North American Puma/Cougar - extinct?

[sandman0921]

Back here in Tennessee now. There have been no Cougars here since the early 1900's........at least none of the feline variety....plenty of the human kind....

TN wildlife officers are not sure if it's a reproducing population, or simply a cat passing through, but time will tell. Regardless, I'm sure eventually they'll return, and I have to say, I'm glad to see them back. However, I'm sure if they start to become a nuisance like they are in some western suburbs, my mindset might change.


http://www.outdoorhub.com/news/2015...nfirm-first-sighting-mountain-lion-100-years/

 

[thriller]

We caught one on a game camera when I was at sewanee in 2011 ( a friend was doing a bobcat study for his degree in natural resources. I'll have to ask around to get another copy of the picture but they are there, few and far between but there.

 

[ChrisG]

Hi
I have been notified by a friend that there is a facebook story going around that the North American Puma/Cougar [puma concolor] is extinct. Is this true?
I have looked at the IUCN red list of threatened species and they assert that the Puma [puma concolor] is "LC" Least concern, meaning there are many and spread out all over the north and south americas.
Any anecdotal or hunter experience would be most gratefully accepted to assist with this query.
Kind regards

Andrew

Definitely not. I live in the Adirondack National Park in upstate NY and, while the New York State Dept. of Environmental Conservation won't officially acknowledge that there is a breeding population of them here, there have been enough confirmed sightings to prove that they at least move through here. Out west apparently, they are as common as black bears at least, and just as reclusive.

 

[BWH]

I am guessing by Puma/Cougar.... you are referring to the Mountain Lion. From all indications, it is more prolific & doing better now (population wise), than it has been in probably 100 years. So much so the hunting season/limits are as liberal as they are.

 

[HuntingGold]

I have a trail cam that caught three at once last year. When the third came into view, you could barely see the last.
This year, I just changed my camera card and started walking up the hill. 40 minutes later, I caught this lady (?). This is in southern Oregon.

 

[Bhfs300]

At least the cougar isn't following him 40 minutes later! That would be real interesting!!!

 

[BWH]

The mountain lion is far from extinction.... far from it. Alive & well in USA

 

[Bhfs300]

Sorry a great story from about 20 years ago. A bow elk hunter from Minneapolis was elk hunting between Buffalo Wy and Ten Sleep Wy.
He walked into the area that he had been hunting previously and got into a pile of down timber he had been using as a blind. When he looked back in the path that he took coming in.
There was a cougar fallowing his tracks. He stood up and started making noise to scare him away. At that point the cougar crouched and started coming in on an attack mode.
At the last minute he drew his bow and took the only shot that he had.
He walked out and contacted the Fish and Wildlife people they came and met him thinking sure a hunter shot an animal that they didn't have a tag for.
When he took them to the site and they saw the cougar with an arrow in the front of his skull laying on the trail in front of the fall of trees that he was sitting in they just said good job it could have been real bad.
True story!!!
Tom

 

[Bullthrower338]

This one I assure you is quite "extinct" but there is plenty of his kin in the mountains of Montana!

 

[HuntingGold]

At least the cougar isn't following him 40 minutes later! That would be real interesting!!!

We probably passed each other along the way. No worries. Now for my deer... they have worries.

I now have my black-tailed deer boned out and hanging in a tree. I will walk that trail again tomorrow at least twice to pick up the deer I named Buster, a buck that had a freshly busted tine! I had hoped for a larger deer; however, with only a day or two left in my season, I decided I like jerky rather than tag soup.

 

[BRICKBURN]

At least the cougar isn't following him 40 minutes later! That would be real interesting!!!

Around here they would check your camera card and then wait for you to come back.

 

[HuntingGold]

Around here they would check your camera card and then wait for you to come back.

Probably so...

 

[CAustin]

People post utter lies frequently on. Facebook and Pinterest and unless someone calls them out they keep doing it.

 

[seprim]

Thank you everyone that has posted here - great content
Stay safe everyone, and thanks for your input.
Andrew

 

[ArmyGrunt]

Me too @JimP !

Arizona is where I took my cat

What does it cost to go after one of these beasts? I have the itch again, but can't spare much time this year with all my college requirements. Non international trips in my near future .

Any thoughts on a well-priced deal would be nice!

 

[rinehart0050]

I've seen guided hunts, usually with dogs, advertised around $7-8k, depending on which state you hunt them in. if you're planning on do it yourself, it'll probably be just the cost of a license and a tag.

 

[JimP]

I have seen cougar hunts starting around $4500 US and then go up from there.

I believe that right here on the forums here last year there was a killer deal for a hunt in Utah, but a lot of those kind of hunts you have to be ready to go on a couple of days notice. They will call you tonight and expect for you to be at their location come Monday type of thing.

If you are really interested in a hunt for one and you are pressed for time it will depend on what state you are in and if they allow hunting for them. If they do talk to your local fish and game office and see what they say and if they could recommend a guide.

As for doing it yourself, forget it. That is unless you just want to hike over numerous miles of country without seeing one. I know of people that have spend their whole life outdoors and they have never seen one without the aid of a pack of dogs. I personally have seen about a dozen of them and a few during hunting seasons but I never did have a tag for one when I saw them.

 

[Ridgewalker]

Got a license in my wallet. Season here in Colorado starts December 1. I'll be out trying to call one in. You can't use an e-caller for big game in Colorado. It is a little nerve racking calling when suddenly a leaf crackles to your back side. This happened to me during the September bear season this year. I nervously turned and there stood a doe muley looking at me. Maybe this will be my year to call in a mountain lion.

 

[JimP]

You need to be real careful when trying to call in a lion, they have a habit of coming in from a direction that you don't expect.

 

[Bhfs300]

Got a license in my wallet. Season here in Colorado starts December 1. I'll be out trying to call one in. You can't use an e-caller for big game in Colorado. It is a little nerve racking calling when suddenly a leaf crackles to your back side. This happened to me during the September bear season this year. I nervously turned and there stood a doe muley looking at me. Maybe this will be my year to call in a mountain lion.

Keep us up to date on how this is going. I am also from Colorado and would like to do a DIY mountain lion hunt. If I could get it for a tag and time then I might be able to get a life size mount.