Cougar sightings, in Ontario and Quebec, have become nearly commonplace in recent years. Just ask the guy who receives more ‘cougar sighting reports’ than anyone else!
At last count, over the past 10 years, I’ve had 300+ Cougar sightings reported to me, through my Outdoors Guy email and other channels as well. I believe, by now, both our Quebec and Ontario Ministry reps cannot discount the evidence.
Cougars are here in Central Canada and, evidently, they’re not going anywhere.
Back in 2016, a big cat was photographed in Quebec on Jimmy Hoare’s Grenville-sur-la Rouge property (across from Hawkesbury, ON) This cougar was captured on a hunter’s trail camera, feeding at a pile of deer apples.
This past weekend, Valerie Foley of Grenville-sur-la-Rouge had a brush with a rare creature. When her daughter left the house to go next door, a ‘very large’ cat lurking on her property, was startled and jumped from an apple tree in the back yard.
Foley was unable to capture an image of the cougar as it sped off, but took the photo(above)of its tracks in the snow. Although I cannot say with 100% confidence, since the print’s ‘lobe configuration & number’ is blurred by the snow – the size and spacing of these tracks are indeed consistent with that of a cougar.
Apparently, Valarie said this was the second time she has spotted a cougar on her property. She chased one off two years ago. Add yet one more sighting to a growing list.
Keep your eyes open, folks, big cats are among us and you never know when/where the next one might appear. Thanks so much to Ken Campbell for sharing this information and to Valarie Foley for clarification.
If you should happened to see a cougar, or evidence of one, please send me your report: [email protected]
The Outdoors Guy
In January 2010 I was on my way to work about 6:30 am and saw a Cougar run across highway 417 at Moodie Drive in Ottawa. Co workers and my wife chuckled at me for years in disbelief. Then my wife saw one between Carleton Place and Beckwith. She doesn’t laugh at me anymore. Haha
Roger, there have been numerous cougar sightings in that region over the years. In Feb, 2015, I interviewed Christa Fraser, the owner of a horse farm not far away. She had scared a cougar off her property, only to later find one of her horses severally injured in what could have only been a cougar attack. The NCC ruled it out as a cougar, even though the large cat was spotted several times at neighbouring farms, and the wounds were consistant with very long and deep craw marks! Your wife has good reason not to laugh! Regards, Outdoors Guy
https://www.theoutdoorsguy.ca/mystery-animal-attack-on-horse/
Where the tail mark ? Or supposé to have a tail mark on the floor
Hi Jerome, the ‘tail drag’ from what i understand occurs usually during a slow gate, or while walking. This animal had just jumped from a tree and was vacating the property at the time of these tracks. It is a good point you mention though. Often the tail drag is visible when they are moving at a slow pace. Regards, The Outdoors Guy
I have country house not far away on the west side of the Rouge. Between myself and my wife’s family we own close to 300 acres. I have currently 6 trail cameras set up in various locations. I guess only time will tell until one of these beasts walk by. I spotted some feline tracks that were tennis ball sized, but I did not measure the spacing in the stride. I was informed that there are plenty of lynx and bobcat in the area which made sense as I have captured plenty of snowshoe hare in certain areas on the land. I will for sure send over whatever footage I pick up if anything interesting turns up!
Jesse, you will eventually capture a cougar image. That is my thinking as well. I have several cams setup year round here in eastern ON, and i have others around my hunt camp near Weir. Only time will tell! Please let us know when one shows up! Regards, Outdoors Guy
I saw what I think was a cougar at the back of a large rural property in Beckwith Township last evening (July 26,2020) at around 8:30 p.m. It prowled slowly one way, then turned and ran away into the trees.
Hi Ann, that is super exciting! No photo opp I gather? regards, Outdoorsguy
I heard a growl come from about 15 to 30 feet off the side of the trail, right after my dog stopped cold and faced toward the area with its ears up. My dog was maybe 20 feet ahead. There was about a foot of leaves on the ground. We were on Mont Cayamant, near Cayamant, Quebec. We were a few minutes between the edge of the escarpment and the observation tower. We were entering a denser section of bush, smaller trees closer together. It was November 8, 2021, so all the leaves are on the ground. At first I thought someone may have been starting an atv or a dirt bike nearby, it sounded like the first few rotations of that kind of motor. Like 1/2 a second of growl and then silence. The second growl I could feel in my chest. Something big was near us. I have only heard a growl like that from being near lions in a safari truck in South Africa. It’s a cat purr/growl but very big, you feel it in your lungs. We both just freaked and we saw the leaves in one spot get shoved, like somebody was hiding under the leaves and pushed a snow shovel forward. We just faced the direction and backed away holding our dogs.
I was looking for a feral hog or a bear or something big, but the movement was near us and I couldn’t see anything. Now I’ve just watched YouTube videos and half the time cougars are invisible, until you see it’s face right there. They’re the exact colour of the dry leaves. What else could growl like that. The leaf pile thrashed like a big monitor lizard or a big mamba or banded cobra getting suddenly startled.
Hi Nick, this is something very odd. Most cougar sightings are brief and rarely include growls as you’ve witnessed. This is not to say cougars do not growl, as we know they do. Unfortunate you hadn’t caught a glimpse of the animal making the sounds, although probably not something you wanted at the time.
It may forever remain a mystery and likely something you’ll never forget. Big foot followers may have another theory on that growl…check out the unidentified growl vids with Western Can and the Pacific Northwest for comparison.
Regards,
The Outdoors Guy