Mountain lion 8/6/'12 @ 8:45am

[Tinafofina]

Taken w/ non-high-tech camera phone. Viewed from balcony during morning coffee. Research indicates that it is possibly a young mountain lion. Research also indicates that NH Fish & Game doesn't think so.

Was approx. 35-50lbs.(balcony view can be deceiving, when my dog is on the ground he looks super tiny), 2.5-3' tall, short tawny colored hair on back and face, black spotted underbelly with white-ish fur, small ears (we were so shocked that unfortunately are unsure of shape), long tail w/ dark coloring towards tip (nearly as long as it body...2.5' estimated), tip of tail pointed upwards slightly, very muscular legs. Made no noise. Face was smallish & pretty w/ pale yellow eyes.

Strolled from the east and stopped to stand on our a$$ rock (it is split), continued towards the west several feet, spied us sitting on balcony...eyed each of us slowly, and then disappeared into ferns @ edge of pond. All silently.

We are not hunters. What do you think?

[MikeF-NH]

could easily be a bobcat at this size (probably what F&G is thinking). Did you notice the tail? If it is short, it's a bobcat or lynx (less likely)...if it is long, it is possibly a lion. I don't see a tail in that picture which again, leads me to speculate that its a big (bob) cat.

[Jonas Pilot]

I agree with Mike. The tail doesn't look long enough. Good capture Tinafofina.

From National Geographic.

[Slickcraft]

It's a bobcat.

[Tinafofina]

Got too excited and only got one pic, which does not show the tail length clearly. I believe all fours were placed on rock and tail is hanging down, covering the right hind leg in pic. The tail was about as long as body length.

Jonas Pilot, the underbelly was marked like your photo.

So exciting, we are still in awe.

[Jonas Pilot]

It's pretty cool to see something like that isn't it? I think that if the right rear leg was on the rock you would be able to see the foot just like you see on the left rear leg.

[acanthus]

The tail was at least 2 feet long-- it is lined up with the leg and not clearly visible in the picture. I was too mesmerized by the sighting--glad you thought to grab your cell Tina, to snap the pic. We need to keep a camera handy!

[Jonas Pilot]

With my editing system I tried to bring out the details.

[GM doc]

I was talking to a few people that ALL saw a Botcat in the 171/ Sodom Rd area last sunday afternoon. right in the Mt Shaw parking lot area. Just some info. either way, You are a VERY lucky person to see EITHER.

[Coolbreeze]

I think that kitty is too big for a bobcat!

[SteveA]

The scale is the hunter... IMHO... it's a bobcat.

This is a bobcat



This is a mountain lion



If you get a chance, take a visit to the Squam Lake Science Center. They have captive rehabilitated Mountain Lions and Bob Cats. Might be that seeing them both live.. could answer your question.

[Slickcraft]

Right you are Steve, a bobcat.

Some local bobcats are good size, this is a photo of a friend of ours who live trapped bobcats for a UNH/F&G project to put tracking collars on the cats. While the pictured cat was fair sized, he estimated that one photographed near the Gilford transfer station was about 10 lbs heavier than the one he is holding.

[Jonas Pilot]

That's the same way to make your fish catch look bigger!
How exciting his job must be.

[jeffatsquam]

I have been working outdoors in the Lakes region for over 30 years and have seen many Bob cats over the years and one Mt. Lion.

My description of that sighting would have been almost identical to tinafofina's and if you have seen both there is no confusing them

[Tinafofina]

That is so cool jeffatsquam!

We are certain about basic size of the cat, as well as significant length of tail. We also saw one bobcat months ago, and it certainly was a different animal.

What we saw may have been a young mountain lion. The description is an accurate account of three adults, and it simply was not a bobcat.

[Jonas Pilot]

It's too bad. There might have finally been a chance to prove the existence of mountain lions in New Hampshire and the image just doesn't prove it. If it was I, I would measure the boulders the cat was on. Perhaps with that you can get an estimate of its length.

[Resident 2B]

If the tail was two feet long, it was not a bobcat. I believe we have a few mountain lions in the lakes region, but I have never seen one.

The reason for my thinking is the large mountain lion that was killed by a car in southern Connecticut last June. People kept reporting sightings of big cats and the F&G folks said it was impossible.

When the cat was killed by the contact with the car on busy Rt. 15, F&G (DEEP) first stated it had to be an escaped pet. Wow! The mountain lion was 9 feet long nose to tail, clearly not a pet. When they completed their testing, F&G (DEEP) determined the cat was once in South Dakota and had been tracked across the northern states as it was moving to New England.

If they are in Connecticut, I believe they are in New Hampshire as well as Vermont, Massachusetts and Maine. There have been many sightings and photos of mountain lions in Connecticut the last few years.

Here is a link to the details:
http://newcanaan.patch.com/articles/...-lions-journey

R2B

[jeffatsquam]

When I had my sighting about 18 years ago I told my friend Rawson Wood about it as I was doing some work for him.

What he said was I should have jumped out of my truck grabbed a bucket and covered up a footprint so as somebody could identify it. The bucket will preserve it longer.

I would love to have that opportunity to follow his orders

[SteveA]

Originally Posted by Jonas Pilot

If it was I, I would measure the boulders the cat was on. Perhaps with that you can get an estimate of its length.

It would be very cool if it was a Mt. Lion. ...and this is a great idea. The picture is clear enough to get some pretty accurate measurements.

Montana F&G has this excellent guide. I think this should link to it.. it's a PDF so I'm not sure.

fwp.mt.gov/fwpDoc.html?id=40997

The "stride" of a Mountain Lion is 40" according to this site. I did see another site that listed a bobcat stride as between 23-27 " and Mountain Lion between 32" for female and 40" for a male.

[SIKSUKR]

I reported here in another thread last year that I had a sighting of a large cat in Franconia.Definately a long tail on this one and I would guess appr. 3 feet high but I could not see any markings as my view was mostly a silhouette from 1000 ft as it ran across the road right next to Cannon Mt Ski Area.I contacted outdoor writer John Harrigan from the Union Leader and he said there have been many sightings in NH but none comfirmed by F&G.

[Tinafofina]

Just received reply from NH F&G, which was a copy & paste from the original post here, including pic. Labeled a bobcat.

This is just exciting/frustrating enough to make me haul myself down to the rock & take measurements. Thanks to all for suggesting.

Bucket over possible prints< I should really go look soon...

[Resident 2B]

Originally Posted by Tinafofina

Just received reply from NH F&G, which was a copy & paste from the original post here, including pic. Labeled a bobcat.

This is just exciting/frustrating enough to make me haul myself down to the rock & take measurements. Thanks to all for suggesting...

So then, we have another sighting of a NH Long-tailed Bobcat.

R2B

[Tinafofina]

Resident 2B, lol & apparently not so exclusive.

[Jonas Pilot]

Bobcat tails are like peoples noses. Some are longer than others. They can be almost a foot long. Not the noses, the tails!

[Slickcraft]

Originally Posted by Jonas Pilot

Bobcat tails are like peoples noses. Some are longer than others. They can be almost a foot long. Not the noses, the tails!

Photo of a long tailed bobcat.

Examples of people with very long noses can be see nightly staring in political ads of all persuasions.

[Grant]

I ran across a large one on the trail while backpacking in the White Mtns -- on the trail between the double summits of Mt. Guyot. It was a very narrow section of trail bordered by those dense, scrubby spruces, and there was a group of 5-6 fat spruce partridges feeding on the trail. I stood and watched them (as they didn't seem to care if I was passing through or not), and when I turned the corner, there was Mr. Robert Cat, obviously stalking some tasty fowl and just as surprised to see me as I was him. At first, I thought it was a lynx (still not sure) because of the spots and long tufts on top of the ears. But it was very similar to Jonas Pilot's photo above.

Definitely the highlight of that trek!

[Jonas Pilot]

The bobcat I saw wasn't that close but it sure was exciting. We own cats and had one that was a muscular 15 pounds. This wildcat had to be in the mid twenties. It got my heart beating! It went into the woods and I followed it a bit but I didn't look too hard.

[inquiring one]

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=615864142306

[ishoot308]

http://www.unionleader.com/article/2...74/1007/news09

[Rattlesnake Gal]

The last couple of links to Facebook do not work for me. Anyone else having the same trouble?

Exciting proof of a cougar in New Hampshire!

[Winnisquamguy]

Two days after a photograph and my story on an apparent mountain lion in Alstead hit the front page of the New Hampshire Union Leader, reaction to it has been swift and varied. Some people have dismissed the photo as an obvious fake, while others have welcomed it as verification of what hundreds of outdoor people — farmers, loggers, hunters, hikers — have been saying for the past three decades and more, that wild cougars are indeed roaming New Hampshire's hills and valleys.

As a guy who's been keeping track of the better cougar reports ever since I started newspapering with the Nashua Telegraph in 1968, I've become something of a lightning rod on the subject, and believe me, my telephone and email box have overloaded since the story came out.

Radio got into the act too. In between writing this column, I had a good time with host Jack Heath on the “New Hampshire Today” show on WTPL, sharing observations with Mike of the Upper Valley, Alan of Dunbarton, and Dan of Weare. We delved into accounts of road-killed cougars mysteriously disappearing, and conspiracy theories such as Officialdom covering up proof of cougars out of fear of management duties and expense, or loss of government grants — this last part being a complete mystery to me.

Twenty-five or so years ago, when Charlie Barry, a longtime friend, was serving as Fish and Game director, he kiddingly — and publicly — vowed to eat my hat if solid proof of a cougar in the New Hampshire wild ever surfaced. I called him the day after Wednesday's story came out to tell him that I'd found my hat, well-saturated with bug-dope, bloodstains and bear grease, and to have his salt and pepper at the ready.

“I figured I'd be safe and dead by the time I might have to eat that hat,” Charlie said from his home in North Haverhill. “I'd have done it maybe at the Lancaster Fair, but it so happens that I have to be in Saskatchewan.”

To which I said that the hat and I could wait.

Several longtime readers of my stuff, in both the Sunday News and in the dozen or so weekly papers in the Salmon Press group, said the photo was an obvious fake. “It is the most common pose taxidermists use for mountain lions,” one longtime hunter wrote, “and his camera conveniently ran out of film so only one pose is shown. I have hunted mountain lions and never had one stand and pose for me at 50 yards. But I still believe mountain lions are in New Hampshire.”

Said another reader, “The Alstead pic looks like a moth-eaten mount. We've seen those before.”

And yet another: “Read your column about the mountain lion sighting this past spring. About five years ago I was at a Fisher Plow dealer in Gilsum called Snowplow Sales Inc. The photo that accompanied your column was on a bulletin board at the front counter. Exact same photo. I inquired about it and was told that it was taken by a “shed hunter” in Alstead and that he ran out of film. Same story, same photo, five years difference.”

In my conversations with the hunter who took the photo, he never mentioned that the May search for shed antlers was five years ago, and I've tried to call him to clear this up, to no avail. But I don't think it really waters the story down.

Longtime Pittsburg hunter, public official and guide Bing Judd, who's hunted all over the continent, said the photograph looks right to him. “No way do I believe that's a mount,” he said. “It looks like he was walking along and just stopped on the log. His feet, head and tail are just right. I'd bet my life on it, this is no mount.”

Fish and Game, meanwhile, remains cautious. Many such images, particularly ones that have traveled far and wide over the Internet, have turned out to be fakes or out-of-state images, said Game Division Chief Mark Ellingwood.

“There's no disrespect intended at all for people reporting sightings,” he said, adding that “it would be interesting and exciting” if solid proof surfaced to prove that the big cats are here. He said the message the department wants to send to people reporting sightings is first, one of respect, and second, that while people are certainly reporting what they believe are mountain lions, the state so far has no solid evidence, and if such evidence surfaces, the ongoing question would be where the animals are coming from.

Ted Walski, a longtime friend who's known all over the state as “Mister Turkey” for his stewardship of the nationally renowned restoration of the state's wild turkey population, said he's not surprised at all by the photo and story, and in fact knows the Alstead hunter. “He's my old dentist, so I guess I have to believe it.” Walski, who's been with the department for 40 years, added, “It would make sense, because there's been quite a rash of sightings around the towns and counties I serve during the past five years.”

For many years, I've interviewed the people I believe are the best in the field, namely farmers, loggers, hunters and hikers, who have made excellent reports on sightings of what they were dead-certain were cougars. Over all those years, I've written and printed only the best of the best — perhaps four or five incidents among the literally hundreds of reports I get each year, from all over New Hampshire, far and wide. To a one, they've described an animal as big or bigger than a German shepherd, tawny in color, with cat-like features and body, with — and this is the telling point — an extremely long, rope-like tail.

There is no other animal out there that could conceivably fit that description — not a raccoon, not a fisher (cat), not a fox or a coyote. Indeed, people reporting the very best of such detailed sightings resent even the implication.

All through the years, I've said that the Doubting Thomases out there, particularly the people in the world of Officialdom, won't be satisfied until a mountain lion is killed in the road, or shot by someone defending livestock or children, or caught on a camera in a photograph that, without doubt, shows a wild cougar in New Hampshire.

