IP: 73.47.96.229
Posted on July 29, 2015 at 08:02:32 AM by Ron Orban
Positive Mountain Lion Sighting
Saturday July 18, 2015
6:15 - 6:30 P.M.
Moultonborough, N.H.
Hi my name is Ron Orban.
Let me begin in brief by saying I am 53 and my mate Staci 48. Along with some formal schooling and field study experience in multiple Environmental Science's both Marine and Terrestrial,we are both lifelong avid hikers and experienced wildlife observers etc... While Staci is a lifelong resident of Maine and New Hampshire, I have lived, worked, hunted in, and am intimately familiar with, the environment and biological diversity of Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont. I also had the opportunity in 1969 - 1970 as a pre-teen to view an Eastern Cougar and a pair of Eastern Lynx at a half baked New Brunswick zoo. (It consisted of a 1 or 2 acre woodland lot with some 10 Ft. Square wire mesh cages at waist height here and there) Anyone was fully able to put their face or body part's up to the cages and be killed or mauled. (And these Cat's WERE quite willing and attempting to do so.)
Horrid place...most Zoo's are. ANYWAY..
I have also been lucky enough to observe
(3) Bobcats in the wild on separate occasions while hunting or hiking.
In short..do NOT underestimate the stealth and ghostly qualities of Eastern Cats's.
Tracks and such??? (Minimal by nature)
How many cat's do you know that particularly LIKE wet, muddy paws??? AND Cat's generally don't travel much in snow cover if they can help it.
So.......
On Saturday July 18, 2015 @ 6:15 - 6:30 P.M. under good lighting conditions, we were traveling west on Route 25 between Moultonborough and Center Harbor N.H. NOT someplace one would expect a big cat,(nor myself), to be prowling but then again the deer herd is pretty large in that area. (Maybe it'll eat some tourists.)
After review of Map and Satelite views we have narrowed the siting area to Moultonborough Falls with the beast crossing the road approx. 35 - 40 yds.in front of us. It would have been coming North from the Lee's Pond area headed up into Red Hill which makes perfect sense after studying the terrain etc.
Still it WAS a surprise given the Cat came from trees quite close to a couple houses there. BUT! !......in all it's glory and stealth there it went.
I mean after the shock wore off we discussed and very much agreed on the details of the beautiful creature we had seen. No Mountain Lion /Cougar we'd commonly viewed on film or otherwise had the proportions nor especially the fairly deep red/brown body with very distinct black facial markings this cat possessed. Head to Rump length was 48" - 58" with the tail adding some 30" - 36" of course, but it was doing the classic speedy flat cat slink cross the road. The fore legs were short, VERY thick with rippling muscle /skin. The paws were, (ENORMOUS), darker, seemingly black but it could have been wet fur too.
That's the observations we made. Maybe making some time to get up in there next week and stalk around a bit. . take some time to look for sign and take some photos .
Happy Scouting and Best Regards
Replies:
- Re(1): Positive Sighting - By Cici July 29, 2015 at 10:59:14 PM
- Re(2): Positive Sighting (correction) - By Ron Orban July 30, 2015 at 00:50:00 AM
- Re(3): Positive Sighting (correction) - By Cici July 30, 2015 at 09:38:34 PM
- Re(2): Positive Sighting (correction) - By Ron Orban July 30, 2015 at 00:50:00 AM
- Re(1): Positive Sighting - By weather01089 July 29, 2015 at 04:54:28 PM
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