lynx in upstate NY

K

kl101

Joined
Oct 4, 1999
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I was driving back from Cooperstown NY to Boston area last Monday. On rt. 20 headed east not too far west of Duanesburg. A lynx crossed the road ahead of me. Definitely not a bobcat, too large and the coloration was wrong for a bobcat. Amazing, really a treat to see.
 
We have bobcat in the Catskills and lynx in the Adirondacks .I think that's always been true. There are so many things out there that we rarely see and it's a thrill when we do !!
 
http://www.dnr.state.wi.us/org/land/er/factsheets/mammals/Lynx.htm

Here is a link which has a comparison drawing.

My wife, son and I were driving out of a national forest in the MS delta and saw a cat sans tail running about 100 yards ahead of us on a dirt road. There were marshes on both sides of the road, so he had to run on the road to escape. I tried to drive as fast as I could without endangering my family. He beat us. We only caught a glimpse.

I have seen foxes and bobcats up close in the wild. They are beautiful animals. I Haven't had the chance to see lynx.
 
I know a lynx reintroduction program began in the early 1990's in the Adirondack Mountains in New York State, but ran into problems in part because officials didn't track them. As I recall one of the fundamental flaws in the program was that the lynx were not radio collared. Also, many were killed by cars and found dead by the roadside, and officials at one point couldn't say if any remained. I honestly haven't kept up with the project.

There certainly isn't any reason why lynx couldn't migrate down through the Canadian corridor on their own. Northern NY state has plenty of suitable habitat.

Perhaps someone from NY state will come along and fill us in the latest data from the reintroduction program.

- regards
 
OK, here we go, although I don't know how up-to-date this information is :
http://www.dec.ny.gov/animals/6980.html

According to the information presented I am WRONG about the lynx not being radio collared prior to release. I am not certain where I got my information, however I thought I read it in the monthly NYS Dept of Conservation publication called the "Conservationist". But my memory is no longer what it once was. ::o

- regards
 
I have heard stories of people seeing Lynx in NY, but none of them where confirmed. Same thing with mountain lion, lots of eye witnesses, but no DEC confirmation.
 
We have an old picture of a mountain lion when we were driving around the backroads about 12 years ago. I will go see if I can find the picture, it really is soemthing awsome to see such a large animal up close.
 
In upstate ny there is som much rural and forested areas that anything is possible, We had the pccasional moos sighting in schoharie county (where I grew up) I doin't know if it was ever confimed but there is certainly enough place for them to hide....Lynx presence is extremely possible for the same reason, my limited understanding of lynx is that they prefer coniferous forests, and hunt almos exclusively upon the snowshoe hare. so provided an area has both of those it could seemingly support them...Either way no mtter what it was seeing any wild cat in the woods is a real treat, excellents sighting , and thanks for sharing!
 
I can't seem to find te picture but if I do I will deffinetly get it on here. Recently there have been moose sightings in the area a few miles from where I live. I would hate to run into one of them on a dark night. :eek:
 
See www.dec.ny.gov for info. The track of the lynx according to my tracking guide is 4 1/4" long and that of the bobcat is 1 7/8" long , a big difference !!
 
Lynx are bigger than bobcats, but not by that much...15-20 obs on the outside I believe...but I think a lynx foot is so large due to the fact that it strictly a northern hunter...spending alot of time hunring in the snow using it's feet as snowshoes. but thats just from what I've read and seen on nature shows...I've seen bobcats in the wild, but never a lynx....yet
 
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