Re(6): Two More RECORDER articles from recent weeks IP: 50.241.112.193 Posted on February 4, 2015 at 02:50:57 AM by weather01089
We finally received a copy after a lengthy FOIA process.
The conclusion to be brief is that the CLOSEST MATCH of the DNA is the population in South Dakota. It does NOT say exact match, individual. A review by my lab guy said they really didn't have enough samples, which is also mentioned in the document. Note that a few of the cats tested in Southern Canada, (A LOT closer to New England than South Dakota), also show similar DNA. Its a short hop from Ontario to CT, or New Brunswick to CT compared to South Dakota. Then there is that pesky Matanuck confirmation..... and DNA at the quabbin in MA, and tracks in 2011 again in MA. And we had a track, nice one too, from Berkshire County MA a year ago. Its but a single track though, not much to say about that but it is what it is.
So since there was 2 DNA id's from the Craftsbury Vermont, the claim is that adds enough smoke to dismiss it? Despite the witness reports, and tracks. By the way, its common for cougars to attack Coyotes. If they managed to eat one, the fur in the scat will also possibly test coyote, or any other animal the cat ate. The scat may be been mixed up, or just contaminated. A witness, with corroborating tracks should be enough for a low class confirmation. The Michigan Wildlife Conservancy did a great job out there after being thrown all of this same junk at them. Remember the hunters, "If they were here we would have seen them", and the biologists "We would find signs if they are here". Well guess what, they were there. This "confirmation" game is a joke. We had great tracks taken back in the 1960 through 1980 period, that are now lost records. We had farm animals attacked, and one a veterinarian determined the bite (on the neck) to be from a cougar based on the bite mark size. So if you think this cougar issue is new in Massachusetts, you are sadly mistaken. If you go up into the hilltowns in the Berkshires, sit in a small breakfast place and say "there are no mountain lions in Massachusetts", they will laugh at you. This crosses many generations. Replies: