Big Cats

[Brenda]

While the DEC's stand on this species is clearly outlined in the link below, I continue to hear of sightings across the state on a regular basis. Some of these sightings are certainly cases of mistaken identity, but some of the sightings are from credible sources. I will reserve judgement, but I'd like to hear people's thoughts and stories.

http://www.dec.state.ny.us/website/dfwm ... acofs.html

[Matt]

A wild cat is not going to be easy to spot, scarce or no.
They span such a wide territory that there could be 1 every 10-50 square miles. That's a lot of territory for one animal.

They have been extirpated in our area due to habitat loss.
But there are still lots of large, rocky forested areas in the state as well as plenty of deer and road kill for them to eat. There is nothing stopping them from re-inhabiting the area or surviving in a few isolated populations.
The problem is that if there isn't a sustainable population, they wouldn't last long with all the environmental pressures and large territories (they wouldn’t be able to find a mate).

Better than sightings, is evidence of prey. A carcass of wild deer or domestic livestock that shows evidence of a wild cat. That’s what I’m waiting for.

[Brenda]

While I have never heard or seen one locally, nor have I ever seen the evidence of one (fresh deer carcass, tracks, etc.), my step-son spotted one a few miles from here one night on the way to his in-laws. I have no doubt from his description that it was a cougar. It leapt across the rural road in front of him, only touching the pavement once. He called me, freaking out, saying that he had almost hit a very large tan cat with a long tail. I believe his words were, "What the hell was that?" I tend to think that there are small isolated populations, but with the size of their territories and how elusive they are...I would like to see some hard evidence too. There certainly is no lack of folklore though, and I really enjoy hearing it.

[champy1013]

one could also make an argument about wolves as well - of course the pre-contact history of the wolves in New York State is anything less than certain. But since wolves exist in the wild right across the borders in Ontario and Quebec, I think it's only a matter of time before they manage to get back into the state - or at least into Northern Maine, VT, and NH

Here's an interesting article on someone who actually shot a wolf in the Adirondacks:
http://www.gobacktothebasics.com/inform ... k_wolf.htm

Of course, the problem is - was it released, a hybrid, or what? Some people theorize that they coyotes are bigger in the east than out west because they have at one point mated with wolves - and then there are people who don't know what type of wolf was once here - red wolf, timber wolf, eastern grey wolf, etc...

I'd love to see t hem reintroduced, but only with proper planning - and probably it would have to start with Elk being reintroduced.....

[Jennifer]

I wouldn't doubt their existence. I worked with a lady that said she saw one, with an unobstructed view, near her home. My parents are also convinced they saw the tail-end (no pun intended) of a cat a few years ago on Texas Hollow Rd. They were driving down the road and saw the last half of what they believe to be a large cat leaping into the brush. They said it had a really long tail.

[Jennifer]

Btw, sort of on a related note... There was a bobcat shot and killed last fall near the Penn Yan or Tyrone area. Someone happened to send me an email of it. I wasn't sure if it was true but after passing it on to a friend she told me it was her husband (just his arm) in the picture and he had gone up to see it. So they are around too.

[Matt]

yeah, sightings could be Bobcats or Canadian Lynx.

[Matt]

I heard from a firend of mine, who works for the DEC that Bobcat populations are currently normal and encounters may become more common. They seem to be thriving off of the deer population, living well off of fawns. They are the one big cat native to NY that thrives in second growth forests.