With the publication of the photo and story this past Wednesday, I've put 44 years of newspapering and 37 years of outdoor writing on the line, based on my instinct and belief in the people I talked with. If the story proves true, it's great news for the legions of people who hope to see another of the Northeast's great wildlife wrongs — the persecution of a predator who has ancestral rights to the territory — made right. If it's not a true story, so be it — you stick your neck out at your own risk.


http://www.unionleader.com/article/2...0301/708249984

[Rusty]

Below is the image of the Cougar that the article is talking about:



http://www.newhampshire.com/article/...1/NEWHAMPSHIRE

[Jonas Pilot]

I'm trying to figure out the reason why most of the experts still doubt the existence of pumas in New Hampshire. Is it because it effects our laws and they would have to be changed? Is it because of the fear of land use changes? Or is it still because of the lack of physical proof?

[SIKSUKR]

To me,that photo proves nothing.Even if it is a live mountain lion,how does anybody know where it was taken?What also bothers me is the "I ran out of film" story.

[SIKSUKR]

To clearify,Winnisquamguy is not the author of that article unless he is John Harrigan.When I first read it I got that impression because there was no mention of who wrote it.

[Winnisquamguy]

Originally Posted by SIKSUKR

To clearify,Winnisquamguy is not the author of that article unless he is John Harrigan.When I first read it I got that impression because there was no mention of who wrote it.

I put the link at the end of the article!

[sluggo]

I have seen a couple of big cats over the years , but with no pics no one would belive me. This pic was sent to me a while back. Its from Actworth NH , taken from a critter cam May 10th 2012. It kind of says it all dont you think......

[Rattlesnake Gal]

Originally Posted by Jonas Pilot

I'm trying to figure out the reason why most of the experts still doubt the existence of pumas in New Hampshire. Is it because it effects our laws and they would have to be changed? Is it because of the fear of land use changes? Or is it still because of the lack of physical proof?

I think that the general population would be frightened to know for sure that they are here. We will also have issues with these cats being hunted illegally.

With game cameras being so advanced, it is only a matter if time before there is unquestionable proof that we have mountain lions and wolves.

Always carry a camera!

[ApS]

Originally Posted by Rattlesnake Gal

I think that the general population would be frightened to know for sure that they are here. We will also have issues with these cats being hunted illegally.

With game cameras being so advanced, it is only a matter if time before there is unquestionable proof that we have mountain lions and wolves.

Always carry a camera!

Also, always carry a broom.

The first thread on Mountain Lions appeared here about seven years ago—briefly.

[Flylady]

I have followed this thread with interest in that i can not understand why so many think it is impossible to have a cougars in NH or fear that they may already be there.
I live in SoCal with mountain lions roam in the hills and mountains above us. We live in a somewhat populated area just north of Malibu with lots of mountain ranges. While I have never seen one (alive) we do know that there are a pair in the area and one or two cubs were fitted with transmitters earlier in the year.
My point is....if they can exist here in our area then surely they can exist in NH with all of the vast open ranges.

[Flylady]

This is playing today on local news stations very interesting and nice close up of the lion.

http://www.mynews4.com/news/local/st...BpgozI5ag.cspx

[SAMIAM]

Originally Posted by Rusty

Below is the image of the Cougar that the article is talking about:



http://www.newhampshire.com/article/...1/NEWHAMPSHIRE

I'd really like to believe these stories but this picture looks like a typical taxidermy pose (and a mangy one,at that)
The "critter cam" photo is real for sure,but why didn't anyone notify fish and game ....certainly,the deer carcass could not have been far away and it could have been varified.
Not saying anyone is trying to pull one over on us.....just that a picture is not enough and the details need to be varified beyond a doubt

[hilltopper]

Originally Posted by sluggo

Attachment 6582I have seen a couple of big cats over the years , but with no pics no one would belive me. This pic was sent to me a while back. Its from Actworth NH , taken from a critter cam May 10th 2012. It kind of says it all dont you think......

Sorry but there's a few things very wrong with that picture. It doens't look like New Hampshire's landscape. That's a deer feeder in the background...if you watch hunting shows you've seen them in use, especially in Texas. I'm not even 100% sure it's a Whitetailed deer...it may be a Mule deer. Probably the most obvious issue though is that by May 10th Whitetailed deer do not have antlers like that. They are still growing after being shed in the Winter and are in velvet until late Summer.

