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simba
nowhere, mn
Posted on 10/28/2009 at 10:50:31 AM
ther are bobcats down in the harmony area maybe it was one of them
bradstrai
n
Rochester, MN
Posted on 10/28/2009 at 11:26:22 AM
This was NO bobcat. It WAS a cougar. We have spotted a cougar and have footprints in the sand at my parents’ property near the Chester Woods that do belong to at least one cougar that has lived and has been spotted on occasion for several years. Just like the black bear and wolverine sightings as of recent time, wild animals that once habitated in this area, are making a comeback. I just hope poachers or DNR do not go out and hunt this animal down. As long as it is not attacking people, they should just let it be!
Frog
ROCHESTER, MN
Posted on 10/28/2009 at 11:28:57 AM
I have an e-mail with pics from a hunting camera supposedly fromt he Elba area. It shows 2-3 cougars eating a deer.
jeannie
Eyota, MN
Posted on 10/28/2009 at 11:32:05 AM
I can verify the black bear story. I used to live over by 70th Avenue NE and the bear was in the field right next to my house. It was neat to see.
Haag1
Rochester, MN
Posted on 10/28/2009 at 11:41:53 AM
I believe there are cougars around....but I am doubtful this was the case here.
Big cats are lazy, they will not keep “clawing” at an animal and chasing it around if they can’t bring it down. A cougar would have no problem jumping on the back of a horse and delivering a quick death bite to the throat. I also find it interesting that there are marks on the chest and front legs. Cougars also do not attack from the front, in fact it’s hard to say what animal would be willing (or dumb enough) to take a horse head on.
Hate to say it, but sounds like dogs to me. Still doesn’t explain the bites on the back though....
Native
Rochester, mn
Posted on 10/28/2009 at 11:44:58 AM
This horse looks somewhat neglected to me. It appears underweight, and burrs in tail are not just a few days’ accumulation.
Haag1
Rochester, MN
Posted on 10/28/2009 at 12:01:26 PM
I have that e-mail too Frog. Unfortunately it has been from numerous places, the last of which was supposedly the Duluth area.
I think it originated from the North Dakota region if I remember correctly.
preacherk
id
rochester, mn
Posted on 10/28/2009 at 12:25:52 PM
This might not have been a cougar, but they’re around. They’re following the major river valleys. I saw one in eastern Iowa two years ago, and since then he’s been seen twice in the same area. But given our abundant deer, it’s odd that they’d take on a horse.
bobb
rochester, mn
Posted on 10/28/2009 at 12:31:28 PM
Native I believe that you are wrong. As an equestrian scientist and the son of a local vet there appears to be no neglect or malnourishment from the pictures.
OnlyTheTr
uth
MN, MN
Posted on 10/28/2009 at 12:36:21 PM
All power to the big cats!
Kill as many deer as they can. Hunters can’t get the job done, coyetes can’t get the job done. The DNR refuses to get the job done.
Owners should put their horses in the barn at night, like the good old days. No excuse there, unless they don’t give a rip about their “pets”.
Native
Rochester, mn
Posted on 10/28/2009 at 12:41:17 PM
Bobb: I too know my horses (I have had them for over 35 years). No excuse for a tail matted that heavily with burrs.
OnlyTheTruth: Keeping horses in their stalls at night can be problematic for some due to respiratory problems.
The wounds on this horse look fishy to me.
quick on
the trigg
somewhere out there, mn
Posted on 10/28/2009 at 1:00:32 PM
bradstrain: “as long as it isn’t attacking people, let it be!” Give me a break....how about dogs/family pets? Is it okay for it to kill those?
Only the truth...horses don’t need to be kept in barns..the best place for them is running in the pasture...as long as there is some shelter for them.
I would hate for a cougar to take on one of our horses. Hopefully if that is the culprit, someone will “get rid of it”
Shadow
Rochester, MN
Posted on 10/28/2009 at 1:16:20 PM
I tend to agree with the ‘leave it alone’ arguement. At absolute worst, trap/tranq it and move it. There’s no need to kill it.
local
Preston, Mn
Posted on 10/28/2009 at 1:24:21 PM
@Native- This horse does not look neglected,If I was being chased through thick woods and tall grass I too would have burdocks all over. I also think your comment about the horse looking “under weight” is unjustified. This horse WAS attacked by a cougar, its lucky to be alive!
This is a direct quote from the Minnesota DNR website about cougars “... When opportunity presents itself, they may go after farm livestock or pets.” Why is it so unbelieveable to some people that a cougar could have done this?
