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JULY | AUGUST 2009
By Paul Beaudry
Kings Of The Comeback
Too much evidence to ignore
Click here for the opposing viewpoint

Most of us in Vermont have heard the stories of catamounts living in the forest. I can remember conversations while fishing or hunting that catamounts were here. I must admit I was a bit skeptical of the idea, mainly because I had never seen one. That all changed early one morning on May 7, 2009, at 6:20 a.m. I was driving to work southbound on I-89. As I drove over the bridge near Malletts Bay in Colchester, a catamount ran across the northbound lane and disappeared into some pine trees. The cat was about three feet in length with the tail about as long. Close to six feet total length. It was a brownish/tan color and very fast. I was amazed to see one. No second thoughts that it was a coyote or dog. What a beautiful animal!

File Photo

I was excited to go on my morning radio show and tell everybody. How was my audience going to react to my sighting? Would they believe me or think I was a nut case? So I went on the air for the Comment Show telling my story. Then I opened up the phones to see the response. To my surprise I got a call from a woman who said she had seen one in St. Albans two years ago. I was not the only one to see one even though I have heard stories from people who have seen a catamount. The next show I host is True North Radio on six stations covering most of Vermont. After telling my audience I saw a catamount the phones popped from several listeners who have seen them. Most people were glad I said it on the radio because it verified that they had seen one also. I invited my audience to e-mail me with their sightings and they sure came in. From all over the state.

The next thing I did was call people at the Vermont Department of Fish and Wildlife (VTFWD) to see if they wanted a report. Here comes the Catamount Fish and Wildlife conspiracy. Rumor has it that VTFWD won’t admit catamounts live in Vermont. Some say that F&W imported those 20 years ago and has covered it up. I was about to find out if VTFWD would admit it. The phone rang and a nice lady answered. I told her I saw a catamount and asked if they were interested in the information. She said yes and gave the number to a VTFWD biologist in Rutland working on catamount sightings. He was eager to take the information and had a series of questions to ask me. Standard stuff like where, when. He said I was the third sighting this week. I asked all from Colchester? No, he explained, three sightings from three parts of the state. Sorry, folks; no conspiracy, they admit it.

When I got home several e-mails were waiting for me in my inbox. More sightings from all over. I even got a picture of one in New York from a trail cam. Over the next week-plus I would mention it on the radio and more e-mails came in. On Tuesday, May 26, I dedicated a whole show to catamount sightings. I ended up taking 14 calls from people all over the place saying they have seen one. Some were black and most were brown/tan: in Charlotte, a black one in Fletcher, Monkton, Williamstown, St. Albans, Barre, Calais, Bridgeport, Rutland. Catamounts were all over the place. Senator Randy Brock saw one on his land in Swanton. Another said he hit one two years ago by exit 20. I have received 40 plus eyewitness reports of sightings. One report of a moose carcass with big cat tracks all around it. The humorous part of the show was people were very happy I saw one and put it on the air because it confirmed their sanity.

Catamounts are very dangerous animals and should be treated as such. They will eat deer, turkey, and other small to large prey. The positive side is that they are very afraid of humans, for a good reason. Most reports of catamount attacks are on children and hikers, and when people come between the mother and kittens. Attacks are very rare. I suggest we should all be aware of them and learn safety precautions. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise; catamounts do live in Vermont. That catamounts have come back is a great testament to the great work we all have done to protect the environment. If you want to send me your sighting, email: paul@truenorthradio.com.

Paul Beaudry is the host of True North Radio.

12 Responses to “Kings Of The Comeback”

  1. Ruth Fifield Says:
    July 7th, 2009 at 5:03 pm

    Your magazine is very good and have just read it for the first time. All articles very interesting, espically as I live in the islands

  2. Mike Eldred Says:
    July 9th, 2009 at 5:17 am

    “Sorry, folks; no conspiracy, they admit it.”

    Well, no conspiracy, but they don’t admit that there are any indigenous catamounts living in Vermont. The VT Dpt. of Fish and Wildlife claim that the sightings are either mistaken identity, or sightings of escaped pet mountain lions. To date, the only physical evidence of a catamount is (was) a sample of scat said to be from a wild catamount. The sample has since vanished, and the test results are in dispute.

    But, as you point out, there are credible sightings all over the state. I’ve written about several right here in the southern part of the state.

