Mountain Lion Population?
Responses to the continuing controversy whether there are mountain lions in western New York (lay folk claim to have seen or heard them, DEC biologists retort with the old fall-back “need proof in the form of scats, a body, or irrefutable photographs”) misses the key question, “Are there viable populations of mountain lions in western New York?”
Population biologists remind us that to sustain a viable, breeding population (a population that won’t self-extinct because of too little reproduction to offset a high mortality rate) of mountain lions requires 80-100 adults and forested habitat exceeding 1,000 square miles. As a research professor at Oregon State University, I supervised a study where we radio-collared eight mountain lions and followed them for two years. After two years seven had died: two were run over by vehicles, one was legally harvested, three were illegally harvested, and one was killed by another lion. Humans took a devastating toll on mountain lions, and that was in rural America with a scattered and dispersed road system. There are just too many roads, too little undisturbed and unfragmented forest, and too many humans in western New York for a viable population of mountain lions.
I would not dispute all sightings and soundings of mountain lions: a fellow scientist of impeccable integrity claimed to have seen one in broad daylight in the Tionesta Scenic Area (4,000 acre old-growth forest in Pennsylvania near Bradford) and I believe him. It could have been a captive cat that escaped, or a far-ranging male that somehow made it from the Adirondacks.
So likely sightings (of indeterminate origin) – yes. probability of a viable, permanent population in western New York – sadly, no.
David deCalesta,
Certified Wildlife Biologist
Hammondsport
Dear Mark,
I am Dr. John W. Laundré and I am a cougar biologist that has been studying cougars out west for over 25 years. I recently moved to upstate New York (SUNY Oswego) and of course, brought my interest in cougars with me. I have become involved with various aspects of cougar issues here in the state and am the vice-president of the Eastern Cougar Foundation. So, needless to say, I found the recent article by John Adamski on cougars in the Finger Lakes area very interesting. I think he presented a well balanced view of a complex issue regarding whether they are here or not and I applaude him on that.
One idea of special interest to me is the concept of whether or not any cougars that might be here are exotics or not. Since cougars as a species are native to the region, any cougar born here, whehter of foregin parents or not would automatically be a native according to human law! Even an escaped pet, if it survives more than one year in the wild, I think it would have passed the critical test for at least "citizenship."
Thanks
Dr. John W. Laundré
I live in Virgil New York and in the state land behind Greek Peak I have seen tracks in the snow and in the mud in the summer. Similar to the one in the picture & description (4inches in diameter, very round, no nail marks). We have an eighty pound Huskey mix and her paw prints were half he size of these prints! They looked just like the prints in the picture on page 67 of the Winter Issue. I took one frozen print home and it matched up with prints of mountain lions shown on the web. Perfect match.
Kevin C. King
Virgil, New York
General Feedback
Love the magazine!
The Lansing Historical Association has a one-room schoolhouse that we have brought back to the 1930's-40's era. That is why I was especially interested in the article in the Winter 2009 article, "Reflections of a Rural Schoolteacher".
Our schoolhouse was the only remaining schoolhouse in the Town of Lansing that had not been torn down or made into a home. We moved it about a half a mile to place it next to our Town Hall as it was stipulated, when given to us, that it had to be moved.
After a lot of volunteer work by the town and the Lansing Historical Association we have brought it back to the time when FDR was our president. (His picture has a prominent place in the schoolroom).
We have the Board Minutes of the school from 1897 to 1948 when the school was closed due to centralization.
Louise Bement
Lansing Historical Association President
Lansing Town Historian
Lansing, NY
Dear Mr.Stash,
Thank you so much for the excellent review of Al Jensen's "Overhalls and Leftovers." We really appreciate it. I do have to ask you if you'd print a correction, though -- Al's email address is abjensen@aol.com, not adjensen. Also, the book price has changed to $15.50, paperback. The book is available through Amazon and Long's in Penn Yan.
Thank you again, and congratulations on an excellent, picturesque issue!
Best regards,
Elena Anderson
Bear Over the Mountain
Like thousands of other people, I am a huge fan of your beautiful magazine and look forward to viewing the winning entries in the annual photography contest. The winning photos are more amazing every year. All were excellent, but the Grand Prize Winner was especially exciting for the fledgling Central New York Living History Center which includes the Brockway Museum, the sponser of the annual Brockway Truck Show in Cortland,
We are thrilled that this event provided the setting for the magical Grand Prize winning photo!
Patricia Ferris
Cortland
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