Saturday evening i went up to watch the sunset by myself in skytop tower. on my way back to duck pond i came across tracks of a large cat. this is my second encounter of a large cat in this area and feel 100% sure it is a mountain lion/ cougar.
My experience with tracking is minimal but i was raised in hunting family and have been hunting since the age of 12 and hunted from NJ all the way to Elk hunting in Wyoming. so i know a little about different animal tracks.
So when walking down from skytop at 7:30 pm I came across the cat tracks which were fresh tracks. Upon seeing these tracks i took pictures to have proof and confirm what type of tracks i was seeing. Yesterday (sunday) i showed 5 people the pictures all with outdoor hunting experience and 2 of them have been to colorado hunting for cougars. Everyone agreed that this was from a large wild cat.
i wouldn't be real concerned if i just came across the tracks. but when i walking down i had the feeling i was being stalked before i came across the tracks.
The location of the tracks was on Kleine kill path. this is a popular area for people to go hiking and jogging so be careful and travel in numbers.
sure, i'll save the photos and show you, btw what you know about animal tracks? pm me your cell phone # if you have text message w/ photos. i would like to find someone associated w/ the DEC
Registered: 05/01/01
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Loc: The land of HomeImprovement
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I don't know from looking myself, but I have some that might. I can also hang some meat in my backyard on the clothes line and have RangerRob come over and camp out in my kitchen with his 22. I think I might just have enough beer to keep him stationed for about 5 days. (If rationed well)
Registered: 03/21/01
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Loc: new york/istanbul
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won't work.
you need a small child playing with the steak for maximum effectiveness, and a smoker going down the block. Or a small quiet meaty looking dog...
two kids got nabbed when i lived in missoula. never let your kids play outside by the mountain by themselves at twilight. i would have thought it was a no-brainer. At the time, it was barely front page news in the local paper.
I personally think it would be cool to have big cats back in new york.
Registered: 04/16/02
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Loc: a wanna be kerhonkson-er
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You can send them to your email from your phone. On my phone what you do is go to the saved picture and choose the menu option that says send in email message but each phone is a bit different. Post them here if you can. I don't know about animal tracks but I'm curious to see them.
I have come across some large wild cat prints this past winter over in the NW corner of CT near the CT/MA/NY border area near the AT. Also some coyotes and there have been some bear tracks spotted there recently as well. I am not sure how much hibrnating Yogi and Boo Boo have done this winter, but I am sure they will be out and about soon.
They; the cats, seem to be roaming further and further south and/or just coming back to their own territory. Something to keep an eye out for, not for the 'Oooo Cool' factor, but the safety factor. I hope you reported it to the Preserve, they would probably want to know something like that.