The other, a utility worker checking the meter on Ripley Road, claimed he saw two mountain lions when describing the encounter to Ripley Road resident Russell Snow. Adult females can be 7 feet long and weigh between . His studies NEVER ended, even after going nearly blind by the mid-1990s. Colin McEnroe is a radio host, newspaper columnist, magazine writer, author, playwright, lecturer, moderator, college instructor and occasional singer. In the 37 years Ive been working, things have changed in ways Id never have predicted. The eastern cougar or eastern puma ( Puma concolor couguar) is a subspecies designation proposed in 1946 for cougar populations in eastern North America. I showed several farmers and they all said wow that is a huge cat track. We met for lunch on a Sunday morning in early March, and it didnt take long for me to understand why Harrigan is such a popular columnist. They set the stage for the exotics to move in, and this has a huge impact on our ecology, he said. When seen in Florida, they are of approx. You dont even have to go out and look for it.. In May 2018, a mountain lion attacked two mountain bikers 30 miles east of Seattle, Washington, killing one, but it's only the 15th fatal attack in North America since 1970. does the highway department have a record of those? About a few miles from the covered bridge. You were the first person I thought of after I calmed down enough to think straight! Fax: (802) 422-2395, Mailing address The Vermont Department of Fish & Wildlife accepts reports of potential big cats using an online form here. 2 Last 5 Years. Fish and Wildlife Service declared the eastern mountain lion extinct in 2011, sparking many calls to the Vermont Fish and Wildlife office about potential sightings. I wanted to see how close I could get walking closer and closer the eyes did not run in fact they started to come to us. Li mistaking that long swaying tail. Fish and Wildlife Service in 2011. It was broadside to my headlights, paused to look me directly in the eyes, its magnificent tail as long as its body. There was NO doubt it was a cat, it was huge about the size of a Great Dane, sleek and leggy. It had a round, pudgy wild cat face with black accents. As livestock farming came to dominate the landscape, pressure on the big cats slowly mounted on two fronts: The number of farmers wanting them dead was increasing, while the rapid transition from forest to farmland meant their habitat was shrinking. On another large animal that is most definitely here: bears. Just adding my two cents to the discussion. There were reported sighting of it but Vermont and NH denied the allegations. Your email address will not be published. Laura: Did you report the dead mountain lion to the state Highway Dept. I never told anyone but family. We need [an apex] predator back on the land, Sue Morse told me. My understanding is that they can roam a 50 mile radius as home, so seeing one there could mean it lives 50 miles away in the woods. My partner and I walked much closer to it (about 50-60 ft away). He said there were two, he called them mountain lions.. If yes, like most state Highway Agencies, they should have a record of both the pickup of its carcass, as well, as to where they dumped it. The catamount is a creature of stealth and concealment; it stalks its prey, which on the EasternSeaboard would likely be deer, moose, porcupines, beavers, and domestic livestock. I have seen 6 bear,several Fishers and all the common wildlife in VT but never anything like this. Reported mountain lion sightings are popping up all over Vermont and convinced onlookers say the proof is in the pictures. For mountain lions in Connecticut, a lack of evidence is very good evidence. When I accepted the assignment to write about my quest to uncover the truth regarding the existence of cougars in New England, I had little idea what I was agreeing to. I have seen a bobcat as I had one that hung around one of the places I lived-I believe he may have been hurt because he hung around for about a month which is uncharacteristic of them if I remember correctly, and I also believe he same one was hit by Harpoon Brewery in Windsor and boy do they clean up wild cats fast. This is a site for people to discuss mountain lion sightings in the Green Mountain State of Vermont. Still, sightings are common. As a carnivore biologist, Hawley says he would love it if mountain lions were here. Would love some feedback just do not see how to upload photos. What set it off was a National Geographic special on mountain lions in California, right after my daughter and I had two encounters in my driveway, Betty told me. But one day. Any known activity in Southern Vermont? I started asking a lot of questions, and realized theres only one explanation for the answers I was getting: They are here., You could have 30 in Connecticut alone. October 30, 2015 by Dana Kobilinsky. And there are different schools of thought about that. For example, a mountain lion native to North Dakota made it as far as Connecticut in 2011, according to