Is the DNR deliberately releasing Cougars in the state?

A freiend of mine lives in Southern Marquette county and his wife recently saw a cougar while out on a walk...the couar was in plain sight and was casually walking in the yard of rural neighbors....upon reviewing this my friend discobvered a few things....tha a local farmer hadrecently repored seeing two cougars within 5 miles of this cougar....then a week ago he ran ito a firefighter friend wh told him and even more interesting story....basically a person that he knew was going out near some property he has up near Westfield and came across several DNR vehicles in his field...when he approached they told him he had to leave the area immediately even though it was his property...two of the trucks had large cages in the back and one contained a cougar...he left the area went down the road and waited and when those trucks drove past there was no cougar....I know this story is third if not fourth hand so I do not know how much is true but I know the people who have seen the other cougars in the field and I believe them...how they got there who knows...wanderers or released.....but does the DNR have the right to release such animals without public input...I know they have released Wolves in Portage county to help control the deer herd...obviously if they are releasing cougars that could be their only reason....but this animal is totally different than a wolf...while it does not multiply as rapidly as wolves it will stalk a human in the field or a child in a yard....I just thing it should have some public input...what da ya think?

Text-It was January 14th 2016-i looked out the back door of our mobile home,thought,NO WAY!!The long rounded tail,white at the side lower bottom of its face,and how it walked,like a cat,told me,YEP,THATS A COUGER!!It went into the woods..Whats weird,this was seen around 9am in the morning,broad daylight..THIS SIGHTING WAS IN SCIOTO COUNTY, OHIO,BETWEEN WHEELERSBURG AND SOUTH WEBSTER,OHIO..

Ahhh bassin, elk and wolves were here long before any European settlers arrived in the region. If I remember correctly, the last known elk in Wisconsin was killed in the late 1800's.

If you want to complain about the DNR releasing non-native species, write them a letter complaining about those darned Asian imports, pheasants!

Formerly Steve @ G & S

Not exactly natural? You don't think those animals were here well before any of us?

personally i wouldn't put it past the DNR to release cougars into the woods of wisconsin...they seem to take pride in introducing animals that aren't exactly natural! (i.e. Elk, Wolves) I know there is one up in price county by our deer hunting camp...not sure if the story is true or not but if it is the fact that they kicked a man off his own property is beyond me! FYI thats why you put gates up, the DNR can't cross any closed gate whether locked or not!

a friend and I saw one in Portage county and everyone said we were crazy, but we knew what we saw...who knows about what the DNR is or is not doing...

I remember back in 87 or 88 questioning a warden in Vernon Marsch if they were planting turkeys and the reply was, NO. Told him I know what a j shaped terd is dropped by from hunting Crawford County since the first 84 season in WI and his reply was I was seeing things. I replied, most may not know what that is, but you are going to flat out lie to me. He replied to just keep it under wraps till they are more established. I told him as they establish more and more people will know.

Photo taken within a rifle shot of the Delta Diner on Labor Day Weekend.

Those are stacked up railroad timbers under it's chin on a bear bait. I'm guessing 24" tall. Too tall for a bobcat. 80 - 100 pounds maybe?

I don't think the DNR is releasing them...this is obviously an adolescent that has moved in from the west in search of his own territory.

Chris, Nina has seen a big cat in that same location earlier this summer. CB

You have got to be nuts. Do you really think the DNR could keep that secret?

My 69 year old father just called me after getting to our cabin in Bayfield County. He swears that a cougar crossed Hwy M near Lakewood Resort. He said it was bigger than my 80 pound golden retriever, longer, leaner, and when he pulled up to the spot where it crossed, the brush was real thick but he saw the rear end of it with a long tail tucked between it's legs as it ran away.

Bears, wolves, and cougar...walking through the woods in the dark this bow season outta be just peachy.

Some good laughs...but i never did say I believed the story...or that it was a for sure thing .....just wondering if anyone thinks our Wonderful DNR would release or relocate some of these predators to other parts of the state in order to obtain their master plan of getting "their" deer herd (as it seems to me they forgot whose herd it is) down to their magical number of "0"..deer per square mile....

personally I believe both animals are just being pushed and movin were they can find food easy......but I never have trusted the DNR and sorry never will...too much power with too litttle control by the public

yes most definately. My chicago uncle's minneapolis nephew's madison father in law heard it FOR SURE at a bar in Rhinelander from the guy who was driving the log truck that hit the grizzly bear that was being chased by the wolves that the the DNR released that the DNR is definately releasing cougars, feral hogs, wolves, deer ticks, and lampreys.

Have any of you seen a tag or colored fur patch on any of dem, would like to see what year class dey are, I contacted a local biologist to get a stocking summary on dem, very interesting info.

Ya know even though I am happily married who does'nt like a good cougar? C-mon be honest!

WOOPS, I didn't even notice that, why that harry no good...