Rochester? That's not important. What's between Rochester and northern MN? The Twin Cities. This whole Major predator thing has been a sham and a public relations gimmick.

Wolves live in MN and go where ever they want

Cougars live in MN and go where ever they want

I just emailed my niece on the cougar car thing she is getting me names

[Michael8129]

And we had a Cougar up by Outing MN 17 years ago used to leave its scat in our sand driveway (marking territory) never saw it. Saw prints, but our neighbor up there a full time resident saw it run across the road one day

[BobT]

Quote:

What we do know over the years of confirmed cougar sightings in MN is, they don't stay put.

That is true. From what I've learned and be told by DNR wildlife biologists is that a cougar's home range can be up to 400 square miles. I don't recall whether that applies to males, females, or both though.