mountain lion in NH

[Battis]

There have been hundreds of mountain lion sightings in NH but the Fish and Game dept says it ain't so - they've been "extinct" in the state for hundreds of years. Well, today at around 5:15 PM (daylight), up near Mt Washington in NH, a mountain lion ran across the road in front of the car in front of me, less than 50 yds from me, leaped up the opposite banking and ran into the woods. Not a bobcat, or coyote, or dog or family cat - a big mountain lion. No mistaking it. I'll report the sighting tomorrow but apparently, without proof, it didn't happen, even though they've found tracking evidence around Mt Washington.
A mountain lion was hit and killed by a car in CT. They did whatever testing they do and determined that it walked from South Dakota.

Anyways, I saw a mountain lion today and that's pretty cool.

[lefty o]

if it dont exist, hunt it down and kill it. cant be illegal, as it didnt exist!

[Battis]

From what I read, the Fish and Game dept. doesn't admit they exist because people would freak out, and then the dept. would have to come up with a management plan.

[Omega]

Took years, and videos from a game cam before the TWRA admitted there were big cats out here, now bears are moving in to areas they hadn't been in.

[Battis]

Those that believe the mountain lions are here have two theories: the big cats are from other parts of the country, or the extinct eastern mountain lion was never extinct.
A mountain lion was spotted several times in northeastern MA where I live, about 130 miles from where I saw the lion today. A local farmer found a dead calf up in a tree, which they say is a good sign that there's a mountain lion in the area.

[Stephen Cohen]

My you Americans live in a dangerous place, lions bob cats bears and such, all we down under have is Drop bears wombats snakes and bloody socialists and the odd Kangaroo. regards Stephen

[fn1889m]

...and bloody socialists and the odd P---- off Kangaroo. regards Stephen

Socialists are far more dangerous than mountain lions. Herds have been sighted in urban areas, and are no longer an endanger species. Several have been seen in Massachusetts.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

[Battis]

Several have been seen in Massachusetts.

They run Massachusetts and are working their way into NH.

There were two black bears (mother and cub) in a tree in my town last week and it made the news everywhere. Helicopters flying overheard, news trucks and reporters, onlookers with cameras. I felt bad for the bears. They drugged them and carted them off to somewhere "safe".

[Echo]

They run Massachusetts and are working their way into NH.

Working their way into EVERYWHERE!

[Traffer]

A mountain lion killed in Connecticut was from South Dakota.
Incredible range!
https://abcnews.go.com/US/conn-mount...ry?id=14169829

[LUCKYDAWG13]

One was killed in Chicago a few years ago and test showed that it was from South Dakota also

[kens]

How would they know it didnt walk up from Florida, with all the hurricanes, global warming and such??

[LUCKYDAWG13]

How would they know it didnt walk up from Florida, with all the hurricanes, global warming and such??

They tested the DNA

[FISH4BUGS]

I have also seen a mountain lion here in NH. Inland about 25 miles from the Seacoast. Crossed in front of my car at about 50 yards away. There have been many sightings here in NH. F&G DOES admit their existence but claims they are simply "passing through".
There is no mistaking the profile of a mountain lion.
But telling people you have seen one is like telling them you were abducted by aliens in UFO's.
But they are here. No doubt about it. This one has a range of about 10 miles square.

[Hickok]

From what I read, the Fish and Game dept. doesn't admit they exist because people would freak out, and then the dept. would have to come up with a management plan.

We have them here in WV also. The reason I was given for the DNR denying their existence is because the mountain lions are on the endangered species list, any habitat they live in would become highly managed and restricted from private and commercial usage.

[redhawk0]

My hunting partner and I were talking about this just last weekend. We hunt near Center Harbor, NH...anyway...I asked him about Mt. Lions in the area and he said the same thing. NH doesn't recognize them as a native animal in the state. Funny thing though...VT, ME and MA all have Mt. Lions....Whatever borders NH has put up...We need them along Mexico....hahaha

redhawk

[William Yanda]

We have them here in WV also. The reason I was given for the DNR denying their existence is because the mountain lions are on the endangered species list, any habitat they live in would become highly managed and restricted from private and commercial usage.

If that is the case, I hope the New York Dept. of Conservation continues to insist that they are not here.

[GhostHawk]

Way I figure it the Eastern Mountain Lion may have gone into hiding for a century or so.
But it has recently figured out that most of those humans are no longer carrying guns out east.

So it is safe to go back to their old hunting grounds and they did so.

A large deer population probably does not hurt any either.


Where I live on the Minnesota North Dakota border we are getting bears where there never were bears.

There were no bears in the squirrel woods I hunted as a young man.
But there are now. They are learning they can live on the edge of contact with man.


Like the squirrels, coons, turkeys and deer did 30 years ago.

[Rick Hodges]

Michigan denied having them for years, stating it was people's pets that escaped whenever one was found. Finally, with the advent of game camera evidence they relented and admitted that they live and breed here. Not in large numbers to be sure but they are here in the wild.

[Johnch]

Here in NW Ohio
Not 4 miles from my house a mountain lion stayed in a old barn , up in the hay loft
Ohio DNR said ... no chance it was
It stayed around the Genoa Ohio area for 2 years

I had a chance to look at the trail camera pictures the land owner got from 2 cameras he put close the the barn
A guy from the Toledo Ohio zoo came out and looked at the scat and pictures and laughed
As that mountain lion was not the first wild one he had looked at pictures of and checked the scat
The next spring a mountain lion was spotted several times by a school by Port Clinton Ohio .... they also had pictures and tracks
Ohio DNR then had to admit it was a mountain lion , but claimed it had to be a tame one that had gotten away from someone

They kept it quite about it , but had several live traps in the area
They never would admit they caught it , but after the Ohio DNR had the live traps put out
The Mountain lion was never spotted again

So IMO a lot of state DNR people don't want to scare people , or have someone hunting it down for a ego trip

John