Cougar attack

http://www.woodtv.com/dpp/news/local/ottawa_c... Someones pet or wild cat?

Living Large2 wrote:

http://www.woodtv.com/dpp/news /local/ottawa_county/allendale -woman-claims-cougar-attacked- her Someones pet or wild cat?

Or...something else is going on. The article here and another I read mentioned no footprints were found...how can that be?

If that was really a cougar she wouldn't have that leg. Too much to drink maybe?

Not sure why a legitimate news agency would even run this story unless they are going for the "fake police report" angle.

0/10 on the believability scale.

The odds of a cougar being anywhere near Allendale are remote and the chance of getting attacked by a cougar in Michigan are lower than the chances of winning the MegaMillions.
The chances of alcohol being involved are very high.

There are plenty of stories about people seeing cougars in Michigan, yet there really isn't much hard evidence outside of the one caught on a trail cam in the U.P. this year. No corpses, no cougar turd found, no conclusive pictures. Most of these reports are just people seeing housecats or bobcats and have active imaginations.

Arctic49519 wrote:

Not sure why a legitimate news agency would even run this story unless they are going for the "fake police report" angle.
0/10 on the believability scale.
The odds of a cougar being anywhere near Allendale are remote and the chance of getting attacked by a cougar in Michigan are lower than the chances of winning the MegaMillions.
The chances of alcohol being involved are very high.
There are plenty of stories about people seeing cougars in Michigan, yet there really isn't much hard evidence outside of the one caught on a trail cam in the U.P. this year. No corpses, no cougar turd found, no conclusive pictures. Most of these reports are just people seeing housecats or bobcats and have active imaginations.

I would take it a step further in that any legitimate news agency is irresponsible in running an article like this. There is not proof, not tracks or even photographs (which can be doctored anyway) just hearsay from one individual. In publishing such a story the press is guilty at least of generating fear tactics to it's readers. Without definitely proof there was no cougar. I hear lots of people saying they have seen one, but usually those same people have never seen a cougar in the wild. They are VERY large and very seclusive animals. At best this story is mis-leading, at worst, someone had too much to drink or other stimulates in their system along with a very vivid imagination.

Forrest Gump wrote:

<quoted text>I would take it a step further in that any legitimate news agency is irresponsible in running an article like this. There is not proof, not tracks or even photographs (which can be doctored anyway) just hearsay from one individual. In publishing such a story the press is guilty at least of generating fear tactics to it's readers. Without definitely proof there was no cougar. I hear lots of people saying they have seen one, but usually those same people have never seen a cougar in the wild. They are VERY large and very seclusive animals. At best this story is mis-leading, at worst, someone had too much to drink or other stimulates in their system along with a very vivid imagination.

I'm sure a lot of the people who thought they saw a cougar really believed they did.
Most of the stories about cougars seem to come from people who are not outdoors type of people and don't have a great deal of knowledge or experience of wildlife. A lot of them probably could not even tell the difference between a common bobcat and a cougar, or even a large housecat and a cougar.

Once in a while there is a report from an experienced outdoors person about seeing a cougar, but these reports are rare.

In this story, however, I don't think there was a cat of any kind involved.

And you're right about doctored photos. I recently saw this fake of a cougar making it's way around the internet.
http://addictedtohunting.com/hunter-being-hun...

Arctic49519 wrote:

Not sure why a legitimate news agency would even run this story unless they are going for the "fake police report" angle.
0/10 on the believability scale.
The odds of a cougar being anywhere near Allendale are remote and the chance of getting attacked by a cougar in Michigan are lower than the chances of winning the MegaMillions.
The chances of alcohol being involved are very high.
There are plenty of stories about people seeing cougars in Michigan, yet there really isn't much hard evidence outside of the one caught on a trail cam in the U.P. this year. No corpses, no cougar turd found, no conclusive pictures. Most of these reports are just people seeing housecats or bobcats and have active imaginations.

For once I agree with you. This woman is full of s--- and is just making things up to get on TV or maybe even file a lawsuit. She was either smoking crack at the time, or she is trying to pull a scam of some kind.

Democratic Party wrote:

<quoted text>
For once I agree with you. This woman is full of s--- and is just making things up to get on TV or maybe even file a lawsuit. She was either smoking crack at the time, or she is trying to pull a scam of some kind.

Same with the guy with a bear picture in Cedar Springs. Any experienced hunter can see taht is really a hamster!

My son will love this story, and I just emailed it to him.

He swears there is a cougar in the woods behind the farm. He believes the huge, hairy crap out there is cougar poop. I've seen it, and I haven't seen anything like it.

Good Day,

Well... right below the headline the article states that law enforcement is "skeptical" of the claim. Something seems a bit fishy...

With that said... I am pretty sure there are cougars in Michigan. They can roam pretty far. Take for example the cougar that was hit and killed by a car in Conneticut that was traced back to South Dakota after having passed through Michigan on its way East. I think the bigger question is whether or not there is a breeding population in the area. Mother Nature can be full of suprises.

Steelie

Kernal Sandersl wrote:

<quoted text>
Same with the guy with a bear picture in Cedar Springs. Any experienced hunter can see taht is really a hamster!

You are correct it is not a bear, however, it probably isn't a hamster.
It's probably a fat dog.

Here is the photo of it that I have lightened. Definitely not a bear, look at the following:

[IMG]http://i44.tinypic.com/11 j3lm9.jpg[/IMG]

1. The tail. has a long tail, not a short or bobbed tail.
2. The coat. Fine coat of a dog, not thick like a bear.
3. The jowels. Not a bear, looks like a fat dog.

Better picture:
http://i44.tinypic.com/11j3lm9.jpg

Arctic49519 wrote:

Better picture:
http://i44.tinypic.com/11j3lm9.jpg

That looks just like my brother in law's big fat black lab.

Yeah, maybe it was just a dog or something.
But, I go up north a LOT!
I've seen black bears up there.
I've seen big cat's that I dont know what the hell they are, up there.
So,.....who knows!

Living Large2 wrote:

<quoted text>That looks just like my brother in law's big fat black lab.

Yeah...that's what I'm saying... No way that is a bear.

I know bears and I say it is a bear because I saw it deficating in the woods and as the old saying goes, "Do bears shit in the woods?"

Good Day,

As far as the "photo" of the bear... I am wondering if it could be a juvinile, say about 3 years old? The quality of the photo isn't all that great, but the ears make me wonder...

Steelie

cougar smougar; if anything with teeth and claws attacked her she'd have move than bruises to show for it.

bobolinq wrote:

cougar smougar; if anything with teeth and claws attacked her she'd have move than bruises to show for it.

Used to snorkel alot, down here when i was in college.....cougars would often approach me on the beach.....they had condos and their husbands often worked in New York......

I'd be more nervous of a family of podunks heading to the bus stop wielding a loaded shotgun than the possibility of a cougar. Woe unto the neighbor's family pet, paperboy or Christmas decoration that cross their over-sensationalized path!