The nonbelievers are going to say Show us your evidence and show us prove this to us. The report came in from a conservation officer.
And I think this is a really interesting story for a couple of reasons one is that it proves what Pat was saying which that basically from New York state where its traces was really picked up on a game camera around Lake George all the way down to Connecticut there was numerous. Tim Yeah. I've actually had to walk in on one or two now and look at what was going on and figured out what was going on. Do they travel. What do you think that. It's not a skinny rope like tail like a housecat. Which brings us to the next question, what are the odds that some of these reported sightings (which, when I posted about this on twitter, I immediately started to get as well) are actually people seeing a mountain lion? Someone's got to see one they're very secretive. Deer Bear Moose Grey Wolf Coyote Foxes Fisher Mountain Lion NH Wildlife History. A 140-pound male mountain lion was hit by a car and killed in 2011 in Milford, Connecticut. Peter Biello: From New Hampshire Public Radio I'm Peter Biello in for Lark Knoy and this is the exchange. A lot of times. They create these big latrines that are very obvious. Patrick Tate: Yes. So before we get to the the the the stories of sightings we're getting a lot of calls. He studied Politics and Spanish at Bates College, and before reporting was variously employed as a Spanish teacher, farmer, bicycle mechanic, ski coach, research assistant, a wilderness trip leader and a technical supporter. Patrick Tate: My line being a large predator a cat watch ambush his prey animal that hasn't been. Somewhere the way they travel the things they do they're going to leave evidence. He told me that on one of his many scouting trips for Black Bear he found a deer carcass up in a tree. I mean no doubt a seen Bobcat seen his stuff. Pelosi story here we go. So we're fixated on natural but there's other possibilities. We we hear that there is allegedly a government conspiracy to deny the existence of mountain lions here in New Hampshire so I guess a local government conspiracy. Well let's talk a little bit about that. The big cat has been extinct at least the eastern mountain lion has been extinct here since the mid 80s hundreds. Patrick Tate: So it's very typical. And why would they what. As recently as 2011 there was one young male mountain lion that cruised all the way from the black hills of South Dakota, up over the Great Lakes, down through New Yorkgetting spotted all. As I tried to get a picture of it so there was it was definitely we looked up all the pictures and it was definitely not a bobcat or anything else being it looked just like a mountain lion. 44-H Links. Patrick Tate: Well. WMUR NH Chronicle Mountain Lions in NH Part I and Part II. Information that weed family automotive dot com sunny for today high temperatures low to mid 80s clear tonight overnight lows in the 50s tomorrow sunny highs in the upper 80s. Mountain Lion | Squam Lakes Natural Science Center All exhibit and hiking trails are CLOSED for the season. There is some information that suggests that it spent a portion of its time in Massachusetts near the Claiborne reservoir. Had great trees behind it beautiful ferns on the ground so it brought me down on the site and the ferns on the ground matched. Let us know your story and share your photos. Kyle I think about Rick Tate wants to jump in here. Peter Biello: Or send us an email exchange at an HP board. So what a neat experience. The trouble with accepting every reported sighting as a confirmed mountain lion is that there are so many mistaken identifications. And the second question is this a behavior mountain lions exhibit. Rick van de Poll: Well a report that you know as John Harrigan up north has in co-ops County for about 15 years I kept track of reports and people would call me and tell me where they saw the mountain lion they thought they saw it and it varied right from you know downtown villages all the way to remote highlands of the North Country and and everywhere in between. From involving members in projects as local as cleaning up an area park or as far-reaching as bringing sight to the world's blind, Lions clubs have always . And so. Something along those lines. Is there something particularly hospitable about New Hampshire Forests that make them want to come here. Pat humans people leave deer carcasses up in trees. WMUR uLocal: On this trail cam video, an unidentified feline is spotted. Patrick Tate: I would say well when social media first started they picked up the hoaxes became much more prevalent in the last four or five years hoaxes have died down completely. Theres a project called the Cougar Network that tracks verified sightings, and they are all around us: Massachusetts, Connecticut, Maine, New York and New Brunswick have all had verified sightings over the past 20 years or so. She is renowned for tracking. NH Fish and Game relies on physical evidence to answer questions about the presence or absence of mountain lion in the state. You know I think it's there's a lady Holly Ernst out in California who has done a lot of the genotyping of mountain lions in Northern California the ones that are of course most people have heard about taking down hikers bikers etc. Patrick Tate: So one thing I'd say is DNA would definitely identify an animal animal's Mark line or not. I have no doubt that there are mountain lion roaming New Hampshire. 