Cougar Sighting in NW Wisconsin

I was out on a bike ride near my home in a wooded area south of River Falls WI. My daughter and I saw what looked to me like a cougar or a mountain lion crossing the road and disappearing into the brush. Tan in color, the size of maybe a golden retriever, cat-like face, pointed ears. But the way it loped across the road with the cat-like swoopy tail that hung nearly to the ground and sort of curled up at the end is what convinced me.

When did you see this cougar?

Jane wrote:

I was out on a bike ride near my home in a wooded area south of River Falls WI. My daughter and I saw what looked to me like a cougar or a mountain lion crossing the road and disappearing into the brush. Tan in color, the size of maybe a golden retriever, cat-like face, pointed ears. But the way it loped across the road with the cat-like swoopy tail that hung nearly to the ground and sort of curled up at the end is what convinced me.

Jane wrote:

I was out on a bike ride near my home in a wooded area south of River Falls WI. My daughter and I saw what looked to me like a cougar or a mountain lion crossing the road and disappearing into the brush. Tan in color, the size of maybe a golden retriever, cat-like face, pointed ears. But the way it loped across the road with the cat-like swoopy tail that hung nearly to the ground and sort of curled up at the end is what convinced me.

Sorry cougars do NOT have pointed ears.

I saw it 7-16-08. I reported it to the WI DNR. When I googled 'image cougar' that's the animal I saw.

I also filled out an online rare mammal sighting form. I will ask a few neighbors in the area if they have seen it. I hesitate asking any of the farmers, as they have livestock and guns, and it would be tragic if this beautiful animal was destroyed. And John, the animal's ears were 'cat-like' rather than 'dog-like'. When I pet my little domestic housecat, Rosie, I notice her ears aren't as pointy as a pencil. I know what I saw. I'm just letting you know because this seems like a cougar friendly forum. And even though my location says Somerset, I am actually at my computer in River Falls. Have no idea why it says somerset.

Jane wrote:

I also filled out an online rare mammal sighting form. I will ask a few neighbors in the area if they have seen it. I hesitate asking any of the farmers, as they have livestock and guns, and it would be tragic if this beautiful animal was destroyed. And John, the animal's ears were 'cat-like' rather than 'dog-like'. When I pet my little domestic housecat, Rosie, I notice her ears aren't as pointy as a pencil. I know what I saw. I'm just letting you know because this seems like a cougar friendly forum. And even though my location says Somerset, I am actually at my computer in River Falls. Have no idea why it says somerset.

I believe you. I have talked to innumerable people that have seen cougars here in Wisconsin. It is only a matter of time until the DNR has proof and reports this as fact. dash

John wrote:

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After hours of researching I found this to be the most accurate source of information. It's my humble opinion that some of the other groups stretch the truth.
http://www.easterncougar.org/

This is a very good group. dash

jallyzz wrote:

We were riding horses in the Nicolet National Forest on Monday and saw what fits the description of a cougar. It was a tan/golden color, with short smooth hair, not at all acraggly, about the size of a labrador, long body, round face (I was on the ground as it began to approach us, my friend was whispering frantically to me to "GET ON YOUR HORSE!" When it saw us, it was gone quickly. What do you think?

If it looked like a cougar, it probably was. They are quite quick and don't lend themselves to being easily discovered, but they cross a lot of paths quickly. I saw one and had only seconds to watch and take in the beauty of the animal as it ran along a line of trees. dash

Thanks for the posts - the pictures I've been looking at indicate to me that it definitely was NOT a bobcat, but sure looked like a cougar.
My next question is, do we need to be concerned for our safety with horses, and what can we do for protection, if the need should arise?

Dash - Thanks for the website. I checked it out and found it to be very informative. Doesn't sound like we need to be concerned about safety.

jallyzz wrote:

Thanks for the posts - the pictures I've been looking at indicate to me that it definitely was NOT a bobcat, but sure looked like a cougar.
My next question is, do we need to be concerned for our safety with horses, and what can we do for protection, if the need should arise?

There is no need for concern. There are places out west with very large populations of cougars and there are very few incedents involving them. There are very few attacks involving humans.

For protection just remember to never run. Even if the cougar had no intention on attacking you if you run he definately will then. That is just the cats pure instinct. Never crouch down, make yourself appear to be larger and make noise. In the case of a rare attack you must fight back that would be your only chance.

The chances of seeing a cougar are remote let alone being attacked by one. You are one of the lucky ones if you get a chance to observe one in the wild.

Here is another great site to check out if you are interested.

http://www.cougarnet.org/index.html

Igor wrote:

Who are you to judge???
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I feel so much better about my own life and hardships knowing that some idiots have nothing better to do than worry about a cougar sighting! How pathetic!

WHATEVER wrote:

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I feel so much better about my own life and hardships knowing that some idiots have nothing better to do than worry about a cougar sighting! How pathetic!

Well you seem to like checking in.

A cat does the unthinkable. A cat is a cat and they make their own rules. dash

Mountain lion enters bedroom, kills dog
BY ANN SCHRADER
THE DENVER POST
08/04/2008 http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/lifestyle/st...

Denver — A mountain lion slunk into the master bedroom of a home in the foothills west of Denver early Monday, snatched a yellow Labrador dog and vanished.

Wildlife officers are hunting the mountain lion and have set a trap, said Jennifer Churchill, a spokeswoman for the Colorado Division of Wildlife.

"A lion that will brazenly go into someone's bedroom ... we need to be careful of," Churchill said.

The dog's body was found near the property.

Churchill said the residents had left open the French doors to their bedroom, apparently to cool the house, and didn't have screens.

There were dogs sleeping in the bedroom when the mountain lion entered about 4 a.m.

The area, along Bear Creek about 21 miles west of Denver, "is definitely in lion country," Churchill said. "It's not unheard of for unattended or easy-to-get-to pets to be taken by mountain lions in areas from Boulder to Evergreen."

This past Monday morning at 7am a cougar ran out in front of me one mile north of Hayward on Hwy 63. As others have stated, this was no bobcat. I could see something coming thru the tall grass off the right side, then there it was leaping across the hwy just a few car lengths ahead of me.....

http://cbs2.com/local/lion.horse.acton.2.7924...

Pack of mt lions kill horse giving birth.

I think the article is from California.... but a pack? This must be unusual because I have not heard of that in Mountain lions before. dash

Dash you are correct that it is very unusual for there to be a pack of mountian lions and I doubt there were more than 3.

Mountain Lions in California have actually adapted to hunting in packs in recent years. By pack I mean 2-3. Nobody can really explain why they have started doing this. There are a few theorys but no real explination. They have actually observed a few sets of lions doing this as of late. Very odd for Mountian Lions.

There is suspision that this was a mother Lion and a couple of her cubs. Female cubs have been known to stay with the mother for more than a year.

I live in Foxboro, WI and I just had a cougar walk through the edge of my yard. It was longer than any lynx I have seen, had a long tail and was about the height of a german shepard.