Mountain Lion?

Rumor of course, but I heard that a cow was found partially consumed by a mountain lion in Woodstock and that it was confirmed by the DEP. I see nothing in the news. Can the DEP comment on this?

First I have heard about it. So far all our "Mountain Lion" sightings have turned out to be Bobcats, Lynxs, large house cats, the occasional yellow Lab and a Caracol or two.

Of all the calls we have received reporting a mountain lion nobody has been able to supply us with a photo, hair, footprint or scat left by the animal. So, until then we are still considering the Bobcat/Lynx, yellow lab sightings to be the cause.

Coyotes will eat cows if they are hungry enough and gang up on the cow. A couple of years ago a pack of coyotes attacked and killed a Siberian Husky that was on a run in someone's back yard in the eastern part of the state.

Probily a mountain lion...Same thing happened in East Granby a few years back and the dep was called out...According to that c.o. he told the farmer, according to the state of connecticut, there are no mountain lions in connecitut THEY ARE HERE!!! It`s just a matter of time before there is an attack!

When someone shows me a photo, or the cat, then I'll believe it. All our reports are from people looking out their back windows. I don't know of any hunters who have seen them and to me that means something with all the time they spend in the woods.

Check out this link for a picture of a caracal. If you saw this in your backyard, what would you think it is? These weigh in at about 40lbs.

http://www.cites.org/gallery/species/mammal/caracal.html

This is the type of animal I caught in Southbury about 9 years ago. It was a pet that had been declawed. They grow to about 40lbs and other than the ear tufts they look like a mountain lion from the side. A lot of people have them around the country. They are legal in other states, not so here in CT. Still, some people in CT have them as pets. When they get too big or nasty, some people just open the door and "let the cat out".

I'm not trying to be a smart-ass, but what will happen if you shot one?.. will the DEP happy or will you be arrested

Enconn - the caracal defenetely looks like a mointain lion.I could see now how the two can be mixed up.Are these caracal's sightings/capture's strictly loose pets or do these things wander naturally into the state now and then?

It is illegal to shoot a mountain lion unless it is attacking you, another person, family pet or livestock.

26-66-3. Open hunting seasons and bag limits for upland game birds and quadrupeds (f) There shall be no open season on Hungarian partridge, northern and southern flying squirrel, mink, moose, muskrat, beaver, otter, Canada lynx, harbor seal, pine marten, Indiana bat, black bear, fisher, bobcat and mountain lion (felis concolor).

Caracals are not native to North America. They are imported (legally in some states) as part of the exotic pet trade. It is illegal to possess a Caracal in Connecticut. The one I caught was being transported from Oregon to New Hampshire, but escaped when the owner stopped in Connecticut. I am sure that there are other ones in private possession in Connecticut as we have captured them in other parts of the state. When they get large (40lbs) and unfriendly, some escape and others are released by the owners without regard to what damage the cat will do in our environment.

I have to agree with EnCon, I have spent a big part of my life in the woods and I have never even seen a track. I have seen plenty of bobcat tracks in the snow but never a mountain lion's. I have even seen a black bear and a couple of moose in Connecticut.

After viewing the photo of the caracal I can see how it could easily be mistaken for a mountain lion. Thanks for sharing that EnCon!

Could defenetely have been coyotes that tore into that cow.They get very brave when they pack up.I camped in a nearby forest two years ago with my dog { no tent just sleeping bag} and I woke up at around 11pm to see coyotes circling around me.My sheperd was going nuts.The coyotes got a bit too close for comfort so I packed it up.That year I heard that pack almost nightly ,howling and yelping for hours late at night.

A pack of coyotes versus a siberian husky, that must have been some fight. I watched two coyotes pair off against a huge rottweiler from a deer stand once and it was a standoff. More than one at a time and they are very bold.

I grew up with nothing but huskies. THey're very loving, loyal, adorable, hairy, and cute. They're great fighters when the need arises, as I've seen mine fight a number of times with possums, skunks, etc. Although they're no match against a whole pack of coyotes, I'm sure they could get a lick or two in Poor Husky

The thing that bothers me is how long it took the DEP to realize (or admit) that there were coyotes in the state back in the '70s, and black bears in the '80s and early '90s. I don't doubt that they will be just as reluctant to admit that another animal they have not considered is in the state.

If I'm not mistaken, catamount prints and scat were found not far from quabbin reservoir within the last 7 or 8 years. I'm pretty sure that state lines don't have much effect on these things, and if they are that close, there's not way you can cast they CAN'T be in CT.

I just wonder why there is a law on the books stating we can not hunt this species if they don't even exist in the state .

I have to say I was not aware there was a population of Lynx in CT. Are they resident or do they roam through looking for food?

Quoted by 289FS :

"I just wonder why there is a law on the books stating we can not hunt this species if they don't even exist in the state"

Not that I would ever have a desire to hunt them but that is a great question..

.....289FS was born....but he wasn't born yesterday!

Perhaps the DEP does know of some verified sitings but doesnt want a posse out trying to kill them. Admitting that there has been a verified siting or physical proof would open the flood gates.

We have coyotes in Connecticut???

That regulation has been on the books for a very long time. It was probably put into effect back when the regulations were first created. At that time there were no bears in CT either. Bears and mountain lions were indigenous to Connecticut but were exterminated or pushed out of the state by the wholesale removal of the state's forests in the 1700 and 1800's. The regulation may have been a last ditch effort to stop the final extermination of those species.

I am not saying definitively that there are not any mountain lions in CT. Could there be? Yes. Is it probable? Maybe. I've been a police officer for over 30 years and as such I don't believe anything until I see the evidence. When I see a good photo (not a grainy one that might be a dog, a large yellow tabby cat or raccoon)that was taken in CT not California, a dead cat or other hard evidence then I will believe it. With all the thousands of hunters that are in the woods every year, many sitting motionless for hours in treestands, we haven't had them reporting mountain lion sightings. With all the fishermen climbing through underbrush and fishing in remote streams and rivers, we haven't had them report sightings. The one's we get are from motorists seeing "something" run across the road at night, or someone looking out of their kitchen window and seeing "something" in the woods behind their house. They swear up and down that it was a mountain lion, but everyone we have located has been a bobcat, caracal, large domestic cat or yellow lab.

There may occasionally be Canada Lynx in CT, and they have very large feet. Their footprints can easily be mistaken for a mountain lion. The have been sighted in the NE portion of CT and I believe also the extreme NW. Their main food source is snowshoe hare so their populations are very dependent on the hare populations. http://www.beardsleyzoo.org/teachers-parents/animal.asp?mc_id=91

I will never say never, but provide some proof, other than "I know they are there" and I will believe it. After all, there are still Elvis sightings all over the country too and we all know for a fact that the government is hiding preserved alien bodies in Area 51.

we all know for a fact that the government is hiding preserved alien bodies in Area 51. Thats a lie! Everyone knows those bodies were moved after that 60 minutes documentary!

Locals in Pomfret we talked with hunting the state forest, swear that there is a mountain lion attacking livestock in that area.....

I recently spent time fishing with Elvis in the northwest corner. Not only did we see a couple of Mountain Lions, but Elvis informed me that those preserved alien bodies you guys were referring to are being kept in a barn somewhere in Litchfield County.

Why doesn't somebody follow the CT Freedom of Information law and make a written request to the DEP, or drop a line to the Hartford Courant and ask them to follow up on any "rumor" of a cover up or non-disclosure.
If DEP complicity doesn't exist, then whatever slaughtered the cattle hasn't been officially confirmed and anything is possible, right? A FOI request should at least be able to determine if the case was investigated by the DEP...

Sun - am I correct in assuming that your implication is that I am lying to or misleading forum members or covering up something?

If so, you are more than welcome to submit a FOI request.
After the research is completed I am sure you will be more than willing to apologize here online considering that you had decided to publicly question my integrity.

Have we had mountain lion sightings? Yes. Were any of them proven to be mountain lions? No. Have they been coyotes, dogs, bobcats, caracals and large house cats? Yes.

I volunteer my time here on the forum. I am not here to mislead the public, cover up or lie to forum members and I resent the implication or insinuation from you that I do. Someone asked me a question, which by the way started out "rumor of course" and I answered it to the best of my knowledge. If you don't like my answer then I'm sorry, but I have the data to back up what I am saying, do you? If there was confirmation of mountain lions in Connecticut I would tell you. I don't care if they are here or not - we have bears, we have moose, we have bobcats, we have coyotes and someday we may have mountain lions and maybe even wolves here.