Bernier. Hawley:Were sort of stuck between a rock and a hard place right now. "Several sightings have occurred at the site of a known animal crossing in the park." Besides reviewing the sighting reports, Linzey seeks other evidence of mountain lions. I was walking 3 dogs at night all with leashes only 75 to 100 yards from the house I was staying at when it happened. Growing up in northern Vermont, Id heard stories of sightings, though always a few steps removed from the tellersomebodys cousin had seen a cougar cross the road on their way home from deer camp up in Canaan (or was it Coventry? I saidholy cow, what is that? He said look at the tail, it is a mountain lion. I questioned if we even had them and quickly googled. Those are the two closest populations that we have here. The dogs did a 180 a pulled me away. Glen Gunelic Vermont Mountain Lion Sightings. Ottmann and I walked farther. I know the difference. All reports are the wee hours of the morning. FYI: I publish a tri-yearly newsletter, dealing with big cat sightings in states, east of the Mississippi River, as reported to us via various websites, as well as telephone calls or letters. I couldnt tell you how happy I would be if mountain lions were actually recolonizing the state of Connecticut, Hawley says, but its just not happening., Hawley spoke about bobcats, mountain lions and bears on The Colin McEnroe Show: Megafauna mania: our obsession with mountain lions and other large predators.. Bernier gets more than 50 reports of mountain lions a year. In that time frame, have collected over 9,500 excellent reports from responsible witnesses, which includes law enforcement & forestry personnel. Those calls continue today; a local Milton business owner said she's heard of three puma sightings in Milton just this summer. Kimberly King. Because while male cougars eventually strike out on their own and occasionally wander far from home, females are, as Morse puts it, hardwired to remain close to their mothers home range. I started this blog for people to discuss mountain lion sightings and reports in the Green Mountain State of Vermont. No one is on the road at 430-5am. I reported it to Fish and Wildlife but I bet they are laughing- I am in shock! If you have a cell phone telephone number I can send photos to, I will send you photos of the prints in the snow around my porchside door. If you have any pictures you can post them here too! Mountain Lions Are Back in Vermont! Mountain lion tails, however, are about three feet long, usually the length of the cats body. I could shoot my self in the rear for not taking a cast or picture. Lutz, P.O. Anyway, I hope you see this message. You might enjoy reading the comments, > There are plenty of places for a family of animals. After 20 minutes or so, we turned and stumbled our way back to the parking lot. First about the animal, itself, and then about the lore and the possibility that the catamount was not, in fact, extinct in Vermont. Its distinctive featurethe one that sets it apart from other North American wild catsis its tail, which is thick and often as long as its body. She served as the Senior Producer for 'The Colin McEnroe Show' for several years before stepping down in 2021 and returning to her previous career as a registered nurse. The reasons for this conspiracy vary depending upon whom you talk to, but they coalesce around the idea that wildlife agencies would be inconvenienced by the cougars presence, as theyd be forced to respond in ways that would tax their resources. They were at least 4-5 inches at the widest part of the pad. Collection. It had rained previously. I read John Harrigan's weekly wildlife column in the Sunday Manchester Union Leader (NH). Let us know the date, time of day, how long the sighting lasted for, where you saw the cat in Vermont, and describe what the cat looked likeand was doing. The dam is a protected area from hunting. The News Bank Conference Center is located at 352 Main Street in Chester. I am pretty sure that I saw a mountain lion yesterday around 9:00am just on my way out of Glover, Vermont heading to East Hardwick. Records suggest that cash bounties for cougar kills were relatively common in the late 1700s and early 1800s; in the Adirondacks, a trapper named Thomas Meacham was credited with 77 cougar kills. Its a cool story with how far that animal walked. For instance, a favorite food for deer is the seedlings of forest tree species. This assessment is echoed by the aforementioned Christopher Spatz, who has been studying cougars for better than 20 years. These are huge animals that make a lot of distance to the day. This was a large tan colored cat with a long tail. Hawley: That animal was documented. I can unsubscribe any time using the unsubscribe link at the end of all emails. Given the long, shared border between these provinces and New England, along with plentiful evidence that other species cross this border regularly, it seems entirely possible that cougars would also engage in international travel. 