Dead cougar found - Thunder Bay

I could swear I saw one as a kid just north of Kingston around Bob's Lake. My younger brother and I, who was about 5 at the time were out in the yard, when we looked up through the ridge of trees and saw a large cat-like animal pacing back and forth on the ridge about 50 yards away. Mom saw it too. Several years later we met a fellow who had built a couple of the cottages in the area who, without prompting mentioned having seen a cougar in the area while he was building a few years prior to our experience.
 
I'm pretty sure I've read a MNR report that states they are in Ontario and living here just fine. But they're not huge breeders and are very very few and far between in all areas. So they do not have population estimates on them.
 
Funny how they can be wild in BC, AB, SK, MB but once they find one or have reported sightings in Ontario they are always either something else not properly identified or escaped pets? Nobody believed there was such a thing as wild grizzly/polar bear hybrids too until they recovered a few. Giant squid were also thought to be a myth until they found some of them too. It is absolutely plausible to have cougars in Ontario. The province is huge and vast amounts of it are from any major human populations. A cougar could live it's life cycle in some areas even close to larger populations such as Thunder Bay and never be seen if they are not in any numbers. I'll take the article for what it is. A dead cougar found near Thunder Bay that if I read correctly is assumed to be of wild stock. Now Bigfoot? Well that's another story. The verdict is still out until Kelly Timoffee captures one!! ;)
 
I have a book somewhere about cougars in Manitoba and the history of them. the last one officially shot in the late 1800s early 1900s then the province claiming there were none despite numerous sightings through the years. then in the 70s I think someone shot one. 4 days later it was illegal to shoot one in Manitoba and so it remains. there here. and I know of one instance where one caused trouble and was put under a few feet.
 
XRAYGUY said:
I dunno... weirder things have happened... I know of three different people who have seen a BLACK cougar in my neck of the woods...
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If you don't mind me asking where is your neck of the woods?

Couple years ago the wife and I were heading out to go salmon fishing for the weekend and staying at Mctush campsite on the port alberni canal. We left after work on Friday night and we were late getting there so it was dark out but we both watched a black cougar cross the road 30' in front of truck, could fully see it in the headlight and there was no questioning it, it was a black cougar.

I've heard about it but was skeptical until I saw one with my own eyes
 
considering there hasn't been a confirmed melanistic cougar anywhere in North America I find it a little unbelievable to people who have seen one or more. You know what fisher look like right :)
 
Chas said:
My father saw one in a rock cut on Highway 17 about 200 km east of Thunder Bay in the 50's. He stopped and leaned across the car as it was on that side. He said he was 6 feet from it watching that long rope like tail swish back and forth. Never told anyone because he didnt want to get called a "f'n liar". Came up one night in the moose camp when I was talking about all the cougar sightings that had been reported to us in Chapleau and Wawa. And then the next summer, my daughter was jogging on Highway 101 at Shoals Provincial Park when one came down off a rock cut and crossed the highway in front of her.

I have always believed they were in Ontario - if one can transit from South Dakota to Connecticut they can certainly be here...

https://www.pri.org/stories/2016-06-18/real-life-incredible-journey-one-3-year-old-mountain-lion
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I grew up in wawa.. I remember seeing one as a kid in my cousins back yard playing on the "mountain" (lol) on government rd... it was definitely a cougar my dad and uncle both seen it as well.. apparently looked like it followed us down the hill
 
razorbeck said:
The Government in Manitoba has only recently admitted there are Cougars here. Though I think they claim less then a dozen
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Knew a fella, that his GF in Manitoba owned a horse ranch near Rivers about twenty years ago. Cougar tracks were not an uncommon occurance on her property. Of course the local fish cops denied any knowledge of this truth.
 
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