Are there people in government who may try and mislead the public? Yes - but I'll tell you something pal - there is nothing on this website or anywhere else that is worth me jeopardizing my character or credibility. Maybe you would, but not me.

To everyone else I apologize for the rant, but there are certain things that I will not tolerate and this is one of them.

Understood , especially when you've announced more than once on numerous threads that there just isn't any proof to back up these so called sightings.A "written request" to the DEP seems silly when you've already answered this question many times for us. I myself think it is an honor to have ENCONN on this site answering questions for us .

You need not apolggize. You are very clear that there is no confirmed sighting. However I understand your frustration.

BUT, I did see BIGFOOT in my backyard and I have a picture to prove it. I just can't find my camera, I swear it was right by this case of beer when I took the picture.

No need to apologize Encon. I thought your answer was clear as day. I'm certain many members, myself included, greatly appreciate your time and help on this site.

PLEASE, Lets give Encon the more than due respect they deserve.
anyone not able to provide proof should except this persons response. they are out there in person and have a far more knowledge (person to people in the woods and water / far superior network of available information)than any other local.

Encon your time, effort and info are greatly appreciated. No need to apolgize. For what you provide this site with, we should have been defending your integrity.

Skip, a simple fix of tin-foil and saran wrap is all that's needed.

You should not have to defend anything regarding your integrety here. You have provided the site w/a wealth of information that was unheard of before. Thank You.

Oh BTW, Elvis says "hi".

Encon your time, effort and info are greatly appreciated. No need to apolgize. For what you provide this site with, we should have been defending your integrity. i agree with this quote.Econ has been a big plus to this site and they have gone out of there way to help members and collect info for any ??? asked.i thank you Econ .i now see why people get booted from websites

DEP and Law Enforcement Forums
We have a very unique opportunity to interact directly with members of the CT DEP and CT Law Enforcement divisions. Save the joking for the other forums. If you’re going to use these forums, be clear and respectful. Please be patient when waiting for a reply. Don’t clutter a thread with too many questions that are off the main subject. If you have a question, make an effort to search the forums to be sure you’re not repeating something that has already been discussed. Also, don’t expect an answer to every single question posted. The agents do their best, but they may decide not to answer a question for a variety of reasons. Finally, these forums are designed to allow DEP officials to respond. It’s OK if you have valid, factual information you want to share, but please don’t clutter the forum by posting "best guesses" to the questions being posed before someone from the DEP even has a chance to reply.

Just so I am not accused of any more complicity, coverups or non-disclosure by "Sun" I ran all the mountain lion sighting reports on our computer system when I got to work this morning.

Since 1/1/1998 (when we instituted a computer aided dispatch system) we have had a total of 69 "mountain lion" sightings. This includes the period of 1/1/05 through 10/31/05 when we had a total of 20 reported "mountain lion" sightings. Of all of these sightings (1/1/98 - 10/31/05) none were confirmed with any photographs, identifiable paw prints or any other evidence to establish that the animal seen was in fact a mountain lion and in fact in Connecticut.

One record was for a caller reported seeing a mountain lion that was 5 feet tall and weighed 150 lbs. (Let's see, deer are about 5 ft tall, weight about 150lbs and have medium brown fur??) Another reported a mountain lion with a bushy brown tail. One report was for a deer killed by a mountain lion. When it was investigated it was determined that the deer had been killed by coyotes - based on the evidence at the kill site.

We had a videotaped sighting reported in 2003. The caller said it was a mountain lion and had a long tail. When our officer viewed the tape it showed a bobcat, not a mountain lion.

Another caller in 2003 reported a medium brown cat with a long tail about the size of a small german shepard. (See my link to the Caracal - about the size of a small german shepard)

In 2004 the following was received, Animal sounded like a cougar, was approximately 2-3 ft tall and 3-4 ft long. Animal was face to face with a bobcat, then ran from the scene when complainant went outside to investigate. Have any of you ever seen a mountain lion and bobcat stand face to face? Fight maybe, the bobcat run away probably, but face to face?

Complainant saw mountain lion in back yard. Animal went back into woods towards wildlife sanctuary. Complainant stated the cat had stubby tail and weighed approximately 200 lbs.

We also had a "confirmed" sighting earlier this year where the complainant produced a photograph of the mountain lion he saw. He later admitted that he downloaded the photo from the internet to show his girlfriend what a mountain lion looked like.

The vast majority of the sightings were people seeing an animal walking through their yard, across the road or in the woods with the only description being "mountain lion". No proof, no photographs, no pawprints, no scat, no hair. How many members of the general public who do not fish do you think could tell the difference between a striped bass, largemouth bass and trout? To them it's a fish. A dogfish to them is a shark - so if they see a small dogfish at the beach then you get a rash of shark sightings reported. Is a dogfish a shark? kind of sort of, same general shape, it's gray and has teeth....is a large yellow tabby or bobcat a mountain lion?

Finally, according to our records, we (EnCon Police/DEP Emergency Dispatch)have not received any complaints or calls regarding cattle being killed by a mountain lion or any other animal in Woodstock. The closest was on 5/20/03 in Mansfield where a farmer's cattle were being chased by COYOTES.

As I have stated earlier in this thread and in many others - is it possible that there are mountain lions in CT - yes - but no one has been able to provide any proof to date. When someone produces evidence then I will be able to say that we have a confirmed mountain lion in CT.

Until then it is "a rumor", "my friend said", "I heard", "I know"....

U da Man .....

http://www.juliesjungle.com/caracals.php

The Caracal has been observed a number of times in the wild here in Ct. even by some of our DEP personnel. These are released animals. Other than the ears and the fact that they are smaller than a full grown Cougar you could easily mis-identify one of these Caracals for a Cougar.

Thanks for the post Buck - if you go to one of the other pages on that site http://www.juliesjungle.com/species.php this is a list of what they sell there - note the Canadian Lynx. Take a look at some of the "jungle cats" offered on this link:
http://www.arnoldsexotics.com/jungle_cats.htm Do you think seeing one of them in the wild would make you think you may have seen a mountain lion - particularly from a distance?

If you Google caracals for sale, or exotic pets, you would be amazed at the number of species available. Any of these that are considered dangerous animals are illegal in Connecticut.

In other states, Florida I believe is one of them, you can own just about any type of animal you want. There are people down there who own mountain lions and black panthers. Do they sell them to people in Connecticut even though it's illegal to possess them here?

We had a guy in West Haven last year who got bit by his pet King Cobra while he was giving it a bath....along with West Haven PD, we took an alligator, copperhead and African Rhinoceros Viper (supposed to have the 2nd largest set of fangs of all poisonous snakes) out of his house too. They were all illegal to possess in CT, but he had them.

Encon you are right about the gen public not knowing about wildlife and trying to guess what it might be.
I was at the beach this year and there were a bunch of women and kids looking at somthing and I went over to see what it was and to my suprise it was a bluefish. No one new what kind of fish it was or that it was even table fare.I think we as sportsmen need to teach people about our wildlife.I gave a nice little lesson on blues that day and had a lot of smiles and thanks after that.

Encon - You are an asset to this site! I think I speak for alot of people when I say we are glad you are a part of CTF. Thanks for your info!

Dear Encon Police, No sir, you are not correct. Quite clearly, I was responding to alanr about hearsay involving the DEP as a department, not you as an individual. HE asked why a rumored incident that HE heard was confirmed by the DEP hadn't been, according to HIM, reported in the news. I simply and clearly stated that IF no [proof of] DEP complicity exists [through an FOI request], then anything is possible. By anything, I meant whether a mountain lion or any other loose exotic or wild animal instigated an attack [or not]. Lastly, I never stated, personally assumed or intended to insinuate that you had or would be privy to any official knowledge of the alleged cattle attack alanr was refering to and that's why I mentioned the FOI request all. The purpose of my post was simply informational, nothing more & nothing less. Peace.

"The purpose of my post was simply informational"
???????????????????????????????????????????????

We got 2 calls today about mountain lions, one in Norfolk and one in Bloomfield. The caller in Bloomfield stated that the mountain lion was sunning itself in her yard...no pictures...

If any of you see a mountain lion, please take some pictures so we can put this issue to rest.

but this is such a fun thread!!!

someone just emailed me a photo of the mountain lion sighting in Norfolk!!!!!

I'll have to be honest- I think it's a golden retriever disguised to look like a mountain lion...

I have a pet mountain lion...I bought him in the pet store in Buckland Hills mall....he's so cute!! But when I release him please advise me as to where I should so that more people call you and bug you about seeing him....

