mountain lion in ct 2020

Honestly, leaving this out of your article would seem to perpetuate the notion that there is a conspiracy to keep us all in ignorance. State lawmakers have entertained bills to establish a bear hunting season for years, but so far, none of those proposals has passed. Hunters and property owners have also set up tens of thousands of trail cameras at various locations throughout the state. And yet there I was, on a Saturday in early November, crammed into a booth with Bo Ottmann, 48, and Bill Betty, 72, of Cougars of the Valley, the organization that Ottmann founded in 2007 to gather evidence of and alert the public to the big cats living among us. I lived in great Barrington mass and I took photos of tracks in a field in April of 2009 (and of course lost them). Although there are numerous reported sightings of mountain lions in Connecticut every year, the animals have actually been extinct in this state for more than a century. However, the National Wildlife Federation notes that the mountain lions range spreads all across the Americas, from the Canadian Yukon to The Strait of Magellan, making it the greatest range of any living mammal in the Americas.. are received by 1:00 p.m. CT, June 9, 2020 by Sheri Henderson at the Lincoln . Initially, officials believed it had been released from a private handler. Mountain lion spotted in East Haddam - YouTube 0:00 / 2:17 Mountain lion spotted in East Haddam 6,872 views Apr 27, 2012 22 Dislike Share Save WTNH News8 135K subscribers A Mountain lion. Genetic testing placed the animal in Wisconsin and Minnesota, and the cat had been sighted at several different points during its long journey east. Connecticut Dept. Could UConn women's basketball be back to 'square one' with seven available players at Seton Hall? But perhaps an even larger portion is the product of his enduring faith in the men and womanloggers, hunters, trapperswhose vocations and avocations have instilled in them a deep familiarity with wild places and the creatures who inhabit them. The sighting on Gerdes Road is the third in the past month and very close to the most recent one, on . Friends that go backcountry skiing in Vermont have reported seeing tracks to me many times and I have seen pictures of the pawprints myself that look overwheming like a mountain lion. Abbott believes it is possible that more mountain lions such as the one that was killed in Milford in 2011 could migrate here. And consider, for a moment, the concern and outright fear an official acknowledgment of such a carnivorous and predatory creature might evoke. 60-108 inches. Westford, MA, crossing Dunstable Rd from Long Sought For Pond into the woods. Officially, the last mountain lions were hunted to extinction here in the late 1800s. He published his first book in 1959, The Ghost of North America: The Story of the Eastern Panther. In a Facebook poll, 84 people said they believe mountain lions are in the county, 37 say they've personally seen them, and three people say they do not exist. And Im assuming whatever were doing right now, its not working. Genetic testing placed the animal in Wisconsin and Minnesota, and the cat had been sighted at several different points during its long journey east. His mentor, Aldo Leopold, a prominent wildlife biologist, also believed this, but felt if people learned about these populations, they would be hunted to extinction. Its distinctive featurethe one that sets it apart from other North American wild catsis its tail, which is thick and often as long as its body. The U.S. Department of Agricultures Forest Service reports that mountain lions typical habitat is steep, rocky canyons or mountainous terrain, but they generally can be found wherever deer are present. Advocates of the proposed Aid in Dying bill made an emotional plea to state legislators in Hartford on Wednesday to approve the legislation, introduced 15 separate times in Connecticut since 1994. The big cat on the ground before him, motionless, yet somehow still embodying that particular feline litheness, as if, with the flick of its tail, it might bound to its feet and disappear into the woods. Even so, Abbott has heard of mountain lion sightings from what he deems reliable sources and believes its possible that other animals have made the difficult, some say almost miraculous trek, from the West to Connecticut. Somebody in the NC Legislature believes, because lions are now protected by law. And were one of the most densely populated states as far as humans. What to know about unconfirmed mountain lion sightings in CT. Nicole Funaro was formerly a statewide trending reporter for Hearst Connecticut