Mountain lion hit and killed by Bemidji

[backwoods]

No joke, Friday night one was hit and killed and verified by the DNR.  They are doing a necropsy on it to see what it has been eating.

It wasn't collared or declawed so they assume it was a wild one.

Amazing...I can remember as a kid that you only heard about these out in Montana!

[Cody Gruchow]

theres alot more around than the DNR wants to admit....

[Go Big Red!]

Remember, they don't exist.....  Why won't they admit it?  The Wis DNR has done the same thing until the had photos of a treed cat....  I talked with one Wis DNR CO and he said (off the record) we don't have a mountain lion population so if you see one, shoot it.  You can't get in trouble for shooting something that doesn't exist here. He was dead serious too.

[backwoods]

Why kill something so rare and unique though?  It moved into this country and widened its territory due to the overpopulation of deer, I am betting.  I would MUCH rather see a mt lion eat a deer than have it hit on the road and just go to complete waste.

I cant think of a better deer population control to get the numbers down a bit.  There is WAY too much road kill of deer.

[beeker]

I know one of the guys in WI. that treed that cat.. the CO's wouldn't come out until he said they were going to shoot it. then they came out. I don't think you want to shoot something that doesn't exist based on the word of one man

[kenhuntin]

A lion population is not a good way to control deer. Unless the collateral damage to children and bikers and hikers does not bother you. Aint nothin to a lion to bite the head of a runner or the likes. The fast moving target triggers the kill impulse in these demons.

[The General]

So few bullets........so many cats.

[sochr000]

The Mountain Lion was hit out front of a lady I know's house, she sent me pictures, I'll try to scan them in to post here.

[sochr000]

Here's the pictures that were taken.  Sorry they're in PDF format, but my scanner hates me.

Edited to add: the kid in the picture is the kid who hit it.

[Go Big Red!]

The ultimate killing machine... pretty sweet to see.  Any word on what is being done after the DNR examines it?  Could the kid keep it or the hide?

[backwoods]

kenhuntin:   I suspect the list of people killed by mountain lions is relatively short, in comparison to the wheel of time and the actual true and documented attacks.

I don't agree with your argument that children and hikers and bikers are at danger.  If so, why aren't millions killed annually by mountain lions?

[thunderpout]

actually, it happens more than one would think.... at least in Colorado, California and other western states.... A turkey hunter got mauled in Red Wing while making calls in his blind a few years back... I know a guy who had to shoot one that was stalking his GSP when he was bird hunting in Colorado...most attacks arent reported.... I know farmers, hunters and a guy that was on a portage in the BWCA who have seen mountain lions here in MN... remember, just cause ya dont see em doesnt mean they're not there... Ive never understood the DNR's take on it... though I bet they get alot of pretty stupid people calling up saying they see all kinds of things, so its kind of like "the boy who called wolf" deal... but not all of us are complete idiots, and some of us can actually tell the difference between a cougar and a feral cat!

[backwoods]

I cant help but believe attacks happen all that much.  And if they are there and you dont see them, what difference does it make?  So are the deer, wolves, black widows, rattlers, aliens, extraterrestrials, politicians, etc.  (just kidding, you can smell politicians a mile off)

[kenhuntin]

http://cougarinfo.org/attacks3.htm
 Cougar attacks are rare that is true. But those in cougar country know how to act around them. As a fact you are 10 times more likely to die of a domestic dog attack. I think human fatalities due to a mountain lion are only about 1 per year. It has been great having grey wolves come back now lets bring on the cougars.

[backwoods]

Thanks for the link.  That is a FASCINATING website.  I spent some time on it and it really is in depth, interesting and thought provoking.  I admit up front that I learned a lot there.

I found this info on junglewalk.com in the mountain lion section.  It is their info, I have not verified their statements:

Attacks on humans are rare, but do occur ? especially as humans encroach on wildlands and impact the availability of the puma's traditional prey. There were around 100 puma attacks on humans in the USA and Canada during the period from 1890 to January 2004, with 16 fatalities; figures for California were 14 attacks and 6 fatalities.

[UncleDave]

I don't understand some of the hostilities voiced here.  I haven't done research, but I gotta believe cougars were native to Minnesota at some point before being overhunted and driven out of Minnesota.  They have been here for many years, just in low population.  1 hit & killed cougar shouldn't make for scare words/phrases like "Bikers, hikers & children" will be the "collateral damage" of having cougars here and posting pics of dead cats "free".  Cute, but in poor taste in this context and could be taken as a free for all to take out cougars by some folks.  I know some hunters love to shoot dang near anything in the woods and especially creatures they find a "nuisance" or "undesirable" in their opinion, but cougars are already here.  What do we do?  Kill 'em all?  They are a native species.  Not introduced.  I am sure these same scary stories were in mass circulation when the DNR was proposing reintroducing timberwolves into the state.  They also were native and driven to extinction in the state (or near extinction due to over hunting).  They all are God's creatures and have a place in the eco-system in my opinion as long as they are native to Minnesota.   

