Proof Positive: The Wisconsin Couger EXISTS

I KNOW there is another related thread somewhere concerning legends of werewolves in Wisconsin... this small thread even talked about mysterious munchkins living near Milwaukee, and had a posting by me concerning old farmers talking about hearing and seeing large (bigger then dogs) sized cats... but search as I may, even with the google function, I cannot find it, so...

Last week, probably around Thursday (February 3), on the radio it was announced that a driver (don't remember name) hit what he said was a large cat, in Menominee County (located in the Upper Penninsula of Michigan). DNR officials noticed hair on his bumper, and had them analyzed; the DNA of the hair samples indicated that they came from a couger. The DNR officials stressed that even though there have been numerous reports over many MANY years of large cats in Northern Wisconsin, this smaple does NOT conclude that there is a breeding population living here.

Yeah, okay... cougers often migrate from the Rocky Mountians into Northern Wisconsin and the Upper Penninsula. Whatever.

Last year a local news station ran footage of video capturing the image of a large animal walking into the trees... but the news story itself was treating the whole cat thing as a joke, even though numerous old farmers have reported the site. Now there is actual physical evidence?

With the large cat being "discovered", a new strange whale call recorded last month (or so)... what next? Dragons? Yeti?

I shall add a link later tonight concerning this news event, unless someone beats me to it.

How'd you go from a wider range for cougar in north america to yeti and dragons?

That whale song was recorded much much longer than a month ago too no? Its been known for some years no?

[edit on 9-2-2005 by Nygdan]

I found this link lickity-split from the 5th.

Cougar sighting confirmed

TRAVERSE CITY - A cougar confirmation in the Upper Peninsula won't sway the Department of Natural Resources' stance on the possibility of a "breeding population" of cougars in the state.
The agency still wants more evidence.
The DNR confirmed this week that a hair sample turned in by a motorist who hit "a large cat" in Menominee County came from a cougar.
The cougar sighting in the Upper Peninsula was not a surprise, said Raymond Rustem, supervisor of the DNR's natural heritage unit.
"We have said all along we expect there are cougars out there based on reports coming in," he said.
He said an isolated cougar sighting doesn't confirm Michigan has a breeding population. The cougar could have been released from captivity or a transient that strayed into Michigan from Minnesota or Canada.

Full story at this LINK

Nygdan-

No disrespect, but for me, this "legend" of a large cat within these woods ranks right up there with reports of BigFoot. All the old time locals have talked about it, there's been video and audio recordings, but official stand points has it that no large cats could exist or live up here. Much like BigFoot stories... that's why I made the broader jump.

Just like how the gorilla never officially existed, or the panda never officially existed, until recently by "official" reports... even though those locals had tales of them, too. Come to think of it, there's also that Viet Nam deer...

I'm just saying if widely excepted truths in the animal kingdom keep on turning up as being "true", how much farther away will Yeti and dragons become excepted?

Willaim-

Thanks for the link... I was mainly sticking to the ATS search, figuring someone would have already reported this or posted the information. Thought for sure it would have been, but guess not! Thanks again!

I think cougars exist in Wisconsin... look at how much wooded area we have. That and ever since I was a kid I remember my Grandparents telling me to stay on the road and don't go in the woods behind the house cuz there were coytes and cougars back there. Then they'd plop a orange cap on my head and I'd go play by the neighbors...

reply to post by soothsayer



cougars or Moutain Lions were found in nearly all lower 48 states (not including Alaska off course). They were hunted to near extinction in the midwest. But now they are turning up once again From Up of Michigan to Arkansas.

Link

I have never understood why this entire Mountain Lion existence issue is even debated. About 8 years ago I overheard a Park Ranger telling a visitor about recent Mountain Lion sightings. This was on Skyline Drive overlooking the Shenandoah Valley in Virginia. So on a personal note I have always known that Mountain Lions still live in the Mid-Atlantic, and that was even admitted to by a U.S. Park Ranger. Yet, so many people seem to think that Mountain Lions do not exist in the East (except for Florida).

I saw a video recently posted on Cryptomundo taken from a supposed cell phone camera of a girl who was found dead. She had been torn up really good, and the responding police said the claw marks matched nothing they had ever seen before. The video is filmed in a short tunnel, which most likely runs under a road in the woods. You can hear a very loud scream from near the tunnel, and then the girl panicking. Everyone was saying how this must be "the Jersey Devil".

Hate to say it, but the scream sounded just like a Mountain Lion. They are notorious for being able to sound like a "Screaming Woman", and they were even given this nickname in Arkansas back in the day. No doubt the police did not recognize the claw marks, seing as so many folks still wish to dismiss Mountain Lions existing on the modern day East Coast United States.

I don't want to derail the thread (although inevitably by posting this I already have), but what whale song? I know of no new whale song?

As I don't know America and its 'known' native wildlife all that well, I will say that nature keeps on surprising. We find new regional variations of animals all the time, as well as entirely new animals. So I wouldn't be surprised if a species of cougar had decided to relocate during a tough time for food and decided to stay in Wisconsin.

reply to post by TheAgentNineteen



I would have no doubt that the Jersey Devil is indeed a Mountain Lion. Living in Montana I have hunted and killed 8 Mountain Lions in about 16 years, and understand their habits quite well. All these sightings and attacks have Mountain Lion stamped all over them. Ask any hunter in the east or Midwest they will leave no doubt that they are there and actually thriving.

I heard there was once three or four African lions that escaped from a traveling carnival into the vast northern Wisconsin wilderness never to be seen again. Can’t remember the specifics, or find any info now, but wow that’d give you a coronary running into one of them outside your tent.

reply to post by soothsayer


Funny you bring this up. I swear I've seen one hunting, and I lived in Marinette County in Wisconsin (neighbors Menominee)...this was about 13 years ago or so...I didn't think anything of it 'cause I didn't know it was all THAT unusual. I never really looked into it....

Of course cougars exist in Wisky, and all over the feakin’ place! Here in near East Texas, there’s a fairly new state park on the south end of Lake Tawokani. The park ranger has found cougar track several times, but he call’s them bobcat tracks in order to keep the endangered species crap off of their backs. I’m sure the same thing happens all over.

I live in Illinois and the other day my dad brought me a clipping from a newspaper. I believe it was Greene county, IL.

I don't remember all the specifics, I'll try to get the clipping back from him. It was an article about someone killing a cougar I believe, in Greene county.

According to the article, several years back, the IDNR made a deal with some western states. They shipped some turkeys out there and released cougars, mountain lions and black bear in IL. Supposedly to help control the deer population.

Wouldn't be surprised if Wisconsin was involved in something similar or maybe some wandered up.

www.duluthnewstribune.com...§ion=NewsHeres my 2 cents worth. Posted from My home town news.

here is the supplied image with the news story. I hope this helps some.
notice the orb in the photo? spooky!

I think the 'orb' is in fact the cougar's tail caught in mid-swish, and nothing more.

Originally posted by Nygdan
How'd you go from a wider range for cougar in north america to yeti and dragons?

That whale song was recorded much much longer than a month ago too no? Its been known for some years no?

[edit on 9-2-2005 by Nygdan]

Anyone have any more info on this whale song? I'm much more interested in a possible new whale species than in a range extension of a mountain lion...