Dead Cougar near Kakabeka Falls (Looks like killed by Porcupine)

[PSguy]

According to the attached article “Shebeshekong” in Ojibway means “cougar country”.
This is a Township 20 minutes north of Parry Sound.
Does this mean the Ojibway Indians saw Cougars around probably a 100 years ago or whenever it was named?


https://www.parrysound.com/opinion-s...riginal-owner/

[Fox]

According to the attached article “Shebeshekong” in Ojibway means “cougar country”.
This is a Township 20 minutes north of Parry Sound.
Does this mean the Ojibway Indians saw Cougars around probably a 100 years ago or whenever it was named?


https://www.parrysound.com/opinion-s...riginal-owner/

Cougars were in Ontario before Europeans, they called them Eastern Cougars. They are still seen in the Eastern US States on occasion, they were classed as extirpated until recently when that was changed to endangered, so either these are a remnant population from way back or western animals moving back.

[GW11]

I've never seen bear cubs, wolf pups, bobcat kittens or the juveniles of most predators.

The only ones I can remember ever seeing was a litter of fox kits... And that wasn't even "in the wild" as they came out of the marsh across the road from the Ottawa General Hospital.

I've seen bear cubs in the bush on a couple of occasions. Your examples are of animals that have an established, wild and reproducing population here. To suggest the same of the cougar is just speculation.

I'll wait for the proof. You can send me an "I told you so" if we ever actually get definitive proof of a truly wild and breeding population. [emoji1]

[JBen]

I think what he is suggesting GW is that other animals that are nowhere near as shy of man, nowhere near as elusive, or with as much range, and certainly are well established and numerous. Sightings arent an every day occurrence. Im willing to bet there are a lot of people in N Ontario that have never seen wolves. Sure lots have but wolves travel in packs, they dont range as far and wide, they are numerous, etc. Id have no trouble betting money there are lots in N Ontario that have never seen one.

Heck fishers are very numerous. How often are they seen?

My guess is you will never get the "proof" you say it will take for you. For starters they are solitary. So seeing more than one, getting more than one on film......Have you won the lottery yet to


To each their own. My guess is this is a wild one. for some and thats fine, it still wont be enough

[GW11]

I think what he is suggesting GW is that other animals that are nowhere near as shy of man, nowhere near as elusive, or with as much range, and certainly are well established and numerous. Sightings arent an every day occurrence. Im willing to bet there are a lot of people in N Ontario that have never seen wolves. Sure lots have but wolves travel in packs, they dont range as far and wide, they are numerous, etc. Id have no trouble betting money there are lots in N Ontario that have never seen one.

Heck fishers are very numerous. How often are they seen?

My guess is you will never get the "proof" you say it will take for you. For starters they are solitary. So seeing more than one, getting more than one on film......Have you won the lottery yet to


To each their own. My guess is this is a wild one. for some and thats fine, it still wont be enough

I hope you're right JBen, truly. We'll see how the story in the OP ends.

Although if it ever is confirmed, I think there will be a downside for hunters.

[terrym]

I would say they now have proof that those things are in fact here. Why wouldn't they be?

[yellow dog]

I would say they now have proof that those things are in fact here. Why wouldn't they be?

I don't think an one is denying the possibility but most have proven to be pets or ones that have escaped from someones private collection.

[yellow dog]

I think what he is suggesting GW is that other animals that are nowhere near as shy of man, nowhere near as elusive, or with as much range, and certainly are well established and numerous. Sightings arent an every day occurrence. Im willing to bet there are a lot of people in N Ontario that have never seen wolves. Sure lots have but wolves travel in packs, they dont range as far and wide, they are numerous, etc. Id have no trouble betting money there are lots in N Ontario that have never seen one.

Heck fishers are very numerous. How often are they seen?

My guess is you will never get the "proof" you say it will take for you. For starters they are solitary. So seeing more than one, getting more than one on film......Have you won the lottery yet to


To each their own. My guess is this is a wild one. for some and thats fine, it still wont be enough

I have seen Fishers at least 3 times a year when I was living just outside of Kemptville Ontario starting in the early 1990's.

[fishermccann]

Many people believe in ghosts, yet with all the tec available today, they have never been proven, sort of like religion. LOL

[JBen]

I've seen 2 in my life, caught them on Game cameras a few times. Biggest problem with "them" I think is that they are nocturnal. Thats not to say they aren't diurnal, but that they are far more active at night. But there is a good healthy population.......

Lets just say, the carcass found this week was a juvenile (1 year old) and its reasonably established its wild. Claws, diet. I personally don't know how anyone will ever be able to prove it is without question wild or an escapee or domestic, even with DNA testing. Maybe its possible? Don't know, but a domesticated Juve could be fed a steady diet of roadkill and game meats, and a wild cat could have a taste for livestock...

But lets just say somehow its proven beyond any doubt whatsoever we have them (plural). How many are we talking about.
6?
12?
36?
360?

In BC (roughly the same size as Ontario) the estimate is 3,500. How often are they seen? Fairly I think but thats a lot of cats. How open is BC (sight lines, plains, fields etc) compared to the bush up north....I think its considerably more open. Guys hunt there using rifles that can truly reach out and touch something. How often do guys take 500 yard shots at Moose? And despite all that if you really want to find one, guys use dogs to tree them.....need to...

The estimate for Canada is 4,000

So somewhere between Alberta and NFLD its estimated there are
500