Pair of Cougars spotted near Nashwauk MN

[Walleyehooker]

Anyone see the article in Duluth paper or hear about the hunter that spotted and got pictures of a pair of Cougars near Nashwauk  MN.  I heard about this on Saturday from some guys up there as I was up there hunting over towards Grand Rapids area. Funny thing about 4 30 Sunday morning I was headed back over that way from Hibbing and as I was going by Snowball Lake by Penguilly and a large body cat ran across the road in front of me and at the time I thought it was a very large Bob cat as I didn't really see a tail on it but it was running very fast and it was very dark out. Now after seeing pictures of the cougar the guy took I'm wondering if this wasn't one of them. I know it wasn't a dog or a wolf or a Yote for sure and was definitely a big bodied cat. Even told the guy I hunt with I saw a large Bob Cat on the way to his house. But this was a very mature and very large Bob cat or possibly one of these cougars. Either way if you live around there you might want to keep track of the pets for a while.

[blue_healer_guy]

Lots of sightings from groups we know nw of bemidji.

[thatoneguy]

I also saw a couple of cougars in Nashwauk last week. They were coming out of Mucho Si at about 9pm.

[PurpleFloyd]

22 hours ago, thatoneguy said:

I also saw a couple of cougars in Nashwauk last week. They were coming out of Mucho Si at about 9pm.

I think I did too. 

[Wanderer]

I think those are the only real ones in the area. 

 

Outdoor News had an article about the sighting - reported by a 16 year old who took some cell phone pics.  They were Big Foot/Loch Ness quality photos but I have to agree with the local CO who checked on the claim.  It was a bob cat.  Looked like a darn big one, but a bob cat for sure.

 

The father of the boy says the CO is wrong and his boy is right.

[ozzie]

If you saw the article though you would see how the CO put the cut out of the cougar in the tree and it was 10 feet lower than where it was in the pic and he was at a slightly different angle.  I have my doubts but the CO's attempt to recreate the scene was a weak one.  If that is a bobcat that is probably the biggest bobcat I have seen in pics but then again pics are usually deceiving.  I don't doubt there are Cougars in the state and either way that kid had an experience he will be talking about by the campfire at deer camp for life!!!  I know that the next time I went to the woods if I were him I would be nervous!!  haha

[Duffman]

Bobcat

And I've had two confirmed cougar sightings within three miles as the crow flies from my place here in Savage. They are around, but not many.

 

[nofishfisherman]

I've heard a lot of talk about this and people complaining about the DNR trying to either cover it up or at least in the poor attempt to show the size of the animal.  

 

While their attempt is certainly not perfect I think you can get the point. If that cut out is really the size of an average mt lion then its clearly bigger than the cat shown in the picture.  For those complaining about scale between the 2 pictures that doesn't really matter.  You're not comparing the cut out to the animal in the tree.  You're comparing the cut out to the branches within the tree and then looking back at the cat to see how its size related to those same branches.   The cat can stand upright with legs straight below its body and reach between the 2 branches its standing on but that cut out would extend well beyond those 2 branches.  Its clear the cut out is large than the cat in the pic.  I used 3 second of photoshop magic to move the cut out up a little higher in the tree so its more in line with were the bobcat was. 

 

The other piece that cinches it for me as a bobcat is the lack of tail.  A mt lions tail is roughly the same length as its body.  Where is the tail in the pic if its a mt lion.  The kid also was watching it for a good amount of time.  In that time the tail should have been visible at some point and should have been easy to miss.  

[eyeguy 54]

bob zee cat.  makes total sense with the cardboard put up where the real cat is. 

[BobT]

I personally don't think the photo is clear enough to provide definitive proof of it being a cougar. I also noticed the lack of a tail but it could be hidden among the branches I suppose. In the Outdoor News it reported the boy suggesting that it was too big to be a bobcat because they are only about 18" long. This is not true. Bobcats on average are a little over 2-1/2' in length and can be as much as 4' in length. An average cougar is about 6-1/2' from nose to tail tip. Remove the tail and it wouldn't be much bigger than a large bobcat. Bobcats are not always spotted either, although most will be. 

 

The accusation that the DNR intentionally denies the existence of cougars in Minnesota is a false accusation. When I spotted the one on my property, they gave me a map of known cougar sightings throughout Minnesota and readily shared information about them. Did they declare that I had spotted a cougar and add my sighting to their map? Of course not but that doesn't mean they denied its existence.

 

When my neighbor treed that cougar near Osakis (twice) they sent someone out to investigate and they reviewed the video he took as well as the tracks in the snow and determined it was most likely a large male so this one went into the records. 

[Wanderer]

Since you guys are good at pulling up those pics, please post the second pic where you can see the cats face.  That's the photo that cinched it for me.  The markings and ears were undeniable.

[eyeguy 54]

[Wanderer]

Yeah, like that.  

 

I'm a little data/wifi challenged these days.  Thanks for the help.

[certified jumbo]

Bobcat.   

 

 

But honestly, who really cares?  cougars hAve been known to pass through minnesota periodically and trail camera pics show up every year .   not sure what all the hoopla is about it though.

[MJ1657]

1 hour ago, certified jumbo said:

Bobcat.   

 

 

But honestly, who really cares?  cougars hAve been known to pass through minnesota periodically and trail camera pics show up every year .   not sure what all the hoopla is about it though.

People are bored.......

[eyeguy 54]

theses kinda posts keep me from checking out silly town.

[Wanderer]

1 hour ago, certified jumbo said:

Bobcat.   

 

 

But honestly, who really cares?  cougars hAve been known to pass through minnesota periodically and trail camera pics show up every year .   not sure what all the hoopla is about it though.

 

I guess we care enough to keep checking this thread. 

 

And might be avoiding silly town while being bored. 

 

I was was a little surprised the Dad flamed the CO for telling his 16 year old it was mistaken identity.  

[eyeguy 54]

people believe what they want to believe. I thought it looked like a cougar till I saw the to scale pic.