And I will personally stand behind any evidence that will stand up to scientific scrutiny. But when it doesn’t, no “true” researcher should.

I have a number of track casts that I have found over the years that did not meet the stiff requirements to gain a confirmation. I’m still confident that they came from cougars, but I don’t boast about them and I certainly don’t cry “Sour Grapes” when I get turned down. I just move on and continue to search for more evidence.

I’m not out to debunk anyone or to put another group down. Show me real evidence, and I’ll stand behind you 100%.

When I saw what I am pretty sure was a cougar here in Ulster County, New York (in the Catskill Mountains) last July, I went on to the net immediately to research. I emailed the Eastern Cougar Foundation within a couple of hours of the sighting, and I think I may have possibly called their hotline too. They never responded. While I was waiting to hear from them to get an answer about where I should send what might have been its scat for analysis, I lost track of the baggie. It eventually got into the freezer. I don’t know how good its DNA might be at this point.

But if I do find it, what places would you suggest I send the little nuggets for testing? I think there are 3 or 4.

I did tell some DEC cops that I ran into about the sighting, but they were so underwhelmed about whether this might have any bearing on the activities of all the lone anglers at the edge of the reservoir that I didn’t bother to make a formal report to the police.

Can you recommend a website that has sound files of eastern woodlands mammals, that might include a cougar’s sounds and other cries that might be alarming if we don’t recognize them?

Carol

I’ve been down the cobble trail many many times. While itself, not very remote there are many connecting trails (of note: appalachian and long) from it. I know where my first hike of the spring will be!

Here is just one letter to the editor I found from 1947!

Then again, this guy didn’t have bigfoot on his possibility list in 1947 either!

tirademan

14—The Berkshire Evening Eagle, Thursday, Sept. 4, 1947
Letters
It’s a Panther
To the Editor of THE EAGLE:—

For the past two years or so I have been reading the various pieces in The Eagle about a “Thing” which has been seen or heard in the surrounding territory. There has been little doubt in my mind, from ihe beginning, but that this animal is a panther. In fact, without having read any of these reports, I felt sure there was a panther roaming about because I heard a panther scream while up in the mountains west of Pittsfield one night a year ago this fall. I was raised in country where panthers were quite common. I have seen them, seen their habits and depredations and heard their blood-chilling scream on many an occasion. There is no mistaking that scream once you are accustomed to hearing it. The panther, puma, cougar and mountain lion are ail one and the same animal, and roam far and wide in their hunting grounds. It is not unusual for a panther to cover from 30 to 40 miles in one night’s foraging. I have known of panther hunts, with hounds and horses, to last three days and cover 200 miles. Panthers do not necessarily stay in one region, but wander across hundreds of miles of mountain ranges, especially out o£ the mating season. There is no logical reason why a panther could not be in this vicinity. They are found from Canada to Mexico and could roam into this region as well as elsewhere. Admittedly, they are far more numerous in the West, but are by no means extinct in the East, nor barred from roaming down into this section from Canada or elsewhere, if their inclinations or train of circumstances should lead them to it. A panther is primarily concerned with food, and will eat a sheep in. Berkshire County as well as in Quebec. I took part in a panther hunt near the little village of Amsden, Vt. This panther had been killing livestock on surrounding farms for months, and was hold enough so that he became in the habit of stalking woodsmen. He was finally tracked down and found upon a ledge overlooking the highway and settlement. He was killed, but others came to the region. In one winter I found the carcasses of 19 deer which were killed and partly eaten by a panther, or panthers, in this same section of Vermont. There are many cases on record where panthers have attacked human beings. I had refrained from adding my bit to the news items on this subjects because of the many ridiculous remarks made by the inexperienced skeptics who have the unfounded conviction that for some unknown reason, a panther could not come here. I was quite intrigued by the conjecture as to whether it was a panther or bear track found in Stephentown. There is no comparison whatever, a panther’s being round like a large dog’s, only much larger, while a bear’s is long and has a distinct heel on the hind feet. Also, panthers make tracks from 12 to 15 feet apart when loping along and much greater distances when stretching for speed.
W. H. HOISINGTON.
Windsor, Vt.
Not an Invention

I hope that EPRN is able to weather this storm. They have passion and belief on their side. I wish them luck in their efforts.

It’s a shame most certainly, but not a surprise.