Saturday, September 26, 2009

A Look Inside Bonnie Brae Deer Farm


by Sheila Oranch

It is fawn season at Bonnie Brae and I am greeted by a green Totem Pole and a well-kept vintage barn. Postcard companies would pay for pictures of this front yard. Bonnie Brae Farms is a classic New England farmscape, maintaining a beachhead against all kinds of commercial development along busy Route 3 between Plymouth and Ashland.

The heart of the story here is about sustainable agriculture, preserving open space, diversifying food sources and good, old fashioned, New Hampshire independence. Two brothers, Henry and Bruce Ahern, established Bonnie Brae Farms to revitalize the family farm and to establish an enterprise that will support them when they retire. Although Henry Ahern and Cindy Downing run the farm, Bruce joins them for special projects. Henry and Bruce both have other careers – Henry is an authorized Apple Computer dealer and technician and operates HDA Technical Services. Deer farming enables them to maintain those activities while building for the future in a way that keeps them close to the land they love. Now that the major infrastructure is installed (watering systems, paddocks, handling shed and lots of fencing), caring for the herds only takes a couple of hours a day most of the year. It’s a walk in the park, actually.

I am treated to a tour of the deer farm by Henry, complete with seeing the new fawns close up. Red Deer are beautiful animals with winsome faces and varied personalities. Larger than Whitetail Deer (actually a branch of the Elk family), they are gentler and less skittish. The yearlings are separated from the breeding hinds (females) and their fawns as well as the big stags. The young animals are curious and greedy for a treat. Henry handles them like a flock of geese and they show no fear of him. He works with all the herds every day to keep them cooperative.

The impressive stags can grow up to 550 lbs. Henry took me into their paddock and it was a slightly intimidating experience. Some have earned names like Hercules. One character, Garibaldi, seems to crave Henry’s attention. He is not the biggest stag, but he certainly makes himself known. Generally, the stags are respectful of their handler, but he says during the roar (breeding season) they can be aggressive. The stags are competitive and have huge antlers.



You may already know the difference between a horn and an antler, but just in case you don’t, animals that have antlers, like these red deer, lose them annually. An animal with horns, a cow for example, does not lose its horns. For Bonnie Brae farm, these antlers are a profitable product of deer farming. They are an important part of natural nutritional, medical and fertility treatments and a real renewable resource, as they grow back each year. A healthy stag can live for up to 20 years, and the antler growth peaks at 10-12 years!

Venison, which is the first product that comes to mind for a deer farm, is a tasty, nutritious, lean meat. By culling the herds of surplus males, and females who don’t have the right personalities, the stock improves at the same time that a locally grown food is made available. Unfortunately, there is a shortage of FDA-approved slaughter facilities. The animals may have to be trucked 100 miles to be processed. Yet New England does not have quite enough demand to open a new facility. Henry has some creative ideas to solve that issue, but the plan is still in development.
Meanwhile, Bonnie Brae Farms sports a great big walk-in freezer from which they will sell you venison in many forms. I couldn’t resist taking home some beautiful, lean burger patties. Yum!
“Bonnie Brae” means “beautiful hillside” in Scottish. Red Deer are native to Scotland, England, Wales, Northern and Central Europe, and Yugoslavia. Is it a coincidence that these lovely hillside pastures support herds of these gentle Scottish cousins of the giant elk?

Just past the Bridgewater Power wood to energy facility. State regulations prohibit the public from touring the farm as you might tour a dairy farm like Bonnie Brae’s bovine cousin Longview Farm on the other side of town, but the deer can be viewed from Rte 3 as well as from the area around the parking for Bonnie Brae.

Bonnie Brae Farms
601 Daniel Webster Highway
Plymouth, NH 03264-4314
Phone (603) 536-3880
Fax (603) 536-2649
Website



Smith Bridge, Plymouth, NH: Order cards, prints

Apple Picking at Surowiec Farm

There are not many autumn activites that compare to reaching up into an apple tree, pulling down a choice Mac and biting into it as the breeze of Indian Summer rustles the leaves around you.

New Hampshire offers quite a few orchards where you can pick your own apples.

Our adventurous team piled into two vehicles with friends and family and headed for the Surowiec Farm in Sanbornton for our adventure, but you can pick the orchard of your choice from our list below.


