A monthly donation of $5 makes a real difference. Monadnock Ledger-Transcript - Claims of mountain lions spread It's got a a smudge of black and bobcats and links just don't have that we don't have any other cards. A lot of times. I just saw the head and the tail that was leaving. Patrick Tate: Exactly I was gonna bring that up juvenile male of. We speculate they dont want us to screw up tourism we dont know whats going on. Have it reported down in the Keene area. We're gonna talk about sightings in this part of the program as well we'd love to hear your story. HOLDERNESS, N.H. (AP) Two of the known mountain lions in New Hampshire have spent their 15 years in close proximity to humans. Somewhere the way they travel the things they do they're going to leave evidence. There are mountain lion in Massachusetts. Peter Biello: And then it ran away okay. Rick van de Poll: Rick your thoughts. Have a photo. They just end up in these places. Peter Biello: Hmm. Peter Biello: This is NHK PR Good morning and HP are summer car raffle is back and now's the time to get your early bird tickets. And so so with their limited staff and limited budget that is that is more and more limited every year because you know fewer people are buying hunting and fishing licenses. Sandy Hodskins, owner of West Meadow Farm in Bradford, New Hampshire, took time from shoveling Wednesday to enjoy the snow with her horse, West Wind. However if if and when it does happen it takes up a lot of resources looking at that situation and identifying what's going on because when you start out you don't know it's a hoax. WMUR uLocal: On this trail cam video, an unidentified feline is spotted. They are the same thing. 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. There's no attraction. And when provoked no animal could stand before him elegantly put. Numerous scat and fur specimens have been turned in as part of mountain lion report investigations; DNA identification has shown these submitted samples to be from domestic dog, coyote, bobcat andraccoon. And still the the folks there did weren't able to come up with it with 100 percent certainty what deposited that scat. Each person had their own copy and now it was identify the trees the species of tree matched. So here we have you know a very qualified biologist who who found a print took a plaster cast found a scat send it to a university. So one thing I'd point out is we've been talking about situations with no evidence a number of them come in with photographs and yet what they fit what they description of the animal they saw and by the way I got a picture of what I saw. For me as a person who's handled many bobcats and looked at many pictures Bobcat the White chin Bobcat right off is what comes out to me and then the black the the roughs on our Bobcats we'll have sometimes have black fringes on them. Mountain Lions | Wildlife | New Hampshire Fish and Game Department Thank you. Residents believe cougars still roam New Hampshire's forests It traveled all the way from from you know Minnesota to New York without being so seen Patrick take. Mountain lions remain an enigmatic animal for residents of New Hampshire, with New Hampshire Fish and Game reporting three to five sightings per week. Patrick Tate: Well. Pelosi story here we go. So one thing I'll add. Oh you saw him online. If it's just in the middle of a greenfield you can't prove anything. Patrick Tate: My line being a large predator a cat watch ambush his prey animal that hasn't been. Peter Biello: We mentioned that the eastern cougar and the Western cougar are they were separate eastern cougar believed to be extinct. I was a Bobcat we saw it and I have a picture of it. They used to roam the entire continent, but have become extinct in most US states. They get a lot of media attention but compared to the the amount of times that a mountain lion could attack a person but doesn't because they don't typically view us as prey. Saddleback Mountain Lions And there are thousands of mountain lions killed every year legally through hunting, and there have been untold tens of thousands of mountain lions killed by hunters over the last hundred years, says Mark Elbroch, the Puma Program Director for Panthera, a global wild cat conservation organization, So even the folks who live with mountain lions still have a fancy and see something thats not there to me thats incredible.. Women control our lives. 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. Mountain Lion | Squam Lakes Natural Science Center 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. There's never, ever, ever, ever been a documented case of a black mountain lion. The Connecticut Mountain Lion is the best documented wild Mountain Lion in New England. Give today. It's unfortunate that that kind of thing happens as often as it does. Patrick Tate: So I just got to throw a little interesting side note in this. So when we talk about the threshold of evidence required to say for sure you have seen a mountain lion it is rather high. But you can continue the conversation on Facebook or at our Web site and HP Borg. How far were you from this cat. Pat what do you think the mystique of the mountain lion. Every other Friday on Morning Edition NHPRs Sam Evans-Brown tracks down answers to questions about the environment and outdoors for our listeners in a segment we call Ask Sam.. 