State silent as big cat passes Lake George. Mayor: "I never heard anything"

[rADK]

http://www.timesunion.com/local/arti...ge-2123402.php

State silent as big cat passes Lake George
DEC records the tracks of a predatory mountain lion, but doesn't tell area officials about the intrusion

By BRIAN NEARING Staff writer
Updated 12:54 a.m., Saturday, August 20, 2011

LAKE GEORGE -- A 140-pound wild mountain lion passed through Lake George last December, coming within a 10-minute car drive of the Village Hall.

But while state officials recorded cat tracks in the snow that were the size of saucers, they never informed local officials the predatory cat was on the prowl.

It was news to Village Mayor Robert Blais when the state Department of Environmental Conservation confirmed Friday the agency seven months ago found solid evidence of a mountain lion -- including hair and a bedding area -- off Truesdale Hill Road just north of the village.

"I never heard anything at all about that," said the mayor. "There are a lot of houses up there."

Several dozen isolated homes are tucked into rugged woods around the spot where the big cat left behind his signs. One of the homes belongs to Town Supervisor Frank McCoy, who lives less than a mile from the sighting. "It would have been nice to know, if DEC knew about it," McCoy said.

Doug Smith said of the sighting: "It's part of the Adirondacks. It's a chance you've got to take if you live here. That's why we have guns."

Barbara Cavaliere, of Amsterdam, like Smith of Warrensburg, a patron of the Olde Log Inn about a mile where the tracks were spotted, said she lives in the country and if something like a mountain lion were roaming in the woods near her home, she'd like to know.

Read more: http://www.timesunion.com/local/arti...#ixzz1VahsP5Ii

[DSettahr]

Do we really need a 6th thread about mountain lions on the main page for the wildlife forum?

http://www.adkforum.com/showthread.php?t=16105
http://www.adkforum.com/showthread.php?t=16099
http://www.adkforum.com/showthread.php?t=16042
http://www.adkforum.com/showthread.php?t=16011
http://www.adkforum.com/showthread.php?t=15609

[Blackhawk]

Originally Posted by rADK

http://www.timesunion.com/local/article/State-silent-as-big-cat-passes-Lake-George-2123402.php

notice how the writers of many of these articles about mountain lions, wolves, coyotes, coywolves etc. use certain key words to sensationalize the incident even though nothing serious happened - e.g., "But while state officials recorded cat tracks in the snow that were the size of saucers, they never informed local officials the predatory cat was on the prowl."

residents of the region are thousands of times more likely to be attacked, injured or killed by one of their own dangerous subspecies or on the blacktop killing fields or jungles.

if everything happened the way it's being reported - with more info likely to surface - then its no wonder why many of us don't trust public servants.

[poconoron]

I have mixed emotions on this one. On the one hand, I don't trust government officials any further than I can throw them, so I'm not really surprised in the least.


On the other hand - if they had publicized it immediately, some yahoos with guns may have shot the lion. So maybe it's for the better........

[redhawk]

Don't panic the tourists!!!!!!!

[chairrock]

Originally Posted by redhawk

Don't panic the tourists!!!!!!!

Tourist aren't afraid of them, they want photo ops... like the women in high heels at the Long Lake dump taking bear pics....up to their knees in garbage, while they would never even take the garbage out at home....duh...

[Cold River Bob]

What I don't understand is all the previous talk on the forum that there has been no substantiated evidence of mountain lion tracks in the ADK's for the past almost hundred years and now we are talking about as if it's no big deal that these tracks were found and DEC has record of it but the only fault was they didn't "warn" (in my opinion no one needs to be warned about a mountain lion in the area) the locals? I thought the whole argument was that no one has established a sighting or sign of said mountain lions in the ADK's? I give up.
BTW - posted by ellsaf

[Deb dePeyster]

Originally Posted by Cold River Bob

...in my opinion no one needs to be warned about a mountain lion in the area)

Exactly. Warning the locals about a mountain lion in the area is the same as signing its death warrant.

There is no bear hunting season in Columbia County, but as soon as word got around about a young bear in the Olana area south of Hudson, some idiot went out and shot it.

[Blackhawk]

Originally Posted by poconoron

I have mixed emotions on this one. On the one hand, I don't trust government officials any further than I can throw them, so I'm not really surprised in the least.


