The Eastern Cougar
Lately in Vermont there have been sightings of large, majestic beings that are nearly invisible prowling through the countryside bearing a striking resemblance in movement to our own familiar house cats.
Is the eastern cougar alive in Vermont? Has the cougar ever really left the Northeast? Are the sightings of escaped cougars? It was said that the Eastern Cougar was “banished” from the area.
The Eastern Cougar is now on the endangered species list, and there are only about fifty of these animals known to exist. But recent sightings in our area give us hope (or fear) that the cougar is back and possibly increasing in population.
During the past year there have been six separate sightings reported; in Newfane, Grafton, Townshend, Wilmington, Ludlow and Dummerston. In the latest edition of Paul Rezendes’ book Tracking and the Art of Seeing, Paul gives us two more sightings, one of which was in the Northeastern kingdom of Vermont, where three cougars were spotted.
The other sighting occurred in central/western Massachusetts when a member of Paul’s tracking team was scouting a tracking site. He found scat (feces) that appeared to be from a cougar. Whether or not the cougar is here, it has become a mythological being and its presence is being felt in waves across the landscape.
At a recent Art of Mentoring workshop held in Newfane, Jon Young, founder of Wilderness Awareness School, spoke in detail and demonstrated how the cougar kills its prey, leaving all who attended with a powerful image that we won’t soon forget.
He said that the cougar often stalks its victim for at least a couple of days and gets to know the being’s pattern of behavior. It observes and locates a weak point, then slowly stalks up close and pounces on the prey. It first digs its long, razor sharp, hind claws in the victim’s flanks and with its front claws grabs the shoulders.
With its perfectly spaced canines, equipped with nerve endings that enable it to find just the right spot, the cougar bites into the neck, forcing apart the vertebrae and snapping the spine. It then drags the victim into a ravine or protected area and eats the organs inside.
The cougar, or catamount, is one of the most invisible animals that dwell in the forest. It has been revered by Native people across the continent for its powers of awareness, strength, and its ability to be invisible even to the most highly trained trackers and scouts.
So what does this all mean to us?
It means that we have one of the most powerful teachers in our own backyards. It was said by an African bushman that in order to avoid being attacked by the leopard, one must become the leopard.
Jon Young told a story that put this saying to the test. While at a zoo, Jon Young did just that. He became the leopard by envisioning himself seeing through its eyes, hearing through its ears, feeling through its body, smelling through its nose and even tasting through its mouth. Thus the spirit of the leopard fused with his own, all in front of the leopard site. The big cat, aware of Jon, came down to him and looked him right in the eye. It then bowed down in front of him.
Since I moved here about a year ago I have noticed that the cougar has sharpened my own senses.
I walk much slower and stop often to recharge my sense of surroundings. I can imagine the eastern cougar walking some of the ridgelines out my back door near my secret spot. By the way, did I tell you that the cougar can also jump down from 70 feet up in a tree and pounce right onto its prey?
Never walk the same path twice.
I saw a cougar in my horse paddock yesterday. I live in West Townsend Mass on a 55 acre farm, mostly wooded. I’ve owned animals and observed wildlife my entire life. This was an extremely large dark gold cat with a long tail (not a bobcat)!!!
I have a young child and many farm animals not sure what to do or if it will come back to stalk my animals.
I am an author of outdoor rec and natural history books mostly in the Berkshires of western Mass. I’m disabled now but when I was doing the books I would be in woods alot. Once I bumped into a ranger and we started talking about cougars and whether they still exist in the Berkshires. He replied that, on the record there are no cougars in western Mass. Off the record I,ll tell you that there are cougars. In fact the state has been tracking one out at Quabbin (reservoir) for years.
There is a nice little town news paper in New Marlborough, MA that had a feature on the eastern cougar complete with photos of one cat. I know where the image was taken and you can’t fake it. Also the people in this nice country town see cougars regularly. Now please remember, these folks have grown up in the woods. They know the difference between a bobcat and a cougar. I lived up there for over 30 years and had bobcats walk through the backyard frequently and I never thought those bobcats were cougars. In fact my youngest one looking at a bobcat correctly identified the animal.
I have no doubt the cougar is here. And I really think that if somone finds that one has made the backyard it,s “place to be” then one needs to prepare for its company. I have often checked out what the western cougar does around people. There is a wonderfully written book entitled “The Beast in the Garden, the true story of a predators’ return to suburban america” byDavid Baron. It details what happened when small town near Boulder, CO accidently made excellent cougar habitat on the edge of town. It has some excellent information for us all. And lastly, I wouldn’t let little ones be outside if a cougar was about, just like I wouldn’t let out if black bear was about. I’m not trying to be scary, just prudent.
We have had sightings throughout central MA. My wife saw one cross the road here in town and we have had several sightings just here in town last year alone. If you talk to some of the animal control people off the record they will tell you that big cats are here. Officially, nope, nothing to see here, move along. There are rumors the NY DEC released big cats a few years back. They officially deny it.
I live in central oregon and i know two people who seperatley saw two wolves in a remot wilderness area. This is about 500 miles from the Idaho boarder. When the ODFW was asked if wolves were planted here, they denied it. Of course they dont want you to know, there would be an outcry of protest. As far as the cats go, dont worry, they will not hurt you if you are aware of your surroundings and never go out in the bush alone or if you do carry a weopon or some pepper spray. If a big cat wants you, it will have you! Just always be prepared for the worse and you will survive an attack.
