Cougar sighting

[BobT]

I wouldn't rule out transplanting. I just don't think their goal would be to reduce deer herds. I also doubt that one or two cats in a given area will devastate a herd population. I think that's pushing things a bit over-board.

Bob

[gulllakeguy]

What about if you throw in a booming population of coyotes and timberwolves?

[tedl]

What about the grizzly program

[BobT]

They, like virtually every other predator/prey relationship, will run in cycles. So?

Bob

[deadeye]

Those things are all over the state.

When I lived up in Ely, I saw one in Winton late at night and it also attacked a horse at the farm up by the ne corner of Shag. Several times we would see tracks while hiking into an area lake to fish.

There was a unconfirmed sighting by the golf course where I worked in Golden Valley. I might doubt that one but someone saw something odd going on there. Lots of deer in that city so who knows.

My mom was driving back from grandma and grandpas farm in Lewisville and saw one in between Lake Crystal and Madelia eating on a roadkill deer. I also saw tracks ay the farm right by Lewisville.

Kinda makes me nervous out there sometimes, but I try to take someone else with when I'm just out for a hike or going fishing. Deer hunting, i got a gun. If I see one and it makes a move Im going to honk a couple rounds off too scare it away.

[timberghost]

The DNR is not releasing them, period.

Some of you may want to join a mn trappers group or at least attend a meeting where you can personaly ask the dnr.

Also if it is your concern for safty or deer herd numbers the only group of outdoorsmen to help you will be trappers.

When the timberwolve is aloud to be taken in MN , it will be trappers that have first chance. So, support your local trapper join a trapping group and here the truth about your local and state preditor population

[chris35]

i hunt up by sauk centre and during the second weekend of gun season we saw alot of tracks on a private dead end road that seperates are property from the neighbors. we took pictures and showed them to the dnr. he confirmed that it was a cougar and said there has been several reports of cougars in the area.

we were back up there today for muzzy hunting and between 5 guys we saw 3 deer carcasses that were completely chewed up and dragged arround. kind of makes a guy a little nervous walking to the stand in the morning.

[mrklean]

talked to my dad this weekend a guy down by elmore mn was watching 3 cougars during deer season during the middle of the day. I dont care what you say i think the DNR is still releasing them. Did you believe Clinton when he said he didnt have you know what with that woman??? Not trying to pick a fight just saying i dont believe the dnr all the time

[bwtrout]

I have a conspiracy theory involving the DNR and Yeti; but that's a whole new topic...

[timberghost]

Who is it in the DNR you dont believe? Everyone? Why?

Open forum treads allow for everyone to offer an opinion, but I have talked with a few in the dnr, and why would they lie?

Where is the funding coming from to support your theory of reintroduction. Please offer more than my dad said so.

[deadeye]

Yeti... Choice!!! Its always fun when you hear chewbaka in the woods.

[mrklean]

I never said my dad said so, he just told me of another person seeing cougars. A girl i use to work with like i posted before her dad is a big dairy farmer and was told by the DNR they release a few cougars out into the wild. Why i dont know i was never told. But people seeing cougars everywhere in the state not just certain parts makes you wonder where did they all come from. Yes they move through through huge areas but why so many everywhere? I think the DNR did it for some type of research or something. Just seems odd they arent in our state then in the past few years the people are seeing them more and more everywhere. Is that true maybe maybe not. If you believe me thats fine if not dont really care its just my 2 cents on the topic.

[bwtrout]

A majority of the Cougars are released or escape from people who think it would be cool to own one. You can legally buy one from a game farm.

[koonie]

I was told by the dnr that they were releasing grizzly bear in south western Minnesota. I, for one, believe them.

[fishinchicks]

They released the bears in southeastern Minnesota, but didn't tell anyone, and wouldn't admit it. When unrefutable evidence surfaced, they 'fessed up.

[BobT]

If they did release some I'm sure it was to reintroduce them to their former range. There are also reports of cougars migrating to the area. Their former range includes most of the United States and cougar sightings have been reported in just about every state east of the Mississippi.

It's not all that unusual and not all that unlikely that they haven't been around for some time. As humans continue to spread out, sightings and encounters will continue to increase as well.

Bob

[sparcebag]

Heres a puma article to read.

http://www.wctrib.com/articles/?id=44449

[BobT]

This is from the DNR HSOforum.

******************

Cougar

Of all the big animals that live in Minnesota, perhaps the hardest to find is the cougar. They are very rare here.

Even before European settlers arrived, Minnesota probably did not have many cougars. People hunted cougars during the 1800s, but could find and kill only one or two each year. The last one killed in Minnesota was in 1897. Minnesota law protects cougars.