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. Patrick Tate: So it's interesting it's brought up. Do we have native species that could have exhibited this type of behavior leaving leaving a deer carcass up in a tree. and territorial animals are much more inclined to create a problem with passer bys than dispersing animals in fact I'd be totally shocked if a dispersal would encounter with a human purposefully unless they had already had some type of training to do so. Incredible sighting and I called him the fish and game and they immediately sent me to a website to look at all the bobcat pictures. We're gonna cue you up and bring into the program listeners in just a moment but I want to ask about the role that Mountain Lions play in the ecosystem we've been talking a lot about mountain lions traveling and being sort of hard to track as they move. In fact, Pat Tate concedes that hes been told of sightings from folks that he considers to be very credible, very woods savvypeople who know what a bobcat looks likebut those folks have never snapped a good photo or found a good track. And so far we have not had any positive mark lion scats or any DNA. That's pretty elaborate. Second when I when they did forward it from Wyoming to to Michigan you know this was coming right from sample 18 and 19 had no remarkable differences from known mountain lions from Michigan or Wyoming. Is that typically what was happening there. Rick van de Poll: Well education is the real important thrust of of what all of us do as biologists and Game Managers and to make sure that a things like what Sam was saying that in spite of what you believe the mountain lions will not eat your children they will not steal your pets from your backyard and they will not necessarily be seen by you unless you're extremely lucky. Or years or so. Sam Evans-Brown: Pretty well I was going to say it is nice to hear about how to identify the facial markings but probably I'd being a to identify the tracks is probably the more useful useful tool that one can have in their tool box. Peter Biello: I did mention four feet nose to tail would be kind of small for a mountain lion. My wife and I saw a mountain lion. Support for an age PR comes from you our listeners. So I certainly can't dispute anything that they said there's no evidence for me to go by to verify or say what my thoughts are on the situation. They create these scrapes where theyre communicating with each other with scent. I think that you probably are. Give us a call if you have a question or comments or story about perhaps seeing a mountain lion here in New Hampshire. Patrick Tate: In theory it's a passing ball of a court and it goes wherever the bottom Ball wants to go. He shifted gears in 2016 and began producing Outside/In, a podcast and radio show about the natural world and how we use it. His work has won him several awards, including two regional Edward R. Murrow awards, one national Murrow, and the Overseas Press Club of America's award for best environmental reporting in any medium. 1957. What's interesting about Bobcats is here in the Northeast we have some very large bobcats. And we want to know your stories if you have them 1 800 8 9 2 6 4 7 7 or email exchange at an HP bar dot org we'll talk about conspiracy theories when we come back. And that's this morning at 10:00 here on NH PR. So I will just say this is a big reason why there have not been confirmed sightings I think is that the evidence required first. Peter Biello: This is the exchange on an HD PR fine Peter Biello and today we're talking with folks who can tell us about the mysterious elusive mountain line and whether or not it is actually here in New Hampshire. You treat it as if it's a sincere situation. So that did it for me. Mountain Lions in New Hampshire-Fact or Fiction 3,207 views Jul 31, 2019 78 Dislike Share Save New Hampshire Fish and Wildlife 634 subscribers During my thirty-one career at the New. Its closest living relative is the cheetah. Sam Evans Brown. Mountain lions remain an enigmatic animal for residents of New Hampshire, with New Hampshire Fish and Game reporting three to five sightings per week. So one thing I'll add. Oh you saw him online. N.H.'s Fish and Game department says there's no proof. The Connecticut Mountain Lion is the best documented wild Mountain Lion in New England. Chapter X, Predators, Panther (Mountain Lion) From History of NH Game and Furbearers by Helenette Silver, Research Clerk, NH Fish and Game Dept. He says when youve got a mountain lion in town, its kinda obvious. So I did a bunch of research and all the documentation I found was there art are not any pieces of DNA of Eastern online. Caller: Oh hi. So they're scary. Peter Biello: But clearly you know you're saying like hoaxes people who claim to have seen a mountain lion but knowingly have not or are appropriating photos taken elsewhere of legit mountain lion say out West where they people acknowledge that they exist certainly knowingly or unknowingly in this case the person who sent it to me said hey a friend of mine sent me this photo and said he took it on