We had to kick one out of the park today for bothering the kids...


Then there's the one in our neighborhood who's always playing his music too loud...


I'm beginning to think it's a conspiracy.

Good news!! We had a confirmed sighting. We got another call this afternoon on the mountain lion in Bloomfield. The guy who saw it, from about 40 feet away gave us a good description...about the size of a dog, darker fur with some gray/silver and no tail....it's confirmed... a bobcat.....The caller used to live out west and knows which cat is which.

I saw a Bigfoot and 2 mountian lions today while bowhunting.I also saw Elvis hitchhiking on Rt.2 :rolleyes:

1) Tony the Tiger, 2) Tigger 3)Pink Panther. that proves it, I am a big cat expert. Now when I call Encon with a confirmed sighting he has to believe me cause I'm an authority

Let me go look out my window to find one now.

Yeah, but Zach think about it....what if all those Golden Retrievers you see are actually mountain lions disguised to look like Golden Retrievers?????

wow - that is quite the conundrum!

I think I'm going to focus my attention back to something easier to figure out- like "women", for instance

I have an idea. why dont we form a group called the CCF. The Connecticut Cougar Foundation. We will collect about 100 game cameras and station them all along small rivers and game trails in NWCT/MA in People's, MDCColebrook/Hogsback, Algonquin, Granville and Tunxis State forrests. That together is close to 20,000 acres. we will do this after deer season in december/january and if there are mountian lions we might get a picture of one. It's worth a shot.

great idea....just one problem, where the the $1000 going to come from to get 100 cameras?

i work for a local highway dept in litchfield county, and twice within a week, we saw a cat cross the road in front of us, were all hunters and fisherman so where pretty well aquainted with our wildlife, but we had no idea what this cat was, it was much taller than a bobcat, although we were pretty sure it wasnt a mountain lion, it had the ears of a bobcat and a long tail,,,now looking at your pics of Caracal's, i,m willing to bet that is what it was,,,,thanks for the info

I heard yesterday from a resident that there is some kind of predator in Bethany attacking animals receintly. It attacked 2 Lamas someone had fenced in - and another Lama in a separate incident can anyone else confirm the story?

He read it in the "Amity Observer" in an artical called "What's killing Amity's livestock"

According to the artical the animals weren't really eaten just torn apart (big time). An investigator said the claw marks were consistent with those made by a bear or a large cat.

Serval is another cat possibility,
Looks more like a lepord in color but has a body make up more similar to a cougar.
The head ia much smaller & the ears are huge.

Here the actual artical - close to what I was told anyway

http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=15502728&BRD=1342&PAG=461&dept_id=433249&rfi=6

Mitch, whos that lionus in your post In spite of all that is said, mountain lions are in conn. A good friend of mine who has spent his whole life in the woods hunting has see very large tracks and not those of a bobcat size...When an attack occurs" and it will ", that will be the only time the state will admit it, plain and simple....

ctguy923-I have heard of 1 other caracal siting, I believe it is because someone transported these exotic cats and let them go. That's probably what you saw if it wasn't a bobcat.


Personally I don't believe that there are many cougars in CT if any at all. I have only seen 1 video taken in CT from a friend, of a cat that looks a bit like a cougar. We played it numerous times but couldn't tell, it was a distance away and the picture was kinda blurry.

Good idea danny,, If there are some lions in CT. THAT IS WHERE THEY ARE

The DEP got a coyote land trapping season passed for dec & jan. I already took the course, so if anyone out there has at least ten acres and a coyote problem PM me.

Still have the tape? Maybe the DEP would like a look at it!

This message is for the EnConn officer,

If it is ever proven that there are mountain lion in CT, would they be under protection in this State?
Is it also possible that (I'm sure like many other species)there possible are animals like the mountain lion that reside here , but are being pushed out of natural habitats due to excessive development and deforestation?
If so, will there ever be a time in the near future were there are limits on how much forest land is torn down and destroyed for obnoxious housing developements?

If a mountain lion is confirmed in the state it is already protected. It is illegal to hunt mountain lions, bears, etc. (look at one of my earlier posts in this thread)

You are asking the wrong person about future development. The state is taking steps to preserve as much forest land in the state as possible, but permitting house developments into an area is a local zoning issue in each town.

All this talk of Mountain Lions is nothing more than a smokescreen for the "Big Secret"...those dam alien bodies they keep shuffling around from secret location to secret location.

I'm gonna catch Skip on a game camera with one of those "mysteriously large" garbage bags being taken out of the back of his patrol vehicle...then I will have the proof I need to go to the Enquirer and sell my story.

encon police- sorry for one more additional question on this thread

lets say, hypothetically - a CT mountain lion continually visits my yard on a regular basis over some extended period of time - and we hit-it-off, become friends or "companions", so-to-speak... could I, in theory, utilize the mountain lion as an "enforcer" of some sort, in order to seek out and retrieve a stolen "piketoberfest 3rd place mug" from a certain fanatical wanna-be-pirate poacher?

if this would be considered an illegal activity- what would the penalty be, if caught? (just so I can weigh my options...)

thankyou in advance! I appreciate it !

sorry my pike advice didn't prove to be more useful- it was a tough day fishing-wise last sunday, for some reason.

Here is an interesting story regarding sightings in CT.My own opinion is that the individuals who are obsessed with the idea of actually having these cats in ct are the one's who's minds eye plays tricks on them when what they are actually seeing are deer,bobcat,housecats,and even coyotes.Anyway,pretty interesting story below

http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=14475719&BRD=2329&PAG=461&dept_id=484827&rfi=6

I CAN'T TAKE IT ANYMORE!!!!!! KAPT YOU FINALLY PUSHED ME OVER THE EDGE...I CONFESS-!!

It's true, all of it....I am part of a big conspiracy that is responsible for moving space aliens around the country...and by the way they are not bodies, they are real and alive....the entire plan was put together by Elvis...he is still an undercover FBI agent and is responsible for coordinating alien activity here on earth.

Some of the space aliens are being disguised as mountain lions and conducting surveillance for Elvis. We KNOW there aren't any mountain lions in CT, so any reported sightings would be ignored.....

It's too bad, if it wasn't for that lousy 60 Minutes expose all those poor space aliens would still be playing Space Invaders with Elvis in Area 51. And Kapt, those aren't plastic trash bags, they are monoethylene cloaking devices.... The real people who handle the daily transportation of the aliens are disguised as trash collectors. Just look at all the things you think are trashbags in their trucks. It might look like a truck but it's actually a space alien limousine.

Kapt, I'm sorry I misled you....it must of been that bottle of red truth serum that you poured into the chili on Sunday. After I ate it I started seeing stars and feeling really strange. At one point I knew I saw Elvis because Bob G pointed him out right across the river next to the old nuke plant. But then again, Bob ate some of the chili too.... I knew that stuff was having an effect on my perception because I could swear that I saw Zach with a gallon size can of some type of German chocolate milk, at least I think that's what it was.....and his little coffee cup seemed gigantic too....

Zach - you are all set...I talked to Elvis, he has assigned two of his best undercover aliens disguised as mountain lions, to follow Kapt around. They even have their special tracking devices with antennas cleverly disguised as T-Man tubes....oops, there I go again letting another secret out of the bag, darn you Kapt and that red truth serum.

Usually I always post a big "Thanks Encon" - for your tireless work effort and dedication to the sportsmen, and sportswomen in the great state of Connecticut.

However, this "Thanks Encon" - is just for the laugh

Next time you see Elvis - tell him his order of 10" Stickbaits are ready to pick up

10'' stickbaits again Jiggy....is there anything else in your life? Geeze...get off it man

Aha! It's about time you came clean. I was NEVER fooled by that tinfoil, clearly it was another failed attempt at distracting us from the real story! :rolleyes: Everyone knows that aliens can transmit clear through that foil and infect your brain, it had nothing to do with the chili either, I ate it and I'm normal!

I was talking to my sister today who works at Chubb insurance company in Simsbury and she told me that she got a company e-mail that cautioned the employees about mountain lion sightings on the grounds at chubb.I dont know if it was confirmed by dep or not but in the e-mail they said moutain lion.Who knows what it is?


Phil V

Normal, what's normal? I was smart I only had one bowl of that possum fire. Kapt it's not the tin foil, our own Heloise alias Skip (You must remember Helpful Hints from Heloise) told me that it's saran wrap that keeps the transmit rays away.

Oh Zach BTW, I think Elvis has your mug for sale on E-bay.