Native
Rochester, mn
Posted on 10/28/2009 at 1:44:24 PM
I don’t doubt that a cougar could attack a horse. The wounds on this horse’s left side do not appear to have been made by a cat. Scrapes and cuts on a horse’s chest, front legs and hind legs are all consistent with tangling with a fence, be it smooth or barbed wire. One would expect to see claw/teeth marks on the withers, back and throat area, not on the barrel or side of rump. I’m no expert, but am very interested in this story, as I have horses too.
nistler
Rochester, MN
Posted on 10/28/2009 at 1:44:34 PM
The DNR is looking more and more foolish with their “can neither confirm nor deny” line. There are cougars in the state and they are starting to be a problem. One attacked an killed a horse in Ely, one was hit by a car in Bemidji, one was shot near Savage, and eye witness accounts are too numerous to mention. When is it going to be a person that’s attacked? I’ll bet not too far in the future.
pbreader0
8
SE MN, MN
Posted on 10/28/2009 at 2:03:25 PM
I’m surprised that this is just coming out in the news now. I live in the Harmony area, and a few weeks ago, a cougar was shot near Granger after it had attacked a calf. Also, now that hunting season is upon us, a friend actually saw a cougar a few yards away from him while he was in his tree stand.
mamabear
Chatfield, MN
Posted on 10/28/2009 at 2:31:38 PM
This is old news. E-mails wre sent out a few weeks ago with confirmation from area farmers who had seen the cougar and pleas from this family to look for their horse. Just cuz you can’t see it don’t mean it ain’t there. Burdocks constitute neglect? Don’t look at my horses then. They look like that after one day in the pasture. Geez, get a grip.
Imwiththe
DJ
rochester, mn
Posted on 10/28/2009 at 3:13:11 PM
amen mama bear! burs and horses go together like ham and cheese. my horse could always find the one plant I missed on 5 acres.
local
Preston, Mn
Posted on 10/28/2009 at 3:41:47 PM
Mama bear you ROCK! @Native one picture does not tell the whole story, and the neck is not visible in this picture. But I’m pretty sure people that have horses know the difference between marks from tangling in a fence and marks from a predator.
I think this story is more for getting information out about the missing horse.
aghast
jefferson, mn
Posted on 10/28/2009 at 3:52:48 PM
I’m going with fences too. Most likely barbed wire.
Dogs probably chasing the poor things is my bet.
Malnourished? I doubt it...just has a few years on. That many burdocks on the tail? Normal.
mstkwlf
harmony, mn
Posted on 10/28/2009 at 4:02:37 PM
I used to live in western montana and we had a nieghbor who had lost a couple of horses to cougars.So they do not discriminate on what they attack or kill.They usually left high claw marks and bites in the neck and throat area. As to Pbreader08 I never heard of a lion taking a calve in the granger area. You know how people talk in a small town and I never heard that one!
Native
Rochester, mn
Posted on 10/28/2009 at 4:43:07 PM
OK,OK...I take back what I said about the burrs. Guess I’m just a picky groomer. I hope they find the missing horse. I would be heartsick if it were me.
OnlyTheTr
uth
MN, MN
Posted on 10/28/2009 at 7:47:30 PM
Okay, maybe rounding up horses to put them in a stall every night is more work than what its worth, but at least have them in a paddock on the building site. If one doesn’t want to invest in a security environment for their amimals, so be it. It’s like leaving your doors unlocked and then go on vacation for a month. Don’t cry me a river.
As for loose rural pets getting eaten up, that’s a good thing. Any owner, urban or rural, that lets their pets roam, should be fined. Loose dogs and cats cause more harm to the environment than some stray cougar.
While the loving pet owner snoozes at night, their precious Fido or Garfield is out killing all sorts of wildlife.
I remember 38 years ago, a friend living in Caledonia joining a hunting party to kill a known pack of dogs.
During the day, the pooch peacefully sleeps on the front porch of a farmhouse or rural homeowner. At night it becomes a beast.
People live in denial that “their” precious pet would never commit such atrocities.
Jewels1
C Town, Mn
Posted on 10/28/2009 at 8:44:47 PM
If a cougar attacks my horses and I see it just do what I was told. Shoot, Shovel, and Shut Up. How long will it be before they attack small children, the food supply will not last long for big cats. We also have them in our area they also attacked horses.
1jess1
Chester, IA
Posted on 10/28/2009 at 11:00:58 PM
I’m a good friend of Curt’s, & I assure you these horses are not malenurished. My sister helps with the horses everyday. They are older horses, so they get Senior Horse feed & Hay everyday. I have pics on MY camera from the day this happened & the marks are definatly not from going through the fence. He is also missing 4-5 calfs. Now tell me, who locks up about 90 head of cattle every night?
mamabear
Chatfield, MN
Posted on 10/29/2009 at 8:15:20 AM
Thank you 1jess1. The e-mail I received also mentioned the calves but the PB evidently missed that one. I met a guy from north Wisconsin who uses Maremma guardian dogs to keep bears, wolves, coyotes, etc, away from his livestock. Hasn’t lost any livestock in over 3 years since he got them. Maybe something to think about.
quick on
the trigg
somewhere out there, mn
Posted on 10/29/2009 at 8:27:10 AM
Apparently ONLY the truth doesn’t have a clue about horses. The horses were not just running free....they were in a secure area, hence the barbwire. A cougar doesn’t care about locks on gates as he’s gonna jump over the tallest fence!
The DNR just doesn’t want to admit that there is a problem with the cougars...they’d better start and think about dealing with it before a person gets attacked and killed by one.
We are normally “packing” when we are out doing chores at night. Can’t be too safe these days.
preacherk
id
rochester, mn
Posted on 10/29/2009 at 8:50:23 AM
I’d be very curious to see what happens when a hunter, confronting a cougar, decides “better safe than sorry” and shoots it. Will the DNR still say nothing? Will the hunter be charged? If I’m 50 feet from a cougar that’s looking right at me, I’m shooting first and asking questions later.
local
Preston, Mn
Posted on 10/29/2009 at 8:55:50 AM
1jess1- Thank you for speaking the truth! I live extreamly close to where this took place. I looked at the horses and have seen all of the wounds on these poor animals. The picture in this article doesn’t even come close to showing the damage that was done to it. The other horse had bite marks and claw marks on it also. The most curious marks both of the horses had on them were puncture wounds up around their necks. I think the Vreeman’s deserve a better answer from the DNR, if not a cougar attack then what was it??
@aghast-this was not a dog attack, this was something much BIGGER than a dog.
@OnlyTheTruth-not sure what you are trying to get at?
local
Preston, Mn
Posted on 10/29/2009 at 9:04:27 AM
@ preacherkid- right on, if somebody I know shot one, I could neither confirm or deny that a cougar was shot.
Is this really the best answer the DNR could come up with?
livinginh
armony1
harmony, mn
Posted on 10/29/2009 at 10:21:08 AM
PBREADER08——i live in harmony and have a cousin in granger—there was NO cougars shot in the granger area—-there are coyotes down there and bob cats—-if they did kill a cougar it would of been in the fillmore county journal and it was not—-
Haag1
Rochester, MN
Posted on 10/29/2009 at 10:54:55 AM
If what the “local” says is true then that makes a heck of a lot more sense of a cougar attack then the latter in the story.
Puncture marks around the head neck area couldn’t have been made by a dog.
willy_low
Rochester, MN
Posted on 10/29/2009 at 11:01:02 AM
Cougars are indeed running rampant throughout southeast MN. I’ve seen them at Aquarius with my own eyes. If you don’t keep an eye out, you’re liable to be attacked by one when you’re not looking...although that might not be so bad if she buys you a drink first.
I’d hate to see what some of these cougars are doing after last call. I’d bet Mr. Vreeman is spot-on with his assessment of this being a cougar.
lkmac23
Preston, MN
Posted on 10/29/2009 at 12:54:04 PM
Look at this website-animal in picture looks very similar to the one from Lanesboro http://www.whitetaildeer-management-and-hunting.com/bobcat-pictures.html
1jess1
Chester, IA
Posted on 10/29/2009 at 12:56:14 PM
One more thing, my dad grew up in the Forrestville area his entire life, & says there has been cougars there as long as he can remember. You may not see them on a regular basis, but they are definately there!
irishman
Rochester, Mn
Posted on 10/29/2009 at 12:57:42 PM
willy_low: Took me a minute but I finally got it. Funny stuff!
Tripp
Rochester, MN
Posted on 10/29/2009 at 2:27:58 PM
local from Preston,
Ignore OnlyTheTruth. He is judgmental and opinionated and he likes to shoot his mouth off over things he knows little about.
Regarding the DNR response - maybe it was a short quote in response to only seeing the photos. As was said above, sometimes photos do not show how bad or good something really is.
Anyway I’ve also owned horses, but I’m certainly no expert. I wanted to express sympathy for the owners, and I hope they find the missing animal.
ptownlady
Preston, MN
Posted on 10/29/2009 at 8:40:36 PM
Instead of claiming that a dog/cyote/cougar/whatever could do this much damage maybe we should all be sending our sympathy to these owners. I think we can agree that regardless of what attacked the poor horses its a sad story. Grow up people.
1jess1
Chester, IA
Posted on 10/29/2009 at 9:56:11 PM
@jc74-Wow! You must be super old because most of the families in the area have lived there for generations! Including Curt who is in his 60’s & grew up on the very farm that this happened on.
local
Preston, Mn
Posted on 10/30/2009 at 8:21:06 AM
@jc74- WOW! If what you say is true about being in Forestville “more than anyone on here or their family members..” then you would have had ample opportunity to speek with most of the people that grew up and still live around there, because they too enjoy the State Park they live so close to. You WOULD have learned that indeed people have spotted cougars, and the tracks left behind. I don’t believe that anyone in the above comments has called the DNR horrible or lazy. Nobody has formed a posse. I think it would be informational to know what type of animal did this. It would be great to know what happened to Lady Bug. Maybe on your next trip to Forestville you can help look for Lady Bug, since YOU are down in that area all the time.
lizs
Preston, MN
Posted on 10/30/2009 at 9:58:23 AM
Another story on it by local paper:
http://bluffcountrynews.com/main.asp?SectionID=12&SubSectionID;=21&ArticleID;=28345
1jess1
Chester, IA
Posted on 10/30/2009 at 9:57:39 PM
Curt got a call yesterday from someone near Cherry Grove who found a horse that fit Lady Bug’s description. Unfortunaly it was not her, but that just means that someone else is missing a horse. Hopefully they find the owner.
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