It's Official....Mtn Lion in New York

[preflex]

Originally posted by lpcjon2:
I read an article about guides in the mid west who have sewn eyes(like you can get at the craft shop)on the back of their hats or packs,apparently a lion will not attack head on so the eyes make them think your facing them.This wont hurt to try.

i think im gonna have to sew eyes on the back of all my back backing gear cause like you said it dont hurt to try, and i wouldnt mind lookin kind of silly if it meant not getting eatin

[Izzy]

A Mt Lion in Orange CTY.I thought it was a new Kempf model.Is it Joe?  

[Brian Krebs]

I am not sure about New York; but if an animal is proved to exist in a state; most states have to then follow up with a management plan; and that might involve extensive research - which would cost money.
 Its just plain cheaper in some states to deny an animal exists - than to admit it and create a new bureaucracy around it.

Izzy: there are two wolves in all of us. Which one we feed: determines what kind of person we are. ( credit to a Native American for that tidbit of philosophy).

[Brian Krebs]

A Motivational Story with Wisdom -
Two Wolves
Cherokee Wisdom .

One evening an old Cherokee told his grandson about a battle that goes on inside people.

He said, "My son, the battle is between two wolves inside us all.

One is Evil. It is anger, envy, jealousy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego.

The other is Good. It is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion and faith."

The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather: "Which wolf wins?"

The old Cherokee simply replied, "The one you feed."

[Brian Krebs]

Preflex- The lion that attacked me was looking me straight in the eye when he did it. I will never forget that look !

[ghost rob]

A few years back here in Broome County, a woman went to feed her horses one morning and found one dead and one injured so much it had to be put down. They had raking claw marks on the neck and back and the dead one had bite marks on its neck and head. The DEC said it was coyotes or dogs. BS. I have someone I trust more than anyone come back from an atv ride shook up because one jumped in front of them at a close distance and there was no dought what it was. This was directly less than a quarter mile from my backyard.  In 1971 I was six yrs old and riding on the tractor with my Dad and one came out in the field we were working. I remember him taking me back to the house and taking my older brothers with guns to try and find it. Several people saw it and the game warden told him it was a pet that had escaped from Binghamton. Which we always believed. I hear stories all the time from people I don't believe but like I said I do believe the one instance. Around here most of the farms went out of business and the properties are slowly going back to woods. In the future (20-40 years) I think they'll be common. IMO

[pdk25]

I think Joe is a great guy and can defend himself just fine.  People have questioned the title of his post "It's official", when no official statement has been found.  I don't think that is unreasonable.  Nothing wrong with being skeptical.  Most of the posts have been regarding the official statement, not blasting Joe's character or disrespecting.  Relax.

[Izzy]

I dont think anyones blasting Joe.At first I thought he was laying a trail for us  but now I guess he really did hear about something.Hes a real good guy and if he told me HE saw a lion Id be assembling the hounds.

[LeeNY]

Hi Guys,
I am a retired NYS employee! Although not from DEC but DOCS. If you want something official from the higher up's. They will deny it until the day after election and fire the poor person who leaked their secret!!!!!

Lee

[woodchucker]

As I said in my first post.....

I have known Joe for many years,and consider him a very close personal friend. I don't really think that anyone was really "blasting" Joe (except for the "I just thought they all shot compounds" remark which to be fair was probly in jest) I simply said that if Joe said it,you can lay money on it. Having known Joe for as long as I have I can assure you that he is not one to spread idle gossip,or rumors. If He didn't know the neighbor very well and was unsure of how credible the statement was he never would have posted it. If Joe said that the neighbor called the region 3 office and they confirmed it,then he must have believed what his neighbor said. 3 years ago up in Middleburg N.Y. a lion drug a small button buck down through the field next to my father's house,accrossed the road and into the field behind his neighbor's house.The neighbor opted to grab his camera instead of his rifle,and took several blurry pictues of an animal that was obviously bigger than the deer and had a long thin tail before it got spooked and left the carcass.He called the local DEC Officer and was told that he couldn't make it out that night,but would be there in the morning.The DEC Officer came out about 10am the next morning. The carcass was gone but there was about a 10 foot area of matted grass and blood and deer hair,with a bloody drag trail leading off to the woods.(which the DEC Officer would not follow) After showing the picture around to the surrounding neighbors,they all agreed that it was a lion. However when the DEC Officer was shown the picture,while he agreed that it "looked" like a lion,his official report would state that it was "only a bobcat with a rabbit" My father's neighbor then told the officer that "next time,I'll grab my rifle instead of my camera and then we will be sure" To which the DEC Officer promptly responded "You know, If you do that you WILL be arrested"

If the local DEC Office told Joe's neighbor that a lion was released it very well could have been a "slip of the lip" but as there become more and more sightings,road kills,trail cam pictures and such I'm sure it's only a matter of time untill the DEC will have to cofirm that mountain lions are indeed in N.Y. State. They would look awfully stupid if one ended up killing someones kid in the back yard and dragging it into the woods,and the public found out they were keeping it a "secret"!!!!!

[acadian archer]

we had (Nova scotia) same pics and scam article here a few months ago

[Cyclic-Rivers]

So that's where my cats went!  Finally the DEC did me a favor.  Too bad for my wife.     And who says they don't know what they're doing?

Charlie

[horatio1226]

I'm with you Cyclic Rivers. Greetings from Coxsackie.

[DHR]

This is one interesting topic.  I'm from upstate NY originally and know there have been lions around there a long time.  Now I live in WA where we're going through thesame thing with wolves.  I have a very healthy skepticism of governement agencies, but one thing i don't believe thay do is covertly release predators.  It is simply not legal, the amount of beuracratic wrangling required to accomplish it would be immense, and about the only agency that could accomplish it is the cia.  Just have to throw in my personal opinion as well that we should be glad to have the big predators around for alot of reasons, but fundamentally because when we tame the wildness we all miss out on at least one aspect of what we go searching for with our bows and arrows.  Incidentally the way to improve hunting opprtunities is habitat improvement, not predator removal.

[Bonebuster]

The stories are the same all over the country.
The replies from the individual state game agencies are also the same.

Ever try to remove an eight pound house cat out of a leghold trap? I couldn`t even IMAGINE, going one on one, with a hungry, or angry, 150 lb cougar.

If they are rarely seen in areas with a high population, imagine how easily they could remain largley undetected in areas where there are few.

Just as with coyotes, a cat that is bold enough to be seen near homes in daylight is a bad cat.

If someone shoots a cougar because of fear, and is afraid to publicize it, are you and I going to find out? If you or I see a cougar slinking around our dwelling(s) are we going to feel fear. I KNOW what I would do.

I wonder how many people KNOW there are cougars around?

[Steve Kendrot]

DHR. I like your attitude. I too believe the large predators deserve or respect and a place in our world. I am willing to share my hunting opportunities with them. Some of my most memorable hunts. Have been encounters with our competitors in the field. I don't understand why so many feel compelled to shoot them.

[Roughcountry]

Never been To New York, but from the pictures I see I'd say it look like pretty good lion habitat.
I've been hunting lions for a lot of years now. I'd celibrate if I was you guys, They are Mt lions not the boggy man. Push for a season and learn to hunt them.

 Best big gamme animal in the world in my opinion. Fine eatin too.