Enconn- Now that you've finally confessed and spilled your guts , please also let us in on Karnak , the great lake zoar monster....

Just when you thought this thread was running out of gas! Zach S, "if we become friends or "companions"" ? That is CLASSIC!

EnCon, thanks for confirming the Elvis siting at the Nuke plant. Living just up the road from there, that will finally put to rest the neighborhood discussions as to the explanation for finding banana peels with peanut butter on them, and swatches of sequin encrusted velvet that appear now and then in our back yards! Keep up the good work!

You guys are killing me, please don't stop now!!

There was a sighting in Stratford near the Shakespeare. A picture was taken.

I used to work for Chubb Insurance in simsbury and i can tell you one thing, if there is a mountain lion in nod brook WMA it could feed of the constant supply of yuppiee runners and dog walkers. no offense, but i doubt there is any one in that building that could tell house cat from a lion.
black bears in simsbury yes, mountain lions maybee, but is seriously doubt it.
I'll have to check with some of my old
underwriting friends to see if i can get a copy of this email.

If I recall correctly the one sighted at Chubb was the same one where the caller later admitted to downloading the photo off the internet. In that incident it was a large company in that area and emails were flying all over the place.

I have to agree with EnCon on this. I have a friend who keeps trying to convince me that there are cougars in CT, but the nearest breeding population is over 1000 miles away, I severely doubt it. I too say show me the evidence.

I just got my emailed from my friend who works at Chubb in simsbury, it seems that a security guard is passing around a picture that he claims he took of a mountain lion in the parking lot. I have to direct my friend to ECONs response

Sounds like the same one, he admitted that he downloaded the photo from the internet to show his girlfriend.

EnCon,

Just wanted to say I really enjoyed reading your posts - they are very informative and have eased some of my concerns about the rumors I have been hearing. The one I heard, which allegedly is not rumor, involved 2 acquaintances on horseback who had a mountain lion cross their path near the intersection of Routes 97 and 44 in Pomfret a month or two ago. Allegedly the lion walked away after a reasonable amount of time.

Based on the info you have provided in this thread, I would say the claim is dubious. That being said, there is a POSSIBILITY that it was an authentic mountain lion sighting, and I was wondering what kind of common-sense safety precautions we as hikers and fishermen could take to avoid encounters or minimize the potential for attack during encounters by mountain lions, fishercats, bobcats, and other forest predators. My username being no pun intended!

Thanks a lot, I would like to get back to hiking the trails of Mashamoquet Park with a bit more confidence!

Rastacat - If your talking about hikeing and fishing in CT ,there are no animals in this state that typically attack humans.As a matter of fact it's downright rare.Keep on hikeing your park with confidence...

Rastacat, the biggest forest predator that you have to worry about has 2 legs.

For wildlife, there is nothing in the CT woods that will hurt you if you don't try to mess with it. I recall reading someplace that statistically the highest group of people who suffer rattlesnake bites are males in their early 20's. The last thing people recalled hearing them say just before the bite was "hey, watch this!".

Don't leave food around if you are camping. Clean up and store your food away from your tent. Do all your cooking away from your campsite. Put all your food and smellables (that's anything that might smell good to an animal like soap, food, candy, deoderant, etc.) in a bag and suspend it from a high tree branch with a rope.

If you encounter a bear or other wildlife, make a lot of noise (shout) and try to make yourself look bigger. (raise your arms, stand up, etc.) DON'T run away. To wildlife, something running away equals FOOD. Walks away slowly and continue making noise. As has been discussed earlier in the thread, there have been no confirmed mountain lions in CT. If there were, do like the people in California. Don't travel in the woods alone, make noise when you are walking and if you see a big cat don't run away.

Out west it is recommended that in bear country you wear a bell that rings while you walk. Some people put bells, like sleigh bells, on their walking stick. That way you won't surprise a bear. They will hear you a long way off and be gone when you get to where they were.

We did have one case last year or the year before where a rabid bobcat attacked someone (in his backyard in Bristol if I recall correctly), but that is the exception.

Go out in the woods, have a good time and enjoy the outdoors! If you are still worried, carry a can of pepper spray. It will work on anything. We issue fire extiguisher sized cans to our officers for extra safety when we are dealing with bears.

Encon, you've educated us on mountain lion and bear confrontations but left us in the dark on Elvis or alien encounters. Worse yet, I don't know what to do if I come face to face with a PETA member in the woods

BDF61 You may find this info from Encon helpful and apply it as needed. Encon posted this about the September law Enforcement Highlights.

EnCon Police So feel free to shoot if threatened, call the DEP immediately and Encon will let us know where we can view the mount!!!!!

"the biggest forest predator that you have to worry about has 2 legs and is usually seen on 4 wheels. But, you can usually hear them coming a mile away, just don't stand in the trail because they won't stop."

Wow! I wasn't expecting to have myself and my family classified as a forest predator. But, then again, this is why our machines are only registered in Massachusettes, where are SPECIES are welcomed!




Maybe I woke up on the wrong side of the bed (or trail) this morning, but this generalization did not settle well. Remember all colored people are not bank robbers, all women on the corner are not prostitutes, all young men of p.r. decent are not gang members, and not all white people are superior human beings!

Sorry for the rant!

EnCon, BTW - thank you for your time and input on this site. It is an overall pleasure and valuable resource you provide to this board.

289FS you are absolutely right! I don't normally use generalities. As with all issues it's the 20% that create the problems and the 80% suffer. I was typing faster than I was thinking and didn't qualify my statement. Please accept my apology as my comment was not directed at law abiding ATV riders, (I know, we don't have any place to ride in CT, but's that's an issue way above my pay grade) but rather those that choose to ignore the laws in CT and in doing so have on occasion harassed and intimidated other outdoor users. It's people like that who give all ATV operators a bad name. I have also removed that reference so as not to offend any other ATV riders.

Hey, now I know why the EnCon Police wear green. It's to make the Aliens feel at home. Right I bet you all have the Elvis CD's in your trucks to. And bigfoot is a Alien with five o'clock shadow. It's all clear now that I rapped my head in tinfoil.

Thanks Skip, I nearly spit coffee all over when the Aliens came up.

EnCon - Thanks again. I do understand how a statement like that can be made. The bad apples ruin it for everyone.

Now, will the legal atv riding area being built by the aliens, with money donated by Elvis, affect the mountain lion's natural home?

Another hint I learned from the Heloise of En-Con, wrap your monitor in saran wrap. It makes the coffee and soda easier to get off.

He's had some real good stuff to post lately, should be quite entertaining when cabin fever really sets in.

BTW Skip, thx you are not only informative but entertaining as well.

Oh and Elvis says "hey".

Hey Bob, I bet we could start a nice little side business by adapting VW windshield wipers to computer screens....whadda ya think?

Can we bring Elvis in on this one?

I found mountainlion tracks many years ago in Vermont but it took me many years before i finally seen one. They are very elusive and the odds of us just walking looking for one are slim but you never know. One night near my camp my headlites caught this big cat about 6' long(body) with a 4' large tail going into the high grass and i was lucky enough to have my wife and son with me who also seen it. Here in Ct. my son and daughter live near Blackrock state park.(condo's) First my son first spotted large cat tracks in the snow while walking the dog. Then wife was walking my dog in the woods near there and they spotted a large cat laying on the ground that was busy with something it had on the ground. They backed out of there very quietly. She said it looked like the one in Vermont. Here's a hint there has been small pets missing in the condo's. My daughter has a 22lb cat that afraid to go outside because something scared it when it did go outside. I thought it was a bobcat until my son seen the large cat tracks. We had a northeast mountainlion reporting site on the net and before it closed because of hecklers we had many sightings reported but wether they were true or not I'm not sure but they varied from Newtown to Falls Village and the most recent reports were from the New Milford area. And there were some reports of sightings from the Windsor area too. Its too bad the reporting site closed because it maybe could of saved someones life if there was many sightings in one area it could of been investigated and reported to a local news paper if it was confirmed. I have seen everything in Ct. so far but mountainlions but my wife and son have seen them and i believe them. This is nothing to joke about or play with these are big predators. I wouldn't go walking in the woods with the family alone without the family dog and keep the kids close to you stay together don't let the kids wander off. Your dog will let you know when something is wrong at the first sign of danger.