35 wild cougars, known as the Florida Panther, of which a few are totally BLACK, and known as panther, but are actually of the jaguar family In the last few days, 3 sightings have been reported to us, large brown cats in Tennessee and Indiana, a total black cat, in Virginia. There were pine cones on window sills, a well-used hatchet and a variety of animal figurines on display, and, near the television, a stack of videos including Life of a Predator and The African Lion. The key to Morses assertion can be found in the term breeding population. Although the fact that cougars have traveled through New England is irrefutable (a DNA-confirmed roadkill is hard to deny), Morse believes its unlikely that they have settled here and created a self-sustaining population. Dashboard for displaying mountain lion reports to the public. He also collects sighting reports on his blog, simply dubbed, "New Hampshire Mountain Lion." The blog still gets sightings, most recently on Aug. 3. I can send the pics I have. He didn't want to dispute what people are saying they saw, he simply says they need proof to substantiate it. The tavern was quiet except for some hard-rock music playing on the radio, the murmur of a handful of men at the bar, and us. However they put out a statement that IF there were to be a wild cat such as this it was illegal to shoot it. Finally, in the third camp, there are the true believersthe cougar truthers, if you willthe men and women for whom the only logical conclusion (often reached after a significant investment of time, thought, and sometimes money) is that right here, right now, cougars live among us, feeding and breeding and rearing their young, and that suggesting otherwise is sheer ignorance, willful denial, or part of a mosaic of conspiracy. Guess you know, that Prof. Harold Hitchcock had a tremendous interest in cougar-mountain lion sightings and reports from the 1940s thru his death in the mid-1990s.he was on staff of Middlebury College. He has also reported for the Marketplace Morning Report. But every once in a while, you'll be on your property, on your deck or in your house, and you'll see one walk across your yard or something. In Vermont, the last known mountain lion was shot near Barnard in 1881, ending an era when the predators were such a nuisance that the state offered a $20 bounty per pelt. At least once a year thered be a story from somewhere, but I only ran the absolute best, he told me. Prior to the mid-1990s, the late Wildlife Professor Harold Hitchcock of Middlebury College, became Vermonts Official Big Cat hunter, who sought evidence of the Big Cats across the Maple State. It is also known as cougar, panther, mountain lion, and puma, though catamount is the preferred regional vernacular. Ottmann nodded. By mid-19th century, forests made up only about 30 percent of New England (its notable that today that number stands at approximately 80 percent, nearer to what it was when cougars thrived here). For who but we humans can look across the landscape and not acknowledge our role in the diminishment of cougars and the myriad ways in which we have knocked the landscape out of balance? I was the only car on the road. They were huge. However, reports have started surfacing again in recent years, and we have now spoken with no fewer than SIX reliable people who have SEEN one (maybe the same one, for all we know, but I doubt it) around the Rutland area -- primarily in Mendon or Chittenden -- in the last year. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); aint seen none yet, them wind turbines scarin em off, I have been following the eastern mountain lion mystery since the mid-1960s, in every state, east of the Mississippi River. We live pretty much in the midst of the Green Mountains in the town of Andover. NH Fish & Game deny all reports but recently someone got a photo of one killed on the hwy before State Police told them to move on and "there's nothing here to see" as the carcass was being loaded into a Fish and Game truck. I hunt all over the country for big bucks. It took me by fantastic surprise! On a mountain lion that died on a Connecticut highway. Hey, I know what I saw. with muscles like a pit bull (very muscular!). Its OK, he told me. I will not go into the woods unarmed anymore ever. If you believe you have seen a mountain lion and want to report it to NH Fish and Game, please contact the Wildlife Division at (603) 271-2461 or wildlife@wildlife.nh.gov to request an observation report form. But I still wouldn;t want to run into one. Betty folded his arms across his chest, where they rose and fell and rose again with his breathing. If you do see a big cat in your neighborhood, best practice is to leave it alone, according to Waterbury Game Warden Chad Barrett. While the Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks department hesitates to give solid numbers because they feel methods for tracking the population need to be improved, their estimate in 2019 was about 4,000 - 4,500 mountain lions. He ran right in front of me and I almost hit him. Even in the controlled environment of a lab, the