    Cheers,
    -Mike

  3. janet boyd Says:
    August 25th, 2009 at 7:19 pm

    visit the Deerfield Valley Newspaper in Wilmington Vt
    for their story about some recent evidence…

  4. P. Michael Says:
    October 14th, 2009 at 4:28 pm

    I believe those who stated that they saw “black” Cougars are mistaken. Its fur is typically a light, tawny brown color which can at times appear gray or almost black, depending on light conditions.

    Cougar (Puma concolor) coloring is plain (hence the Latin concolor) but can vary greatly between individuals and even between siblings. The coat is typically tawny, but ranges to silvery-grey or reddish, with lighter patches on the under body including the jaws, chin, and throat. Infants are spotted and born with blue eyes and rings on their tails; juveniles are pale, and dark spots remain on their flanks. Despite anecdotes to the contrary, all-black coloring (melanism) has never been documented in cougars. The term “black panther” is used colloquially to refer to melanistic individuals of other species, particularly jaguars and leopards.

    Source:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cougar

    On a side note, I wish the term “Panther” would be dropped as one of the names people use when describing a Puma. It adds to the confusion of color due to the fact that there ARE black Jaguars (Panthera onca) and Leopards (Panthera pardus). They are the only true Panthers.

    Thank you for this opportunity to write a response. You have a lovely magazine.

    P. Michael
    Washington state.

  5. Joyce Strauss Says:
    November 1st, 2009 at 10:25 am

    Thank you for your great magazine and for confirming that I’m not crazy. It was almost 20 years ago when I was on the front porch of my Highgate, Vt. home in the woods. A car drove by and right behind it was a cat-like animal (as large as a medium dog) with a tail as long as the he was. It was light and dark brown and had some yellow in it. My sons saw it also and we were told that catamounts did’nt live in Vermont. I wish I could have taken a picture but I was so amazed at what I was looking at I didn’t even think of my camera. In the 1950’s my mother saw a bear in the woods of South Barre and was told the same thing…no bear in that area of the state. Vermont is a state of wonder and miracles!

  6. Mayra Sandoval-Cooper Says:
    November 2nd, 2009 at 10:14 pm

    There’s a watering hole that my niece, daughter, and I visit in the summer when I go home to visit. A couple of years ago, we drove to the peak of the mountain (I’ve asked my niece if she can recollect the name of the town), when we encountered a black cat. that lunged across the front of my car. Moments prior, I was explaining to them about the bear noted in that area. Who would have thought we’d be so lucky to see such a magnificent creature! I called the regional game warden but they took it as a joke. I am curious though, I’ve not heard of black catamounts. How many sightings of black ones have you noted?

  7. Mayra Sandoval-Cooper Says:
    November 2nd, 2009 at 10:17 pm

    By the way, the cat we saw was definitely black. No doubt about it.

  8. susan Says:
    November 23rd, 2009 at 8:14 am

    I was greatful for all these comments just a couple months ago i sa a black catamount after deer. sorry to say it was too quick to get on film but i know what i saw. This is not the first time nor do i think the last.. such a great mag… thanks susan

  9. Rhonda Says:
    November 30th, 2009 at 4:33 pm

    I came across this site purely by accident but wanted to read the article on the catamount. Several years ago I saw one in Goshen, VT. I called the Fish & Game to report a black cat, about 5 to 6 feet in length. They were not interested in my report and said “there is no such thing as black catamount in VT”. Thank you for the interesting article and the messages from people like myself. Now I know I wasn’t seeing things!

  10. Mark Says:
    January 22nd, 2010 at 6:12 am

    I knew a gentleman, now deceased so his story can be told.
    He was working on a farm in Fairfield during the 30’s and 40’s and one year shot 2 catamounts.
    The folks there assumed the forest fires in Canada that year pushed them down.

    I caught a glimpse of one in Lowell back in the 70’s and have found their tracks on several occasions while trout fishing the back country. My Daughter, Son in law and Grandson all saw one with me last summer as we were riding the power lines over in the kingdom looking for moose. It cross less that 50 yards in front of us at an easy gate and only glanced at us as it went by.

    Trappers have long talked of the big cats in their own circles and many of them can probably show you indisputable evidence. However, they are wary of the animal rights movement and fear a campaign like one that was waged in Maine after the state recognized the Canadian Lynx in that state. You can be the northern forest alliance is already thinking up ways they can take advantage of any official recognition the state may give to catamounts.