How can we be on page four with this,please enough.Half the guys in the woods with guns tomorrow will fail to see deer, the rest will miss the deer, but some one with no name or person who cant be reached ,will come face to face with a BIG COUGAR. But if you want to persist in this discussion, the most recent comprehensive discussion on the subject appeared last May in CT. Magazine. You can look it up!! Two other suggestions: take two very big blue pills, and report back to us in the am OR head out into the woods on a full moonlit night along with your most friendly bottle of JD, have at leat two big shots and maybe you'll meet this ellusive ghost right there!

Take.Um, I owe you a cup of coffee! Thanks!!!

Absolutely, end this...I need to know about those dam aliens, screw the cats!

Screw the aliens, I want to know if I need to dump my Elvis records on Ebay :p

Encon wont let it die. That's because he is now in business with Bob G cleaning computer screens. It must be very profitable because he is giving TAKE.UM a cup of coffee so he can spit it on his computer.
This whole thread is all a greedy corporate conspiracy conducted by Encon, Bob G, Elvis and the aliens to make us buy Encon's VW windshield wipers.

Irish Coffee please.

All right,. Cool Kats !

Go get the big suckers!

Peace and straight shootin' !
WG

I'm going to ask an off-subject question { thank God} to Enconn - What is the difference between the "DEC" and the "DEP". One being conservation and the other being protection , or are the two now under one name?

DEC is Department of Environmental Conservation, they are our counterparts in New York State. New York also has a Department of Environmental Protection and a Department of State Parks.

In Connecticut we are all combined into the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP)

We won't make you buy anything, but after cleaning your computer screen numerous times you'll wonder how you ever lived without it.

thanks Enconn..

This thread will not die! Does anyone know what the record number of post's on a thread is? I believe this is 105! BY the way...three tractor trailer units hauling waste out of the nuke plant today past the homestead were all playing Elvis at maximum volume...should I be concerned?

jimhal I also heard it...my favorite song too , hunka hunka burnin mountain lion.

Can't believe I read this entire thread.

Personally I've never seen any evidence of
mountain lions in CT. Until I see proof I'll assume that while the possiblity exists, it is unlikely that they are here.

However, the Florida agencies have tried and tried to cover up their lion issues. They went from tracking the lion sightings all over the state after they released a bunch, to claiming that none exist in the areas outside of the Everglades.

Dec. 04 I did see a mountain lion on the Willimantic border. I can not prove it but they are here.

In Bethany something is going around killing everyones pets... cats, dogs, lama's...etc.. they dont know what it is yet... must be pretty massive if it killed some lama's

Bigfoot maybe...

There is some talk about the DEP now moving in a more pro active manner in the reporting of Mountain Lions in the state.The proposal although radical will help in the further understanding of both the creature, and how the interactions are increasing with humans, if so, or perhaps DEP will embark on a joint program with DEA to ascertain how many of you are simply hallucinating! Further, under the all encompassing "homeland security task force" as deemed essential by our Prez, if repeated reports are evident from the same perpetrators, severe steps will be recommended and taken against these individuals with sanctions up to and including lose of hunting privileges OR GUN OWNERSHIP.
The group heading this ,have further deemed that all people who report such interactions will be subject to blood acohol test and illegal substance test which may also result in your right to vote at further PTA meetings or wet tee shirt contests being removed.

take. um...sounds like a load of crap to me.seems like someone has to much time on there hands and try to think of ways to punish people who pay for there hunting licenses.even if there are one or two of these sightings a year.who says it cant be possible? maybe the non beleivers are hallucinating?the cats are illusive by nature.so one or two sighting wouldnt really surprize me.considering that there half way accross the country in north dakota, where they are very abundant and have hunting seasons for them.it wouldnt all to surprize me when one has proof of these critters.the fact of the matter is this.where building where they are living so you have expect nature to cross paths with us a few times.

The stock in Encon's windshield wiper company just took a dip .

Wait, there's a mountain lion in my front yard drinking coffee from a Piketoberfest mug

"Don't make me order an attack from one of my highly trained, chip implanted large cats! You have been warned!"

I too have just read this thread >>head spinning<<

I have to agree on the proof component as far as the DEP is concerned in ever making a definitive statement.

Like many folks who went offroad in Nepaug State Forest, back in the early/mid 80's, me and my friend definitely saw a Mountain Lion on 2 occasions. No pictures though. We were redneckin' in the 4x4, pre digitial camera days.

I can see how the Caracal could be mistaken, however, if you have ever seen a real Moutain Lion, there is no comparison in body build or size (especially overall length nose-2-tip.of.tail on a mature adult). Additionally, the face of a Mountain Lion is wider, and there is typically a darkened to blackish tip to their much longer (proportionally) tail (as it is used as a major counter balance in both jumping and pursuing prey). The Caracal goes to 40#, where the Mountain Lion can go 200#+.

Granted, unless you are familiar with the species, you could be fooled, and I imagine the gross bulk of reports come from folks who are not outdoorsmen (women).

I have seen these creatures in multiple states (Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, etc..) when I used to hunt and travel hike/camp. They are beautiful and unmistakeable if you have ever seen them.

From a CT DEP perspective, even if they were to be confirmed in the state, I would keep it on the down low....don't want panic hunting to occur due to ignorance.

It has been good to see the Bobcat population rise, along with the Black Bears (granted, I could live without them in my garbage can). AS we continue to encroach on the undeveloped lands in CT, we will continue to see more "sightings" of various critters, maybe even eventually a documented Mountain Lion.

Well I thought your reply was funny TAKE.UM.

i was out in the tunis state forest black powering and i had one run right by me chasing the deer i left the woods and went back in the afternoon and there was a deer 1/2 eaten and covered up with the cats prints all around it and its feases all around it so i know thay are out there and no one is going to change my mind about them being here

Easy guy's! I dont think Encon ever stated that there absolutely was no mountain lions in CT but with soooo many false reports and mis-identifications you can understand why they would be skeptical. I believe their official stance is that until they have concrete proof, they can't state that they exist. If and when they have concrete proof, I would not expect them to announce it or promote it for obvious reasons.

Is there one of two out there, maybe, after all, who would have thought Moose would be running around CT!

Just trying to keep the topic light...now back to those aliens now theres the REAL coverup!

\

Not true, we got cheap help from Elvis and the aliens. Stock is good.

I give up......

Why is that guy beating on a CT mountain lion?

Me too. I'll buy one of those damn windshield wipers. Where do I order? Type big, my drink is all over my screen again and everything is blurry. LOL Encon

Is it really "beating a dead horse" season????


I've seen one...

What are caracals and what family are they from ?

i put pitures in the photo gallary of tracks i think of moutian loin tracks seen in montvlle it had along tail on it do not know how to put the pitures on this sight

Stanley - from earlier in the thread - try this website http://www.juliesjungle.com/caracals.php

Jeffd - you should contact our Wildlife Division regarding the tracks. They may be able to help you identify them. 860-424-3011.

Coulda been these guys.

I wish.....this thread just won't go away!!!!!!!!!!

Please,all I want for Christmas is this to go away.

Here ya go jeffd decide for yourself,

http://www.cougarsanctuary.org/tracks.html

When I'm old and gray I can tell my Grandchildren about "The Mountain Lion thread"....."WOW grandpa , was it really 997 pages long ?"

I'm already old and gray and can't believe it's gone this long myself.

exit ... stage left.


ORRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR...
click HERE here to hear a REAL Connecticut Mt. Lion!

OK, now all I have to do is figure out how to make my cell phone play that when I get a call and my life will be complete!

Here Kitty, Kitty, Kitty

i have to talk to the lady that has her house next to the land she sees them all the time and see if she took pic's of them so now when i go there ill have to carry my cam to

Back in 1963 in Watertown In the area that is now Veterans Memorial Park off of Nova Scotia hill road My friend Butch and I saw what I still feel to this day were three Mountain Lions. We were on one of the farm roads and they were running along side the edge of the field towards us. I think they might have been chasing a deer. My first thought they were deer they were so big. I still remember the huge bounds they made while running. they Scared the living daylights out of both of us.

...... • • Encon surrounded. • •

that is what he deserves for siding with that wanna-be-pirate :p you can't even trust the law these days!

He oughta' be luukin' fur a mug.

To all the people who have who have seen Mountain Lions in CT and have let us know of their experiences we thank you. We, along with Santa, have made a list,and will be in contact with you soon, although we, too, may have to check it twice. Its our fervent hope you will be provided with the very best care the current administration can provide(yeah, right, good luck)and if treatment is successful, you'll be beamed back to earth . Please, remember, drink & smoke responsibly so you can be tracked more easily.
Merry Christmas to all.

Take.Um, you said Irish coffee, right?