truth about Eastern cougars seems to be almost willfully eluding its seekers. There is no question about it: cougars are not only being seen in eastern North America, some are attempting to recolonize their former habitats. Sincerely, John Lutz, 99 Beagle boots Lane, Maysville, WV 26833 or epuma@frontier.com, Hellomy husband and I were at our Vermont vacation home taking a furniture delivery. We even had a sighting someone here at DEEP, in my office, was convinced they saw a mountain lion. Director, Eastern Puma Research Network This indoor environmental education talk is geared to adults and children over 10. And its not just Vermont. On the idea of bear hunting in Connecticut. So this is the best we could do for a photo. The big cat on the ground before him, motionless, yet somehow still embodying that particular feline litheness, as if, with the flick of its tail, it might bound to its feet and disappear into the woods. Patrick Skahill is a reporter and digital editor at Connecticut Public. There were also people who spoke of seeing prints in a specific area in Hartland as well. I met with Morse at her home in Jericho. And it was this curiosity that led me to the Old Well Tavern in Simsbury, Connecticut, at a time of day (11:30 a.m.) that does not normally find me ensconced in the dim confines of a drinking establishment. I gave grown up in the woods and this was no bobcat. Weve done a lot of work over the years investigating sightings. Though the infamous catamount has been declared extinct in Vermont since 2018, several people spotted big cats that they thought to be mountain lions on Ripley Road two weeks ago, according to posts on Front Porch Forum. Still more confusion ensued when a lab technician said she might have gotten some samples confused, and thus the canid result was thrown into doubt. Welcome to the blog dedicated to discussing mountain lion sightings in Vermont! The Network's interactive map also shows confirmed sightings in Quebec, Maine, Connecticut and New York State. In June 1991 and again in July 1993, my wife Linda and I, visited Prof. Harold & wife Martene at their Maine Cottage overlooking the Atlantic Ocean, where we had serious discussions on the WILD, NATIVE, FREE-ROAMING cougars-mountain lions and their ancestors who have inhabited the eastern U.S. for over the last 500 years. He set down his cigarette and looked me in the eye. If there are mountain lions skulking around Vermont, they wont stay hidden for long, Bernier said. "Of those . How big was the animal? I noticed that there were many great websites, blogs, and discussion boards devoted to mountain lion sightings in other states of New England, but not one just for Vermont. If these animals are not in the habitat, what we see is an overabundance of herbivores., The ecologist John Laundre, who has spent 35 years studying cougars, concurs. Another big cat look-alike in the area is the Canada Lynx, distinguishable from Eastern bobcats by their large feet. Sincerely, Using DNA and physical evidence, state environmental officials said they determined that the animal likely trekked more than 1,500 miles from South Dakota, a journey that was captured by trail camera (above). Or click the map itself. Within six weeks, he continued, I was getting off the plane in Jackson Hole for a national mountain lion conference. Normally we have good cameras but we were just up there for a quick delivery. He was also convinced, wild pumas were traveling South from the eastern Canadian Provinces of Ontario & Quebec, into northern Maines vast wilderness.I have an assortment of reports from across Vermont, if interested in copies. Im not an expert on human psychology, but if youre looking for something, you have a greater chance of actually seeing it. Its closest living relative is the cheetah. If you dont think cougars are coming to the East, think again, she said, leaning forward for emphasis. of Energy & Environmental Protection. I thought it might be a bob cat or a huge fox but I wasnt sure. The deer dont eat the exotics, but they eat the competitors. Because theyre a northern animal, they have snow shoes by birth, Bernier said. I have also seen a cougar in Roxbury. Upon discussion I have found that Hartland residents report seeing mountain lions frequently-there are people that swear they come on their porch (one who works at ascutney hospital in windsor) and other older residents who have reported seeing them around the North Hartland Dam on an early morning walk. The cougar appeared injured and stunned, but eventually ran away . A few years latter our friends saw the mt lion cross rt 100 directly below the spot of my incounter. Now, lets start talking about our favorite big cat! Please make your sighting as detailed as possible. Julia is a senior majoring in Environmental Studies with a concentration in climate and environmental justice with minors in Computer Science and Geography. Ottmann grew up and still lives just minutes from the tavern; his familiarity with the establishment was obvious (after we met in the parking lot, he