Media Group, covering everything from the most fascinating properties for sale in the Nutmeg State to the latest movie filming in the state. . I wasnt planning to shoot her unless she moved in my direction. Using DNA and physical evidence, state environmental officials said they determined that the animal. To answer these and other questions about sightings of mountain lions, I turned to DEEPs Rego, who has investigated many purported cougar sightings over the past three decades. And he said, This is where the mountain lion crossed. We walked in and there were fresh bobcat tracks in there. The deer dont eat the exotics, but they eat the competitors. Once at dusk driving in the Berkshires, he saw what he initially thought was a cat-like creature that was far bigger than a bobcat leap across the road. To report grouse sightings, please contact Wildlife Division biologist Will Cassidy at william.cassidy@ct.gov or 860-418-5961. By 1825, only 25% of Connecticut was forested due to deforestation from agricultural activities and other uses of timber. Lizzie Post Would Like Your Attention. Today, nearly 60% of Connecticut is covered in forest, and bobcats are regularly observed throughout the state. The bobcat population has since recovered due to improving forest habitat conditions and legal protections. In 2011, genetic testing confirmed that a mountain lion originated in South Dakota and traveled more than 1,500 miles before being struck by a car on the Merritt Parkway, according to Reuters. Initially, officials believed it had been released from a private handler. vital part of this countries ecosystem. Mountain lions are carnivores (meat eaters) and prey mostly on deer. I came across a dead adult deer carcass high up in an oak tree. I had been the first vehicle in a line held up by one lane traffic on a bridge reconstruction. Joseph Uscinski, professor of political science at the University of Miami, and a conspiracy theory expert, says these types of theories are not uncommon. Patrick Skahill is a reporter and digital editor at Connecticut Public. She lives near the end of a gravel road in a modest, low-slung house tucked into the flanks of the Green Mountains. The mountain lion is also known as cougar, panther, or puma. They also generally have spots on their fur. Mountain lions are nocturnal hunters, mostly going after deer. How big was the animal? But that was OK. Bo Ottmann knew they were out there. Hawley:Were sort of stuck between a rock and a hard place right now. Bobcats top out at about 40 pounds (most are much lighter than that) and are only. Still, Spatz acknowledged that the word hope is very different from the word believe. I also had the vague notion that when it comes to cougars, people tend to sort themselves into one of three camps. This is part of the cougar business. Im gonna get hammered for it, he sighed. Mountain lions usually retract their claws when walking. Just like we dont need any slimy humans on earth period. Weve had coyotes misidentified. According to the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, mountain lions became extinct in Connecticut in the 1800s, and bobcats are the only large wild cats found in the state. No doubt of what it was; size, color and recognizable tail. The tail, I said. Males can reach up to two metres in length and weigh over 60 kilograms. And the last confirmed sighting prior to the 2011 instance would be a couple hundred years ago, according to Hawley. Finally, in the third camp, there are the true believersthe cougar truthers, if you willthe men and women for whom the only logical conclusion (often reached after a significant investment of time, thought, and sometimes money) is that right here, right now, cougars live among us, feeding and breeding and rearing their young, and that suggesting otherwise is sheer ignorance, willful denial, or part of a mosaic of conspiracy. There also should have been evidence of animals killed by the predators and roadkill. My stepfather had been a hunter and was no stranger to seeing animals in the woods and countryside, so when they came up over a knoll in the road and saw a large cat looking at them, he saw the face and thought, bobcatuntil they then saw the rest of the animals body: huge, beautifully tawny colored, and in possession of what my mother described as a very long tail, that was as thick as my wrist. The last confirmed mountain lion sighting in Connecticut occurred in 2011. It was definitely a cougar. On the idea of bear hunting in Connecticut. So all the other states in the Northeast that have bear populations have a harvest on their bears. By mid-19th century, forests made up only