I have seen cougars twice in the Catskill State Forest near where I live. The DEC is very interested in sightings and takes plaster casts of tracks if you call them in.
I’m a lifelong outdoorsman and know my mountain animals. I had my own Cougar experience in NW Pa. during deer season way in the back country in the Alleghney National Forest. They are there whether you have seen them or not. Read my story.
There are no Cougars in Pennsylvania
At least that’s the official party line of the Pennsylvania Game commission. Well, you can go on believing that if you wish. Most people don’t believe things they hear. There’s the old adage, ‘seeing is believing’. If you’re from Missouri, ‘show me’! Well, this isn’t Missouri.
The winter of 2003 was a particularly harsh winter with sub-zero temperatures and deeper than normal snow fall, especially in the high mountain. Christmas had passed and my wife and I were anticipating the New Year. December 26th is the start of the late primitive weapons season in Pennsylvania, where the only weapon allowed is a flintlock ignition rifle .44 caliber or larger loaded with black powder and patch and ball.
It was just before sun up when I headed for the back country. My property borders the Allegheny National Forest. I go right out by back door and into the mountains. The weather forecast was for a bright sunny day in the teens. It promised to be a beautiful day for hunting. I was so excited about a day in the mountains; I grabbed my trusty flintlock, possibles bag with my ball, patch and powder, and skinning knife. I left my backup pistol behind. I always take my revolver with me for backup. One never knows what they will encounter in the deep mountains. I routinely go 10 miles or more back to get past the fair weather hunters. In my many years hunting the mountains, I have had some very close calls with wildlife.
After a couple hours of walking, I was about 7 miles back. The mountains are quite high and the Mountain Laurels and Hemlocks are thick so the snow covering is much thinner. I set up for a spell on a well-worn Deer trail when I heard a sound that I hadn’t heard since my Marine Corps days at Camp Pendleton, California. As I listened, the sound seemed to get closer. As I assessed my situation, I suddenly realized how foolish it was not to bring my revolver with me. Well, too late now.
I decided it was time to move and put some distance between me and the all too familiar sound. I stood and checked my flintlock. I opened the frizzen and brushed the powder from the pan. I cleaned the touchhole with my touchhole pic well and put fresh powder in the pan. I closed the frizzen, checked the position of the flint, tightened the jaws on the flint and pulled the cock to full cock then headed back down the mountain as quietly as possible with the rifle laid across my arms at a ready position. 95% of my hunting is with my flintlock. I think I’m a better than average shot with my rifle, however only one shot between me and a Cougar is not odds I wished to test.
I moved slow and quietly as possible back down the mountain. After about an hour I had traveled what I would estimate to be a mile or so and I thought that I was in the clear. Then I went through an area of little snow with frozen leaves and pine twigs showing. My boots seemed to make an awful crunch as I walked. Every step brought the echo of crunching leaves and snapping twigs. I stopped to listen, the crunching continued for 3 more steps then stopped. I waited silently, listened to the silence of the cold mountain air for a few seconds before continuing to walk as silently as I possibly could. After two steps I could hear the echo again. I realized that I was being stalked by an animal that is not supposed to exist in Pennsylvania.
I covered another 50 yards when I entered a small clearing about 30 yards across. I moved to the far side of the clearing and set up in a stand of Mountain Laurels with my rifle aimed directly at the trail I had just exited. It was eerily quiet for a few minutes. The only sound was a slight breeze as it moved through the trees, and a faint crunching of footsteps. The Cougar entered the clearing through the same trail opening that I had used moments before. I lined my iron sights right on his chest. He was the most magnificent Cougar that I had ever seen. He was quite large animal with a very dark brown coat, large head, slender body, and long tail. He looked me square in the eyes and I looked back, finger on the trigger. I waited for him to make a move. I had him dead to rights and he knew it.
The Cougar let out a sound that I had never heard a Cougar make before which sent a chill up my spine. At that moment the Cougar turned and disappeared through the same trail opening which it appeared. I stayed at the ready as I listened to the crunching of the leaves fade into the distance and I was confident that the Cougar had left the area. I carefully made my way down the mountain without further incident.
Since that encounter, I look for cougar sign in the deep mountains, especially when I go through that area. To this day, I can see in my mind’s eye the look on the face of the Cougar when our eyes locked. I’m sure he has the same memory of me.
My husband and I saw a young cougar 2 days ago in a somewhat rural area in North Bennington, Vermont. Actually it was in someones front yard, I didn’t report the sighting to anyone though.
December 5, 2011: About 8 years ago I was driving down a rural road in Kittery, Maine that I’ve known very well all my life. I had just come over a smail hill when suddenly from my left, out of someone’s yard, a cougar rushed across the road just a few feet in front of my car with something that looked like a pigeon-sized bird in its mouth. I got a very good look at it, long tail and all. Was totally unprepared to see that! We “don’t have cougars in Maine” anymore. Sent shivers down my spine. I told people about it and they said no, it must have been a fox. Hey, I love foxes and I’m a country girl from Maine; I’ve seen foxes all my life, and this animal was close to my car, I know it was not a fox. Round head, thick legs, long rope-like tail, ran like a cat, not like a fox. And it was very big.