Even though few cougars live in Minnesota, they are found in many other places. They range from Alaska to the southern tip of South America. In the United States, most cougars live in the western mountains.

Cougars are the biggest wildcats in Minnesota. They can weigh more than 200 pounds. They can measure up to 8 feet from their nose to the end of their long ropelike tail.

*******************

There is an interesting story on today's HSOforum at the Duluth News Tribune if you're interested.

I know that I wish I had a camera three years ago this past weekend. My brother-in-law and his family had just left from visiting over Thanksgiving. My daughter, then 9, was looking out our southern picture window and noticed something sitting on a field. She yelled out, "There's someone in our field."

I went to the window and saw a large dark object sitting on the crest of a hill on my neighbor's hay field. At first I thought it was a large dog sitting on its haunches. I thought it was a strange place to see a dog that size especially since I didn't know any neighbors that had one.

I got my 10x binoculars to have a better look. It was about 1/4 mile away and as I was looking at it it turned and walked broad side. It was then that I realized that it was a large cat. I remember telling my wife that if it was an inch long it was seven feet with about a three or four foot tail. The only thing I could imagine to be that size would be a mountain lion. It had headed east toward a large WMA that was about 1/2 mile away.

The next day I went out pheasant hunting and thought I'd go see if I could find its tracks. I did. They were about the size of the palm of my hand. That is about 4"-5" in diameter and they were definitely feline.

I contacted the DNR about it and they indicated to me that lions are rare but they are occasionally sighted in Minnesota. I was also told about an incident where a collared one was tracked from the Black Hills to Minnesota. It had crossed somewhere south of Grand Forks indicating that they can migrate long distances.

I found the experience interesting but that's about it. I'm not ready to go out on a rampage to rid Minnesota of mountain lions.

Bob

[pinkfloyd4ever]

I'm in the same boat as my man Dwight up there, I have no reason not to believe my buddy who told me the same thing about DNR releasing them. As for this Puma story, why would guys butcher a deer all up like that? My two cents is that there is a population in the state and the conspiracy side of me is that the DNR is aware too, but then would have to put in some sort of managing system, costs too much $ for them to do it. Plus there would be the inevitible meetings

[bwtrout]

The DNR likes meetings and management; it's what they do. Tax payers and Governors don't.

[mrklean]

haha thanks pink i think we might be alone on that one

[Red_Squall]

I saw one in my backyard in November 2007 during halftime of a Vikings game about 25 yards away. It was walking along with his head low in stealth mode when it kicked up a rabbit. It didn't even break stride, wasn't interested. I have lots of deer and have seen as many as 13 deer from my kitchen at one time.

I called the DNR and asked if they had had any other reports in the area and they said, "No".

I had a perfect broadside view of the animal and it wasn't a bobcat. It was as big as a deer with a long tail curled up at the ground.

Northwest metro by the way.

[timberghost]

Please submit the name or names and from what department of the DNR these persons work, so your reintroduction theory can be verified.

Yes, their are big cats in MN . The DNR said that eight years ago.

I am willing to help you get to the truth if you give me the names of persons within the DNR saying that they in fact know of such happenings.

And, releasing them in southern MN is far from the area that the state would want these animals. Thes big cats would more likely be allowed to occupy the northern region with the pine marten, fisher, bobcat, lynx, bear, and wolves.

The risk of releasing them in the southern part of the state far out way the benifets, with depredation cost and human confrontation. I just dont believe this is happening.

What I do believe is that someone was told "Yes, someone is releasing these cats", but it was not to be taken that the DNR was doing it.

[Dave S]

What I do believe is that someone was told "Yes, someone is releasing these cats", but it was not to be taken that the DNR was doing it.

Hence the reason the DNR often says the cats that are seen or shot are someone's pet. Take the cat out in Willmar a couple years ago for instance. Even if that cat was tranq'd, it was still clearly coherent enough to shred that guy apart as he tried to contain it. IMO, that cat was a pet turned loose.

There are actually many people who keep these animals as pets and when they can't handle the responsibility any longer, the cats are released.

As to the question of why would someone cut up a deer carcass in a way to make it look like a cat tore it apart? Maybe for the same reason people make fake casts of footprints or photograph gorilla costumes in a freezer and claim it's bigfoot. It's possibly people looking for notoriety. It could also be a case of someone who is upset and feel the DNR isn't doing enough now that we have BIG CATS in MN so they want to sensationalize/fabricate a story to put fear in the general public that Cougars/Pumas/Mountain Lions are bad animals that will eat your kids so they need to be destroyed.

But then again, I may just be told that is the most rediculous thing that someone has ever read. So bring it on.

The cats are here to stay and their population will continue to grow throughout the state.

[mrklean]

Haha settle down dude, its my opinion thats all i think your taking this a little to serious.