  11. Mark Says:
    January 22nd, 2010 at 6:26 am

    NOW,
    on another related note.
    I know of 2 sightings of strange flying creatures in Georgia, VT several years ago.
    The following accounts are true, only the names of the people have been changed.

    Out for a spring motorcycle ride, now that the snow was finally gone,
    Mike Edwards was passing the strawberry fields in Georgia Plains late
    Thursday evening. Due to the cooling air, fog was beginning to crawl
    out of the low areas of the fields and along an arrogation stream.

    With the sun just below the horizon and plenty of light still in the
    sky, Mike observed a large ‘bird’ flying from the swamps to the south-
    east of the road. Mike began slowing down to a crawl as he watched
    the ‘bird’ approach.

    The flight path intersected Georgia Plains road approximately 15 feet
    in front of the motorcycle and perhaps 10 feet above the ground.
    Edwards gives a very thorough description of what he observed.

    “The creature was about two feet tall with a wingspan of perhaps forty
    inches (more or less). It had pointed ears standing up straight and a
    snout-like face with a nose and mouth almost like a fox. Its back
    legs were fuller than a birds and hung down and back. It had a long,
    thin tail trailing for about a foot behind it. It was black or dark
    gray in color and had no feathers.”

    “My first thought was that it was a very large bat. Then the unsettling
    realization struck me that in addition to back legs and wings, this
    creature had forelegs. Curled in front of its chest similar to the
    posture of a kangaroo, were a pair of front legs that looked to be at
    least a foot long if extended.”

    “I had a very clear view of the creature for a second or two before it
    was past and I could no longer see the front of it. I was not
    frightened and the creature was in no way menacing. After the
    incident, I continued the ride to my parents home near the end of the
    road.”

    Edwards has no explanation for what he saw Thursday night and does not
    speculate on what the creature could have been. He just reports what
    he saw exactly as he remembers it.

    This may have been a quiet little curiosity story except:

    Driving up the Polly Hubbard road in Georgia last Sunday evening, just
    after sunset, Dora Greene and her husband Jim were heading home to St.
    Albans. They had been visiting Dora’s sister, Cherry, who lives near
    the Lake Champlain end of Polly Hubbard road. Just before the old schoolhouse on Polly Hubbard Rd., Dora noticed the ‘giant
    bat’ flying into the glow of their headlights and began to remark at
    it’s size to her husband. Before the words were out of her mouth,
    Dora realized that it wasn’t a normal bat. The Greene’s agree to each
    detail of what they saw fly across the road and through the beams of
    their headlights, barely ten feet in front of their vehicle.

    “It looked just like a giant bat, about two feet tall, except that in
    addition to wings, it had front legs held like a horse jumping a fence
    would hold its front legs.”

    “And the wings didn’t flap fast like a bats wings do”, Joe adds.

    Although they only saw the creature for an instant, both of the
    Greene’s agree that the vision is indelibly etched in their memory
    forever.

    Interestingly, these two sightings took place only a few miles from
    each other. Georgia Plains and the location on Polly Hubbard road
    where the Greene’s sighting took place are along a small ridge that
    runs parallel to Lake Champlain in the town of Georgia, Vermont.

    The Polly Hubbard road was used by early settlers to transport
    freight from Melville’s Landing, on Lake Champlain into the village.
    The road can be seen on an ancient map dating to the late seventeen
    hundreds, in the town library. The ridge is also named on the map –
    ‘Devil’s Den’.

  12. Teri Says:
    February 11th, 2010 at 1:03 pm

    Paul,
    Thank you for sharing your story. As you know I had an encounter and was not taken seriously either. For anyone interested… Paul and I have met to discuss finding proof of cougars in Vt. The goal is to educate the public on what to do and who to call as soon as there is an alleged sighting. We will do our best to follow up on reports and will not laugh at you! Contact Paul at the above email and/or me at CataMissionVT@gmail.com. My personal story is in the Jan/Feb issue. You can follow my adventures online on Blogspot. Keep in mind that this is an honest and sincere attempt on our part, but we are not experts on the subject and have limitations. If nothing else it may make for some humorous reading material while sharing knowledge, stories, theories and thoughts on this elusive and magnificent animal!

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