his back porch also. And boy it was big it had to be at least 200 pounds the thing was you and and it just made a little bit of noise and it was gone. We want answers. Mountain lions ( Puma concolor) are one of the six native species of wild cats in North America. I think as Pat was saying you know 35 to 50 pounds on a male be reasonable range whereas mountain lions you're up to 100 110 maybe even 130 pounds on a big male. Contact the Wildlife Division at (603) 271-2461 or wildlife@wildlife.nh.gov to request an observation report form. They kill big animals. And you know all that. There's always been physical evidence to prove those situations like hair or fur scat hair prints pictures of the animal print scat hair. I just want to tell you a story that I read. Patrick Tate: Well I've never seen an Easter cougar so I can't say when I've handled these 10 cougars and whatnot. Sam. NHPR is nonprofit and independent. So so. County road and all of a sudden a big cat jumps out of the woods over a stone wall stood in the middle of the dirt road as I rode towards it. Caller: I got home to my wife that a gene that you should have seen the cat. There's just one subspecies of North American mountain lion. They are the same thing. Less than a year later I found a scat on the swamp range and I was working at the time with a fellow at the Michigan wildlife habitat Federation. Since 1917, Lions clubs have offered people the opportunity to give something back to their communities. If you go on YouTube and search mount lion Pat you can see people patent their hundred pound kiddie like its regular mascot cat. It was not a bobcat. It's bigger but bigger and better world. John. So that's the specimen that you find going long distances. They just end up in these places. We have evidence and as biologists we would find it quite exciting to find that evidence of one in the state. Patrick Tate: So the individuals can say that but for an agency that's based on science and what not to to go off with no evidence and then get into that giant debate and all these other issues and put credibility at risk I don't think that would be a great path to take. The current estimate is 2,000 - 2,700 throughout Arizona. "Of those three to five reports,. Sue Morse: First and foremost if you have color or if you could see details of color look at the front of the face around the Pumas muzzle the muzzle itself is pure white. And a lot of people around the county airport have seen a lot of pilots coming in said they saw huge. Now again I don't know that there's anything to that. And you know it's rather interesting because certainly there are those you as a case of mistaken identity or they wanted to see something that perhaps they actually didn't. So they're not afraid of humans and they'll show up like a regular housecat. M from Tree Hill author series presenting Diane lay back. Peter Biello: Sam I wanted to ask you a little bit about that first and then turn to Patrick Tate efficient game. So take care of this problem. Caller: Absolutely. NHPR is nonprofit and independent. So what those ranges. Let's talk to Mike in Webster. Peter Biello: So if they were female mountain lions here they would be more males just because that's what they're looking for. Erler is a senior naturalist at the Squam Lakes Natural Science Center in Holderness. Fish and Game then deny the evidence. Peter Biello: When did you allegedly see a mountain lion. Do cougars live in New England? It's completely possible that it may have spent time in New Hampshire and went undetected but had it stayed in the area ultimately it would have been detected over time. John if you're still on the line here I was going to I don't. Peter Biello: And then it ran away okay. Patrick Tate: Same here in New Hampshire too. Why are there so many false positives? Patrick Tate: Okay. Think you've seen a mountain lion. Give today. David Erler says some of them probably have. It was some sort of a Lion Mountain Lion animal. We rely on readers like you to support the local, national, and international coverage on this website. Its actually fairly reasonable to believe that mountain lions do, at least, pass through occasionally. That's why we always go back to the physical evidence to support what they're reporting. That's next time on one day. Which which I think Pat and I have both experienced. You need you need either a really good photograph or you need you know fresh scat that can be sent to a lab out West that can they can be identified there. So do they. Caller: It had to be a mountain lion convinced I was about 30. But the state always denies it, and none of us know why they deny it. Course like Sue said you have to see it and it's not always that visible. Really appreciate it. Ive received pictures of dogs at odd angles, says Tate. I'm Peter B yellow. Some are included in lists of mountains, such as the Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC) list of the Hundred Highest peaks of New England, or the . You saw what you saw. We'll be right back. About Us Media Kit Calendar of Events Volunteer Visit Learn Events Membership Support Your Visit BUY TICKETS Know Before You Go Directions and Information Our Animals Live Animal Exhibit Trail Hours and Admission Calendar of Events Let's look for other evidence. I