Photos Of Cougars Create False Scare

State and local wildlife experts have determined the photos that have alarmed many in Connecticut were taken in 2001 or 2002 by someone named Dr.

[Highway Worker]

Had me going! Local farmers have always stated they have seen cougars, as well as, MDC Police and Simsbury Police.

[Dave Clark]

"Reported sightings these days are more likely to be exotic pets that have escaped into the wild, experts say, or something other than a mountain lion."

Yeah, all of those escaped pet mountain lions.

I work in the natural resource business and have heard dozens of first-hand reports. A friend and I saw a Canada lynx in 2004 and DEP denied that one, too. An observation made by two graduate-degreed biologists doing winter bird counts with binoculars.

Problem is, unless a DEP staffer sees the critter himself, it goes in the denial bin. Tough to see a lot of wildlife from 60 Elm Street in Hartford, tho, ain't it?

[Highway Worker]

I heard from a retired Simsbury Police Officer that cougars were reintroduced for deer population control in Barkhamstead. Hunters were just not cutting it. This officer was an avid hunter himself and knew a conservation officer. It was a secret that many at DEP did not know. There have been road kills in Litchfield and the surrounding areas and they were covered up. I spoke with an MDC officer who almost hit one on the dam. He was told by a supervisor don't even bother reporting it.

Too many people have seen these big hunters, incuding the Linx. I get them in my back yard, seen the prints in the snow. Look what a bruhaha was created over an internet photo, all the housewives were calling and alarmed that their precious children would be eaten. We have a very active bear popluation for God sake, get a clue.

[on whalley]

I've seen one or two (maybe just the same one twice) here at West Rock in New Haven.

Tell me again why I can carry all day in public but as soon as I step into the woods where there are no rangers or even other people around and where my cell phone gets no bars and where even if I could communicate with outside directions to my location would be "in the damn woods" I can't carry. Even if I had full bars and rangers at the park I'd still have to sit and be mauled or assaulted while I wait 6-8 minutes. If that seems short to you why don't you have a buddy slap you around for 6 minutes? Let a dog chew at you for 6 minutes? See how short a period of time it really is.

My GF would also like to know why when she's out walking her dog in those same parks by herself she can't carry. That woman being beheaded in a park not too long ago doesn't make her feel any better about it. Oh but she has a dog. That'll protect her. So did that woman who got beheaded. She was also a black belt as I understand it. All the martial arts in the world aren't as effective as a bullet in the chest.

I guess since carry in CT is supposed to be concealed anyway we could just go on and carry despite laws to the contrary but that is the plight of the law-abiding gun owner. We obey the law often to our own detriment. When the hell has any criminal had to consider the legality of his actions?

[GrayPlayer]

UWO's, Unidentified Wildlife Objects, have been around since the beginning of time. Pink elephants, flying purple people eaters, bats in the Belfrey, Champ, Bigfoot, Nessy all have had their "fifteen" minutes of fame.

Suburban housewives should go back to watching the "soaps" and get out of the business of trying to identify wildlife.

[Duh]

Have any of these people heard of SNOPES??? Duh

[Highway Worker]

I have! And I have to admit I thought it was someone's pet here in CT. Had me going....

[Lisa Gi]

these photos have been going round and round for a while, want to bet someone else will fall for them next year

[suspicious]

As an email administrator, I don't trust much, if anything, that comes through in an email. 99.7% of email is spam and the rest are jokes or hoaxes, about .01% is business-related. As soon as I saw this I was suspicious, thanks for this article. Keep up the good work, maybe someday folks will stop perpetuating this stuff.

[Hayden Station]

Highway Worker wrote:

I heard from a retired Simsbury Police Officer that cougars were reintroduced for deer population control in Barkhamstead. Hunters were just not cutting it. This officer was an avid hunter himself and knew a conservation officer. It was a secret that many at DEP did not know. There have been road kills in Litchfield and the surrounding areas and they were covered up. I spoke with an MDC officer who almost hit one on the dam. He was told by a supervisor don't even bother reporting it.
Too many people have seen these big hunters, incuding the Linx. I get them in my back yard, seen the prints in the snow. Look what a bruhaha was created over an internet photo, all the housewives were calling and alarmed that their precious children would be eaten. We have a very active bear popluation for God sake, get a clue.