Surowiec Farm is located on the Perly Hill Road in Sanbornton, just off exit 22. Bear east and watch for Perly Hill road on your right.

Its a great family activity and after the picking you can join together in the kitchen to make pies, apple crisp, apple sauce, whatever you have a hankering for.

But we should warn you . . . watch our for grandma, she may be tempted to try climbing for the best ones.

Surowiec also has blueberries and a nice selection of other products.












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NH Pick Your Own Orchards

Concord
Apple Hill Farm 603-224-8862 Fax: 224-8862
Carter Hill Orchard 603-225-2625

Conway
Hatches Orchard 603-447-5687

Gilmanton
Stonybrook Farm 603-293-4300

Haverhill/Woodsville
Windy Ridge Orchard & Christmas Tree Farm 603-787-6377-Loudon
Meadow Ledge Farm 603-798-5860

Pittsfield
Appleview Orchard 603-435-6483

Plainfield
Riverview Farm 603-298-8519

Sanbornton
Surowiec Farm 603-286-4069

















Sunset Swim on Newfound Lake

Monday, September 21, 2009

Reader Responses on Mt Lions


Reader Responses
Eastern Puma Research Network

To the Editor:

As Director of the oldest & most active independent Mountain Lion Study Group in the eastern U.S, I agree wholeheartedly that native big cats continue to roam eastern North America.

Since we began field studies on the mountain lion in 1965, in central Maryland, over 9,000 sightings have been collected.

Of this overall total, approx. 63% are from witnesses with backgrounds in law enforcement, wildlife/game, & foresters. In other words, the witnesses are people who know what animal they are seeing.

75% of all sightings are NOT fleeting glances of the animal, as some state & federal wildlife agenices claim. The majority of incidents range from 2 minutes or more. Some reports are of 5-10 minute time lengths.

Although mountain lions have long been considered nocturnal animals, the most credible reports are between the hours of 7AM & 11AM, where the cat is returning from its nightly hunts. The rest of the time of day/night is about 50-50.

The majority of reports are from states closest to the Appalachian Mountains between eastern Canada & Georgia.

Of the 65 pieces of material submitted for verification in 2004, 12 were verified as "probable" puma. 2 were identified as "exotic cats". the remainder of material were tracks, scat or pictures of various land mammals.

The above evidence was confirmed by the Eatsern Puma Reserach Network's professional Science Team.

EPRN is a "grass-roots" torganization of both volunteer men and women interested in the subject of big cats in eastern North America. The majority of our members have independent wildlife groups of their own in 17 states & 2 Canadian Provinces and became "associates" due to the fact that EPRN is the only group cataloguing & recording each event.

NO state east of the Mississippi River is devoid of reports.

We have a videotape that was sent to us by a New Hampshire resident that was confirmed as a puma, due to size & behavior patterns. Unfortunately, the resident is adamant about NOT making the tape public, due to the fear of someone killing the animal that regularly visits the area.

We (the Eastern Puma Research Network) publish a flyer entitled "All You Need To Know About The Eastern Cougar". It’s FREE to anyone sending a stamped, self-addressed, business size-envelope to us.

Anyone can make copies of this flyer, as EPRN did NOT copyright it, so more people can understand the attitude & characteristics of them.

For anyone wishing to obtain a free copy of our flyer, to obtain more data on the animal or to report a sighting, they are encouraged to contact us at the address listed below.

Please visit our NEW web-site & sign the guestbook. New material is being added & will soon include maps showing approx. locations of credible incidents in each state.
Thank you for your time,

John A. Lutz, Director
Eastern Puma Research Network
epuma@beaconnet.net
Eastern Puma Research Network
HC 30 Box 2233
Maysville, WV 26833
24-Hr Hotline: 304-749-7778
E-mail: epuma@beaconnet.net
Website

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Mountain Lion Facts


Legends & Lore
NH's Mountain Lions
Mountain Lion Facts
Scientific Name: Puma concolor

Life Span: 8-11 years and up to 15-18 years in the wild and 19-20 years in captivity

Size: Males are 6-8 feet long; 110-180 pounds Females 5 to 7 feet long; 80 to 130 pounds

Status: western populations stable; increased sightings in the east, although officially extirpated in NH

Offspring: 1-6 cubs; usually 3 or 4

Description: The species name concolor indicates that the pelt color does not vary over the back, sides, limbs and tail. The color however varies geographically and seasonally from light gray to cinnamon to rust red and light tan or brown. The under parts, inner ear, lower cheeks, chin and lips are white. There are black markings on the side of the muzzle, back of the ears and the tip of the adult tail. Both males and females are colored alike. Young have black or brown spots on buffy fur for up to 18 months which gradually disappear as they mature. Adult size varies greatly and can be anywhere from 5.5 feet to 8.5 feet in length (including the tail). The tail can be up to 1/3 of the animal’s length. Weights also vary, ranging from 60 to 225 pounds. Their feet are broad with 4 digits behind and 5 digits on the front. Estimated life span in the wild is 8 – 11 years (maximum 15-18 years) and over 20 in captivity.

Habitat: The Mountain lion has a wide range of habitats although these are steadily diminishing with the encroachment of human populations. They are found in high temperate and tropical lowland forests, grasslands, swamps and any area with adequate cover and sufficient prey. Mountain lions have been found anywhere from sea-level to 10,000 feet. Habitat has become fragmented and confined in the continental USA to 12 western states and the southern tip of Florida. Mountain lions are also found in parts of Canada, Mexico and South America. Mountain lion numbers are low east of the Mississippi although there is a remnant population (Florida panther subspecies) in Florida. Generally within the geographical range mentioned above, look for them in large wilderness areas. Their environmental preference is a rocky canyon, escarpment, rim rocks or dense brush. Flat brushless deserts, agricultural areas and heavily timbered areas are avoided in favor of cleared areas at the edge of forests or wetlands. Males have a range of anywhere from 25-200 square miles with a possible overlap with another male of up to 3 miles. Females are more stable and confine their permanent home range from 5 to 20 square miles. Living areas can be identified by a scrape or even a small pile of leaves and grasses on which the male urinates or defecates to establish its territory. More likely look for an overhanging ledge, a crevice, a dry cavity, under roots or even a badger burrow or deep thicket.

Predators and Prey: Ungulates are the primary prey. It is estimated that a healthy Mountain Lion will take up to 48 deer, moose, elk or caribou a year consuming from 860 to 1300 kg of meat. In North America if deer are not available they are known to take coyote, bobcat, porcupine, beaver, rabbit, opossum, raccoon, skunk, rodents and even snake and fish. The mountain lion kills by stalking and then leaping on the back of the prey , breaking its neck by biting behind the skull. In the course of a night hunt and stalk, the mountain lion will travel up to six miles in 6 bursts of 1-2 hours each with a rest period in between. They stalk by crouching in a concealed position ready to pounce with its ears upright and tail twitching. When feeding, if it does not consume all the carcass, it will bury the remainder for later consumption. Some mountain lions have been observed eating vegetation, although animal flesh is the favored diet. Mountain lions have also been known to take domestic livestock which has led to their pursuit and killing as an unwanted predator. Sport hunting is legal in 11 western states. The only exception is California. It is estimated that 2500 mountain lion are shot and killed each year by professional and other hunters.

Adaptations and Behavior: Mountain lions are solitary animals. This solitude is broken for the adult only for breeding and parenting. Population densities vary from one animal per 25-50 square miles to one per 8-34 square miles. The animals tend to space themselves to accomodate the food supply. Up to three females with young live within an area used by a resident male. Within that same range, at any one time, will be the resident adults, juveniles, transients, kittens and young adults who have not established home ranges. Movement tends to be nocturnal with occasional crepuscular forays. Communication appears to be through vocalizations of hisses, growls and purrs, but never roars. Males from a litter band together after leaving the mother, but then disperse as adults seeking and establishing their own ranges. Generally a mountain lion will use a winter and summer home area and migrate between them, possibly hundreds of miles apart. Although adept at climbing trees, mountain lions spend most of their time on the ground. The mountain lion’s hind legs are long while the front legs are short and very muscular giving it the ability to jump15-18 feet vertically and 30-45 feet horizontally. It is estimated that they can run at speeds of up to 35 miles an hour covering more than 100 yards in less than 5 seconds. In spite of this great speed, they can only cover a short distance before requiring a rest.

