NO Cougars in Ontario

An escaped pet wouldn't last a month in the wild. Hunting is a skill taught by mother, to kitten. A pet would likely also have clipped nails.

Sure that pet cougar killed a 70 pound, tied up dog last summer. And Cat was fat, probably not very fast, if that dog were free to run, may have been different.

Sure a wild dog can get by in the wild, but they usually live near dumps and places that they can scavenge. And many of them are born in the wild. They not pets that have been tied to a 30 ft Chain there whole lives.

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Originally Posted by Houndlover

Have to be pretty damn close.... The roaming radius of a male cougar is 100 miles, farther when looking for mate,

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The home range of a cougar is estimated to be from 150 square km up to about 1200 square km. That's about 12 km x 12 km up to about 35 km x 35 km at maximum.

Oregon is considered to have reported a "healthy" cougar population in 2006 at 5000 animals. The State of Oregon is 255,000 square km. That's about one cougar for every 50 sq km. Ontario is over 1000000 sq km - so four times the size of Oregon. If Ontario's population was reduced to say 500 animals in the past (probably a generous number), that would leave about one cougar for every 2000 sq km. Of course, they wouldn't be spread out evenly and some of Ontario wouldn't be suitable habitat, but to me that seems to be nearly impossible odds to sustain a population.

Hypothetically, say Ontario still had a couple hundred "wild" cougars after they were considered extinct in Ontario. With a density of one cougar per few thousand square km do you still think there's any chance they're going to hook up to breed? Regularly?

Anybody have pics of cougar cubs?

on a funny note... A cottager from GTA was saying he has seen a cougar (near parry sound), he told me he saw it almost every night and he has been feeding it.

I thought it was bs but he said he had pic and video, and that he knows his animals. he boasted some thing like "100% a cougar!"

well I wanted to see this pic/video so told him to come back some time with it.

....he was back today to show off this "cougar".

anyone want to guess what he had actually taken picture of?

Yes GW11, I think we have a tiny but growing population of cougars in Ontario.

Red X- was it a fox ? :)

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Originally Posted by red x

anyone want to guess what he had actually taken picture of?

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I'd have to think, maybe a bobcat or lynx, but even that would be a stretch....
Was it the lady from down the street?

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Originally Posted by HuntCamp'r

I'd have to think, maybe a bobcat or lynx, but even that would be a stretch....
Was it the lady from down the street?

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a cat... a barn cat.

the guy pulled his expansive dslr camera to show me the pic of a couger... I got excited for a bit. :(
anyway he still believes that it is a "cougar", I did not have the time to tell him other wise.

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Originally Posted by red x

a cat... a barn cat.

the guy pulled his expansive dslr camera to show me the pic of a couger... I got excited for a bit. :(
anyway he still believes that it is a "cougar", I did not have the time to tell him other wise.

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LOL! what was he feeding it? How far away was he when he took the pic?

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Originally Posted by Houndlover

Yes GW11, I think we have a tiny but growing population of cougars in Ontario.

Red X- was it a fox ? :)

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Houndlover, my hat's off to you for sticking to what you believe and for all any of us really know - you may be right. I've become somewhat of a skeptic in recent years and it's not as enjoyable as believing. Sometime I'll tell you about my sighting but I already got more or less laughed out of camp once for telling the story. :goodstuff:

red x - barn cat is priceless, people see what they want to see sometimes. We had a sighting with pics in the news here last year and it was clearly a Fisher.

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how could we kill every cougar in Ontario 120 years ago when we have hardly treked up to the 'true North'?

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How could we have killed every last passenger pigeon. I agree the habitat and #'s of breeding pairs having declined probably was the last nail in the coffin. I think that has or is happening to the cougars. Look at elk and bison. One went out the other was on the way. Wild turkey's are another example. Without re-stocking we wouldn't have what we have now. Not that I think we should re-stock cougars!!

I have a cougar on game cam in wmu 60.... I was bear calling this weekend from a blind with a rabbit I bled out and we heard her coming in and was circling around at about 40 yard and spitting realized it wasnt a bear. looked out and saw her standing on a beaver dam. gave us a snarl and took off. I set my cam up, left the rabbit and went back this morning to get it on my way to Toronto. Here she is boys.. "NO cougars in Ontario" my . Maybe it's because I am from the Rocky mountains of Alberta and don't sit in trees all day. First hunt trip in Ontario.