Personally, I've never seen one in the Northeast, but I don't doubt an occasional one crosses the border. I'm certainly in no position to "poke fun" or mock the people who claim to have seen them in this thread.

This entire thread is kinda like banging your head against the wall, it feels good when you stop.

I've tried to stop, honest.....I guess it's time for rehab...I'm checking myself into the Pink Panther Clinic.........paging Dr. Clouseau....

It's going to be a loooooong winter.....

are there any other animals we can discuss? I thought I saw a pine marten the other day.He was traveling with a marblehead salamander and a Nothern Bog lemming.

I heard there was a crappie mug sighting somewhere. Like Elvis tho, no documented proof.

We could always talk about the coyotes the insurance companies are releasing to limit deer/vehicle collisions. I know it must be true cuz I saw it posted on the internet

ENCON,

You once again have put into written words my exact feelings and, for that, I thank you, as well as your volunteer presence on this site.

Of all my time spent in the woods, treestand, saddle, quad and snowmobile, I have never seen or even come across the track of a cat larger than a bobcat. Moose, bear, fishers, coyotes, sure, but no big cats, despite what some other "hunters" have to say. Nevertheless, I was happily surprised to learn of the (possible) presents of Canadian lynx, but it's the snowshoe hare issue that controls......

And as far as the indigenous timber wolf, well, not yet, but you never know down the road, but not now. I also wonder about marten, which are abundant (although scattered by virtue of their habits) in Maine.

JMHO

Ive heard of and seen seen photos of mountain lion tracks/sightings (hes got a photo of the tracks with his hand next to it and the size is massize (same as his palm)


All of his sightings started 5 years ago at giffrita park in Meriden

this thread is still going !!!!!

and going, and going, and going.....

This thread is beginning to get to me...
[img]http://images-partners.google.com/images?q=tbn:xNHAYuglZEEJ:www.wallpaper.net.au/wallpaper/other/Jamster%2520Crazy%2520Frog%25201%2520-%25201024x768.jpg[/img]

Just got finished reading the whole thread and it reminds of a time when people told me and Rnut that we were b.s.ing, when we told them there were walleyes and bass in huge numbers in the winters, Well after posting pictures here for 3 years, we don't seem to get many disbelievers anymore! I say...here kitty kitty, bet they are there!

and going and going and going........

Damn you Skip, I need a new battery for my screen windshield wiper.

I can't believe this thread made it to 7 pages.........

Look what i spotted today.....very interesting....

Psssst, Bob G, don't tell anyone but I think I have all the sightings figured out....check this out....
http://www.ctfisherman.com/ubb/ultimatebb.php/ubb/get_topic/f/25/t/006835.html

Bob, that's great.

Skip, all I see is green.


BTW. my computer screen is covered. I went to post something here and I shoulda known you'd beat me to it. Damn aliens.

I beleve there are Mountian Lions in this state seeing MA and Ny both admit to this. The other reason is one was killed around the Rt 67 ans Rt188 junction a couple of years ago. When DEP came on sight they told everyone to be quiet about this and it was probably a pet that got loose. By the way it was 90 lbs female.

The DEP store recently began selling this book. Eastern Cougar Book
I just ordered my copy.
I will do my research before I post on this matter.

This from the Sunday republican today...Dan Reardon of the Holyoke Police Dept. reported his wife's uncle Mike Higgins, A police Lieutenant, spotted what was obviously a pair of mountain lions near the entrance of the former providence hospital on rt 5 in HOLYOKE! If they are in Mass they are probably in CT. but as long as Holyoke is full of the Sc#$ of the earth, happy hunting (the cats I mean)

I had a mountian lion in my back yard but a Big foot came and killed it and took it away.

Damn that big foot. Did he have a permit to do that?

I heard a report of a LARGE cat in Brooksvale park ,in a tree, by a woman walking her dog,around 12/10 /05 Anybody else hear this?
jimmy :rolleyes:

You guys are gonna love this story. Four years ago A friend of mine had state land tags for Tunxis state forest in Hartland CT. He ask me to join him, since he's afraid of the big woods I accepted. There was fresh snow 3-4 inches the night before. Conditions are perfect. I've hunted the late season up there during Muzzle loader,Archery season with my bow. Never seen a deer. So the plan was to walk till we cut tracks in the snow. We weren't in the woods 10 minutes and we cut a track of a doe. I pulled out my Fawn bleat and hit it a couple times and this huge doe comes flying out of these thick pines in at 20 yards broadside and stops. He shoots twice and limbs are falling off trees 5 feet over its head. The deer runs off unhurt. After a brief wrestling match with lots of snow down my buddys shirt, I pulled the scope off his gun. So we continued walking in hopes we could track her down in the snow. She went down into this big vally. We decided to stay on top because the walk back up was gonna be a b----. Plus the wind was in our favor. We hiked for 2-3 hours with no sign at all of the doe. We sat down and started eating our lunches looking down into this vally. After lunch we decided to make a big loop heading back to the truck. I said I am going to give it one more try on the fawn bleat. After a couple of bleats we see this big Coyote in the vally heading up wind. He was behind us in the vally trotting towards us, all the while looking up the opposite hill directly across from us. Im blowing on that call as loud as I could and he wouldnt even look in our direction. I'm like "what the hell is wrong with him" There is a free meal up here but he didnt want anything to do with it. He just kept trotting looking in the other direction away from us. Then he stops 150+ yards away then takes off on a full blown run. We watch him as far as we could in the vally. Then my buddy says he sees a deer running down the opposite hill running paralel with the coyote and then it went into the vally with it. About 30 seconds go by and we here this coyote screaming its head off. Squiling, crying, real loud drawn out squils. Were like what in the hell is that deer doing. So now were hiking, sliding down into the vally going to investigate. We stalk our way up wind, and up the vally. Where we last saw the coyote theres a set of tracks from another anamal that came down the other mountain, and they were not deer tracks. We follow these big tracks that are bounding after the coyote. The gate or distance between the tracks on the run are seven feet plus easily. About twenty 25 yards later and into some thick-thick pine trees we find the coyoteys tail. I grab the gun and tell my buddy his shooting for the day is over. The coyote was running through the woods like a rabbit, real zig-zag like. We follow the tracks and blood trail maybe more 30 yards, and the woods opened right up into this little 10 yard circle area with no trees in it except one. We could not believe what we saw. Honest to god, there was blood every where. It looked like somebody sprayed red paint all over this place. The coyotes fur was every-where. Great big clumps of it. The amount of blood was astonishing. the ground was red,literly. I saw the tracks that killed the coyote. They werent Pushed or smudged like they were when it was running. These tracks were straight down in the bloody snow and there werent any claw imprints on the front side of the tracks. They were the size of my fist. We are standing there looking at this bloody seen not knowing whats gonna happen next. All of the sudden we here this noise come from above and I throw up the gun, and it hits the ground right in front of us. We just about s---! in our pants. I have the gun pointed right at it, point blank. What fell from the single tree in the little circle was the coyote. Its entrails were hanging from the branches 10 -15 feet above us. The coyote was turned inside out, no B-Sing. The tree was a great big apple tree with big branches and all those little scrappy 3-4 inch twigs on the main branches, thats what the entrails were hanging from. I looked for bite marks but it was to bloody. What ever killed that coyote had big power, The coyotes eyes were like pushed out of its sockets, like bugging out.We tracked the big bloody prints away from the seen, and it was just walking away. So we knew it was still around so we backed off, plus it was thick as hell in there. Ive hunted for more than 15 years with my bow and have scouted in the off season for deer looking for sheds, and hunting coyotes for all of those fifteen years. Ive seen 5 bobcats and have three on video. The biggest one walked through a brook and left his tracks in the mud.I know first hand what they look like. They arent a quarter of the size these were. We never saw the animal though. My two biggest questions are, If it were a mountain lion and it winded us or saw us why didn't it take the coyote with him. Next why didn't the mountain lion take the kill with it and try to bury it either at the seen or away fron the seen. Mountain lion Always bury their kills or at least cover them. The place where this happened was above the upper Resovoir on route twenty on state land. Oh one more question, Whats the likely hood, of a "Predator" running around up there. Sorry this is a long tail but just wondering if anyone else had any similar experiences. At 11:40 My mother just called to report a bear in her garbage in East Granby. Aren't they supposed to be hibernating? Goodnight!

Shawn of the dead! you were supposed to shoot it's head off...Brains! BBrrrraaaiiiinnnsss!!!!

Run!!!! The oil thread is catching up.

Econ ,We may need a bigger bus to transport every one to the mother ship for help.If we dont work fast we may lose even more people here.

Very cool story Shawn. I was on the edge of my seat !

Great story , I used to hunt in Tunxis forest , it is a HUGE place and yes it can be very thick in there.

I saw Bigfoot tracks there also!

Have you posted that story before? read's like I've read it before....

I raised a mountain lion back in the early 90's, with that said I consider myself a good judge of what they look like. I saw one for sure two weeks ago on a golf course in Avon driking out of a pond. Say what you will about my reply but I know what I saw and I know they are here. DEP can say what they like, they tend to be just like every other goverment agency we have, which is to deny, deny, deny, until you can't deny any longer and then act surprised.

the thread that would never die!

crazyone, read the mountain lion threads better.

Nobody is denying the existence of mountain lions in CT.
The fact is nobody has EVER produced evidence that they are in CT. Go take a pretty picture of your mountain lion at the golf course, submit it here or to the DEP, and brace yourself for the fortune and fame...
If you think the DEP in CT is like 'every other gov't agency', you havent been paying attention here...



Yet another lap around the mullberry bush. Next time by, i'm pitting for fuel and tires. Plus, Elvis and the aliens in my trunk need a pee break.

Not only won't it die, it just keeps getting better and better! Where's michael swct, he loves golf course ponds, he can confirm it. Do elvis and the aliens play golf too? I'd love to join them for a round.

Dear Santa Claus....forget about my asking for my two front teeth for Christmas...what I really want is for this thread to GO AWAY. If people would read what I posted...I think I made it clear....I realize I'm just a dumb state employee that covers up everything, but I think I managed to put a couple of words together into sentence form that made sense.

Apparently not.

Bottom line for all you experts out there that know more than me -
GET ME A PICTURE OR SOME OTHER REAL EVIDENCE OF A MOUNTAIN LION IN CT (this means that if your cousin's sister's girlfriend's uncle saw something run across the road - I don't want to hear about it.) Until then - NO ONE HAS SUPPLIED US WITH PROOF OR EVIDENCE OF MOUNTAIN LIONS IN CT. I am NOT denying the possibility of them....(pay attention here, this may be on a test later)what I am saying is WE HAVE NO EVIDENCE OR PROOF OF MOUNTAIN LIONS IN CT - so either show me some evidence or, go fishing and catch something... anything...and put up a post about your fishing trip.

Thank you.

Maybe they're alien mountain lions. Do the tracks end at a crop circle?

Next !!!!!

Interesting story in the New Britain Herald this morning. Mangled deer carcus in homeowners back yard. DEP has been called to come and observe the remains and to see the footprints in the area. After waiting for more tan a week, Paul Rego, wildlife biologist said that they would try to send someone out there in a day or two. No hurry, the evidence of the attacker may still be there all winter, perhaps into the summer.

It's re-run season on TV, so I may as well do the same thing....From Page 2 of this thread... (saves me a lot of typing this way)

Let's see....a dead deer.....mangled....has to be a mountain lion! Coyotes, bobcats, crows and turkey vultures never feed on dead animals..right?
If Paul Rego was concerned that there was a mountain lion in the area he would have been there right away. He's a lot smarter than me, that's why he's the departments furbearer biologist...if he's not worried about mountain lions, then I'm not going to be too concerned either,I trust his judgement.

Oh by the way...if you want to take a cheap shot at Paul Rego, at least have the common courtesy to post what he said to the paper too...
From the New Britain Herald:
"Paul Rego, a wildlife biologist with the state Department of Environmental Protection, said the predator was most likely a coyote.

"A coyote would be the biggest suspect," he said. "This is a situation that we get reported on and off. It's not surprising at all. It's not very likely the predator was a bear since most are in their winter dens at this point. But it's not impossible.

"We've had a few reports of bears still out but not in that vicinity. Plus, bears tend to not do much predation. Another possibility would be a bobcat, but it's not very common for bobcats to tackle something as large as a deer."

Stick a fork in this!!

Coming soon to a thread near you: Page 9 !


We still love you Skip, even if you and your cronies are whitewashing us
Part of me wants this thread to die from being beaten to death, but the bigger part of me cant stop laughing !

this is the first time I've seen page 8!! :p

this one may rival the politics thread from last year's election

Well that didn't work.

Well, the time has come for all good things to end. I believe that this subject has been beaten to death, folded, spindled and mutilated and it is time for it to drift away into the archives of CTF. It's really amazing that it has gone this long. For those of you who took a lighthearted approach to the mountain lion issue, I thank you. Some of the posts were really cute and funny and I enjoyed the humor in it all. For those of you who understood what I was trying to say related to the status of mountain lions in CT, I thank you. For those of you who truly believe that you saw a mountain lion in CT, I'm not saying you didn't. All I ask is next time, please take a picture.

For those who just can't or won't understand what was said and who insist on posting false claims that the DEP and/or I, am covering up, lying, misleading or doing anything else to falsify information I say put up or shut up. I apologize to everyone else because I have said this before but apparently there are still some that don't understand.

I have attempted to maintain my sense of humor throughout this thread, even taking the time to poke fun at myself. However, I take great offense at your malicious, unsubstantiated allegations against my department, my fellow DEP employees and myself with your claims that we are misleading the public. Apparently you feel that I have no credibility. You are the experts - you know more than me - you know more than the biologists - you know more than the DEP. If you know so much you are more than welcome to take over my section of the site and you can answer all the legal questions, hunting questions, boating questions, fishing questions, park questions and forest questions. After all, according to you I am involved in a big coverup and organized denial of the truth, so I can't possibly know what I am doing. I'm sure you can do a better job than me. It's interesting to note that the people who like to post their claims about us covering up and denying everything have a real long posting history with the site. Some of you have a whole 2 or even as high as 7 posts to your credit. Everyone here knows me. I'm not afraid to publicly post who I am and what my position is. I have the facts and data to back up what I am saying - do you? Instead of hiding behind some keyboard commando "handle" post your real name with your claims against me and the DEP. That way I will know who I am responding to. I have been open and honest with all the information that I have available regarding this subject. The matter has been thoroughly and reasonably discussed. I have made my position well known and stand by my position.

This is my last post on this particular thread so do not look for any more responses from me here.

We now return you to your regularly scheduled programming..........

I VOTE FOR SKIP FOR POPE, GREAT WISDOM AND FORGIVING

Thanks for the enjoyment Skip.

P.S. Keep an eye out for this critter though.....

Encon knows where the Piketoberfest mug is. I knew it was a conspiracy.

Let me see if I understand this because I'm not quite clear. The DEP has no clear evidence of mountain lions in the state. Could you clarify that Encon?
Also Encon, my apologies for hacking up your quote to make it fit my lame attempt at humor. I figured the press does it all the time to public figures so what the hell, I might as well.

Awhile back someone did post a picture of some tracks on ice or snow. By looking at the post someone made linking to a track ID site they looked possibly legit. Anyone else check it out or were they too busy looking for bigfoot, Elvis or Aliens?

Skip, Thanx for your sense of humor through this..this thread never fails to put a smile on my face each day, something I really need right now. It's a shame that you had to be abused through this thread.

BTW, my sons' friends father called and said he saw bigfoot at the mall........dressed as Santa Claus.

Are we close to page 10 yet?

Good for you ENCON!...Enough is enough...You have contributed a vast amount of info, insight, and humor to this site. Anyone who has read even a small sampling of your posts and attempts to question your integrity should not only be ashamed of themselves, but should be banned from posting anything period!...I have always believed that you "tell it like it is"

...except for the Elvis sightings of course...I'm not so sure you're telling the truth about that....I myself have seen Elvis...In fact I have documented proof of a MOUNTAIN ELVIS sighting! ...I recieved a video of it from the Aliens...Ever since their involvement with the JFK assasination, the CIA, Bay of pigs, The Mafia, and the stolen Piketoberfest mug, They've been trying to get the heat off of themselves, so they threw us a bone...I keep it in a vault, five miles underground, in New Mexico. Maybe I'll donate it for raffle at the winter banquet.

It's funny , I've heard of a hundred sightings around here but where the hell are the pictures?You'd think at least one person would have been able to snap a photo.Reminds me of Nessie , only one photo after a hundred years of sightings in the lock and the photo looks like an extreme closeup of a bail of hay.. :rolleyes:

I realize this should probably be in the classified section but: Does anyone have a hooked on Phonics tape I could buy, so I can learn to read? T.Y.