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. Peter Biello: Rick I believe you did mention that that they do leave carcasses up in the tree from time to time but are there any other species known in New Hampshire to do this on a regular basis. Updated: 9:53 AM EST Dec 6, 2016. Peter Biello: Well hey Rob. And I have to use that word allegedly because there is so much dispute about what people see and what they actually see. Thanks also to Rick van de Poll naturalist and founder of ecosystem management consultants of New England and Sam Evans Brown host of an HP podcast outside in about the natural world and how we use it. And then just up behind it you know at about 11 o'clock on one side and whatever that would be on the other side it's black. Which goes back to the Connecticut Connecticut cat and what not. And there's there's no evidence of that cat's movement in that entire you know 12 hundred miles stretch of its journey. So what a neat experience. By Eric Orff. It all used to be based on measurable physical traits color, skull size, paw size, etc but now its based on whether an animal can be shown to be genetically distinct from others. The Eastern mountain lion is extinct in the eastern United States and Canada, but in 2011, a . Thank you for visiting the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department website. So it's there was no question in my mind. Absolutely. Lots of people have stories about them, people have them on their game cameras I mean its kind of a thing. I have one that's more elaborate than that. Peter Biello: Or send us an email exchange at an HP board. Caller: Well I think Patrick I recognized your name. I mean there was this one lady I remember and tough tomorrow. They were able to do all that by genetics. And because you know things flow downhill and I was pushed to go investigate it more and met with the individual two or three times and there was a bunch of inconsistencies about the photograph. So now what's going on. You know interactions are pretty unusual. I tracked cats and all the western states. Patrick Tate: And there's one other way to model that is the same animal. Have you heard stories do you have questions about the mountain line. So they're not afraid of humans and they'll show up like a regular housecat. It doesn't happen as much anymore. "Of those three to five reports,. The nonbelievers are going to say Show us your evidence and show us prove this to us. Is that typically what was happening there. That's why we always go back to the physical evidence to support what they're reporting. John thanks. 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. On a dirt road. Peter Biello: And that will make identification for a layperson rather difficult. Peter Biello: What about the idea of tourism like us leaving aside the fact that it is not on the Endangered Species Act is it. Contact the Wildlife Division at (603) 271-2461 or wildlife@wildlife.nh.gov to request an observation report form. 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. So so do what you can get to do what you can to get proof. Windham Life and Times - November 15, 2019 People were calling the New Hampshire Fish and Game director's office saying why are you dragging your feet on this. List of Mountains in New Hampshire is a general list of mountains in New Hampshire, with elevation.This list includes many mountains in the White Mountains range that covers about a quarter of the state, as well as mountains outside of that range.. We had six copies printed out each. Thank you. 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. I'm sorry go ahead you're on the air. But if you were to get Western dispersing mountain lions just would just sort of expanding into New Hampshire. If so that's for us as an agency. He says when youve got a mountain lion in town, its kinda obvious. Enable JavaScript by changing your browser options, and then try again. Right. I believe I saw one that's fine and I'm not looking for an immediate story. I was at the Sentinel as a reporter there for about four years and during that time I probably wrote close to a half dozen stories or so on this topic including a lengthy feature at one point that in which I spoke to several people from around the banana region claimed to have seen mountain lions that at one time or another. Chapter X, Predators, Panther (Mountain Lion) From History of NH Game and Furbearers by Helenette Silver, Research Clerk, NH Fish and Game Dept. Peter Biello: So let's say Rick that it was confirmed that there that there are mountain lines here in New Hampshire. New Hampshire Public Radio | People go through great lengths to create hoaxes like this. 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? We'll also hear your stories if you have them again. There'd be there'd be all sorts of you know basically a lot of hassle required if that were to happen. Ask Sam: Why Won't New Hampshire Admit There Are Mountain Lions Here M from Tree Hill author series presenting Diane lay back. The exchange is a production of New Hampshire Public Radio. 1,470 likes. Thanks for taking my call. If you missed part of today's program listen to the exchange. Peter Biello: They make great mascots at least. Peter Biello: Well John thanks very much for the story really appreciate it. Patrick Tate: Yeah yeah. Caller: Hi. The western mountain lion lives in a more of a grassland open area now so to blend in with a very lighted situation here in the Northeast we are very shadowy dark situation because of the forest and our cats wear a darker brownish reddish color than what they were and they were also smaller than what the western mountain lion is. Yeah 13 to 15 years ago 13 to 15 years ago. Like why would you want one wildlife. What's going on. Gotcha, so the Deep State is suppressing mountain lion news in order to prop up New Hampshire tourism? To date most of the pictures that have been sent in have been bobcats and other species Ive received pictures of house cats. Let's look for other evidence. 