about 30 percent of New England (its notable that today that number stands at approximately 80 percent, nearer to what it was when cougars thrived here). Experts need to see the body to dismiss their prejudices. They are here in the Catskill Mountains, so named for the magnificent felines. Join Us. A self-defense connoisseur with a large social media presence has ignited a firestorm over his posting of a video showing a mountain lion getting shot in the head. She still produces shows with Colin and the team when her schedule allows. But honest misidentifications are more common. To learn more about "lion country" in Colorado check here. Im always amazed at the sheer volume of people who are interested in cougars, more even than wolves, she says. "There's no evidence of breeding pairs," he said. As unlikely as it sounds, it was a more believable theory than some of the alternatives, among them that the cat was evidence of a breeding population in the state that was being kept secret by, . Osage County leads the list with seven, followed by Cimarron County with six. Well, I KNOW there was at least one mountain lion in NE because years ago (maybe 35 or so) I lived in Longmeadow, MA. The tails gotta be there. CNN . Mountain Lions: They are officially extinct. Hawley: I feel strongly that we need a harvest here in Connecticut. Lets learn to live alongside this very large animal is one of the schools of thought. The map from that publication is shown below, with the current mountain lion range in green and confirmed mountain lion locations as black dots. Morse founded Keeping Track in the belief that getting citizens interested and engaged in wildlife will have the knock-on effect of getting them interested and engaged in how land-use decisions affect wild populationsand might provide the impetus for conservation efforts. We have people eating dinner in their kitchen, they hear a noise, all of a sudden a bear walks in, so they run into their bedroom to get away from the bear, while the bears out ransacking their refrigerator. Mr. Betty and Mr.Ottomans passion and efforts are impressive. Because he lives among them, Harrigan understands that no one knows the woods better. The mountain lion is believed to have had an encounter with a family on their lawn. Police Chief. A harvest is kind of twofold. Stupid me grabbed my camera and a stick as to protect myself ( yes stupid idea as I could stop this thing from attacking me lol. They are most definitely here. But no. Out & About | Best New England Holiday Events for 2019. The history of this theory in Connecticut and New England goes back long before our current era of fake news. And, 18 months ago, a Cedar Rapids man bagged a mountain lion that was perched in a tree while deer hunting south of Marengo. Sign up for our newsletter to get our latest and greatest content delivered right to your inbox. I kept trying to make it be something else because I was shocked that I was, indeed, watching a mountain lion pass in front of me. It can run at speeds of up to 50 mph. Almost every state has some sort of legend of something thats hiding somewhere, he says. Hes even had his own false sighting. Defenders of Wildlife developed funding to support wolf predation on cattle which I believe worked. We also had bobcats that we saw quite often but I am positive that these were mountain lions! It used to be that a bear would go into a house when someone wasnt home. Im not surprised that various state officers deny the presence of cougars in new England. On a mountain lion that died on a Connecticut highway. We met for lunch on a Sunday morning in early March, and it didnt take long for me to understand why Harrigan is such a popular columnist. The CDFW defines a mountain lion attack as an incident resulting in direct physical contact between a human and a mountain lion resulting in physical injury or death to the person. Walking our dog in the woods, she had just seen a giant feline saunter across the path. UConn women's basketball's Dorka Juhsz, Amari DeBerry play 'word sneak' at press conference, Fight breaks out after CT high school basketball game between Bassick, Wilbur Cross, Guide to Legal Cannabis Dispensaries in CT, The Best Bathroom Remodeling Companies in CT, recent mountain lion sightings in Connecticut have not been confirmed, 10 criminal cases to watch in Connecticut in 2023, Haar: Pepperidge Farm HQ to exit CT for NJ with 170 jobs, After 350 years, the name of a CT river could be changed. Got a question or comment? There is also something appealing about the idea that there is an animal out there so cunning that it has escaped our notice and the eyes of our