Cougar sighting Central MN

View · by **Dakotared** on Thu Nov 07, 2013 10:33 am

I was just talking with my Mom who live a few miles east of Long Prairie and they had a Cougar on their land. Any one hunting that are this weekend may want to keep an eye out, i know I will.

View · by **photogpat** on Thu Nov 07, 2013 10:44 am

I saw a cougar at the bar in Kincaid's the other night.

Seriously though...I talked to the CO by Isle the other day. They've had at least one on a couple of trail cams within the last few months.

View · by **Thunder71** on Thu Nov 07, 2013 10:45 am

There's quite a few down here (SE MN), Preston area, etc. Be especially cautious if you're hunting with kids, make them go in front of you - they like to attack the smaller/weaker ones in the 'pack' by ambushing from behind.

View · by **bensdad** on Thu Nov 07, 2013 12:20 pm

Thunder71 wrote:There's quite a few down here (SE MN), Preston area, etc. Be especially cautious if you're hunting with kids, make them go in front of you - they like to attack the smaller/weaker ones in the 'pack' by ambushing from behind.

WAAAYYYY in front of you. :twisted:

I shouldn't joke. Kids are our future. And if my kids are any kind of barometer, we're not gonna see much get done in the future. :lol:

O.K. seriously now, I thought cougar presence in MN was well-documented and widely known?

View · by **870TC** on Thu Nov 07, 2013 3:50 pm

DNR down plays any cougar sightings, news media seems to follow along. Everyone else knows we have some.
I've seen them South G.R., more than once.
There was a horse attacked by one, N.W. of Bemidji and one hit by a car on South Carr Lake Road, just South of Bemidji (that actually made the news).

View · by **Thunder71** on Thu Nov 07, 2013 4:04 pm

870TC wrote:DNR down plays any cougar sightings, news media seems to follow along. Everyone else knows we have some.
I've seen them South G.R., more than once.
There was a horse attacked by one, N.W. of Bemidji and one hit by a car on South Carr Lake Road, just South of Bemidji (that actually made the news).

I saw a wolf down here a few years back about 3 miles from town, even got photos of it - nobody said boo at DNR, but they confirmed it was a wolf and that they were aware of a few packs running around the area.

View · by **FJ540** on Thu Nov 07, 2013 6:33 pm

They've caught a cougar on trail cam a few miles up the road closer to Mille Lacs. We're well within it's range but I've never seen any sign here.

View · by **NorthrenMN** on Thu Nov 07, 2013 6:42 pm

There was a cougar spotted on the hubbard and cass county line this last week. Thats not the first one that has been around about two years ago had one on the property.Wolves we see them all the time around here.

View · by **Ron Burgundy** on Thu Nov 07, 2013 7:25 pm

So, can we hunt them yet?

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

View · by **xd ED** on Thu Nov 07, 2013 7:27 pm

I think the DNR's position is that there are no breeding populations in MN. This is based on known behavior of the cats, and the fact that the wild ones( not released 'pets') are adolescent males, usually striking out from the western Dakotas. Cougars have been known to move for great distances. One animal that was tracked across the northern suburbs through White Bear to Stillwater, then Spring Valley Wis ended up getting hit by a car... In Connecticut, I believe. It seems they are tracked by their DNA taken from scat.

View · by **Dakotared** on Fri Nov 08, 2013 1:01 pm

On the DNR website it says you can not shoot them even if they are attacking livestock or pets. According to the DNR they are protected.

View · by **TH3180** on Fri Nov 08, 2013 2:29 pm

I got jumped by a cougar once. I was sore for like 3 days. 8-)

View · by **Dakotared** on Fri Nov 08, 2013 3:07 pm

TH3180 wrote:I got jumped by a cougar once. I was sore for like 3 days.

But did it burn when you peed?

View · by **TH3180** on Fri Nov 08, 2013 3:16 pm

Dakotared wrote:
TH3180 wrote:I got jumped by a cougar once. I was sore for like 3 days.

But did it burn when you peed?

Nope and the memories will last a lifetime.

View · by **ex-LT** on Tue Nov 12, 2013 2:14 pm

870TC wrote:DNR down plays any cougar sightings, news media seems to follow along. Everyone else knows we have some.
I've seen them South G.R., more than once.
There was a horse attacked by one, N.W. of Bemidji and one hit by a car on South Carr Lake Road, just South of Bemidji (that actually made the news).

Last year one attacked a horse in the Aitkin area.