Eastern Mountain Lion Declared Extinct

[BoylermanCT]

Last one was seen in the wild in 1938. Mountain lions seen in the East since then have been western mountain lions that made their way east. Not sure of the difference between eastern and western mountain lions, but it strikes me that we failed when we drive them to extinction.

 

[newbury]

Someone is going to claim victory getting them off the endangered species list.

 

[dasranger]

Unfortunately, in the 1930s, there were probably much more pressing matters. It is so sad.

 

[4570Man]

Unfortunately, in the 1930s, there were probably much more pressing matters. It is so sad.

Like cutting all the timber. I’m not a tree hugger, but they were incredibly wasteful from the stories I’ve heard. They cut everything into 7x9 cross-ties and burnt all the slabs in a burn pile. If it wasn’t fit for a tie it was left to rot. I don’t remember what species of trees but they cut them and stripped the bark. The rest was left to rot. Then it was too much work to get the trees they’ve already cut home for firewood so they cut more for firewood. At least thats according to my grandpas stories. He worked at another operation that was more efficient. He said they sawed lumber from what wasn’t fit for crossties and fuelled the boilers with the waste. He said that mill cut 115,000 board feet a day.

 

[goeduck]

Last one was seen in the wild in 1938. Mountain lions seen in the East since then have been western mountain lions that made their way east. Not sure of the difference between eastern and western mountain lions, but it strikes me that we failed when we drive them to extinction.

Really sad, Humans have no right to extinct entire species.

 

[goeduck]

Like cutting all the timber. I’m not a tree hugger, but they were incredibly wasteful from the stories I’ve heard. They cut everything into 7x9 cross-ties and burnt all the slabs in a burn pile. If it wasn’t fit for a tie it was left to rot. I don’t remember what species of trees but they cut them and stripped the bark. The rest was left to rot. Then it was too much work to get the trees they’ve already cut home for firewood so they cut more for firewood. At least thats according to my grandpas stories. He worked at another operation that was more efficient. He said they sawed lumber from what wasn’t fit for crossties and fuelled the boilers with the waste. He said that mill cut 115,000 board feet a day.

Agree. Out here where I live when they first started logging trees were so plentiful that they considered any tree less than 3 feet diameter to be a weed and not worth harvesting. Now they harvest 12 inch diameter trees.

 

[4570Man]

Agree. Out here where I live when they first started logging trees were so plentiful that they considered any tree less than 3 feet diameter to be a weed and not worth harvesting. Now they harvest 12 inch diameter trees.

Or less. I’ve got 2x4s with bark on 4 sides.

 

[goeduck]

Or less. I’ve got 2x4s with bark on 4 sides.

I recall logging trucks fully loaded with one log. Now, nothing but poles.

 

[Thomas]

Logging equipment heck of lot faster now a days compare 70+ years ago,but trees still grow at the same rate.

 

[Thomas]

Indeed very...very sad.
What puzzle me is that were able to control wildlife to the end but we can't control ourselves. :ashamed:

 

[mcfarmall]

I thought that evolution would allow them to adapt to their new conditions...isn't that how life began? With a single cell organism in a mud puddle and look at us now! Hmmm, maybe evolution isn't all it's cracked up to be.

 

[Sigarms]

The reality is people say the future is always getting worse and for some reason long for the days of their youth, because for some reason, they feel it was a better time "back then".

When it comes to hunting, all one has to do is look at all the game harvested to understand that there were no rules back in the early 1900's. I use to do a lot of hiking around Hawk Mountain in Pa. You should should see the pictures of all the dead hawks people hunted. Kind of past ridiculous.

We all hate rules, but sad to say, humans left to their own devices, will do anything they please.

 

[RobA]

I thought that evolution would allow them to adapt to their new conditions...isn't that how life began? With a single cell organism in a mud puddle and look at us now! Hmmm, maybe evolution isn't all it's cracked up to be.

Evolution is a very slow process. Human intervention is much faster.

 

[nybirdman]

Someone is going to claim victory getting them off the endangered species list.

Exactly;this opens the door for them to reintroduce the cougar to the East.On another note;NYS and I would guess other states have been releasing cougars for more than 30 years;they will deny it to the end but it has been happening.If that is not true "why" has the cougar been protected from hunting(NYS anyway) if they don't exist.This has been in the game laws for the last five years.

 

[MossRoad]

Exactly;this opens the door for them to reintroduce the cougar to the East.On another note;NYS and I would guess other states have been releasing cougars for more than 30 years;they will deny it to the end but it has been happening.If that is not true "why" has the cougar been protected from hunting(NYS anyway) if they don't exist.This has been in the game laws for the last five years.

Do you have any proof that "they" have been releasing cougars for more than 30 years?

 

[majorwager]

Moss
It is apparent that many of the cougars have been released in Hollywood, no claws, just long painted fingernails.

 

[Larry Caldwell]

I recall logging trucks fully loaded with one log. Now, nothing but poles.

All the mills have re-tooled for small logs. I logged 20 acres in 2013 and we left several big old hooters standing because they would dock us 20% for anything over 26" at the butt. The new automated mills can't handle large logs any more. They don't want them, and often won't take them. Larger members are engineered and laminated.

 

[Larry Caldwell]

Exactly;this opens the door for them to reintroduce the cougar to the East.On another note;NYS and I would guess other states have been releasing cougars for more than 30 years;they will deny it to the end but it has been happening.If that is not true "why" has the cougar been protected from hunting(NYS anyway) if they don't exist.This has been in the game laws for the last five years.

"They" don't need to release cats when the can can just walk there. Western Mountain Lions require about 50 to 150 square miles per individual. They move around a lot. Young cougars get driven out and have to find their own territory. A cougar can move 1000 miles in a single season and nobody would see it. That's how they are appearing in the east. With no competition, the territory is wide open.

 

[wawajake]

Maybe they are extinct in your state(s) but they are not extinct in North America, because we have them here in Northern Ontario (Canada) . We have regular sightings of cougars reported ( my wife even saw one three years ago cross the highway in front of her) ..........considering I live 30 minutes from Sault Michigan , I would consider that "EAST" mountain lion (cougar).

 

[TnAndy]

I don't remember what species of trees but they cut them and stripped the bark. The rest was left to rot.

Hemlock. Bark was used to make tannic acid for making leather. That is how hemlock got the reputation of being rot resistant. Turns out, most logs will last a long time if you strip the bark off them, hemlock isn't much more rot resistant than anything else.