Breeding and Development: Female mountain lions begin breeding at about 3 years of age and then breed once every 2 or 3 years. They mate during any season with the courtship initiated by the female and usually includes mating with a number of males. Typical litters of 1 to 6 kittens are born after a gestation period of 82-98 days. Newborns weigh up to one pound and rapidly gain weight. At birth the kittens are wooly, spotted and have short tails. Their eyes open in about 8 or 9 days. They develop teeth when they are a month old and are weaned when about 2 or 3 months at which time they accompany their mother to kills. Kittens remain with the mother into their second year.

Fun Facts: Also known as cougar, catamount, panther and 35 other names. The SLNSC mountain lions arrived in January 2003 from Montana. They were unfortunately orphaned at a young age and initially raised by the Montana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries. There have been many reports of mountain lion sightings in the NH lakes region. As of this writing, there are scat samples submitted for DNA analysis to confirm the presence of these large cats in NH. The New Hampshire Fish and Game Department does not recognize the presence of mountain lions in NH due to lack of confirmed sightings.

Photos and facts courtesy of Squam Lakes Natural Science Center
P.O. Box 173, Holderness, NH 03245
Phone: 603-968-7194; ext. 34
Fax: 603-968-2229
Web: www.nhnature.org


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Mountain Lion Sightings


Legends & Lore
Mountain Lion Sightings

Some selected stories of mountain lion sightings, collected by John Harrigan, farmer and writer in Colebrook, New Hampshire:

Some time in the early 1980’s, longtime Colebrook farmer Harold Davis was sitting on Norma Wentzell’s porch in East Colebrook, drinking iced tea after finishing haying her field across the road. He and Norma saw a large, tawny mountain lion come out of the woods and begin mousing. They watched it catch, toss and eat mice (and probably voles) for about 10 minutes before it walked across the field and into the woods.

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In the mid-1990’s, former Colebrook selectman and longtime business owner Herc Lemieux and two friends were haying a field just below Danny Beloin’s farm on Stevens Hill when a mountain lion bounded across the hayfield right in front of them, less than 100 yards away. The three stopped their work to watch it go.

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In the late 1980’s, Lancaster resident Dick McGinnis and a car-pooling co-worker were on their way to Littleton at around 8:00 in the morning, Just southwest of Whitefield on Rt. 116, where the road curves up a hill close to the Ammonoosuc River a couple of miles north of Littleton, he and his passenger saw a cougar bound into the road from the river side and into the woods on the other side. It was close enough that Dick had to slow down to avoid hitting it.

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In 1978, the town of Stark’s librarian, an elderly lady of unassailable repute, was on her way to town when an adult cougar and two cubs emerged from the bushes along Rt. 110. She nearly hit them. When she got to the library, she went straight to the reference books to confirm what she was sure she’d seen. She had not one whit of doubt that they were cougars.


Ed's Note: Our thanks to John Harrigan for sharing these with us. Do you have a story of a sighting? email us.


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Mountain Lion Evidence from an Independent Wildlife Biologist

An Interview with Biologist Rick Van de Poll, Ph.D. by Wayne King

Read these brief reports of sightings and see if you don't become a believer yourself.


What was your first encounter with signs that Mt. Lions might exist in NH?

Between September 1999 and December 2003 I conducted natural resource inventories of approximately 8,000 acres in the Ossipee Mountains for the Lakes Region Conservation Trust. In October of 1999 I came across my first positive sign of a mountain lion in the form of an old scat on the top of Larcom Mountain. I sent the sample off to the Wildlife Conservation Society, who had it DNA tested at the National Institute of Health laboratories in Washington, D.C. This sample was too degraded to provided any results, either positive or negative. During that same month, however, I obtained a plaster cast sample of a track, at the base of the mountain, which appeared to be mountain lion.

