Iowa Mt. Lion pic

There is no doubt these buggers are moving eastward at a rapid pace. We've had solid
sightings of them in northern Ontario also, and that's certainly farther east than Iowa. These guys aren't all that affected by the cold so that's not going to stop them. I'd love to get a
better handle on their distribution though. Best wishes.

Cal - Montreal
 
The story seem very genuine. The picture is just not right. There is no way you can freeze a cat and prop it up to look like that.

I know many out there have various video programs which will show up editing. Somebody plug this image into an editing program and see what has been done with it.

Somebody with better software than me, tell me I am wrong or right! I don't care which, I just want to know.

Jack
 
Jack,

In all likelyhood, that cat is frozen. I have left fox and coyotes in the back of my truck and they froze. I've been able to prop them up on the snow to use them as decoys. I took one old mangey coyote and let him freeze and set him up in one of my fields. I can't tell you how many road hunters stopped to shoot him. I wonder what they thought when he didn't run after the 1st shot. most guys figured it out after about the second or third shot. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif

Yup, he's got all the makings for a frozen cat propped up for the picture.

Randy
 
OK, all you doubting Thomases--Listen up--Maybe I am too trusting and innocent, what with living out here in North Dakota and all, but as I posted earlier, I had no reason to doubt that the original cougar photo posted at the beginning of this thread was the real McCoy, just frozen and propped up inside a building for the photo op. You doubters just kind of raised my hackles with your banter about how fake this photo was.

Instead of speculating anymore, I decided to contact the Iowa DNR Office located in the county in which this cat was shot and get the story from a trusted source. Too bad you "Expert speculators" didn't take the time to check some of the facts before you seemed to begin implying that folks were lying, but that's your problem. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

Anyway, here is the photo I received from the Iowa DNR that shows the fellow who shot the mountain lion as it appeared when the Iowa Dept. of Nat. Resources photographed it in the back of this fellow's pickup. I think you should be able to tell that this cat is frozen stiff. Note the area just behind the front legs that looks like a rope has been tied there. Note that the tail is sticking almost straight out as it appears in the original photo posted in this thread. The head is also turned to the cat's right as was the case in the original photo.

What do all you skeptics think now? Is this still a "touched up photo" or is it the real McCoy? Still don't believe it's real? Call the wildlife biologist at the Iowa State of Natural Resources Depatment located in Chariton, IA 50049 at (641) 774-4918 and talk to Jeff. He'll give you the straight scoop if you think I'm lying too!!! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

f9f84a1a.jpg
 
Silverfox-

I don't think anyone said anyone else was lying. The original poster stated that this picture had been sent to him by a freind. We have all gotten pictures through e-mail that were not what they claimed to be. Remember all of the stories about the huge lion claimed to have been killed in Texas and several other places, or the body that was supposed to have been eaten on by a bear?

The story was not in question since it had been substaited by several sources. The picture was however in question for several reasons and none of those included members thinking that another member was lying.

It is just not always possible to tell if what we think we see or what we have been told is actually fact.

I myself have passed on pictures or stories by e-mail that were not what I was led to believe they were. I was not lying, just misinformed.

Thanks for getting to the bottom of the this story for us.
 
Yellowhammer--I would agree that there certainly are lots of photos posted on the Internet that are fake and one would be a fool to take everything you see, read, or hear on face value. It, no doubt, was a lot of fun to speculate about how the photo was doctored up. You did type, in your first response to the photo:

Something is fishy here.
Click to expand...
Then we have a typed statement by Jack Roberts:

Just about everything that could possibly be wrong is wrong. I know 8 year old kids that can put together a much better picture than that.
Click to expand...
Plus there are several others I won't quote. Those typed statements, in my neck of the woods, imply that someone is not being forthright, that they are twisting the truth. In other words, I took you to mean that the picture that was posted is a fake--a lie.

In your last post, you typed the following statement:

Yellowhammer wrote, "I don't think anyone said anyone else was lying."
Click to expand...
I DID NOT say anyone directly called anyone a liar. However, I DID SAY that by what you typed you IMPLIED that they were lying. Please note especially, the words that I typed that I now have showing in bold:

Too bad you "Expert speculators" didn't take the time to check some of the facts before you seemed to be implying that folks were lying, but that's your problem.
Click to expand...
There were many comments made about the picture that, to me, indicated the posters thought someone had "doctored" the picture and thus were "lying" to those of us viewing the photo.

One must be very careful, indeed, when you only have your written word to represent what you mean. I am not immune to this problem either, and apologize to anyone who takes this in the wrong way.

Anyway, I have spent far too much time and energy on this thing, but I do hope many of you who pooh poohed the authenticity of the original photo can admit that it was NOT doctored, in spite of your opinion of the photo. OK, go ahead and flame away.
 
Silverfox- Won't be any flaming from me. I will say that when I saw the photo it did not occur to me that it might be frozen ( me being in the sunny south where it hasn't stayed below freezing for more than a day in I can't remember when).

Again, I think that while we "implied" that the photo was not authentic, we did not "imply" that it was an intentional deception by a member.

If I get sent a fake picture, think it is real and post it here, am I trying to deceive anyone. NO, I just passed on bad information, in this case a picture.

In the future I will ask questions in a more "agreeable" way.

And, I think we can all agree now that this picture is what it appears to be. Although, it would have been nice if the later picture was posted first since it is a much better picture.
 
Nice lookin Redtick Hound, /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif lol...
Won't be long before Iowa has them deer killers on the state endangered list, I figure.
 
NightFright--the biologist I talked to led me to believe there are probably a lot more of those mountain lions around Iowa than most folks would like to admit. I'm not sure if they'll put them on the endangered list or not. He did not give me any indication that a move like that was being anticipated, but he is probably pretty far down on the chain of command.

We have more and more reports of mountain lion sightings here in North Dakota as well. One ADC man is urging our state game and fish department to open a limited season on mountain lions. One of the mtn. lion sightings happened this fall and it was about 8 miles east of the city I live in. Kind of makes you wonder if you should be out alone screaming like a dying rabbit :eek: /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif :eek: /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif
 
Yeah Silverfox, back about 10 years ago here in NY state Mt. Lions were listed extirpitated(sp?) which means long killed off. Then, despite the conservation departments adament denial of any lions here, they suddenly were put on the endangered species list here.
It's common sense that this Iowa and your ND lions are coming from the west. There are also confirmed lions in Arkansas and Missouri. But why did they change the status here??? and other eastern states??? I've never crossed a lion track here, but have heard the usual stories. I have a sneaking suspicion something fishy is going on in my neck of the woods, or maybe I just like a good conspiracy theory, lol! :rolleyes:
 
I've looked at all three pictures and only have this to say that 30-06 it was shot with is sure a good fur load :rolleyes: , I don't see any wounds or blood. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif
 
NiteFright--Actually, I believe the best guess as to which direction the North Dakota mountain lions are coming from is that they are coming from the south. I believe the theory is that mountain lions from the Black Hills of South Dakota are migrating up to North Dakota.

howler--I'm not real certain, but if you look real close at the photo of the lion laying in the back of the pickup, there may be a bloddy area almost in line with the rear leg of the dog, just back from the line in the fur that goes around the lion's body behind his front shoulders.

We don't get to view the right side of the lion, nor do we get a good view of the chest area. If the lion wasn't shot where I think I see the blood spot, is it possible the lion was shot somewhere in his right side and the bullet didn't exit? Or perhaps it was a shot to the front portion of the chest? I never did ask the biologist where the bullet entered. Never thought of it at the time. I think I'll e-mail him and see if he can give me an answer.
 
I can accept that it is a frozen lion propped up against a very bad background. If somebody would just make sure it is not edited.

Would anybody pose a lion like that against a trash background?

I am totally ignorant about the facts, which I never denied, but the picture raises many questions.

Jack
 
BOOGER.......I never doubted your story or the picture! Some folks never been in Iowa in the winter time I suspect....You don't need a refrigerator during the winter time I'll grant you.

Some people are just a little to quick on the draw I suppose. In any event it's a nice lion those boys harvested.
 
Some of you were wondering or marveling at the seeming lack of damage to the hide from the 30-06 it was shot with. I asked the Iowa wildlife biologist about the placement of the shot. Another point someone brought up was the crease in the fur that runs around the chest and back right behind the front legs. Here is the information the biologist sent back to me:

I saw some other pictures which were not digital that showed a bloody chest on the cat. I assume that is where they shot him. He was treed up a large cottonwood. I think they tied a rope around him to drag him out.
Click to expand...
Perhaps that will answer the questions listed above.
 
AAAAhhhhh, I been reading this thread since it was posted and thought I might clear up a few things.

I got permishion to hunt a farm a couple weeks ago for coyotes,Me and lawhorn helped him find his coon dogs a couple weeks ago. Got to talking to him found out he had cattle and coyotes and he wanted us to help him thin out the coyotes. They guy that owned the farm was from Iowa. His last name was the same as the guyes that killed the cat. So, I gave him a call! Sure enough, That was his dad and brother that killed the cat. I got the hole storie, the cat was run and treed with coon dogs, shot with a 30/06 in the chest and drug out with a rope. True storie and I ask about the pic and he didnt know, said he had not seen a pic just talked with his dad on the phone. I also found out that he has a relative that works here at the plant. He told me the same storie.

Just thought I would let you all know what I found out.

Kee
 
keekeeyelp--thanks for posting "the rest of the story." It is nice to see the details coming in and I appreciate you sharing your information with us on the board.
 
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