Mountain Lion in the U.P. ?

[Askel]

Got my weekly edition of the Daily Mining Gazette the other day and had an artical about a lady in Houghton that had a encounter with a cougar outside a local store. Apparently there was a swamp ajacent to the parkinglot and she heard the geese start to act up. She looked over and saw something scratching itself. Then it began to make its way along the edge of the swamp when it saw her and her lab. It started to come toward her and she made a quick bee line to her car. She went to the DNR and reported it. I know over the years that there have been sightings but nothing to confirm these. I remember when one was seen crossing the football field in L'nse some years back. Has anyone else read this story or was more ever elaborated on it?

[Youper]

Stories of encounters with mountain lions have been going on here for decades, yet they remain much like UFO sightings. No one has ever brought in a body or photo. I remain sceptical.

[icedperch]

I've heard a pretty reasonable explanation for the couger sightings. I can't remember where I heard it, but they said that they are probably Cougers that were once kept as pets. Idiots buy them as little ones then let them go when they get to big to handle.

We had this happen down by us in the Grand Rapids area even. Some people ain't to bright.

[troll]

Following is the story about the cougars from the Daily Mining Gazette, Sept. 19, 2001:

Prowling: Woman says cougar
approached her near Wal-Mart

No confirmed sighting in U.P.
in nearly a century: DNR


By STEVE NEAVLING
Gazette Writer
HOUGHTON — When Patty Vilmann saw a large cat-like animal slowly approaching near Houghton’s Wal-Mart store Monday morning, all she could do was stare.
“I didn’t know what it was when I first saw it,” Vilmann said. “It was right about the time it turned and looked at me that I realized, ‘Oh my gosh I must be looking at a mountain lion.’ I was scared.”
She immediately scampered to her car with her yellow Labrador Liby and drove home, where she called the state Department of Natural Resources.
A DNR official told her the animal likely approached in an attempt to protect its territory.
Unfortunately, that territory boarders populated areas like the Wal-Mart parking lot, Dodgeville and Hurontown. It’s also a favorite spot for cyclists, motocross riders, cross-country skiers and snowmobilers. That concerns Vilmann.
“There’s three sides covered with civilization,” the Houghton woman said.
According to the DNR, there has been no confirmed sighting of a cougar in the Upper Peninsula in nearly a century. However, reports of sightings have increased in recent years.
“There have been numerous sightings,” said Monica Joseph, a DNR wildlife technician, “but there has not been one confirmed by carcass, tracks or an actual photograph.”
Nevertheless, Vilmann says she knows what she saw.
Nothing seemed out of the ordinary Monday when she and Liby strolled across a gravel road that weaves through thick brush behind Wal-Mart.
They were some 50 yards from a swamp, when nearby geese began making an unfamiliar, alarming noise.
“I was watching the geese trying to figure out what was going on, and that’s when close to the bank this animal stood up and stretched,” she said.
Maybe it’s a deer or a dog, she thought. But when she looked closer, she realized it looked more distinctly like a cat — a large, 150-pound cat. For about a minute, she watched the animal move through the brush.
“This animal had a big, big haunch,” she said. “Its backside was strong, powerful. The legs were thick. It was low to the ground in proportion with its body, not like a deer. Its head was small. I could see that its ears were pointing straight up and kind of pointy. It was medium brown at the top, kind of variegated. And as the color went down its body it turned white on its belly.”
Eventually, the animal turned to see a startled woman and dog just beyond the gassy knoll.
The animal, she said, looked at her for a long 15 seconds. “And then it put its head down and started coming through the bush at me slowly, and that’s when I got really scared.”

http://www.mininggazette.com/Archives/astoriessep201.html

If you go to the site and do a search, there is one more story about cougars from March.

[TrapperJeff]

I just came across this link and it is very interesting for you yuppers....http://www.freep.com/sports/outdoors/cougar1_20011101.htm