Wisconsin Cougar? Pelican Lake. Myth?

Todd Painton

Todd Painton

Member
Got this in the email. I am well aware of internet rumors and wanted to know if anyone had heard about this and can verify. I have talked to many people who have seen cougars and cougar tracks in Wisconsin. The DNR sticks by their claim that there are no cougars. This was evidently taken in Pelican Lake during the gun deer season this year. Evidently the guy shot the cat from his stand when it was felt he was being stalked. I know nothing more.

[font=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica]View attachment cougar.jpg[/font]

Anyone know this story/guy?

View attachment cougar.jpg
 
Either that guy is 4' tall and 80lbs or that Cougar is a world record. There is supposed to be one around my brothers place and West of us here on the cuff of Michigan....the DNR denies it but they are protected in the game regs and you aren't supposed to shoot them. Hmmmmm.....
 
I dont claim to be very smart but I have seen some pretty big cougars while hunting down here and there is no way that is a real picture. Figure a good size cat is about 140-160 pounds? unless that guy is a chinese gymnist with a white guy mask on its got to be photo shoped. That would put it at what like 200 pounds maybe? Its still a cool picture.
 
Todd,

I agree, it's unlikely only because I haven't seen or heard anything in the news regarding anyone shooting a cougar in Wisconsin this past deer season. If that had happened it would be big news all over the state. If you want real confirmation, call the DNR and ask them or the local paper in Pelican Lake.

Yes, for years the DNR has denied any cougar sightings and has said that they are probably escaped animals from game farms, pets, zoos, whatever ..........UNTIL last winter when they went to investigate a sighting down near Milton. They did DNA tests on the hair and blood left after the cat was injured jumping out of an abandoned barn and confirmed that it was indeed a wild cat. The DNA was consistent with that of wild cats from South Dakota. That cat was sighted again a few weeks later in a county south east of there and then again in a northern Chicago suburb where it was shot by police. It was positively identified as the same cat as the one seen in Milton. I have heard other reports of cats in southern Wisconsin, some that were not called in to the DNR due to their previous stance on sightings.
 
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Vermont officials had the same dilemma years ago... except in VT, the cats are called "Catamounts"... all the same animal, different state.

Anyway, my wife saw cats on two different occasions, one Mama with a "cub"... or is it a "kitty"... ?

Now, I will preface that she did not take a picture of the cat nor was there a DNA sample taken and proven at the local Crime Lab, but her sightings have been reliable in the past therefore it could still be construed as speculation by some on this esteemed board. ; )
 
Are you sure it was a cougar of the feline variety, and not some 45 year old bar fly out trolling for younger men - also known as a "cougar"? Both are considered dangerous and should be approached with great caution.

Be careful out there.


Nate
 
That picture has shown up as a mountain lion from about every state in the country. I am quite sure the real story was that it was from WA and was called in. It is a big cat taken 4 or 5 years ago I think. If you go on a predator calling site I'm sure you can find more about it. You can rest easy knowing it is for sure not from Wisconsin.

Is there mountain lions in WI? Could be but there is no way there are so many that they are showing up as much as people believe. One of the most densely populated areas of lions iis in the Black Hills of SD. They are roaming out of there because if it and are the source of many that show up in far off places. Ones tagged in SD showed up in OK and in Canada. I'm sure the few showing up in MN are from there also.
Why I doubt many of the sightings east of there is that most are founded on bad evidence. I've seen bear tracks on news casts as proof of lions. I've seen video of house cats spraying to mark their territory, something mountain lions do not do and may be incapable of doing.

Oh and no state is secretly bringing in lions from out of state. The laws states and the USFWS have to follow DO NOT ALLOW THIS. In no shape manner or form can you transport live wild animals between states for release without some form of public document stating so. Much like the coyotes hysteria that had states and the insurance companies transporting and releasing coyotes to cut down the deer herds in the east, that stuff doesn't happen except in in Oliver Stone movies. There have actually been some people charged with moving coyotes across state lines and releasing them. They had nothing to do with the state but were hunters who wanted to run dogs on coyotes.

My $.02 on this subject,
Tim
 
Pete, are you hearing anything more on the rumored pack of wolves running around your area?

My dad's coffee group swears there has been sighting between Lake Mills, Jefferson and Fort Atkinson. I have been coyote hunting that area for the past couple of years, and have yet to see any, not that I am real interested in meeting them face to face.

Andrew
 
Andrew,

No I haven't heard anything of wolves. Next time I get a haircut I'll ask - Bob L. is the head of the local coyote/fox hunters group. If anyone knows anything you can be sure the local barber will know.

Wait, now I remember. A couple years ago (or maybe even last winter) some hunters south of town said they saw a wolf. One of the group is a friend of mine and I asked him about it. He didn't think it was a wolf at all - too small, more than likely a large yote or maybe a coydog. Once a rumor gets started its hard to stop it.

I can see one wolf passing through but no way a pack would set up camp around here. Lots of food but not enough privacy IMO.
 
Hi,

I hope you realize since the guy was only 5' 10" they wouldn't allow him to shoot a mature Washington cat. That is why he was stuck shooting that 190 lb juvenille. In a couple of years and after it put on another 70 to 80 lbs it would have been about the size of our typical cat. Them things are everywhere out here. I bet if Sutton looked out his window right now there is probably at least two in his yard.

My best,

Don Shearer
 
which is only about 30 minutes from the house....

I've not seen them on the mtn., (but have seen tracks as close a the end of the street), but the Parks Department has the "wildlife inventory monitoring station" up at the old Nike Battery on the top of....taaaaahhhh hdaaaahhh...COUGAR MTN., and they photo them there more than they do Bears so there are a bunch of them.....

You're right though...none of that small stuff in this close to Issaquah....the big ones won't let the little ones into the neighborhood cause they know the little ones like to chase down and eat bikers and joggers....

Steve
 
Looks as big as an African female lion. If it's dead GREAT ! More power to anyone who shoots a cat of any description anywhere.

JMO,
Harry
 
OHHHHHH. I should have gone to snopes. Note to self... go to snopes on every email I receive. I have notified the sender of this message to start spamming back up the email tree the debunk link. Soon, within days, the person who started this stupid rumor will realize, his plan has failed. Thanks.. to this forum.
 
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