Eastern Cougar or Panter

clemsonfor · Mar 7, 2011

OK here it goes. At the fear of being run off and stoned as some DNR conspiricy tenfoil hat wearing ill educated hick i hesitate to put this up hear as a learned post bachlor grad with enough credits to have a wildlife minor as well as a hunter.

I have heard those say they have seen them and seen there kills but always passed it off as ignorant folks seeing a big ***** bobcat (seen pictures of like 60lbers). I work for a branch of the federal government, on a lake Thurmond that borders SC/GA. Two years ago a guy killed a FL panther that was "lost" somewhere on corps land. He had an article in GON and later was arrested on endangered species charges. It was first thought it was an escaped captive that was unpermitted therefore un reported. About 8 yrs ago they had a radio collered FL panther that they tracked up through south GA up through burk county GA and then they found him off HWY 78 abouve thompson GA. They darted him and hauled him back to FL. They were both young males seeking new territory.

OK so that is some background. About a month ago the rangers were doing a prescribed burn in an isolated area of the lake. Along the shoreline in the mud they found a complete set of tracks from a big cat. They took a plaster cast in a 6" diameter pvc pipe, which it fills like 80-90% of it up! The thing is huge. Its a cat cause theres no claws like k9s leave. If it was a hoax why would someone put it in such an isolated spot where it is unlikely for anyone to see it?

I have a pic on my mobile but will have to wait till tomorrow to upload it on here.

What yall think?

Any other credible sightings. Not cousin bob ran into a guy he went to high school with 30 yrs ago who saw a black panther down by the river!

Chilly807 · Mar 7, 2011

No reason they wouldn't be there, wild critters in general and cats in particular don't read boundary lines well.

I believe we have eastern cougars here in NS, although very few from what I can tell. I've not seen one myself, but a friend I put 100% confidence in saw one a couple years back.

Kind of makes the hair stand up on the back of your neck when you think about what you're sharing the woods with.

clemsonfor · Mar 7, 2011

Judging by the paw size and depth i guess this animal was at least 150Lbs or more!

simonds · Mar 7, 2011

I was born 1951 and raised in the woods of Tioga County Pa. We had black cougar/panthers around many times. I since moved just over the border in Steuben County N.Y. We seen a approx. 50 lb. tan colored cougar in the orchard two years ago. Some believe and some don't. Doesn't matter to me. I know what I seen.

Taylortractornut · Mar 7, 2011

THeres 3 here in this county. I know a lady thats straight as an arrow. Her husbans was at work and cam in a saw a large femal cat with a cub eating from a feeder on the open carport. He thought he was seeing things. His wife and small daughter were in the back yard in the garden enjoing the day and heard a noise and the cat was running at them. Their dog got between them andf was attacked. SHe happened to hit the panic alarm and it stopped the attack but the old Lab died. The state sent a man up here and they looked at the wound and said it was from a bobcat. They caleld bullcrap on it. Here bobcats are small with a rare large one but not that big. Her husbans set up a game cam one of the older ones with the disposable cameras in it and got a goodside profile of the cat and also gathered some hair samples.

When the state man came to review it they took the camera and pictures and hair samples and thats been 2 years ago. My tow truck driver in the same area has seen them and wont pick up a car in that area at night. Ive heard and seen them. We tracked one squalling one night and we followed it through the woods when we walked towards it it would move away from us and when we walked back it would follow us. It covered a circle about 30 acres in about an hour. THe whole niegborhood was up in arms no dogs barking nothing. All the outside dogs stayed onb the porches. It was erie to say the least. I ve hears a BC squall and this wasnt it.

THe one that killed the dog will be on the endagered species list if it shows up in that neighborhood. WHats going to happen here will be one will kill a kid then its too late.

Western · Mar 7, 2011

Here is a photo of a cast I took in 2001 while living in Colorado.

I was out scouting for more hunting areas and watched this guy (Cougar) creeping through a tree line. Next day I showed up and plastered this out of the best track I could find.

Sorry for the photo quality, took it with my cell to show you guy's.

Chuck52 · Mar 7, 2011

My brother lives along the Linville river in North Carolina. He's seen mountain lions in the area known as the Linville river gorge. They have also been photographed by game cameras here in Missouri. The ones here, at least, may have been brought in by the Conservation department, though that may just be a rumor. At any rate, at least one has been killed here and DNA testing indicated it vwas unlikely to have been an escaper captive animal. Are there still panthers in Florida?

Chuck

bullbreaker · Mar 7, 2011

Chuck52 said:
Are there still panthers in Florida?
Chuck

Sure are,seen 1 on property bout 6 years ago.Were close to SW Fla. Everglades and see them or pic's in newspaper or hear of sightings very often.

Boone

woodchuckie · Mar 7, 2011

I've seen two in the last 20 years here in central Alabama. One solid black and one a modeled color.

k0ua · Mar 7, 2011

About 6 years ago, the wife went for a walk on the COPS shooting range (about 15 miles west of Rolla Mo.) and she called me to come look at the huge and I mean huge cat track in the muddy trail. It was about 4 inches across, we did not carry a camera phone then, so no pictures. But if it was a bobcat then it was the worlds biggest bobcat. no claw marks, and a typical cat pug mark. Of course I did not see or hear any animal, it was just a track, but something made it, and I assumed a panther did.

James K0UA