Tuesday, September 25, 2007
Large Animals In The Area
Just south of Neebish Island, across Munuscong Bay, lies Gogomain Swamp. An area that harks back to how the eastern U.P. used to be.
Perfect cougar habitat.
View Larger Map
The Soo Evening News had the first report. Mystery cat prowls Gogomain Swamp
I e-mailed the editor asking to be sent the photographic evidence but never got a reply.
This is what a trail-cam picture might look like:
This is NOT the Gogomain Swamp cougar trail-cam photograph. Rather, this is a supposed trail cam picture from near Grand Rapids, MN However, in a forum posting here the directory the image was uploaded to is 2004-5; so this may be a hoax.
Getting back to our neck of the woods... Unfortunately, in the original Soo Evening News article Mr. Inglis, the gentleman who got the trail-cam picture, makes the uninformed comment that he'd rather see a cougar than a wolf "out there". This is an uninformed comment because a cougar is a much more dangerous animal than a wolf. Although some people are prone to repeating the myth that there's never been a case of a healthy wolf attacking a human in North America; it happens, although it is extremely rare - so rare in fact that it is big news when it occurs -Wolf attack a tragic, cautionary tale
On the other hand, cougars are known to attack, kill, and eat people.
For example, [in California since 1986] there has been an average of one attack on a hiker, jogger, or camper a year -- some fatal.
You're much safer if you run into a wolf in the Neebish Island woods rather than a cougar (or a mama bear or a moose with a calf). Out of those four animals your best chance of getting away uninjured is a wolf encounter.
Turns out however that the cat in Gogomain Swamp is just an odd looking bobcat - Mystery cat identified: Captured image is that of a bobcat, not a mountain lion
In other news, I can verify that there is a moose on Neebish Island. I've heard rumors like this before but in August was able to take pictures of Moose tracks (not the ice cream) on the beach.
Favorite foods of moose include birch, willow, and aspen trees. Ironically the low water levels mean more of these trees are sprouting up and this may be drawing moose.
Perfect cougar habitat.
View Larger Map
The Soo Evening News had the first report. Mystery cat prowls Gogomain Swamp
I e-mailed the editor asking to be sent the photographic evidence but never got a reply.
This is what a trail-cam picture might look like:
This is NOT the Gogomain Swamp cougar trail-cam photograph. Rather, this is a supposed trail cam picture from near Grand Rapids, MN However, in a forum posting here the directory the image was uploaded to is 2004-5; so this may be a hoax.
Getting back to our neck of the woods... Unfortunately, in the original Soo Evening News article Mr. Inglis, the gentleman who got the trail-cam picture, makes the uninformed comment that he'd rather see a cougar than a wolf "out there". This is an uninformed comment because a cougar is a much more dangerous animal than a wolf. Although some people are prone to repeating the myth that there's never been a case of a healthy wolf attacking a human in North America; it happens, although it is extremely rare - so rare in fact that it is big news when it occurs -Wolf attack a tragic, cautionary tale
On the other hand, cougars are known to attack, kill, and eat people.
For example, [in California since 1986] there has been an average of one attack on a hiker, jogger, or camper a year -- some fatal.
You're much safer if you run into a wolf in the Neebish Island woods rather than a cougar (or a mama bear or a moose with a calf). Out of those four animals your best chance of getting away uninjured is a wolf encounter.
Turns out however that the cat in Gogomain Swamp is just an odd looking bobcat - Mystery cat identified: Captured image is that of a bobcat, not a mountain lion
In other news, I can verify that there is a moose on Neebish Island. I've heard rumors like this before but in August was able to take pictures of Moose tracks (not the ice cream) on the beach.
Favorite foods of moose include birch, willow, and aspen trees. Ironically the low water levels mean more of these trees are sprouting up and this may be drawing moose.
