Big Cats on the Prowl - Page 1

We had an interesting morning. While walking Simon (rescued GSD) and Lola (rescued Jack Russell/ Cattle Dog mix), we had a mountain lion cross the road about 30 feet in front of us, and follow a stream that goes through my property. The local police informed me that there have been several sightings in our area. The Environmental Police referred us to the Wildlife Management, who were out of the office and took our message.

Be careful out there. Central Massachusetts is not noted for big cats, but winter is coming.

Whoa Nellie, do you mean you saw the mountain lion in Massachusettes? Every year in CT it seems there is a big cat scare, and then no one can ever prove it. I have friends who swear by it though, that there are big cats out there. I'm used to the coyotes by now, but mountain lions in my backyard gets me a bit nervous.

where in central mass?

I know that there has been deer carcases found 20-30 feet up in the trees at Quail Hollow Golf Course in Oakham! And there is video of one in Spencer.

A Black Bear found in Worcester was shot & killed by police earlier this year and an Eastern Gray Wolf was roaming around Shelburne, in western MA, last year before it too was shot. Coyotes are a regular sight in most parts of MA, including Cape Cod where they've even been known to cross the Sagamore & Bourne bridges late at night or try to swim across the Canal. While it is rare & unusual to see mountain lions, wolves and bears in MA (esp. east of the Berkshires), they have lived here before..... Just watch your backs when you go out at night, and don't leave any food (human or pet) laying around outside..

My brother had a mountain lion in his barn for a couple of days(about 5 miles from me).  We also had a bear attack a horse near by.  They are coming down from the north.

Where I jog the horses, is very secluded, lots of hills and trees on each side of the track.  I see deer watching me often, and my imagination starts to wander everytime I hear of these type of sightings!  EEK.

Funny someone mentioned Quail Hollow in Oakham MA.

A few years ago a friend put out and infa-red camera overnight on a deer trail in Oakham. When he retrieved it he was shocked as one of the pictures had a mountain lion in flight headed for the back of a deer, a few feet away.

I believe there have also been sightings at the Quabbin which isn't very far away from Oakham.

Hope the originator of this thread comes back and mentions which town this took place in.

We heard back from the Wildlife Management who asked for proof, but when you see something for only a few seconds, the subject, a big cat, doesn't usually sit for a portrait.

As for where this took place? I live in West Brookfield, MA on the line with Warren, MA on Davis Rd. Sarty Rd. line. The cat initially was moving northwest  towards Rt 9 or Rt 67, but could have gone anywhere. I later went down to the 9 acres of land (marsh meadow) where the cat allegedly went into, but it was so overgrown, that a thousand cats could have been there. I couldn't find any tracks, but then I am not the hunting type, so I will get my neighbor to check the area out with me.

I now walk my dogs armed with both a gun and camera. Speaking of cameras, I also check my game camera that I have posted near the area that I saw the cat. I use for surveillance to catch people illegally dumping rubbish on our property.

I went to the mall in Fort Wayne Indiana last weekend and right in the mall I saw several cougars!