A year later in December, in the same locale, I obtained a very fresh sample of a scat which had a distinct, cat-like odor and was the standard size for mountain lion (which I recognized immediately having collected several samples from the western United States). This time I contacted the Michigan Wildlife Habitat Federation, who agreed to test the sample along with a sample I took from the Squam Range in Holderness. Both samples were sent to the Wyoming Fish and Game Commission, and both samples were tested along with several Upper Peninsula Michigan cougar scats. Both samples were identified through nuclear satellite DNA testing to contain "no appreciable difference" in their array signature from mountain lion scat arrays that the WFGC had on file from western states. Because there were no existing arrays from New England bobcats, lynxes or mountain lions to compare them with, they did not have any secondary confirmation information with which to certify their findings. The gentleman in Michigan, however, who received the shipment through overnight delivery, stated that this scat was unequivocally mountain lion, and that he would be willing to stand by his opinion, based on several years of scat analysis he has conducted on the (now confirmed) resident population in Michigan.

Did you contact NH Fish and Game about this?

All of the above data has been related to the NH Fish & Game Department. In fact, I contacted them initially to determine if they had any DNA testing facilities in the state. I have forwarded them my own list of 32 sightings in the Lakes Region that I have gathered from area residents since 1999. I also testified at a hearing about the DNA results and had Wyoming Fish & Game Commission forward their letter of results directly to Mike Marchand at NH Fish & Game. In spite of this report, they still consider the finding insufficient to confirm active presence of mountain lion in New Hampshire.

Is there a good reason for being this skeptical on their part?

As a wildlife biologist with 30 years experience, I am inclined to be skeptical of hearsay evidence on wildlife species that are rare. I can respect the opinions of the NH Fish & Game biologists, whose public relations tasks would become more onerous should they admit that we have a federally endangered predator present in this state. However, when the preponderance of evidence points to the active presence of (likely) a few individual mountain lions in this state, it would behoove the state to begin the necessary task of gathering information that informs its population of citizens about mountain lions rather than contributing to the myth that they do not exist.

Dr. Rick Van de Poll is a principle in Ecosystem Management Consultants of Center Sandwich, NH.


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New Hampshire's Mountain Lion Mystery


by Peg Rosen
Images Courtesy Squam Lakes Natural Science Center

Imagine yourself driving a New Hampshire road at night, the winding pavement illuminated by the splay of the headlights. Suddenly, at the outer edges of your vision you glimpse an animal by the roadside, large and light in color with a long tail You stop to try and get a good look, but it’s gone. “I just saw a mountain lion!” you exclaim to yourself. But mountain lions disappeared from the forests and fields of New Hampshire long ago. Or did they? Do you believe your eyes? Or not?

You wouldn’t be alone in wondering. Numerous New Hampshire residents have encountered the mountain lion mystery Like all good mysteries, trying to discover whether mountain lions exist today in New Hampshire opens the door to a myriad of additional unanswered questions, intriguing clues and divided debate.

The Eastern Cougar (mountain lion), one of 15 subspecies of cougar living in North America, was native to our area at the time of settlement. Also called puma, cougar, catamount and panther, the eastern cougar roamed the landscape preying primarily on deer for food. Elusive and not often seen even in colonial times, its existence was threatened by land clearing for agriculture and logging. The deforestation resulted in habitat changes affecting the availability of prey and cover for protection. In addition, fearful pioneers hunted mountain lions relentlessly, adding to their decline. By the late 1800‚s, the cougar population had been hunted and displaced out of existence east of the Mississippi.

However, throughout the many years since the large, tawny cat was officially declared extirpated from the region, reports continued to trickle in from individuals claiming to have seen one. Today, apparent sightings occur regularly.. According to Mark Ellingwood, a wildlife biologist for the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department, several dozen sightings are reported each year in New Hampshire. In efforts to validate what may be credible reports, Fish and Game Department biologists ask observers the Who, Where, When and What of the incident and look for patterns of sightings, such as flurries or clusters of reports in a particular area. In order to confirm any sighting, the Department’s “greatest focus is on the existence of hard evidence, such as photos or videos, tracks, scat, hair samples”. On the official record to date, there has not been any piece of hard evidence available that can positively confirm a single sighting. But those who claim to have seen one of the big cats are often quite passionate about their belief in what they saw or found. For those who believe that the cougars have returned, each new sighting and testimony is a validation of that belief.

