Mountain lion found in Otsego County , NY


RTF

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Re: Mountain lion found in Otsego County , NY

Dec let out mountain lions to cut down on deer population....first it was yotes.....now mountain lions.....lol....rumors....rumors.....did you ever notice that nobody can ever get a good clear picture of a animal sighting.....maybe it's bigfoot ?? i do believe that the mountain lion is in new york...we have a family member see one a few years ago cross the road.....so i do believe there around.....and yes that looks like a mountain lion to me....

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Re: Mountain lion found in Otsego County , NY

My sisterh eard that the DEC released some mountain lions to help thin the coyote/fox population. I had to think to myself "If mountain lions are out to kill coyotes, they are going to destroy the deer population also. Sometimes it seems like the DEC acts without thinking,lol

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Re: Mountain lion found in Otsego County , NY

I don't know. The colouration looks like a cougar, but the picture sure doesn't show much. The length of the body looks like a cougar too.

Bobcats come in so many different clour phases, that it could very well be a bobcat, but it's really hard to say.

Here's some pics of bobcats. The first one is your typical bobcat colour phase, but the rest are more solid in colour.

bobcat.jpg

bobcat1.jpg

bobcat.jpg

b21s1968_bobcat640.jpg

bobcat.jpg

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Re: Mountain lion found in Otsego County , NY

Never seen a bobcat thats markings were that faded as that last pic before. Those are some great pics Steve.

Still dont think the body of that cat from the link RTF posted could be a bobcat though. They have different bodies. The body length sure makes it look like a mountain lion to me.

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Re: Mountain lion found in Otsego County , NY

I doubt if DEC would/could release anything without the public knowing about it. Cougars are probably in many more places than most people think. They're so secretive that its really difficult to sight one, even in areas where they're plentiful. As to them killing coyotes - hogwash! They're certainly capable, but a yote is so far down on a cougar's list of preferred prey that its highly unlikely. Now deer they'll kill all day long. Actually, they'll kill a deer a day if they can catch that many, especially when a female has young and is teaching them to hunt. And don't think its just the old, weak and sick they take. Most of the lion kills I've seen are mature, healthy does and bucks. If the lions get bad enough in an area, they'll actually push the deer herd out and it may take several years to recover.

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Re: Mountain lion found in Otsego County , NY

I'll be very honest with you....just by color alone and my memory of what the cat looked like just before I harvested her from the treestand....I cant tell you for sure one way or another what that one is in that link. Even though my Florida bobcat had all of that coloration(underneath)...it looked a little bland reddish and brown when I shot it as it was going through the grass...with the exception of the white spots on the backs of the ears it blended in very well.

047681.jpg

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Re: Mountain lion found in Otsego County , NY

Up here in northern NY I hear from people who see them frequently. A picture of a lion, taken in Belleville, made the Watertown paper last spring. I spoke with a personal friend in the DEC (fisheries) and I asked what the deal is. He said, (shortened version) "Everyone here knows they exist but they believe they are released pets that people could not control. The DEC will never admit in public their existance until they can verify a reproducing pair."

The photo looks real to me. It's just a matter of time before someone gets a good picture.

Ranger wink.gif

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