[backwoods]

Your points are all valid and well phrased and offer an intellectual response to some of the posts, Dave.

Deer hunters always amuse me when they get angry if a deer is eaten by a wild animal, yet 1000s upon 1000s of deer are left lying by the road every year and they rot and go to waste.  Can anyone explain that distorted logic to me or is it just that deer hunters really do believe they are the top of the food chain and nothing should interfere with that?

[kenhuntin]

Bikers Hikers and children are those that get attacked. If you walk slow and keep pausing to look back you are safe. The cats like to outrun and jump a fast erratic target on a sneak attack.

[thunderpout]

Yeah, Ken... thats the cats mentality for sure... its always a jogger or a biker on a trail in or near the woods, there were actually quite a few reports in Colorado for a few years, but its tapered off some i think.  The stuff that really gets me though is the DNR's take on the Mountain lion in MN...  Its always:  Were wondering why the cougar was here.... it must have wandered over from the black hills (I actually read that in the trib this weekend!) or it had to be an escaped cat... or... The reporter had to mis-identify what they saw, probably a feral cat or a yellow lab...   What is so dang hard about admitting/realizing that we have  mountain lions here in MN?!?  Its like the DNR has to be the only identifier of them for it to be legit!   I just dont get it......

[The General]

  If by some chance the cougar population gets too bad I'll just buy me one of these 

[UncleDave]

General, why mince words.  Your disdain and utter intolerance that we exist on the same site seeps with dang near EVERY thread I post in.  Your comments are directed at ME.  Why mince words son?  If you have a beef, please man-up and state it.  Tired of the veiled attacks.  I have NEVER advocated killing folks family pets.  NEVER.  Also, the huge hole in your thoery is that dogs are bred (especially BREED specific dogs like sheppards and pitbulls as well as poddles and other BREEDS).  They are not native species (and please don't dummy this down to the offspring of wolves, please).  Cougars are or at least were.  They have their place in the pecking order.  We either erradicate them or let them have their place on the planet.  Deer is not the endangered species here in Minnesota.  They have become large forest rats that happen to taste great.  You see them on gold courses everywhere, backyards of the most developed neighborhoods, Minneapolis proper, etc.  Cougar couldn't begin to get the deer overpopulation in check for decades.  Just a reality check. 

Next time PM me when you have a personal beef you want to publicly air.  We both know your rampant opposition to darn near every post I make here comes from political threads.  Please leave your bias and disdain there.  Much appreciated by all I am sure.  Thanks.

[The General]

and posting pics of dead cats "free".  Cute, but in poor taste in this context and could be taken as a free for all to take out cougars by some folks.  I know some hunters love to shoot dang near anything in the woods and especially creatures they find a "nuisance" or "undesirable" in their opinion, but cougars are already here.     

Sounds good to me UD.  Why don't you leave it there.  I'm sure my picture will start a Cougar killing frenzy amongst anyone who reads it.  I'm also sorry that I am a gun toting crazy hunter who will (and I will) go out of my way to kill a Farrel Cat because they are a "nuisance" or "undesirable" in my opinion. 

[UncleDave]

Sorry folks.  I just don't know what else to say.     I tried. 

[brandbll]

Yeah, Ken... thats the cats mentality for sure... its always a jogger or a biker on a trail in or near the woods, there were actually quite a few reports in Colorado for a few years, but its tapered off some i think.  The stuff that really gets me though is the DNR's take on the Mountain lion in MN...  Its always:  Were wondering why the cougar was here.... it must have wandered over from the black hills (I actually read that in the trib this weekend!) or it had to be an escaped cat... or... The reporter had to mis-identify what they saw, probably a feral cat or a yellow lab...   What is so dang hard about admitting/realizing that we have  mountain lions here in MN?!?  Its like the DNR has to be the only identifier of them for it to be legit!   I just dont get it......

Yeah, maybe you can try telling my buddy who worked for the Iowa DNR that.  I try and tell them that the Cougar population is pushing into MN and he just refuses to believe it.  He thinks all the sitings are either faked or they're not really mountain lions(i.e. Lynx/Bobcat).  It's like; jesus, is it really that hard to believe that some Mountain Lions would wander into MN and set up shop here?

[Outdoors Junkie]

I live in the Black Hills and there are lots of Mt. Lions around here.  There is a hunting season for residents.  I have a neighbor that is in a Mt. Biking club and he told me that every member of his club (over 50 people) have seen a Mt. Lion while out biking in the hills. 

That motion of a bike coming down a trail triggers the big cats to chase.