Mountain Lions...No way!

[lungslicer]

I just read the Duluth paper yesterday and laughed like crazy. I can not believe that people still believe their are mountain lions in MN. I have lived here for 35 years and in that time I have never seen one of these cats. I think that everyone claiming to see the big cats is actually seeing bobcats or over sized house cats. Many of the stories seem to come from big city dwellers that travel to the northern part of the state twice a year. Come on guys, unless you can post a credible story or picture on this forum you might as well tell everyone you saw bigfoot walking a mountain lion on a leash.

[bwtrout]

The Duluth Tribune had a trail cam picture with the story last week. The picture is also posted on here some where. Males can have a home range of up to 380 square miles. If you did see one it would have been watching you long before.

[lungslicer]

I saw the picture in the Duluth News Tribune and I don't buy it. I have a friend that works for the St. Louis county DNR and he said that their is a good chance it is a hoax. The picture could easily be from the Western U.S.. Just because someone shows you a picture, it does not necessarily mean that it is the truth. I am still not convinced, it is hard to tust a strangers judgement and integrity these days.

[Big-Al]

I've worked in the woods of Northern Minnesota for 33 years and have not seen a mountain lion, and the chances are slim that I ever will. I have absolutely no reason to doubt that they exist in Minnesota. I have heard several first hand accounts of sightings from reputable sources and firmly believe that these people know what they were looking at.

Why do you believe that they don't exist in Minnesota?

[lungslicer]

The reason that I do not believe their are lions in MN is because no one has ever found a dead one. You would think that if we had them, someone would have hit one with a car by now. Would'nt you? Also, maybe its just me, but in my experience, many people "see what they want to believe."

[bwtrout]

No one has ever found a dead Big Foot in Northern Minnesota, but it is out there...

[bwtrout]

The major speculation surrounding Cougars in Minnesota is whether they are wild or if somebody lost or released them. Google; Cougar Minnesota. There is lots of press over the years.

[Dave S]

All of you can believe what you want. As far as the trail cam pics from Northwest of Duluth, the DNR was taken out to the area to verify the vegetation in the pic and it was found to be a legitimate picture, not a hoax.

I for one believe that there are cougars in MN, and yes I have seen them. I have never seen a house cat or a Bobcat for that matter with a total body/tail length of 8-10 feet. The cat that I saw was just north of Belle Plaine in '99. Maybe try to convince all of the people who belive the cats exist that the animal shot in Willmar last year was a house cat. Don't forget the one that was caught on a trail cam in the river bottoms near Savage, then to have one in a city park in Bloomington that was shot by Bloomington police a couple months later.

Everyone seems to think these cats will be seen if they exist. They are in no way going to go look for a human to say "Here I am". So for those who say they've worked or lived in the MN Northwoods for 20+ years and have never seen a Cougar, chances are, you won't. Not because they don't exist, but because they are a wild animal that will do what they can to avoid contact with humans. Especially with the sparsely populated areas in Northern MN. There's a lot of places for them to hide.

[Nate McVey]

Here's the picture. It was posted in the trail cam post by a very trusted member of this site. Why couldn't there be cats here again?

[lungslicer]

Why is it that if so many people in MN have trail cameras their is only one picture of a lion captured? I would think that if these cats did exsist, with the thousands of cameras in the woods more pictures would surface! You guys are crazy if you are gullible enough to believe that these pictures are real! I could easily go on to Photoshop and create a picture similar to the one taken in the Floodwood area!

[Dave S]

I wouldn't call seeing a Cougar with my own eyes being gullible. There is no mistaking a Cougar for a Bobcat or a stupid housecat for someone who knows the difference.

I have to admit, there are people who don't know the difference between a woodchuck, a badger, and a wolverine (my neighbors). But I do know what a cougar looks like.

[jonny_redhorse]

It's real!...I posted the photo.....don't believe it if you don't want to...you're perogative I guess... I know the parties involved with the photos...it's "not" photoshoped...but if your a skeptic,you're a skeptic...takes all kinds to make the world go around ...

[lungslicer]

LP7MM & John Redhorse,

I am sure that both of you strongly believe that mountain lions are present, but it is going to take more evidence to convince me. As for the pictures, I don't know you Redhorse, but I guess that I have to give you the benefit of the doubt. After listening to so many "tall tales" over the years I must say that I would not put it past someone making their own photo. However, I have more faith in a Northern MN opinion of what they saw than a Big City boys "guess" at what they "think" they saw. Sorry, just judging by past experience. If their are more photos out their, it would be nice to see them on this sight.

[Shack]

With so many Trail cams, why are their not more cayote pics, bob cat picks and other animals! Because people are not targeting those animals!

Your chances are better getting a shot of Big Foot, than a moutain lion if you are not set up right to get the animal to come to area!

[not_nuf_time]

Us dare big city folk don't know what we're seein out dare in da woods. I think we all will need guides to tell us when its a deer to shoot not a silly wabbit.

[lungslicer]

Not Nuf Time,

I did not mean to insult you! It just seems that some of the most amazing tales come from elsewhere. However, if anyone does have any decent photos of mountain lions in MN I would like to see them. I do think that they could exsist in MN, but without more evidence, I have to say that they currently do not.