[Wildlife]

Originally Posted by sluggo

Attachment 6582I have seen a couple of big cats over the years , but with no pics no one would belive me. This pic was sent to me a while back. Its from Actworth NH , taken from a critter cam May 10th 2012. It kind of says it all dont you think......

This photo is from Texas. The entire story can be read at the following link.

http://www.buckmanager.com/2009/05/2...his-whitetail/

[Wildlife]

Originally Posted by jeffatsquam

I have been working outdoors in the Lakes region for over 30 years and have seen many Bob cats over the years and one Mt. Lion.

My description of that sighting would have been almost identical to tinafofina's and if you have seen both there is no confusing them

The peculiar part is a cougar is perfectly described but clearly the picture is a bobcat.

[SIKSUKR]

Originally Posted by Wildlife

This photo is from Texas.

That kind of says it all. Very hard to verify where these photos are taken. Seems easier to verify where they are not taken. People believe what they want to believe without much thought. Good work Hilltopper and Wildlife.

[bclaker]

Originally Posted by Rusty

Below is the image of the Cougar that the article is talking about:



http://www.newhampshire.com/article/...1/NEWHAMPSHIRE

The terrain looks a lot like the Squam Lake Science Center.

[sluggo]

Hill Topper When i saw the pic i posted i thought the same thing, but it came from one of my friends so i didnt debunk it. I couldnt understand why a deer feeder would be located in this region. I have seen them out west. Other than that we have seen a couple of big cats over the years in the moultonboro area. thanks for your thoughts

[Wildlife]

Originally Posted by Rusty

Below is the image of the Cougar that the article is talking about:



http://www.newhampshire.com/article/...1/NEWHAMPSHIRE

In the comments posted under the Union Leader article, one person reports viewing this same image a number of years ago in Gilsum. Clearly there are many question to be answered about this picture.

[SteveA]

... me and everyone else at the Squam Lake Science Center!

Very impressive animal.. and we were able to watch the "handlers" feed them and train them to receive injections in case they need to be anesthetized for any medical treatments. Part of the daily feeding process has the "feeder" ( a person behind a very sturdy wire mess screen) reach thru with a syringe without a needle on a long sturdy stick and "poke" the lion on the shoulder. They then immediately follow with a big chunk of raw meat on a second stick that the lion eats. They are conditioned to accept the "poke" from the syringe, in trade for food. Pretty cool.

If the lion co-operates with a number of repetitions of this they are rewarded with what looked like a very large rodent of some sort, that marks the end of the feeding process, and the lions take it away to eat.

The pair at Squam Lake are brother and sister, rescued as cubs in Montana, after their mother was shot and killed by a poacher.

We love the Science Center and have been members for years. Very well run facility and lot's for kids and adults to learn.

[SteveA]

Originally Posted by sluggo

Attachment 6582I have seen a couple of big cats over the years , but with no pics no one would belive me. This pic was sent to me a while back. Its from Actworth NH , taken from a critter cam May 10th 2012. It kind of says it all dont you think......

Or maybe from this website, with the story that says this picture was taken at a ranch in South Texas.
Don't feel bad.. according to snopes.com, this particular mountain lion has been credited with his kill in about 12 different states since 2009.

http://www.buckmanager.com/2009/05/2...his-whitetail/

[ApS]

Originally Posted by Resident 2B

...The reason for my thinking is the large mountain lion that was killed by a car in southern Connecticut last June. People kept reporting sightings of big cats and the F&G folks said it was impossible...R2B

Maybe the F&G folks hadn't seen these photos taken at Avon Mountain, CT:

[dpg]

Is that a collar he's wearing????

[ApS]

That's my understanding.

I forgot to mention that Avon Mountain is near West Hartford, so Mountain Lions would have to get past Massachusetts drivers to get to New Hampshire!

[Senter Cove Guy]

Originally Posted by Acres per Second

Maybe the F&G folks hadn't seen these photos taken at Avon Mountain, CT:

The photo on the right was taken in Greenwich CT and is likely a photo of the mountain lion killed by the car accident in Milford, CT.
http://newcanaan.patch.com/articles/...-lions-journey

What's the scoop on the collar?

