The big cat isn't a catamount -- a species that is believed to have vanished from the state's landscape in 1881 -- but rather a Canada lynx, a close relative of the bobcat that was last recorded in Vermont in 1968.
Biologists from Vermont and New Hampshire haven't seen the lynx but have concluded the cat is here after seeing a track in the snow Feb. 7.
The lynx track was observed by New Hampshire biologist Will Staats, who was hunting bobcats in the 4,970-acre Victory Basin Wildlife Management Area. He called Paul Hamelin, a wildlife biologist in the St. Johnsbury office of the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department, and both men confirmed the identity of the lynx tracks.
The two were able to observe where the lynx had traveled near a set of bobcat tracks, making it possible to take photos of the two sets of tracks. The lynx tracks are noticeably larger and spaced farther apart and have other unique identifying features.
"It just jumped right out at me," said Staats, who has tracked two separate lynx in New Hampshire, both close to the Connecticut River. "If you've got good snow conditions and you've been tracking animals as long as I have, it's pretty much unmistakable."
Kim Royar, Vermont's furbearer biologist, said historic accounts of Canada lynx in Vermont suggest that they were never as numerous as bobcats, and most likely were transitory animals that wandered in from northern Maine, New Hampshire or Canada. Lynx numbers rapidly declined in Vermont by the mid-1800s, when about 75 percent of the state's forest had been cleared for farming.
It's likely, Royar said, that the latest lynx is just visiting Vermont, likely looking for snowshoe hares, the cat's preferred prey.
Staats said he wasn't surprised to see a lynx track in Victory Basin.
"The habitat is good for them there," Staats said. "We've got plenty of snowshoe hare; there's a good amount of lynx in western Maine; and they have the ability to travel long, long distances."
Vermont Fish and Wildlife, Royar said, has had sightings of lynx in the past from around the Northeast Kingdom, but the department had not been able to confirm a track or sample scat left by the animal in question.
Looking very similar to bobcats, Canada lynx have ear tufts and ruffs on their cheeks larger than those of bobcats. Lynx have longer legs and larger, more-heavily furred feet than bobcats, which enable them to travel easily on snow.
Hamelin and Staats did find a stray hair near the track, Royar said, which is being tested to determine the species of animal it came from.
Protected by state and federal laws, the lynx also is listed as a furbearer species in Vermont. It is federally listed as a threatened species and listed by Vermont as endangered. Federal law provides a six-month jail sentence and $25,000 fine for killing one.
Staats said he's ventured back into the area since Feb. 7, but has been unable to find evidence of the cat.
"It could be in Canaan, western Maine or northern New Hampshire by now," Staats said.
6 comments:
April 2, 2007. Hiking with girlfriend outside of Middlebury at Abbey Pond Trail and came across tracks almost exactly like the one pictured about an hour into the hike. The trail had not been used much as there were no other tracks except the cats and some deer. It started raining and we got spooked and turned around.
Interesting report David. I recommend that you contact Doug Blodgett at VT Fish and Wildlife (doug.blodgett@state.vt.us) about your sighting.
Steve Faccio
VINS Conservation Biologist
Steve, went out hiking today on Long Trail at Brandon Gap. Recorded on trail log our outing. Conditions were foggy and wet and chilly. Visibility was about 25-30 yards, snow still on trail. We about one hour in and started seeing more cat prints. Definitely someone had been in with a dog a couple days back. The cat tracks got more distinct and fresh as we got higher. Tracks were about the size of my fist.
We then came across scat and it looked fresh. It was about the size and shape of a quail egg and there was a lot of it. We kept hiking and start seeing fresher tracks and then very fresh scat. We got a little tweaked and turned around not knowing what we might be dealing with and not knowing the native wildlife up here.
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Steve, To follow up. We were on our way up towards Mt Horrid and part of the trail divides but is closed due to bird recovery/nesting. We spotted the scat about 45 mins past this area. If we had more knowledge we might have stayed longer but we are both 'city slickers' our for a good hike and fears of being catnip did not appeal to us. Also, after searching through track id websites it was definitely a cat (not bear, dear) and given the size of the track it was not a small animal and the amount of scat.
Steve, After much searching on the internet I finally found images of the scat we had seen and it was a moose. Makes me think of the woody allen skit about a Moose and the Berkowitz'. This would also explain why we saw trees that had looked like their bark had been rubbed off and why we did not notice the tracks of the moose either as we probably though they were boots. When we broke up the scat it looked like greenish/olive plant matter. No bone or fur in it. Still do not know what kind of cat was around that had a track the size of my palm, about 4"x3.5".
July16, 2007. Driving north on Rt. 116 at 6:15 pm an animal loped across the road 100' in front of my car. My immediate sense was that I was seeing a bobcat; round head, flat face, pointed ears, but it seemed way too long legged and overall much longer than any bobcat I've seen (two sitings). It's coat had faint spots on the chest but otherwise just looked dark and very sleek, almost wet. The oddest part was the tail, about 6" long, skinny with a kink in it. From chest to butt I'd guess it was 32" long and 22" at the sholders. It moved like a cat on tip-toes.
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