They are finally admitting it

[Sld1959]

Looks like the DNR is finally admitting what a lot of hunters and even homeowners have been saying for a number of years. The cougar is back in Michigan. There have been a ton of sightings and I even saw big cat prints on a deer kill in the Upper which convinced me. This actually makes me happy, it was a natural predator in Michigan until we killed them off.

Cougars roam throughout Michigan. What to know about spotting them, staying safe

Michigan has seen cougar sightings increase in recent years. Here's what to know if you see one.

www.freep.com

 

[trader]

good to see the real cougar's return. I see a lot of the other kind, in their natural element, down here these days, hunting outside of beauty spas and malls.

 

[HayesGreener]

They are endangered but we have them here. They are called panthers here. They roam over such a large area that we rarely see tham. I encountered one about 10 years ago while cruising timber in my Gator. He just looked at me and turned and strolled into the woods. A biologist told me a panther will kill a yearling deer about every 3 days

 

[Rainman]

https://www.ketk.com/news/animals/mountain-lion-killed-in-early-morning-crash-with-longview-patrol-vehicle/

A recent encounter in East Texas didn’t fair well for the cat. West Texas and the brush country of South Texas has a healthy population of them.

 

[HayesGreener]

Cars are the panther's worst enemy in Florida.

 

[powerboatr]

good to see the real cougar's return. I see a lot of the other kind, in their natural element, down here these days, hunting outside of beauty spas and malls.

yup i first thought that when i saw the title

 

[somorris]

We have them in Arkansas, but the Game and Fish Commission seems to hate to admit it. We need them to help control deer with CWD, I just hope the disease doesn’t affect the cats.

 

[bc22wm]

We have them in ME as many who make their living in the woods will tell you. MIF&W flatly refuses to admit it. Understandable, once they did a large chuck of their stretched budget would immediately go towards protecting an endangered species.

 

[Shibadog]

Here in KY they DNR says there are NO cougars in the state (but they DO have a number to report sightings). A bit over a year ago wife and I were walking the dog one evening and one crossed the driveway about 75 yards in front of us. It was headed toward our neighbor’s house so I called him. Andy said he and another neighbor had seen him the day before down in the woods. Next morning I called DNR on their reporting line. Lady asked what county, I told her and she connected me to the county office. I told the young lady the details (time/date/location) and she she says “we get these reports all the time”. Say What? You get sighting reports of an alpha predator in the state, yet you claim they don’t exist? Your tax $$ at work

 

[powerboatr]

we have some black very stealthy big cats here in north east texas, we saw one at the deer lease a year or so ago
he/she walked across our area , just as sun was going down
gorgeous animal
but these folks seem to think they are not panthers

https://www.chron.com/life/wildlife/article/black-panther-texas-18561035.php

 

[javbike]

They are some beautiful animals

 

[HayesGreener]

Biologists and wildlife conservationists are reluctant to publicly state that populations of these endangered big cats are in your area because livestock ranchers will blame them for taking livestock. Especially if they are trying to manage a comeback. Same thing with wolves and coyotes. When I encountered a panther the wildlife officer I told about it was pretty cagey and I got him to adnit they were trying to keep it quiet.

Often people who don't know the difference will see a bobcat and believe they saw a panther.

 

[Recusant]

We have them in Arkansas, but the Game and Fish Commission seems to hate to admit it. We need them to help control deer with CWD, I just hope the disease doesn’t affect the cats.

Same in Virginia. Folks claim to see them but game commission says there are none here.

 

[Pitdogg2]

DNR here in Illinois also stated that there are none here. That is until a lady in Decatur Illinois recorded one on her phone on the deck looking in the sliding door. It just sat there watching her and her dog, then just casually walked off her deck and ran off. For about a month afterwards they found deer carcasses it had killed. A bunch of farmers got together got a posse going and went out on a bunch of horses trying to flush it out. I just thought to myself, it's doing what it's meant to do killing deer and thinning the herd. No pets were missing, no farm animals nothing but deer.
A month or two ago one of my wildlife magazines had an article where they've spotted some jaguars moving between Texas, Arizona and Mexico. Honestly I think that's a great thing!

 

[yotehtr]

The DNR says they are not here in West Central Illinois. But neighbors 3 mi down the gravel road has trail cameras of a pair of them together. We had one cross the road one night had on the high beams. Can't mistake that 4 ft tail.

 

[HayesGreener]

The DNR says they are not here in West Central Illinois. But neighbors 3 mi down the gravel road has trail cameras of a pair of them together. We had one cross the road one night had on the high beams. Can't mistake that 4 ft tail.

They have been seen in Shawnee since I was a kid

 

[papa]

I have seen them and their tracks here in Southern IL. many times since 70's. And I have also heard from IDNR that they just don't exist here in IL.

 

[Bassbob]

Same in Virginia. Folks claim to see them but game commission says there are none here.

They've been doing it in Missouri since the 40s. Plenty of them on camera these days so they had to quit lying and start minimizing.

 

[NMEDGE]

Have mountain lions here in New Mexico. They normally do not bother people. Plenty of deer and elk to eat up in mountains.

 

[youngolddude]

I celebrate their existence until one grabs a young child or solitary jogger. Rare, but it happens.