Sightings, photo give evidence of cougar
CALEDONIA, Wis. (AP) — Anna Lashley can’t forget her surprise when she looked out her kitchen window three years ago and spotted a big cat.
“I looked up and there’s this lion in the back yard, and I thought it must have gotten away from the zoo,” she said. “I called the zoo, and they said they hadn’t lost one.”
She’s convinced the animal that quickly departed was a cougar, also known as a mountain lion. The animals were wiped out in most of the eastern U.S. a century ago but have recently shown up again, migrating from the Black Hills of South Dakota into places like Minnesota, Iowa, Illinois and Wisconsin.
Deer commonly graze on Lashley’s rural property just south of Milwaukee. During the past three years, she said she’s seen cougars from her window several times. Her 47-year-old son, Joel Lashley, said he was there for the most recent sighting on March 28.
“It was a big one,” he said, estimating the cat was bigger than a German shepherd, with a tail about half as long as its body.
“It turned to the side and then just leaped right through there,” he said, pointing to the row of pine trees at the edge of the property.
The Lashleys aren’t alone in the encounters.
Apr 23, 2009 at 8:36 a.m.
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Craig high is still the cougars. the Bluebirds are the co-op hockey team between Parker and Craig.
Apr 23, 2009 at 6:27 a.m.
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LOL Gazette. "Photo evidence of Cougar." yet no photo?
Apr 22, 2009 at 8:57 p.m.
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message from hatfield, wi. we are surrounded by cougars.
Apr 22, 2009 at 5:25 p.m.
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Hannah.. her first sighting was three years ago.. her son saw it March 28th of THIS year, so this is relevant.
Apr 22, 2009 at 3:04 p.m.
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I walked at the outdoor lab on a regular basis during the winter. Around Christmas time I was out for a walk while it was snowing and there was some fresh tracks- I thought it was kind of odd to see such a track. And some times the spread between tracks was huge like it was on a full run. When I got back home I looked up cougar tracks on the web and I was pretty sure thats what I saw. The next day they were covered in snow so I could not get a picture of them.
Apr 22, 2009 at 11:17 a.m.
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The picture from the link is from Spooner in Barron county, not south of Milwaukee.
Apr 22, 2009 at 10:28 a.m.
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What?? They are now taking pictures of old women who date younger men? Will we beging tracking these "cougars"? :)
Apr 22, 2009 at 10:16 a.m.
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Laff of the day goes to superdave lol
Apr 22, 2009 at 10:02 a.m.
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here is the photo link
charter.net/news/read.php?id=15479228&ps=1011&srce=news_class&action=1&lang=en&_LT=HOME_USNWC34L1_UNEWS
Apr 22, 2009 at 9:45 a.m.
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Another reason to exercise your constitutional right to responsibly open carry a sidearm.
Apr 22, 2009 at 9:24 a.m.
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bill that was sooo funny!!! thanks for a little humor for the day!
Apr 22, 2009 at 9:01 a.m.
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Where's the photo?
Apr 22, 2009 at 9:01 a.m.
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Living in this area predominantly filled with Packer fans with a smattering of Bear fans mixed in, I'm sure there's widespread appreciation for the old adage "the only good Lion is a dead Lion lying atop a dead Viking".
Apr 22, 2009 at 8:57 a.m.
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SUPERDAVE, you just made me laugh so hard. THAT was funny!
Apr 22, 2009 at 8:50 a.m.
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Damn, took long to type and someone beat me to it. oh well.
Apr 22, 2009 at 8:49 a.m.
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I see cougars every weekend as far north as Klub Bub and as far south as Junction Pub. (someone had to be the first person to make the obligatory cougar joke)
Apr 22, 2009 at 8:48 a.m.
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I would imagine it goes both ways-either would kill if cornered or threatened. Wouldn't you NVgrf? Some would kill for sport (I don't) and a few would kill for fun or otherwise illegally, but they would fit in much bigger stories than this.
Some will say-well man is encroaching on their land-but I believe that both man and cougar migrate and set up camp without asking the other if it's ok.
Hopefully it's a story of interest. It might put a little fear into some, but that's not surprising. A 5 year old kid would be no match for a 5 year old cougar.
Apr 22, 2009 at 8:44 a.m.
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Cougars are routinely spotted in several local watering holes. Younger men, beware!
Apr 22, 2009 at 8:43 a.m.
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If this cat was in my back yard, I would crap my pants. :)
Apr 22, 2009 at 8:37 a.m.
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It's just a cat; leave it alone.
Apr 22, 2009 at 8:31 a.m.
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he's your pichttp://www.charter.net/news/read.php?id=15479228&ps=1011&srce=news_class&action=1&lang=en&_LT=HOME_USNWC34L1_UNEWS
Apr 22, 2009 at 8:16 a.m.
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I agree NV. The title says, "photo give evidence" so where the photo?
Apr 22, 2009 at 8:03 a.m.
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Oh boy....here come all the "kill the cougar" entries. Especially with gun sales skyrocketing since the Obama election. It will be like the locals shark fishing scene from Jaws. Run cat run!
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