44-N Links. Peter Biello: We got an e-mail question from Robert in Epsom who asks are sightings or encounters with these big cats less dangerous here where they're passing through than out west where those same mountain lines might be establishing territory Rick. So so they're just a very resilient species and they're pretty they're pretty neat. They create these scrapes where theyre communicating with each other with scent. Can we go to the site. Caller: It had just left that field and was out. The 17-year-old Kiger mustang mare was born in Bend, Oregon, said Hodskins, who got her . And so a mountain lion is actually quite large right. For all the men out there that don't realize it. People have asked me about the genetics of eastern mountain lion. 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. I mean so what what is the practical change that it would bring to New Hampshire if any. You know I'm like seriously I can't get a picture of the thing but what it what it is. Rick van de Poll: Rick van de Poll so I was a non-believer as well. Almost all species disperse greater distances than females. This is where things start breaking down when you so I get pictures with this great description and one of my favorite stories is a great description what the witness and then so I called the witness and wanted information from them and the person says What are you talking about. But you won't find evidence of their existence in paw prints in the snow or a deer carcass in a tree. 44-H Links. You've got you've got biologists right who are trying to make their make their way in the world make a career if you are the biologists who confirmed a sighting of mountain lions in the state that would be very good for you like you would be all over the news. Someone's got to see one they're very secretive. Well they are the same. These young males are tracking looking for mates and if they don't find a mate they just keep moving and moving and moving. Its closest living relative is the cheetah. 'Like we did as kids': Horse makes snow angels with her owner in New 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. Peter Biello: From New Hampshire Public Radio I'm Peter Biello in for Lark Knoy and this is the exchange. But on the other side of that coin there is this sense that there have been so many sightings locally and you guys Patrick you might recall the name the Wyndham McCracken she kind of turned herself into a local authority off authorities the right word but she was very dedicated to this. And it was you know 10 or 12 people saw it all at once. Caller: And the more I thought about it the color of it it was definitely not a bobcat. To date, the Department has not received any verifiable evidence (photographic or DNA)of mountain lions existing in New Hampshire. Peter Biello: We at this e-mailed comment from Michael. The tail leave is a giveaway but not everybody gets to see the tail. Post your sightings and NH photos here! We are the second most-forested state in the country, and those forests can be impenetrable snarls (part of why the Northeast is notoriously a difficult place to hunt deer), and while there are people in a lot of those woods, because the cats have been absent for a few generations now, most of those people dont know what a cougar scrape or latrine look and smell like. But if people are still seeing mountain lions, why is the state and federal government seeking to COVER IT UP!? And they asked me about the tail which I just did not remember that tail out of that whole experience. Give us a call if you have a question or comments or story about perhaps seeing a mountain lion here in New Hampshire. Course like Sue said you have to see it and it's not always that visible. 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. I saw that had this giant the bobcat had this giant sweeping which is John Bobcat don't have big sweeping tails. I mean no doubt a seen Bobcat seen his stuff. WMUR NH Chronicle Mountain Lions in NH Part I and Part II. www.wildlife.state.nh.us, Buy or Renew Your Saltwater Fishing License, Great Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve. I don't see the hoaxes anymore at that level. 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 1957. But you won't find evidence of their existence in paw prints in the snow or a deer carcass in a tree. She is renowned for tracking. So I would put this in the category of sort of like shark attacks right. Caller: Hey guys how you doing. In my New Hampshire career I have written several, and seen at least 20, stories along the lines of "local person thinks they saw a mountain lion but there's no actual evidence aside from. Patrick Tate: So one thing I'd say is DNA would definitely identify an animal animal's Mark line or not. Monday, December 5th: Mountain Lions in New Hampshire? Part II OK. Rick van de Poll: Rick and I would add that if a mountain lion male takes up residence and successfully finds a female as pets there's gonna be a lot more evidence there will be like deer carcasses up in trees and territorial marking and claw marks and tracks and it you know dispersal is gonna be very tough to see or observed but residential parrots a totally different story. And as the biologist who's gonna stand on this and if I'm going to say this is a proven picture I need to be able to stand on it so soundly and have the evidence so I going to go through it with a fine tooth comb kept picking pieces apart trying to answer these pieces. So you want identifiable backgrounds. We'll be right back. The big cat has been extinct at least the eastern mountain lion has been extinct here since the mid 80s hundreds. So for me as a person who's had the Bobcats right off my grits similar carries sticks to a bobcat The Long Tail obviously very different but those facial markings were overlapping for me. Peter Biello: So if they were female mountain lions here they would be more males just because that's what they're looking for. So I've been convinced the whole time that I saw a big cougar plume or whatever you want to call it standing there in the road in Greenfield. It doesn't make much sense because you know mountain lions are as we as we said before. 