just stood there just a second and I came to a complete stop and then I ran away. Theres tracks everywhere. All they think it traveled north through Canada up you know crossed across the Great Lakes and then and then down again through New York State. And they were using all the habitat. Residents believe cougars still roam New Hampshire's forests. So one thing that I find fascinating about this Connecticut cat was six months between the New York situation where they found evidence of it too when it was hit by a motor vehicle. So I don't understand really how how this this idea came to be but it is the main reason why folks believe that fishing game is is covering up the fact that there are mountain lions in the state again with no evidence. New Hampshire Public Radio | Caller: Well I think Patrick I recognized your name. So the whole media hype about how scary mountain lions are should should go away immediately and that would be that I think the major thrust of educating folks about these casualties vs.. Sam Evans-Brown: Sam go ahead. To date most of the pictures that have been sent in have been bobcats and other species Ive received pictures of house cats. Sam Evans-Brown: So I just had two thoughts which is that we hear a lot of these stories and all of us here have heard these stories. N.H.'s Fish and Game department says there's no proof mountain lions live in the state, yet residents from Bedford to Berlin have been reporting sightings for years. Tate said that while a mountain lion sighting in New Hampshire isn't likely, it's not impossible. So hard to know hard to refute if there's no interest in making up a story which many people of course do then I would respond the same way as Pat did. Caller: Hey guys how you doing. Residents Report Mountain Lion Sighting By Elysia Rodriguez Published August 11, 2015 A southern New Hampshire neighborhood believes a mountain lion is roaming the woods near their homes. The great thing about pictures isn't the animal itself it's the background. There'd be there'd be all sorts of you know basically a lot of hassle required if that were to happen. Peter Biello: They make great mascots at least. Well I can't tell you what you saw. Not one picture of him online while the person meet with us. We're going to talk a little bit more about habitat first but then we'll get into sightings. Chartered 1973; Member of District 44-H; . But but I've also seen it cited the opposite way that look they're very secretive. Nicholas Handy can be reached at 924-7172 ext. The tail leave is a giveaway but not everybody gets to see the tail. So I hate the idea that there's some sort of upward you know downward pressure from the bosses saying Don't you know don't tell about the mountain lions because it'll scare away the tourists. Right. There's these animals aren't coming with a map saying oh I want to go here. Sam Evans-Brown: And when we talk about subspecies this actually leads to to an interesting tangent which is that the field of biology recently has been sort of revolutionized by the use of DNA to determine what subspecies are. Like why would you want one wildlife. Over a period of a year and a half, this Mountain Lion left DNA evidence in at least four states. Peter Biello: And that will make identification for a layperson rather difficult. Rick van de Poll: Absolutely. I mean so what what is the practical change that it would bring to New Hampshire if any. And it's not really strong. The species that once inhabited the Northeast, known as the eastern mountain lion, is now extinct. Residents from Bedford to Berlin have been reporting sightings for years. Sam Evans-Brown: What he would have stopped as well I think is way way that the reason that mountain lion kept moving is because he wasn't finding anybody. When you talk about a bobcat Bobcat maybe 80 90 pounds and then a mountain lion could be between 130 and 180 pounds. You could trace that was this same cat from point to point to point. Anyways after three weeks I finally found the image on line on a field and stream photo contest and the explanation in the end was the person that set the camera out with another individual and they believed that someone who knew of the camera location saw the similarities put the can't picture on their SD card so it looked like that camera recorded the image that is. Caller: And the more I thought about it the color of it it was definitely not a bobcat. I'm gonna send you a letter that we researched this report and we spoke with those labs and the lab wrote in their letter to us that they could only say that Scott contained white Tea Party fur and that they could not say what deposited the scout because it's far too degraded listeners we'd love to hear from you about your mountain lion sightings if you have seen one or if you if you think you have give us a call we'd love to hear your story 1 800 8 9 2 6 4 7 7. Any sense of of whether or not mountain lions are sort of wary of more population dense areas like like the one he was describing Rick. So there's even debate about that very subject. It's not an emerging endangered species no work no there are there are populations in specific states so the Florida panther is is an endangered species that sub population is in fact listed under the Endangered Species Act.