Oh please..secret cougars....what's next in Simsbury, flying saucers? Maybe you folks over there in la la land should put on your tin foil hats and vote for more ways to screw the middle class taxpayer out of more money....

[Hayden Station]

GrayPlayer wrote:

UWO's, Unidentified Wildlife Objects, have been around since the beginning of time. Pink elephants, flying purple people eaters, bats in the Belfrey, Champ, Bigfoot, Nessy all have had their "fifteen" minutes of fame.
Suburban housewives should go back to watching the "soaps" and get out of the business of trying to identify wildlife.

When this story first came out, the afternoon Colin Macenroe radio show was hit with calls from Simsbury housewives bragging about the cougars that were roaming around their homes...with the same kind of gusto that they use with "my (whatever) is bigger, faster, smarter, more athletic than your (whatever)". What a joke!

[Highway Worker]

Hayden Station wrote:

<quoted text>
Oh please..secret cougars....what's next in Simsbury, flying saucers? Maybe you folks over there in la la land should put on your tin foil hats and vote for more ways to screw the middle class taxpayer out of more money....

Uhm...last time I checked I was middle class, much to the chagrin of my fellow town residents! LOL!!!

But hey I believe a farmer, who I would think knows his animals, and a cop. About the flying saucers, that's just the Bradley Flight Path.

[Former Simsbury resident]

Mt husband and I saw a Mt. Lion freeze in our headlights on the dirt part of town forest road in the middle of the night in 1985. It was 5-6 feet long with a 2-3 foot long tail. It was tan colored. We saw it perfectly about 10 feet in front of the car. We stopped and watched it slowly walk away. There was no mistaking what it was.

[Jennie from New Milford]

This may have been a hoax, but there are still mountain lions in Ct!!!! For what ever the reason DEP won't admit it, but they are here.

[on whalley]

Jennie from New Milford wrote:

This may have been a hoax, but there are still mountain lions in Ct!!!! For what ever the reason DEP won't admit it, but they are here.

I remember when the DEP kept denying the existance of black bear and moose in CT. This year the legislature is proposing seasons and bag limits for both. How did we go from "no, we don't have in CT and if we did they are so few in number" to "we need a hunting season for these species" ?

I'm inclined to believe my own eyes above a government department.

[InWoodstock]

"The Northern Connecticut Land Trust will sponsor a presentation on Sunday, March 16, from 7:00 PM ? 9:00 PM, at the Somers Town Hall auditorium exploring various theories that explain how the Mountain Lion is reoccupying the Northeast. " at least some people are not denying it.

[WTF]

on whalley wrote:

Tell me again why I can carry all day in public but as soon as I step into the woods...

Check the carry laws. Pretty sure you're ok to be carrying anywhere but school property (if you don't have the school's permission). Our carry laws are fairly liberal.

[Mickey]

I believe that these pictures arn't from CT. I hear of many sightings in CT but have not seen one myself. There are those who say that the powers that be are trying to cover up any sightings of the puma or mnt. Lion because it would make the land that they are on undevelopable because of the endagered spieces laws. What do you think?

[on whalley]

WTF wrote:

<quoted text>
Check the carry laws. Pretty sure you're ok to be carrying anywhere but school property (if you don't have the school's permission). Our carry laws are fairly liberal.

Then the laws are inconsistent to say the least. Every park around New Haven I've been through has specifically stated "All weapons prohibited." With the exception of West Rock. Maybe I'm wrong in assuming the cities definition of "weapon?"

I generally ignore the signs anyway. Concealed means nobody should know so what difference does it make if I'm carrying or not? The difference comes should I ever have to use my "weapon" in an area that prohibits my carrying. Because of a conflict in legislation I'm going to be subjected to arrest and trial?

[Sheila]

Jennie from New Milford wrote:

This may have been a hoax, but there are still mountain lions in Ct!!!! For what ever the reason DEP won't admit it, but they are here.

That is correst Jennie. I know first hand I was looking at on this summer in my yard in Bethel. My property turns into wetlands and there is lots of wildlife to view.I am an animal rights advocate. I know what a cougar looks like.