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 . Its actually fairly reasonable to believe that mountain lions do, at least, pass through occasionally. The best documentation we have in New Hampshire suggests there hasnt been a mountain lion killed by a hunter in this state since 1885. Mountain lions don't usually travel more than 100 miles from where they are born. Peter Biello: Yeah some of what she was saying sounds like it would require getting pretty close or at least having a nice zoom lens right Sam like. So Michael follows with the question. And trying to figure out the little pieces to identify him so I bring up the names the differences but the appearances can be confusing for some. They lived perhaps elsewhere in New England and they were just passing through and happened to have an encounter of some sort. It was not a bobcat. We'll hear more about the mountain lions impact and the role it plays in the ecosystem. For instance, Floridas wildlife officials have a similar ghost cat: the black panther. Some of the reports that I looked into that were actually on file at the local fish and game office were even from people who did not live locally. And Rick Van de Poll naturalist and founder of ecosystem management consultants of New England. JavaScript must be enabled for some features to display properly. Patrick Tate: Well I've never seen an Easter cougar so I can't say when I've handled these 10 cougars and whatnot. The unheralded hero of Apollo John Hubble the man who knew the way to the moon. Not one picture of him online while the person meet with us. Rick van de Poll: Well I didn't. NH Fish and Game relies on physical evidence to answer questions about the presence or absence of mountain lion in the state. Part II. I've had a number of people call up and say I found a scout in the woods and I want it DNA identified. As far as I could tell there was a positive DNA sequence coming from the scat sample Patrick. Peter Biello: Oh okay. Pat humans people leave deer carcasses up in trees. And I think a lot of folks would like them to be around. Residents believe cougars still roam New Hampshire's forests Lions Clubs Int'l Links: LionNet NH Links 2011 -2012 . So. John you're on the air. So nowadays we think of this in the Northeast as crazy stuff that people have a mountain lion as a pet. Caller: So I've been telling this story for five years or so and very few people believe me. Think you've seen a mountain lion? Want to report a Mountain Lion sighting in New Hampshire? If you have them email exchange at an HP board or give us a call to tell us your story. Rick van de Poll: Well the mountain lion of course has been sort of an enigma in the wildlife suite for years and years. But I do think that it's appropriate that a fishing game agency would recognize verifiable proof if they could. And sometimes I've seen pictures of those where it's the question is What is that is that a bobcat. I'm Peter B yellow. And I saw you cat about four feet long from nose to tail come across from the water across the road and just leap over a six foot perimeter fence in a single bound. They create these big latrines that are very obvious. Give today. Peter Biello: This is the exchange on an HP yard today we're talking about the mysterious elusive majestic Mystic Mountain Lion. 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. Verifiable pictures recorded by the observing person or a trail camera. So I think in that story there's there's something for the believers and the nonbelievers and I and you know Mark L. Brock is who is a gentleman with the cougar Network told me this story is evidence that that if they were here we would know about it. m from a weed family Automotive on store Street in Concord is serving the Concord area families automotive needs since 1995. Rick van de Poll: 80 90. Thanks for calling. Good morning guys. However, as far as I can tell theres no Deep State Conspiracy to cover up a breeding population of cougars in the Granite State. 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. nh.gov | privacy policy | accessibility policy There was no sign of it. Copyright New Hampshire Fish and Game Department.An official New Hampshire government website. 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. You treat it as if it's a sincere situation. If it's someone that has an illegal captive animal that is accustomed to humans those leave a lot of evidence because they want to go around humans to find food meaning they're used to being fed by humans. Let's talk to Mike in Webster. The panther, Fells concolor, is a beast of many names, most frequently referred to in New Hampshire history as catamount, but sometimes known locally as "Indian Devil" or "Carcajou", under which .