Cougar/Mountain Lion Sightings at Lake Maria State Park and Montissippi park

[mommy77of2]

I was wondering. How many other people have seen cougars around the Monticello area? I myself saw one earlier in the summer, on a windy day at Montissippi County Park, in Monticello. It was a smaller one and still had spots but it was almost as big as my german shepherd. Very awesome sighting. I was able to stand their and take it in because it didn't see or smell me. I had considered myself very lucky to see one in the wild let alone in Monticello, MN. But last night my roommate went for a walk at Lake Maria State Park. It was dark out and he heard something in the woods and shined his flashlight on it, saw its eyes and walk closer to see what it was and sure enough it was a cougar looking him right in the eye. He froze and said hey and it ran away. Wow! Is all I can say. I was wondering how many others have had similar experiences!

[papabear]

OH MY GOODNESS. I hunt right around there and have not heard of anything like that. Im deffinetly keeping my eyes out from now on. I have heard of Cougars in the Mora Area, and my daughters teachers have seen them by thier school here in Bemidji. Hope to see more info.

[TommyJ33]

my brother had one walk by his deer stand a few years back out that way west of Monti. They are out there.

[NAPAFISH]

I have some relatives who live in the Staples, Wadena area. They have seen them a few times. They spoke with a local CO officer. This is what they were told

S S S

Shoot Shovel Shut up

It seems they dont want these animals around here

[sdstatekid]

If you follow the S S S suggestion, what happens if the cougar has a gps collar or other tracking device on it? I don't know if many cougars are tracked in Minnesota, but out here in South Dakota a lot of them are.

[Kyle Sandberg]

Then S S S a B

Shot, Shovel, Shut up, and Burn

[The Grebe]

Maybe 15 years ago, my sister had a cabin on Two Inlets Lake up north of Park Rapids.

One day while she and her young son were walking their little dog down the dirt road right by the cabin, a large cougar stepped out of the brush and up onto the road right in front of them.

Having never seen a Cougar before, she said that she wasn't sure what it was but she knew it wasn't a dog and she said she instinctively knew that they were in danger. She clutched the dog and pulled her young son closer to her, and backed up slowly, not taking her eyes off of the animal.

She gradually got turned around, looking back over her shoulder as they walked back toward the cabin. She said that the animal watched them until they were well down the road, then it was gone.

When she told me about it the next day, what color it was, it's round face, stout legs, small ears and long curled tail, I pretty much guessed what she had seen, but I hustled up some pictures of cougars to show to her and sure enough thats what she seen.

The cat was probably interested in the dog, maybe the young kid? Had they took off running, that might have triggered a response from the cougar, but they didn't and it all ended up good.

I can't remember all the specifics, but I reported the incident to the DNR and was told that there are no cougars in Minnesota, they didn't even send the area CO, or anyone else to check it out? I think a person would get a better response if they said they had seen big foot!

Anyways, in subsequent years, driving back and forth between there and the Twin Cities, she seen a couple more cougars cross the road in the Wadena and Staples area.

[fishboy23]

I think that there was a sighting in quarry park in waite park last summer and a moose this fall. I have also heard of a sighting just north of elk river about 2-3 years ago. now thats close to the cities!!!, but there has been a lot of developement in that area the last few years and the sherburne wildlife refuge is right there, i swear i saw something at dusk one nite last summer by mille lacs driving that i could only think of it as a cougar.

[Crappie Kid]

I think they are a product of our booming Whitetail population. I live by Brainerd/Baxter and my uncle has one on his Deer camera.

[Log Hopper]

Hey Crappie Kid, See if you can get that picture posted - I think that would be cool to see.

[The Grebe]

23...Since that long ago time, there have been alot of cougar sightings, some really close to the cities.

A few years back, a bunch of people seen a cougar, or cougars out in Maple grove, and some people in Savage seen one and I believe they got a pic of it with a trail cam. There have been several other places also, I just can't recall them right off hand.

What i do know is just about every time one appears, it is always explained away by the Experts as being a pet that was turned loose, or escaped from an animal park, or whatever...a cougars a cougar and why does it seem to be so hard to accept the fact that it indeed could be a wild cougar?

Years ago, a full grown wolverine was killed by a vehicle on one of the highways over by St. Paul, I bet that wasn't someones pet!

How about the moose that travel through every once in awhile, I'm sure someone hasn't been hand feeding them carrots!

All the critters, including the cougars, go on walk abouts every now and then and it takes them to distant places...I think that every now and again, one vacations in Minnesota and there may even be a resident population that calls this state home!

[tonyjor]

That moose almost made it to the cities. It was shot by a police officer because it was "interferring" with traffic. My buddy at work saw it near Clearwater.

[vern]

About a month ago there was a moose that was running around near 494 & 62 in Minnetonka. It's amazing how far a 1,000 lb animal can travel without being noticed.

After that cougar was seen in Savage another one was seen across the river in Bloomington. I think it was in Moir Park? Maybe it was the same animal & it crossed the river somehow. There seems to be more & more reports of these big cats. I'd love to see one.

[fishuhalik]

i saw tracks from one, at least i'm just about positive it was from one, not sure what else it coulda been. down by prior lake a couple of years ago right outside my buddy's sheep ranch. said he didn't have any losses, but he always kept a loaded .223 in the truck in case!

[basssmasher*]

also quite a few yrs ago 10 maybe there was a moose in southwestern Mn near my hometown i saw it and never got pics.. I remember the dnr drugged it and transported it back up north though

[EBass]

I saw a cougar TWICE going from Woman Lake to Longville then on the way back we saw it again. I knew it was a cougar right away. Light tan, shorter but not small, stocky with a long tail, and boy can it move. I was excited, but also glad to be in my truck

[Loon]

old cougar thread

Sounds pretty consistent with these sightings a little over a year ago.

My two Jack Russell terriers will protect me...or at least buy me some time to get back in the boat.

[pikerliker]

I saw a cougar this year in the city limits of LeSueur where I live! During daylight late afternoon no less this past October. The local paper caught wind that I had seen one and did an article on it. Soon after the article came out 2 more people approached me and had seen the cougar just a couple miles East of town around the same time I had my sighting. It again was explained away as someones "pet" that had gotten away. There must be an aweful lot of neglegent cougar owners in this state!! I'm also positive that I had one scream at me one early morning when I was going bow hunting just south of LeSueur in the river valley about 8 years ago. Talk about unnerving!! It was too dark to see, but I'll never forget that sound!

~piker