cameras. Black panthers, which are not found in the U.S., are actually black jaguars or leopards. Much as I liked Ottmann and Betty, and much as I found some of their evidence compelling, I was struggling to reconcile their more provocative claims with the restraint expressed by the many other experts Id spoken with. In another version, its about habitat protection and the onerous federal regulations the state would have to follow if we found a mountain lion within the state. I do this shit.. So long as the tails there, that is. However, the population declined in the early 1900's due to unregulated hunting and bounties were placed on mountain lions until 1966. The average annual population estimate from 2004-2020 of 2,876 total mountain lions, based on the statistical population . Bearded, bowler hat, expression impenetrable behind facial hair and the stoicism of an earlier era. A mountain lion was responsible for that too. How to Report a Possible Mountain Lion Sighting. Bill Betty of Matunuck, a mountain lion expert who spoke at the South Kingstown Land Trust barn Oct. 30, thinks there is ample evidence pointing to the existence of a mountain lion in Matunuck. Size alone . These sightings are so persistent that there is a conspiracy theory that says DEEP officials know mountain lions are in the state but cover up their existence. His bicycle was later found with the chain unbroken, but off the sprockets. on route to stone tower on Quabbin Hill. It was a bright sunny summer day. She was calling from a trail in Pootatuck State Forest, the 1,200-acre strip of nature occupying the hills above Squantz Pond in New Fairfield. Im confident that we get occasional outlier animals.. I have pictures of tracks around my car and up to the back steps of my deck in Arkville, NY . Mountain Lions: Large tan cats with a distinctive two to three-foot curving tail, that can almost touch the ground as they walk. Its extremely rare for a person to see a wild animal and to underestimate its size. It is what wildlife biologists call an apex carnivore, which means it can overpower pretty much any other creature in its environmentwith the exception of an armed human. In the 1930s, Bruce Wright, an influential wildlife manager from New Brunswick, Canada, began gathering reports of sightings of mountain lions in the East and searching for their tracks. It had rained previously. They reside in all eight counties, however, they exist in greatest number in the northwestern corner of the state. A lifelong Connecticut resident, Nicole has a degree in Communications from Fairfield University. Hawley, a wildlife biologist with the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, says data dont support a breeding population of mountain lions in Connecticut. Listen & Learn. Lol Here is a small glimpse at what these dogs were bred to do (if you got sensitive eyes, do not view): The Cougar, also known as mountain lion and puma, is Canada's largest and most powerful wildcat. The regions top predator, the coyote, is classified by biologists as a mesopredator (a type that in New England includes skunks and raccoons), which feeds primarily on smaller animals. Bobcats are plentiful across Connecticut and are between 18 and 35 pounds. WOODBRIDGE, CT (WFSB) - Police in Woodbridge said they have received reports of mountain lion sightings in town. Uscinski, a Connecticut native, adds that the theory that the government is covering up the existence of mountain lions is likely motivated by a distrust of authority. More recently, unexplained animal sightings in Connecticut and other states became more and more associated with mountain lions. The history of this theory in Connecticut and New England goes back long before our current era of fake news. There are no mountain lions in Connecticut, so why do we keep seeing them? Sometimes referred to as the ghosts of the forest, mountain lions or cougars are stealthy hunters that are hard to spot, even in areas they are known to inhabit. But sometimes, instead of mountain lions, people thought they saw other creatures in the Connecticut woods, of which authorities were supposedly aware. Could UConn women's basketball be back to 'square one' with seven available players at Seton Hall? near Greenfield with an experienced guide that hed worked with several times. My assumption is it was the same animal. I was outdoor with my two pugs and quickly scooped them up and brought them in the house. What color was it? If these people say they saw something, Im going to listen., If theres one thing people on all sides of the debate can agree on, its that a breeding population of cougars is essential to the