Geeze. Sorry just trying to push to page nine. Skip thank you for all your insight with this thread and all the rest. I think this thread should be locked until someone produces a picture.

Yahoo we made it to page 9!!!!!!!!!!

This will be my last post to this forum, I made too much of a mess with my smart ass remarks. i apologize to the DEP staff, you and the readers and especially wildlife bioligst Paul Rego. I picked up on what appeared to me to be criticism by the New Britain Harold for the delay in investigating the partially eaten deer in a persons backyard.

Check this link out. Go to post # 540 read the complete thread.

http://www.masslive.com/forums/outdoors/

The person in question is afraid of being prosecuted. Lets just say I am sure he is speaking the truth

Furbcat,We have all said something only to regret it later, but you should know that most people here are tough skinned and will take your apology and move on.The DEP like most government agencies are held to a standard that's unrealistic when the budgets they operate with are understood,also the mandate they have is not to prove every theory correct or not.Remember they will look at situations on a daily basis and make an informed judgment as to the true nature of what's going on rather than what people,not as informed have concluded.There lack of immediate response may just boil down to a lack of time but not interest in helping.I do hope that you will have further posts and stay on the forum,there is more to gain here than lose and should someone take a picture of a Mountain Lion with Route 7 on a sign in the back ground you can give us hell.Let this be your last post on this topic,but not last post we read from you.Econ and his team have served us well and would do the same for you, should there be a question you need help with.
As for #540 ,here we go again,NO NAME,ADDRESS,ZIP on file.No picture just a fear of being prosecuted ,this serves to just keep the notion that if it seems plausible IT MUST BE TRUE.
Merry Christmas,Even I have to say this topic is getting old.

Mr. Coho- Who was so stupid and afraid of being prosecuted for doing something like that but then again it must of been your friends buddy/ green alien. There is just no reason to shoot one. By the way that is Massachusettes and not CT. Very old.

Furbycat- Don't be afraid of posting or staying on the site. We all forgive and forget especially if you got any helpful hints or success stories with fishing and hunting.

http://www.ctfisherman.com/ubb/ultimatebb.php/ubb/get_topic/f/26/t/002546/p/2.html

The above thread is about a deer I shot in B season but could not retrieve until the next morning. Coyotes caught it first, at night, killed it and ate it. Picture on page 2. Coyotes can mangle a deer as well as any other large creature, mountain lion included.

Mitch, can we PLEASE give Encon a closed thread for Christmas? I'm sure Santa thinks he's been a good conservation officer.

Bump, page 10 anyone! :p

Merry Christmas everyone, ESPECIALLY Encon!

Page 10???? Mountain Lions Rule......!!!!!!

Sorry Encon. I tried

My first post on this thread. I didn't even read it, but I'll give the old CTF effort to get to page ten.

I was just listening to Elvis's blue christmas & thought of this thread!

I am here to first ask a question and next make a statement. First how would someone go about gettting into DEP ? Second with reguards to this mountain lion thing lets take a real good look at the facts, lets first look at the home ranges for female and male lions:
Female lions:(205.9 km²)
Male lions: (348.6 km²)

So here we have a large home range with a size like this someone would have had to seen something scat, tracks or a dead lion. Now even if it was a female with its smaller range there would still have to be some type of signs, Now here is a link to what the tracks look like
http://www.bear-tracker.com/cougar.html

Now finally "What if it is just one lion ?" Well that is possible right now I am doing a Independent population review of Black Bears in Palmer, Ma I am also doing the same for Mountain Lions in Western, Ma, it isnt anything big it is a project that I just desided to do by myself (I would love help from DEP.). Now if it is a lone lion, the most common question would be where did it come from ? Right now I have two theories, one is the Catskill way that it came thru the NY moutnains and made its way to CT. The other and a little more far featched, however theres a little more evidence to support this way then the other way. first the lion came from maine down thru NH into vermont staying with the deer population which if you hunt you know is great in those parts. Now where NH and VT boarder MA (montgue) the deer population is huge from there the likely route would be to Quabbin where yes they found scat and tracks of Puma. From Quabbin to the CT state line it is a mear 30 miles. Now as far fetched as that may seem it is likely, I have not seen any photos of puma in MA or CT and i can not wait until we do I would love to be the first to get that shoot. I do agree with Encon until a pic is shown do not believe it.

Welcome Omegaone.....LOL....your first post,and it is on the mysterious mountain lion thread.Enjoy the site,and enjoy your holidays.

I propose a vegas line on when and if one will be found in CT. I'll put the over/under line for one being CONFIRMED by Jan 1 2007.....who wants in?

count me in.

This thread is not gonna go away at this rate. LMAO

Well FINALLY I have proof! While fishing on Lake XYZ today we came across some tracks in the ice. Here is the pic I took...

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Damn Skip! You picked a heck of a time to pick up the paper. The tracks were right there, behind it, honest . Now isn't that a face you can trust?

Well it looks as if there might be a wild card in Acton, Ma http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2004/11/11/police_issue_warning_on_mountain_lion/

Here is a great link for more info.
http://www.easterncougarnet.org

BUSTED! I KNEW it was a cover up and now we have the proof right in the hot little hands of Encon.

Now that your little alien warehouse in the desert has been exposed...WHERE are those bodies

Wow now this thread is reaally loooonng

A great way to end the thread...

Here is another web site devoted to the North east pretty interesting photos and maps

http://www.trackincats.com/

HHHHHHHHMMMMMMMMMMMM.........page 10.

wanna see something gross, go to that sight and click on pictures!

Well, I just read the entire thread.... I must be really bored. I have to agree that if they were here, someone would have a clear picture of one. I bet there are hundreds, if not thousands of the insta snap cameras set out in the woods of Ct to take pictures of deer and wild life. So it does make sense, if there are here, someone would of gotten it on film. With all of the deer hunters in the trees and waterfoul hunters on the ponds if the animal was in Ct, somebody would of been able to provide clear, undisputed proof.
Thanks Econ for your time.
Tim

That's a beauty!!!!

Is there anyone on this site that is worried about pushing Encon over the edge?
Then when he goes, the aliens will get angry and smash all our Elvis albums with the Piketoberfest mug.

I'm sure he is wearing his foil hat for protection.

Worried about pushing Encon over the edge? Hold him back from jumping is more likely! :p

Let's start the New Year off right by closing this chapter for now.

Unless there is a confirmed report, let's let this topic rest, thanks.

DEEP warns CT residents of Bobcats:

https://www.stamfordadvocate.com/local/a...wn-12815193.php

That’s not fair to the bobcats all they want to do is eat those cute little dogs.

Bobcat’s gotta eat too you know!

Coyotes to the best of my knowldge are not native east of the mississipi...wolves yes mountain lions yes.correct me if i am wrong.i do find it hard to believe though.the cougar killed years ago on the merit was a imigrant...from wisconsin or minn.?..fuzzy memory.

I have my own feeling about the mountain lion that was hit on the Merrit Parkway. I think that it was not an immigrant from North Dakota but it was some rich hedge fund managers pet that got loose. The experts say that Mountain lions really don't like being around people and Fairfield county has alot of people. If they found it in the north-west or north-east part of the state I could better believe it.

Sorry to burst any conspiracy theory, but the mountain lion that was killed in Milford in 2011 left a well-documented DNA trail on its journey from the Black Hills to CT. Pick up a copy of "Heart of a Lion: A Lone Cat's Walk Across America."

Yes,the DNA is there....sorry no rich guy bs.

Everyone loves a good Mountain Lion revival. Sounds like a good read. I'm not opposed to the idea that a few wander over.

And by revival, I mean reviving a 12 year old thread. Awesome.

Just ordered it, thanks for the heads up

Got a call from my daughter about a month ago. She is driving home from work from Boulder Co. to her house in Nederland going up what they call the canyon rd. and had 2 cross in front of her. She said dad been living here for 20 yrs.Never saw one but today I saw 2.

Golfer hurt after encounter with bobcat
https://www.stamfordadvocate.com/local/article/Golfer-hurt-after-encounter-with-bobcat-13777608.php

Yea heard a guy got attacked at Mohegun Sun golf course this morning. I didn't get the full article in the above link. Was he putting a golf ball or a rolled up ball of catnip?

This is the latest cougar spotted in Northern Michigan last fall on a dnr trail cam. They say it's heading your way now. If the St.Laurnace froze over it could be hiding out behind the Merritt Pky in
Fairfield by now
[img]http://www.ctfisherman.com/ubbthreads/pi...3b6_99ac_8e7f3f[/img]