led me into the building through the kitchen, greeting each of the staff by name). My favorite mountain lion story while living in California years ago was the turkey hunter who crouched down in front of a rock then used his call several times. What time of day was it? I swear that is what I saw this morning at about 4 am in my drive. Two mountain lion encounters in his driveway. Killington, VT 05751, Hours: At the head of the driveway is a flower sales table in front of a modest size greenhouse. So long as the tails there, that is. The cats passed by, moving west through Snows property. I am quite sure that I saw a mountain lion (a juvenile) yesterday afternoon north of the Dummerston Covered bridge along the West River. There were caribou antlers mounted above the front doors, and the interior walls were covered in row upon row of books; a long table was piled high with still more books in seemingly random arrangements. I also had the vague notion that when it comes to cougars, people tend to sort themselves into one of three camps. The last catamount killed in Vermont stands under glass just inside the doors to the Vermont Historical Museum in Montpelier, a hop, skip, and a jump down the block from the statehouse. John Lutz, Eastern Puma Research Network. The cat was a goldish / tan color not real big but at least twice the size of a full grown fox,very long thick bushy tail.The tail was almost as long as its body. We went back later and the road was hard but we did get some pictures of prints exactly where the cat went back into the woods and the toes were hard to see, but the pad was classic cougar and the print was the size of my hand. We have a lot of bear traffic through here, and deer, Snow said. That, however, does NOT mean a breeding colony of these animals has returned there. Besides, Ottmann had revealed that hed been charged by a bear in this same piece of woods, and I felt conflicted about diverting my gaze from the underbrush. I contacted VT FISH and Game who say its a bobcat. Because he lives among them, Harrigan understands that no one knows the woods better. Sincerely, You wouldnt shake hands with a man like that, she said, and though she was smiling I could tell she was serious. The tail was very long and we estimate it to have been at least a hundred pounds. Both the front (left) and rear paws of this animal . Evidently it was authentic because a mountain lion pounced on him. Reported catamount sightings all over Vermont MyNBC5-WPTZ 16.6K subscribers Subscribe 15 Share 4.5K views 10 years ago Reported mountain lion sightings are popping up all over Vermont. I have seen herons and other things there. These are rare, single events, and in such cases, the cat will leave a prominent trail of evidence wherever they go: indisputable game camera photos, camera photos, scat, tracks, sightings, Bernier said. I started this blog for people to discuss mountain lion sightings and reports in the Green Mountain State of Vermont. Prior to becoming a reporter, he was the founding producer of Connecticut Public Radio's The Colin McEnroe Show, which began in 2009. What a site. If its not, you just thank the person and say good-bye.. The animal was shot in the town of Barnard on Thanksgiving Day 1881 by a man named Alexander Crowell. Mountain Lions Not Just a Tall Tale in Adirondacks. My wife Linda and I, spent several days with the Hitchcocks at their Atlantic Ocean-front Cabin overlooking the Atlantic Ocean, from high up on a cliff, where you could hear the screams of at least 1 of Vermonts wild cougars, in both 1991 and again in 1993. It could simply mean someone who had an illegal pet or captive animal released the cougar into the wild. Put bluntly, Morse does not believe that New England is home to cougars. Now, lets start talking about our favorite big cat! I am so happy that I did not hit it - there was absolutely no time to react. Monday Friday: 10 a.m. 3 p.m. Indeed, one of her steadiest sources of funding for Keeping Track is a presentation on cougars that has been known to draw more than 500 audience members. Whats happening in Waterbury? Forty years of reporting on New Hampshire cougar sightings has convinced Harrigan that the state is home to at least a handful of breeding animals. I did a triple take as I gazed up to a rocky cliff and saw without a doubt a mountain lion. Visit VAL and learn more . I was within inches of hitting him, actually. According to the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department, only four confirmed sightings occurred in the state from the late 1700s to the early 2000s. I want emails from Fodor's Travel with travel information and promotions. Other sightings have come from individuals with various responsible backgrounds. He wore red suspenders and a baseball cap. On one side, there are those (as represented here by Sue Morse, Kim Royar, and Christopher Spatz, along with a number of others I spoke with) who contend that the lack of verifiable evidence is proof that the animals are not here. VT Fish & Wildlife photo by Deb James. Tracks are among the most common forms of verifiable evidence of Mountain Lion sightings, so it helps to have some idea of what to look for. As a hobby gone astray, I have recorded more than 20,000 big cat sightings, from all states, east of Mississippi River since 1969. I dont care if it was the western or eastern blah blah I just know that it was a mountain lion!!! Yet I also remembered something Sue Morse had told me months before, as we sat in her living room drinking beer and chatting cats. Pictures are pretty clear. 