[Chaselady]

While walking up Dame Road this past spring I saw approximately 250ft ahead a large tawny animal with a long tail ( as log as it's body ) cross the road, stop and look back at myself and my dog, and slowly disappear into the woods.
The animal had smallish ears, and the tail was almost dragging on the ground. I will say my dog, who is generally very happy and excited to see other animals, was extremely nervous and more than happy to turn around and go back the other way. As we walked back he kept looking behind us and kept his tail between his legs.
It wasn't until I thought about it that I realized what I had seen was probably a mountain lion. I contacted the local police and they were quite interested.
Fish and Game were less excited. Their response was " yeah, they won't bother you"

[jmen24]

The picture on the left is showing a collared cat leaving a relocation trailer. Note the rope leading toward the camera, that allows for remote activation of a spring latch that opens the door from a distance.

Given the poster, that picture could be from anywhere in North America and is quite likely not related to the picture on the right.

The collar is for tracking purposes. There are not many predators that get captured or relocated that do not get that piece of hardware these days.

Cool pic though!

[jmen24]

And here it is!

http://www.calgarysun.com/2011/08/02...-in-kananaskis

[ishoot308]

Originally Posted by jmen24

And here it is!

http://www.calgarysun.com/2011/08/02...-in-kananaskis

So the picture of the cougar posted previously wasn't from Avon, CT...? It wasn't even from this country??!!...

Sheesh!

[inquiring one]

I do believe we should have the Forum fact checkers get involved with the election. I'm willing to bet both parties would be rendered speechless

[Slickcraft]

Growing up in CT, I am familiar with Avon,Mt. We have also been in Alberta Canada. The two locations are at least a few miles apart.

[ApS]

Originally Posted by ishoot308

...So the picture of the cougar posted previously wasn't from Avon, CT...? It wasn't even from this country??!!...

The radio collar in the left photo should have been a clue, but the trees appeared like local species to me. I can't make out any radio collar in the right photo, but it's blurry.

My national-forum source included the two photos, but probably intended to provide a "known" Mountain Lion photo for comparison. The picture to the right in the below screenshot is represented correctly—as best as I know.

Yes, cool pictures...

Screenshot:

[Plumberswife]

My Husband and I were in Tamworth ( I know, sorry, not on the lake) about a month ago and a cougar ran right across the road in front of our truck. Just couldn't get my phone out in time. Not a bobcat!! They're here.

[Chaselady]

I saw one on Dame Rd in Tuftonboro spring of 2012. It was approximately 200ft in front of me, crossing the road. It stopped and looked back at me, and continued on into the woods. Tawny, sleek, about 4 ft long with the tail almost as long as the body, practically dragging behind on the road. My dog was shaking.
I reported to F&G and they did not deny it was a mountain lion. They did say " it won't hurt you "
Hah! Tell that to my dog!

[Flylady]

This picture was taken last week just a few miles south. SO if they can maintain their presence here in a very heavily populated So Cal surroundered by roads and freeways, living in NH would be very easy for them. BYW while they are rarely seen, in this area they have never been a threat.

http://www.theacorn.com/news/2013-09..._appetite.html

Sorry I cant seem to paste the actual pictures here

[Lakesrider]

Here ya go....

[flatlander02138]

I was shown the pic of the cougar dragging a deer by the neck earlier this week. It is all over the www with people saying it is from different states. Yesterday another pic appeared online from Belchertown Ma Animal Control showing a large bobcat that looks like this threads original pic in size. If u want proof search out the wmur pages video of the cat in Manchester last year. No mistakes about it. They had a cougar in Manch. Many say the FandG deny it so they don't have to protect it?

[Flylady]

I can assure you this was from CA. The 2 photos were taken by a motorcyclist. After the sighting was reported, the local Wildlife bio team went back to this location to determine if the deer was taken down by the mt. lion or hit by a car first. All the mt. lions in the Santa Monica's are collared so they are tracked pretty frequently. The team located the carcass of the deer and were also able to determine that the lion's mother also came to share in the meal. We all know we share our lovely area with the mountain lions so it is very exciting when we see or hear about a family of them that are surviving in this small mountainous area.

[Lin]

That Mountain lion photo is definitely from CA. They just had a bobcat photo on channel 5 boston from New Braintree MA late last week.

[Life is Wild]

I really think the whole "feel" of this animal is "bobcat." What may be being mistaken for a long tail looks to me to be the back right leg and foot, which is blackish along the bottom. Look closely and the tail, short and stubby, is visible laying flat against the rump, same tan coloration as the body. Awesome sighting either way!

And the photo posted by Slickcraft, Senior Member, of a "long-tailed bobcat" is again, a case of the back leg being mistaken for part of the tail. Look closely.