Mountain Lion confirmed.......'bout time.

[wsushox1]

http://www.kansas.com/news/story/1020277.html

This subject gets me a little riled up because I have known there are mountain lions in Kansas for a long time. When you see mauled deer in trees you know it has to be mountain lions. I personally have never seen one but I have neighbors that claim they have seen them in the flint hills and near river beds where it is more wooded. It is said there is a mountain lion living around Fall River Lake, don't know if that is true.

There is a debate over whether Kansas actually has permanent Mountain Lions or if they venture in from other states. I would guess that Kansas does have permanent Lions living in the state. The KDWP would like you to think that the Lions are just coming in to eat from other states and don't live here year round. The article says that the KDWP gets hundreds of reports of mountain lions a year. I don't think any of the claims are taken seriously. Mountain Lions are solitary creatures, you will hardly ever see one unless you are really lucky.


I have more opinions on this subject but they will have to wait.

[ShockerGorilla]

What is the reasoning for keeping these sightings quiet or even dismissing them?

[SHOCKvalue]

What is the reasoning for keeping these sightings quiet or even dismissing them?

I've always been curious about this as well.

For years, the report of a mountain lion to the KDWP has not garnered much more than a "thanks", and some snickers behind the reporting party's back. You'd think people were calling in flying saucers and little green men. It's one thing to have barely any evidence to the report, but there have been very legitimate sightings for some years now.

It's humorous to me how Man thinks he has nature all figured out, and how people who have lived their entire lives in textbooks and theory dismiss compelling evidence by the average joe.

[wsushox1]

This is not official but....my neighbors say that they are covering up for the fact that they were the people who reintroduced them into Kansas. It would not surprise me if that is the case. I have heard that rumor for a long time. The reason that they might have introduce them is to experiment with the deer population another is to see if Kansas is a viable habitat for them. All viable theories but one will never know. It could just be that they needed pure scientific proof to confirm them as being in the state. For all we know the could have been in the state for a long time but like I said they are VERY solitary creature; seeing one is a rarity. I would go with the latter. They probably just wandered into the state.

Here is the best example of KDWP ignorance towards mountain lions. In Lawrence cameras captured this photograph of a mountain lion in 2004...... http://www.ljworld.com/section/bigger_photo/89323 . The KDWP dismissed it as just a cat but it is clearly a mountain lion. It has the black mark at the end of the tail and everything. I do not know why they did not confirm it as a mountain lion.

[wufan]

I've heard this claim too, and while I am not a conspiracy theorist, it is plausible i suppose. I know two people that claim to have seen mountain lions around McPherson. One of the fellas has a large deer population that frequents his 10 acres. I also know a few people that were sure they saw a mountain lion, but once they were able to get a better look, it was obviously a large bobcat.

[rZ]

I grew up on a farm between Udall and Belle Plaine, about a mile from the Arkansas River. Saw the big cats (and their tracks) all of the time. File this under the "late breaking news" file...20 years late.

[NCAABound]

This is not official but....my neighbors say that they are covering up for the fact that they were the people who reintroduced them into Kansas. It would not surprise me if that is the case. I have heard that rumor for a long time. The reason that they might have introduce them is to experiment with the deer population another is to see if Kansas is a viable habitat for them. All viable theories but one will never know. It could just be that they needed pure scientific proof to confirm them as being in the state. For all we know the could have been in the state for a long time but like I said they are VERY solitary creature; seeing one is a rarity. I would go with the latter. They probably just wandered into the state.

Here is the best example of KDWP ignorance towards mountain lions. In Lawrence cameras captured this photograph of a mountain lion in 2004...... http://www.ljworld.com/section/bigger_photo/89323 . The KDWP dismissed it as just a cat but it is clearly a mountain lion. It has the black mark at the end of the tail and everything. I do not know why they did not confirm it as a mountain lion.

It's hard to tell scale in that photo...but that looks more like a fox to me...the way the tail flares out, etc.

[wsushox1]

This is not official but....my neighbors say that they are covering up for the fact that they were the people who reintroduced them into Kansas. It would not surprise me if that is the case. I have heard that rumor for a long time. The reason that they might have introduce them is to experiment with the deer population another is to see if Kansas is a viable habitat for them. All viable theories but one will never know. It could just be that they needed pure scientific proof to confirm them as being in the state. For all we know the could have been in the state for a long time but like I said they are VERY solitary creature; seeing one is a rarity. I would go with the latter. They probably just wandered into the state.

Here is the best example of KDWP ignorance towards mountain lions. In Lawrence cameras captured this photograph of a mountain lion in 2004...... http://www.ljworld.com/section/bigger_photo/89323 . The KDWP dismissed it as just a cat but it is clearly a mountain lion. It has the black mark at the end of the tail and everything. I do not know why they did not confirm it as a mountain lion.

It's hard to tell scale in that photo...but that looks more like a fox to me...the way the tail flares out, etc.

The black end of the tale and the white underbelly are characteristics of a mountain lion (see below). It is plausible the KDWP is involved but I doubt it. This was probably the first time they had clear and documented proof.

[BostonWu]

Interestingly enough here's Oct. 15 WSJ article on the subject titled "There's Nothing So Rare as a Cougar in Missouri - Still, Many Sightings Reported; Mistaking Tabby for a Mountain Lion"

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB125554858267385473.html

[wsushox1]

http://www.kansas.com/2010/10/27/1559444/camera-catches-possible-mountain.html

Another one spotted. My mom swore she saw one crossing south a road south of town here in El Dorado.

I really want to see one here in Kansas, I have seen 3 in Idaho but never here in KS.

Last Night, I saw two shadowy creatures strolling in our back 20 acres of our house right at dusk. Most likely coyotes and not a mountain lion because they prefer solace it seems like.

[wsushox1]

By the way, I really want to hunt mountain lion out West sometime as well.

And if you can't tell Mountain Lion is my favorite animal lol.

[ABC]

I find the post-article blog comments very funny.

And I will admit that the first time I learned of the modern definition of "cougar" it was after one of the many mountain lion-sightin articles a few years ago.

"Cougars are dangerous; they can track down and pounce on young men from great distances...I've seen it happen at the Brickyard, Heroes and Mort's plenty of times."

[shock]

What is the reasoning for keeping these sightings quiet or even dismissing them?

because if there is documented proof of the big cats, then there would be upset ranchers/farmers complaining to fish and game about mountain lions killing their cows and calves (mostly calves). By denying their existence in KS F&G was able to not take action against them and saving political face with animal activists. plus, if there are big game animals like that, theres going to be clamor for a hunting season.

[wsushox1]

Word on the street is there will be some cougars in town this week.........lets do some hunting.