Mountain lion sighting updated in Upstate NY
I've heard from a lot of people over the years who swear they have seen mountain lions in our region, from Eagle Bridge to the Adirondacks.Some of the reports are credible, some aren't.
The state Department of Environmental Conservation's confirmation earlier this year that a mountain lion, aka panther or cougar, passed through the Lake George area last winter shows that cats from wild panther populations from the west and north sometimes roam through our region.
So when a person I know contacted me Friday to pass on a tip about a possible mountain lion kill of livestock in our region recently, I figured there could be something to it.The tipster, who has proved very reliable in the past, said that a well-respected local business owner (I'm not going to say where yet, but it's within a half-hour drive of Glens Falls) had a sheep disappear from his pasture recently.
A bloodtrail was evident, and the owners followed it only to find the sheep's remains up in a tree.
That's classic big cat behavior, putting the meat where other predators can't reach it.
The story I was told was that they set up trail cameras in the area, which quicky confirmed their suspicions -- a mountain lion was to blame. They have not contacted the DEC, I was told.
The tipster passed on the name of the victims, and I reached out to them Friday. A person who answered the phone at their business paused when I explained what I was calling about and said, "You've got to talk to my father about that." I haven't heard back yet, but this one seems pretty credible. I'll let you know what I find out.
UPDATE -- I spoke today (Monday) with the partriarch of the family at the center of the sightings, who confirmed much of the story for me.Two goats have disappeared, not a sheep. He said the trail camera pictures clearly show a mountain lion, and I'm waiting to get copies of them with the understanding I not say where they are.
"My son saw it yesterday when he was hunting," he said. "It's around. Might even be more than one. We don't want it around here anymore."I'll keep you posted.
-- Don Lehman
The state Department of Environmental Conservation's confirmation earlier this year that a mountain lion, aka panther or cougar, passed through the Lake George area last winter shows that cats from wild panther populations from the west and north sometimes roam through our region.
So when a person I know contacted me Friday to pass on a tip about a possible mountain lion kill of livestock in our region recently, I figured there could be something to it.The tipster, who has proved very reliable in the past, said that a well-respected local business owner (I'm not going to say where yet, but it's within a half-hour drive of Glens Falls) had a sheep disappear from his pasture recently.
A bloodtrail was evident, and the owners followed it only to find the sheep's remains up in a tree.
That's classic big cat behavior, putting the meat where other predators can't reach it.
The story I was told was that they set up trail cameras in the area, which quicky confirmed their suspicions -- a mountain lion was to blame. They have not contacted the DEC, I was told.
The tipster passed on the name of the victims, and I reached out to them Friday. A person who answered the phone at their business paused when I explained what I was calling about and said, "You've got to talk to my father about that." I haven't heard back yet, but this one seems pretty credible. I'll let you know what I find out.
UPDATE -- I spoke today (Monday) with the partriarch of the family at the center of the sightings, who confirmed much of the story for me.Two goats have disappeared, not a sheep. He said the trail camera pictures clearly show a mountain lion, and I'm waiting to get copies of them with the understanding I not say where they are.
"My son saw it yesterday when he was hunting," he said. "It's around. Might even be more than one. We don't want it around here anymore."I'll keep you posted.
-- Don Lehman
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