[jonny_redhorse]

Lung....the DNR is quite aware of the floodwood sighting...I just "googled' the major newspapers(minnesota cougar sightings floodwood) and it's(the same photo) as I posted awhile back...Grand Rapids DNR personel varified the photo as genuine...even gave the guys name (Jim)soooo.I'm stickin with my story and photo

[BobT]

Whether you believe or not I can tell you first hand that they do exist in MN. Never saw a dead one? Bull! About 15 years ago I saw something that was hit by a car laying on the shoulder of county road 3 north of Carlos, MN. As I passed I couldn't believe my eyes that I was looking at a BIG cat. It was a cougar.

Seeing live ones? Two years ago on Thanksgiving weekend my daughter was looking out of our picture window in our living room and suddenly asked, "Who's out in our field?" When I went to see I saw what at first appeared to be a very large dog or something sitting up on its haunches up on a ridge about 250yds south of our house. I got my 10X binoculars to take a better look and as I was watching it, it began to move away and turned broadside. I kid you not. This cat was all of seven feet long with a tail that was about 1/3 of its body length. I immediately recognized it as a cougar. The next day I took a walk out there and found feline tracks slightly larger than the palm of my hand. I will bet my next year's salary that it was not a badger, linx, bobcat, raccoon, or woodchuck.

I started doing some research after that and discovered that there are numerous sightings of cougars annually in Minnesota. They are a very secretive animal and rarely seen in daylight.

Shortly after the cat in the story mentioned in this thread was photographed, a bow hunter hunting some land that my mother-in-law has horses pastured spotted what he identified as a cougar pestering her horses. Fortunately none of them were injured.

They do exist in Minnesota.

Bob

[HunterLee]

One local deptuy in norman county saw one about 3 weeks ago. I will see if i can get the pics of the tracks off the freshly grades road. He was about 100yds from it. We have also had sightings reported to the sheriffs office, and have had horse's attacked to. Not sure if they were confirmed or not. I don't understand why you guys don't think they are here, they have a season in ND, and they acually get a few. I know they are here, but it would take the right time and right place to see one. Besides with all of the deer we have around I highly doubt we would see one, I am sure that they aren't going to just run across the road and say here i am. If someone ever saw one could they shoot it??? They isn't anything in the reg's saying you can't, but it doesn't say you can either.

[Snake River King]

I believe that there are mountain lions in that area. I think the big cats just stay deep in the woods and hang out in trees, those big cats have like a 300 mile range, I dont think there is alot of them but I think there are some up there. We should get the tents and go out at night and camp out in the thick woods and try to see one! Enyone up for it?

[Dave S]

Quote:

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I am sure that they aren't going to just run across the road and say here i am.

---

Now that sounded familiar.

But to answer your question, Cougars are a protected species in MN, so you cannot shoot them if you see them unless you are being attacked or protecting livestock. In this event, you better be able to prove it.

I do have to take back a comment I made earlier about house cats. I have seen a house cat that was 9 feet long.

Out on the interstate after it was hit by a semi.

[troutmaster]

i have a mountain lion that lives in my garage, i feed it tuna every night.

[Kyle]

Lungslicer-

Do you have any idea how solitary and smart these cats are? Obviously not. Not making this personal, but you are unfortunatly ignorant if you think there arnt any Mountain Lions in MN. The DNR has even confirmed it. Not only have there been more pictures taken from tree cameras in the last couple years than ever, but St. Johns university sits on a very very old, historical, and well known forest. It has countless Biologists and DNR staff working in there throughout the year. Not sure if this is still going on, but several years ago, for a several years, they cautioned students about hiking on certain trails during certain times of the year(when Mountain Lions are breeding and most agressive) to lessen the chances of an encounter. Meaning that they had identified a small number of Cats ranging that area. Im sorry to say it, but your mentality on the subject is just no longer realistic. The tri state area also has more deer than ever, just another reason the cats are ranging back in here. Im not saying the numbers are anything to really talk about yet, but there are definatly a few cats here and there. Not only that, but my grandfather has hunted them in the past out west, and 2 years ago he spotted a mountain lion track, or at least he thought it was one back on a trail on our hunting land. Last year he actually spotted the cat with his binoculars. Its pretty hard to hear someone discredit facts and experiences that people I know and am related to have had. Believe what you want, but I suggest you learn to not be so close minded about it. You are one person out of a pretty large state. Can you honestly say that because you havent saw one in Mn means they arn't here?

[lungslicer]

Well, everyone seems to have some sort of a story pertaining to the big cats. However, the proof is in the pudding. This is a very popular HSOforum and many people have cameras of all sorts, so where are all the pictures? I am sure that I am not the only person that would like to see these confirmation pictures posted on here. Right?

[analyzer]

I'm a little ignorant when it comes to cougars, however, I was golfing with co-workers near Mankato a year ago, and there were tracks near one of the greens that were as wide as my hand. I've never seen tracks like those, and I spend alot of time in the woods. Now maybe it was a big lynx? I don't know what lynx tracks look like, but these cat tracks were friggin huge. We all stared at them in astonishment. I kinda wish I had dug one up, and stuck it in a box. It was amazing, and I was convinced it was a cougar.