On the other hand - if they had publicized it immediately, some yahoos with guns may have shot the lion. So maybe it's for the better........

poconoron,
i've got to agree with your comments.
it's unfortunate but true - the ml could've been killed either way with a press release or not.
and the irresponsible shooter may not be a hunter at all.
just another misinformed human who just might kill anything that enters their domain - even if it's a harmless snake etc.

[riverstrider]

Not many other things can unnecessarily create a panic or be sensationalized in media outlets liek the confirmed sighting of an allegedly dangerous animal. Many public wildlife officials, upon learning of the presence of a mountain lion (or bear, or coyote) would probably keep it under their hat, and so would I.

If the animal turned out to actually be a danger as opposed to allegedly be a danger, that might be a different story.

What the DEC should actually do is perhaps educate the public about the actual threats such animals pose (minimal) as compared to other threats, and perhaps educate people on how best to interract (or not interract) with the wildlife for the benefit of both. But, of course, budgets being what they are, I am sure this is easier said than accomplished.

-rs

[redhawk]

Originally Posted by riverstrider

Not many other things can unnecessarily create a panic or be sensationalized in media outlets liek the confirmed sighting of an allegedly dangerous animal. Many public wildlife officials, upon learning of the presence of a mountain lion (or bear, or coyote) would probably keep it under their hat, and so would I.

If the animal turned out to actually be a danger as opposed to allegedly be a danger, that might be a different story.

What the DEC should actually do is perhaps educate the public about the actual threats such animals pose (minimal) as compared to other threats, and perhaps educate people on how best to interract (or not interract) with the wildlife for the benefit of both. But, of course, budgets being what they are, I am sure this is easier said than accomplished.

-rs

RS: That's a great idea, EXCEPT: There is really no reason the DEC sshould havbe to take it on. A Google search will list many very informative websites by reliable experts, biologists and people who work with predators, Cougars, bears, wolves, etc, etc every day. They list all the precautions for avoidance, the signs to lok for to see if they are around, the kind of habitat you will find them in, their behavior and finally what to do if you end up in a close encounter with them.

The problem is most people are too lazy or too stupid to do the research if they are going to be in predator country. The DEC would just be another source to be ignored.

Hawk

[producer]

at first, I felt that there really is no need for the DEC to say anything. its not like the people who saw the cougar sensationalized their sighting in the news, and as far as i can tell, didn't even blog about it. the dec didn't have to reply to any type of public statement. i felt, heck, does the dec have to make formal statements every other day to remind people they live in an area where bears live? the answer of course is no.

but what hawk just said: "The problem is most people are too lazy or too stupid to do the research if they are going to be in predator country. The DEC would just be another source to be ignored." that defeats that logic because mountain lions aren't supposed to be here, and there are different precautions, etc than what most people already know for bears, moose, bobcat, etc. so it doesnt matter if people are too lazy or not, they wouldnt normally have to do that research (at least according to the DEC and the government's position that lions arent here)... and just because people are lazy certainly isnt a reason to not make a statement. granted most dec websites throughout the northeast have a page with some info about cougars, but given the large scale publicity that the were taken off endangered lists because they dont exist is even more reason to make a statement in this case.

so while i understand the safety of the animal, public safety is important too. the dec probably should have provided a vague report, at minimum. even if they thought it to be a released pet, there is still some potential for danger. even if the stats are that attacks rarely happen, that information could just as easily be provided in the report. people still go to the beach even though they know there is potential of sharks. people would still enjoy the wilderness, or feel safe in their own backyards knowing some aspect of truth. i don't think it would have be a major report or anything to stir up fear, panic, or hunters, but enough so that people know there is something out there

[oruacat2]

Notice how the article stated the distance as "a ten-minute car drive" rather than in miles to amp up the scare factor. I guess it's a good thing big cats don't drive cars, eh?

[Blackhawk]

it's hard to accept that an animal like a mountain lion or human can travel 1,800 miles and survive crossing many roads and highways with many lanes and ends up getting killed in a state like connecticut. a mountain lion doesn't have a chance to survive in conn. and with all of the dangers humans face - they may be in the same boat. how many humans were killed on highways this year in conn. what was on that ml's mind that he had to continue on his course to conn. while passing through many forested areas along the way? was he pursued, shot at, had near misses on highways along the way or was he on a mission to the remote regions of maine.