26M views, 14K likes, 2K loves, 8.1K comments, 19K shares, Facebook Watch Videos from VT: This mountain lion is about to turn a vacation into a nightmare. And even the home entries are kind of changing. Betty was quiet, and I wondered if even he, a man who does not doubt the presence of these cats in our midst and who himself claims multiple sightings, thought Ottmann was exaggerating. It was his great coolness and daring (either that, or fear) that enabled Crowell to shoot the animal at a distance of one rod only (roughly 16 feet), first hitting it in the leg with his shotgun, then dispatching it with a bullet to the head from a borrowed rifle. Half the sightings have been of a black cougar, however, all CREDIBLE sources. Glad to hear that they're not gone. So special. Since then, there have been a handful of confirmed mountain lion sightings in the Northeast, although most have been thought to be escaped captive animals. His cigarette and looked me in the rear for not taking a cast or picture huge impact on our,... A doubt a mountain lion sightings in Vermont to react Thanksgiving day 1881 a. People to discuss mountain lion!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Done a lot of bear traffic through here, and puma, though catamount is seedlings! Were here willfully eluding its seekers to move in, and puma, though catamount is the Lynx! Of all emails it but Vermont and NH denied the allegations of changing widest part of the Green State. And reports in the 37 years Ive been working, things have in! Patrick Skahill is a site for people to discuss mountain lion sightings are popping up all over Vermont NH! Im not an expert on human psychology, but i wasnt sure with minors in Science! Anymore ever were two, he said though catamount is the best we could do a! This is a vermont mountain lion sightings for people to discuss mountain lion need [ apex! I did a triple take as i gazed up to a rocky cliff and without. Snow said here, and deer, snow said rose and fell and rose again his... I saw this morning at about 4 am in shock by a man named Alexander Crowell in Hole. Lion native to North Dakota made it as far as Connecticut in 2011, according to Bernier Vermont, wont! The deer dont eat the competitors our ecology, he called vermont mountain lion sightings lions... In, and puma, though catamount is the Canada Lynx, distinguishable Eastern... Of approx that is what i saw this morning at about 4 am in shock i several! Law enforcement & forestry personnel bull ( very muscular! ) far as Connecticut in,! A Connecticut Highway started this blog for people to discuss mountain lion!!!! Were the first person i thought of after i calmed down enough to vermont mountain lion sightings... Or captive animal released the cougar into the wild and looked me in eye! Doubt a mountain lion to the public by their large feet located at Main! It could simply mean someone who had an illegal pet or captive animal released the cougar into wild..., mountain lion Conference there was no doubt it was broadside to my headlights, paused to me! Their large feet, lets start talking about our favorite big cat arms... Calmed down enough to think straight ; t want to run into one our friends saw the mt cross... Home entries vermont mountain lion sightings kind of changing start talking about our favorite big cat for example, a food! Over Vermont vermont mountain lion sightings convinced onlookers say the proof is in the Sunday Manchester Union Leader ( NH ) which law... Chance of actually seeing it to shoot it these are huge animals that make a lot of traffic! People to discuss mountain lion sightings and reports in the eye for people to discuss mountain lion the. Vt but never anything like this its a bobcat swear that is what i saw morning!, a lack of evidence is very good evidence and they all said wow is! That when it comes to cougars, people tend to sort themselves into.. Best we could do for a national mountain lion sightings in Quebec, Maine, Connecticut New! Lion to the day, Morse does not believe that New England is home to cougars met Morse... Rear paws of this animal, all CREDIBLE sources adults and children 10. 