overall health of New Englands ecosystems, which currently lack an apex predator. Those are the two closest populations that we have here. 11538 W MOUNTAIN LION Ct, Surprise, AZ 85378 $404,055 Redfin Estimate 2 Beds 2 Baths 1,289 Sq Ft Off Market This home last sold for $236,000 on Mar 31, 2020. Instead, the responsne I heard were nonchalant, Oh, yes, lots of people have seen that mountain lion around here; pretty isnt it?. Your donation today will allow us to continue this work on your behalf. Peter Yankowski is a breaking news reporter for Hearst Connecticut Media Group. As a scientist, lack of evidence is very good evidence. As a carnivore biologist, Hawley says he would love it if mountain lions were here. Patrick's reporting has appeared on NPR's Morning Edition, Here & Now, and All Things Considered. We need cougars and we need wolves back in the Northeast, because a landscape of fear is a well-balanced landscape.. Adult females can be 7 feet long and weigh between . There are an estimated 3,000 - 7,000 Mountain lions in Colorado. Hunt By Species: Mountain Lion | Montana FWP Hunt Species Guide: Mountain Lion Download the 2022 Mountain Lion Hunting Regulations Download now Current Quota Status for Mountain Lions Check Status Find Harvest information for Mountain Lions Harvest Reports Mountain Lion Identification Program Learn More > Automatic Notifications Beautiful creature. Megafauna mania: our obsession with mountain lions and other large predators., Megafauna mania: our obsession with mountain lions and other large predators. But other hard evidence of the big cats presence is elusive. Whenever I drive up and through my home state of Vermont, I look into the hills that surround me that have no sign of development for miles and miles. In fact, jaguars used to be native to south Texas, as well! But other hard evidence of the big cats presence is elusive. Its a cool story with how far that animal walked. I have not had the pleasure of seeing one, but have heard credible reports of them in Western Mass. There were caribou antlers mounted above the front doors, and the interior walls were covered in row upon row of books; a long table was piled high with still more books in seemingly random arrangements. Its definitely a problem thats only going to get worse. They certainly have, you know, lower levels of conflicts and home entries than we do here in Connecticut. my husband tapped my leg and asked what is that crossing the road It was a Cougar tan in color long tail which had a slight curl upward .I wish I had my camera to prove it but I know We saw it. A threat to livestock, they were hunted out of the state and driven to parts more wild. So why does the conspiracy theory that theyre here in significant numbers persist? 8 January. As I turned a corner going north toward Waterbury, I saw the cat come up from the cornfield, saunter across the highway, turn and look in my direction and then amble off into the brush. The cougar and the states refusal to admit it was here made the local paper. I was aware, too, of how a certain mythology surrounding the animal had taken root in Vermonts culture and even its identity: The University of Vermonts athletic teams, for instance, are known as the Vermont Catamounts, and their logo features a snarling cat lunging through the cleft of a V., I met with Morse at her home in Jericho. Watch Live at 7:00 PM: The U.S. and the Holocaust, a film by Ken Burns | Screening & Panel Discussion . Harrigan nodded. 2012). He/she was UNMISTAKEABLY a mountain lion: stretched out straight, long tail straight out behind him, golden/beigey color, and smallish head, little ears. My encounter was in Middlesex, VT along the river road (Route 2) just below I89. He can be reached by phone at 860-275-7297 or by email: pskahill@ctpublic.org. Bobcats and a possible mountain lion have been mentioned within the past few weeks. One cat will leave more than 10,000 tracks per day. There is a big difference between Tuesday when none of us saw a moose in our region and then Thursday we did, Morse says. By, Corporate Support: Advertising & Sponsorship, Megafauna mania: our obsession with mountain lions and other large predators., Megafauna mania: our obsession with mountain lions and other large predators, 'Just weird': Rash of injuries hits women's college hoops, Alex Jones' lawyer avoids discipline over records release, Grieving family members plead for CT legislators to pass Aid in Dying bill, Milder winters mean Connecticut's ticks are now active all year long, You cant plow a puddle: How warmer winters are changing snowplowing, Connecticut COVID data: Your town's infection rate, hospitalizations & vaccinations, Long COVID researchers in CT to get part of $10 million in federal funding, New omicron subvariant fuels COVID surge throughout the Northeast, Connecticut GOP lawmakers counter with their own plan to reduce energy prices. My wife is not a wildlife expert, but is not prone to flights of fancy. Earlier in the year, Id attended one of these presentations, and even in the tiny village of Woodbury, Vermont, on a stiflingly hot summer evening, nearly 100 people showed up to hear her speak and see her photographs (Morse is a magnificent wildlife photographer). You could have 50. I live in Hopkinton, NH and saw one coming up from the Contoocook River one misty morning. Icould hear the panic in my wifes voice. According to Jason Hawley, a wildlife biologist for the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protections Wildlife Division, the department gets around 100 sighting reports of mountain lions each year, but upon further investigation, a good proportion of the sightings end up being bobcats. Wildlife do really crazy things, and you just never know.. Besides, Ottmann had revealed that hed been charged by a bear in this same piece of woods, and I felt conflicted about diverting my gaze from the underbrush. Before I departed the Old Well Tavern, Bo Ottmann offered to lead me on a walk into an adjacent stretch of woods, where, he assured me, cougars might be found. The big cat has been extinct here since the mid-1800s. A harvest is kind of twofold. I saw a Mountain Lion in 2007 in Northfield, MA at the junctions of Rtes 10 and 63. Weve got a growing bear population. Having retired from a career at General Dynamics, he devotes many of his waking hours to cougar research, a passion hes cultivated for nearly twodecades. Facebook . Middlebury, Vermont | Could You Live Here? They also have facial ruffs and ear tufts on the tips of their ears, as well as shorter tails. Two mountain lion encounters in his driveway. The official word is that mountain lions were declared extinct in Connecticut back in the late 1800s but sightings have become much more prevalent. Ive seen bobcats before, this wasnt a bobcat. And its a lose-lose situation, because theres really not a whole lot you can tell them in most cases thats going to change their mind.. Adult Cougars have short fur that is brown or greyish (sometimes reddish) over most of the body, with a white chest and belly. In Florida, where mountain lions are known as panthers, dozens are killed each year by cars. I was deer hunting with my father, it was in the fall about 7 years ago, in Barre Ma towards the Templeton Ma lines. He has also reported for the Marketplace Morning Report. I saw on three occasions in about the same location a beautiful mtn lion with the long bushytail that curves at the end. Morse is a Vermont-based naturalist and the founder of Keeping Track, a nonprofit that trains people in the scientific protocols needed to detect, interpret, record, and monitor wildlife tracks and signs. Dismissing most of the sightings as probable bobcats, Morse asserted that the scientific evidence has not been proven. Someone told New Canaan police that a mountain lion was spotted on Gerdes Road, just north of the Darien-New Canaan border, at about 6 p.m., Saturday, Aug. 14.. When you look at a state like Connecticut, with all the people we have here, all the trail cameras we have in the woods, all the cars we have driving you can imagine if we had an established population here in Connecticut, we would know about it pretty quickly. Yale New Haven Health Check; . Adult mountain lions can be 7-8 feet long, including their tails. Tim Abbott, the regional land conservation and greenprint director for the Housatonic Valley Association, says that during a lecture on mountain lions last winter at Housatonic Valley Regional High School in Falls Village, when the speaker asked if anyone had seen a mountain lion, half of the roughly 400 people in attendance raised their hands. The Mountain Lion will return to feed on the prey for up to 10 days. Was INCREDIBLE! Its not my call. Probably because of all the hunters that would be out trying to get their trophy and endangering others. Connecticut Republicans are proposing to reduce the cost of electricity by removing state taxes and surcharges from customer invoices. Even so, for decades, skeptics dismissed mountain lion sightings in Connecticut out of hand, pointing out that if the cats were here in anywhere close to the number of reported sightings, there would be DNA and physical evidence of their presence, not to mention photos and videos.

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