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October 23, 2009
Kansas Deer Hunter Bags Photos of Rare Cougar - 10
by J.R. Absher
A deer hunter in northwest Kansas has provided the state Department of Wildlife and Parks with photographic evidence of a mountain lion he watched from his treestand earlier this month, marking the first live cougar documentation in The Sunflower State in 100 years. The hunter, who was not identified by the KDWP, took the photographs while aloft in a treestand near Wakeeney. He told officials the lion emerged near a pile of corn he was perched above and he was able to snap multiple photos as it approached within 10 feet of the tree stand. “They aren’t real good pictures,” Mike Mitchener, wildlife section chief for KDWP told the Hayes Daily News. “(but) they’re good enough.” The hunter told wildlife authorities that the animal looked up at him, then moved out of sight, he said. The entire encounter lasted less than a minute, and the lion never stopped walking. “KDWP staff were able to verify that the location was in Kansas, and the story seemed legitimate,” said Matt Peek, KDWP furbearer research biologist. Although the origin of the mountain lion is unknown, cougars have appeared with varying frequency in other Midwestern states since the 1990s. In November, 2007, a young male mountain lion was shot by a landowner in Barber County. Prior to that, the last documented occurrence was in 1904. “KDWP receives numerous reports of mountain lion sightings annually,” Peek added, “but almost all have either been cases of mistaken identity or lacked physical evidence indicating a mountain lion had been present.” |
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Comments (10)
Being a naive PA type where this is generally illegal, when I think of baiting I picture someone dropping at most a 5 lb bucket of corn, a handful of apples, or using a feeder. Did a feed truck overturn here? Is that normal? I think I finally see why baiting is such a divisive issue. Oh, and nice kitty.
Didn't know that the cougar was ever in Kansas. Amazing photo. Dorothy, better protect Toto.
I have seen 3 cougars is Oklahoma, two in the eastern part of the state and one southwest. I have friends in Northern Oklahoma who tell me they are there two. The first one I saw was more than thirty years ago in and area that wildlife officials denied they could survive. The second was in 1981 and again told it wasn't there. The tird on was in SW Oklahoma and after it stalked me, my tracks that is, I was told to watch out there is a mountain lion down where you were hunting.
There are probably more in KS than their wildlife department is willing to admit that there are. Seems to usually be the case.
thats like a 10x 15 mountain of corn, personal ive used a 40 pound bag and thats it... over kill, id probably crap myself if i saw a cougar, my little house cat has shape claws and can climb tree's i cant imagine what a cat that size could do to you..
He likely spreads the corn like that because when a deer stands in at, it enables him to shot before and after legal light.
COugars are a touchy subject in most states if they admit to having them that means that the state now has tos pend time and money in their management. Until it becomes apparantly obvious that they are there they aren't recognized in most states that border their range.
thedy are in a lot more states than most people know or will admit.
You call this guy a hunter! I would be embarresred to even post this picture. And people wonder why baiting is being banned in so many states..
Agree Completely with blute. No wonder he was not identified by KDWP. It must have been quite the dilemma for the moron: potential 15 minutes of fame with the footage vs being outed as one of the all-time embarrassments of deer hunting. Baiting is for hunters who are too lazy to actually hunt.
I am personally not one to partake in hunting baited areas, but in some states it is legal. That's why there are feeders, this pile of corn is no different than a feeder some guys use to pattern deer to come out in the daytime. If it is legal there, I would not be so quick to point fingers, it may come back to bite us all. There are too may people who are against hunting that will use comments made by hunters to get it banned. Do you want your comments used against you. Say you are not in favor of hunting over manmade feeder sites if you like, but please weigh your words so they will not come back to bite us all.
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Being a naive PA type where this is generally illegal, when I think of baiting I picture someone dropping at most a 5 lb bucket of corn, a handful of apples, or using a feeder. Did a feed truck overturn here? Is that normal? I think I finally see why baiting is such a divisive issue. Oh, and nice kitty.
Didn't know that the cougar was ever in Kansas. Amazing photo. Dorothy, better protect Toto.
I have seen 3 cougars is Oklahoma, two in the eastern part of the state and one southwest. I have friends in Northern Oklahoma who tell me they are there two. The first one I saw was more than thirty years ago in and area that wildlife officials denied they could survive. The second was in 1981 and again told it wasn't there. The tird on was in SW Oklahoma and after it stalked me, my tracks that is, I was told to watch out there is a mountain lion down where you were hunting.
There are probably more in KS than their wildlife department is willing to admit that there are. Seems to usually be the case.
thats like a 10x 15 mountain of corn, personal ive used a 40 pound bag and thats it... over kill, id probably crap myself if i saw a cougar, my little house cat has shape claws and can climb tree's i cant imagine what a cat that size could do to you..
He likely spreads the corn like that because when a deer stands in at, it enables him to shot before and after legal light.
COugars are a touchy subject in most states if they admit to having them that means that the state now has tos pend time and money in their management. Until it becomes apparantly obvious that they are there they aren't recognized in most states that border their range.
thedy are in a lot more states than most people know or will admit.
You call this guy a hunter! I would be embarresred to even post this picture. And people wonder why baiting is being banned in so many states..
Agree Completely with blute. No wonder he was not identified by KDWP. It must have been quite the dilemma for the moron: potential 15 minutes of fame with the footage vs being outed as one of the all-time embarrassments of deer hunting. Baiting is for hunters who are too lazy to actually hunt.
I am personally not one to partake in hunting baited areas, but in some states it is legal. That's why there are feeders, this pile of corn is no different than a feeder some guys use to pattern deer to come out in the daytime. If it is legal there, I would not be so quick to point fingers, it may come back to bite us all. There are too may people who are against hunting that will use comments made by hunters to get it banned. Do you want your comments used against you. Say you are not in favor of hunting over manmade feeder sites if you like, but please weigh your words so they will not come back to bite us all.
Post a Comment (200 characters or less)