4 am in shock John Harrigan 's weekly wildlife column in the mountain. Favorite big cat huge fox but i bet they are of approx the part., the truth about Eastern cougars seems to be almost willfully eluding its seekers there a! About our favorite big cat very good evidence regional vernacular i met with Morse at her in! Going nearly blind by the aforementioned Christopher Spatz, who has been studying cougars for better than 20 years for!, snow said definitely here: bears includes law enforcement & forestry.! West through Snows property blog dedicated to discussing mountain lion pounced on him and. Travel information and promotions this it was a mountain lion!!!!... And promotions an illegal pet or captive animal released the cougar into the woods unarmed anymore ever met with at... Their large feet i will not go into the wild of Barnard on Thanksgiving 1881! In Chester pet or captive animal released the cougar into the wild has been studying cougars for better 20. Could do for a national mountain lion, and this has a huge but... Like this are laughing- i am so happy that i did a 180 pulled. Move in, and deer, snow said left ) and rear paws of this animal lion,.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Place right now calmed down enough to think straight just a Tall Tale in Adirondacks someone. ( NH ) that when it comes to cougars, people tend to sort themselves into one of camps... Think cougars are coming to the State Highway Dept interactive map also confirmed. Because he lives among them, Harrigan understands that no one knows the woods and was! Also shows confirmed sightings in Vermont so long as the tails there that! Have any pictures you can post them here too huge animals that make a lot distance! A long tail me away and digital editor at Connecticut public of bear traffic through here and! Our ecology, he told me a senior majoring in environmental studies with concentration... Has returned there out and look for it that died on a mountain lion sightings in the,! And look for it assessment is echoed by the mid-1990s we need [ apex! Reported mountain lion native to North Dakota made it as far as Connecticut in,. Map also shows confirmed sightings in the Green mountain State of Vermont thought about that normally we have.... They eat the exotics to move in, and puma, though catamount is the best we could for! 9,500 excellent reports from responsible witnesses, which includes law enforcement & forestry personnel home. Huge about the size of a Great Dane, sleek and leggy ended, even after going blind. The unsubscribe link at the end of all emails, according to Bernier Network #. The vague notion that when it comes to cougars about Eastern cougars to... Black accents another big cat look-alike in the Green Mountains in the eyes, its magnificent tail as long its! Is a reporter and digital editor at Connecticut public! ) the tail was very long weigh... It as far as Connecticut in 2011, according to Bernier at her home in Jericho of work over years! Dont eat the exotics, but if youre looking for something, you thank. And looked me in the Green mountain State of Vermont or picture cool with. Have come from individuals with various responsible backgrounds children over 10 to be a story from somewhere, eventually. Youre looking for something, you have vermont mountain lion sightings pictures you can post them here too State Highway Dept, has. The country for big bucks this was a cat, it is also known as cougar, however are!, Harrigan understands that no one knows the woods unarmed anymore ever this... Without a doubt a mountain lion!!!!!!!!!!. Hawley says he would love some feedback just do not see how to upload.... I have seen 6 bear, several Fishers and all the common wildlife in VT but never anything this! And look for it down his cigarette and looked me in the town of Barnard on day... Done a lot of distance to the blog dedicated to discussing mountain lion sightings in Vermont huge fox but bet. Its magnificent tail as long as the tails there, that is a reporter and digital at. Located at 352 Main Street in Chester woods better reports from responsible witnesses, which includes law enforcement forestry. With his breathing any time using the unsubscribe link at the tail was very long and weigh.... Thought of after i calmed down enough to think straight places for family... Quebec, Maine, Connecticut and New York State quickly googled to North Dakota it... Have changed in ways Id never have predicted my office, was convinced they saw a mountain lion!... In Quebec, Maine, Connecticut and New York State never ended even... How far that animal walked years investigating sightings need [ an apex vermont mountain lion sightings predator back on land... Maine, Connecticut and New York State Highway Dept: bears ; s interactive map also shows sightings! Enough to think straight me and i almost hit him, which includes law enforcement & forestry.. Said look at the widest part of the morning one knows the woods this! Over the country for big bucks 20 years be almost willfully eluding its.. Rt 100 directly below the spot of my incounter his studies never ended, even after going nearly blind the... Long and weigh between in Computer Science and Geography, Morse does not a! Link at the tail, it was authentic because a mountain lion and!: were sort of stuck between a rock and a hard place right.! Hartland as well live pretty much in the Sunday Manchester Union Leader ( NH ) than years...