John Harrigan, a farmer and writer in Colebrook, has been keeping track of “sighting stories” since approximately 1978 and states that “the table is set” for these animals, with deer in abundance and the cougar’s willingness to feed on everything from mice to deer to young moose. With plenty of prey and still adequate forest cover, “there is no reason why there couldn”t be a viable cougar population in New Hampshire.” He applies his own version of questioning to the reports, designed to winnow out the least reliable: How far away was the viewer? What were the lighting weather, and forest cover conditions? How long was the animal in view? Mr. Harrigan declares that “although I am inherently skeptical, there is no doubt we have 2 or 3 cats, even denning females.” His conviction about the presence of reproducing cougars comes partly from several significant sighting reports that occurred in 1988-89 in broad daylight during summer months. He feels these indicate a denning female was taking chances, desperate to feed her young. Although Mr. Harrigan is one of the more vocal advocates of the mountain lion’s presence, there appear to be plenty of other proponents of the idea, as evidenced by the steady stream of reported sightings..

The opposing argument, however, can be quite persuasive when based on the premise that sightings are suspect unless validated by hard physical evidence. Dave Erler, Senior Naturalist at the Squam Lakes Natural Science Center in Holderness, New Hampshire, acknowledges that, although he would very much like to see the mountain lion return to this part of the country where it was an inhabitant before any of us, there is a decided lack of confirming evidence, especially tracks. “An animal that big and heavy couldn’t possibly travel through the snow in New Hampshire and not leave tracks.” Mr. Ellingwood also says that if they were here, we would have something more definitive by now to solve the mystery. “In talking with other biologists in Florida where they have confirmed the presence of the Florida Panther, we‚ve learned that wherever there are cougars, there is no lack of evidence.”

Mr. Harrigan refutes the lack of evidence theory with reasons for the missing elements of proof, explaining that scat, tracks, bits of hair and even deer carcass from a kill will not last long unless an effort is made by the finder to preserve them effectively. Some who hold the view that the cougar is extinct here argue that a cat and car collision would otherwise have occurred by now. But could a case for their presence be made on the idea that such a small number of cats might be able to avoid that type of human contact? What about the compelling stories of sightings told by, according to Harrigan, “keen individuals who have no reason to make something like that up”? Mark Ellingwood concedes that “the people registering reports are reasonable individuals who, even though we (Fish and Game) try to remain objective and respectful of their claim, seem perplexed when we tell them their evidence is not definitive enough for confirmation”.

If the reported sightings haven’t been substantiated by physical evidence and cougars aren’t here, what are people seeing that looks like a mountain lion? Some sightings have been determined to be a matter of mistaken identity, the creature later identified as a bobcat, housecat, or other animal. But in circumstances with good viewing conditions, it would seem difficult to not recognize the distinctive size, shape, color and cat-like movements of a mountain lion

And if the great cats are indeed back, where did they come from? Are they holdouts from the original natives who have remained in Maine or the Canadian Maritime Provinces and have migrated back to our state? Although a mountain lion’s territory range can be vast and migration of some western cougars seem to have occurred in the Midwest based on confirmed sightings there, Ellingwood states that “even though it’s not impossible, the dispersal distances seem too great„ to make migration a likely scenario”, while Harrigan observes that “animals don’t pay attention to borders” and seemingly credible sightings in eastern Canada put the mountain lion in range of our state. Or perhaps the sightings are of escaped or released exotic pets. Could a cougar kept in captivity make it‚s way as a wild creature and manage to survive? Some say “yes”, some say “no”. Cougar strength, agility and power is certainly evident in the physical appearance of the two captive mountain lions at the Squam Lakes Natural Science Center. Brought to the Center from Montana as orphaned two-week-old cubs, they could not have survived without their mother. But, now, as full-grown adults, they seem to possess the physical qualities needed to hunt in our wilderness. But would they know how or be able to learn quickly enough? Who can say if a sighting is of a native Eastern Cougar, an escaped cousin from captivity, or nothing related to a cougar at all?

As long as there are unconfirmed sightings, there will be a mountain lion mystery. “Are there mountain lions in New Hampshire?” Mr. Erler has created categories for the possible responses: Category #1. “Don't know, don't care”, Category #2 “Yep, they’re here”, Category #3. “Nope, they're not here”, and Category #4. “Not sure - wish I could believe they were, but not enough proof to support the notion”.

In what category would you place yourself?


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