Panther chase in SC

[Selfdfenz]

http://www.thestate.com/mld/thestate/16556404.htm

This news item came from the Drudge report. Having been raised in western NC, panther stories were recounted over the years by my g'parents on many occassions and the animals were always described as black.

According to this news item they were not black and/or we never had them in the 1st place.

While I can understand that wildlife agencies might see it in the best interests on a given species to obscure the facts regarding its presence in this or that location especially when the numbers are marginal, this out-of-hand debunking of occassional sightings in every instance tends to make me doubt the credibility of the agency.

S-

 

[308win]

We have had "large cat" sightings in Central Ohio for 2+ years; never any tracks etc. I believe if a large cat is on the loose it is an exotic pet turned loose. There would be plenty of road kill for it to feed on and I would expect a lot more sightings than are reported. BTW, we also have sasquatch sightings in Muskingum County occasionally; I suppose if one wants to see something badly enough one will.

 

[jcord]

My mother in law lives in Preble county Ohio. I was hunting on her farm about 10 years ago and saw a panther/lion Call it what you will.

It was laying down under a walnut tree in a field. The grass was a couple feet tall there and the tree was over 4 feet in diameter. The cat was sticking out on both sides of the tree.

I called F&W and was told they don't exist. I said then you don't mind if I pull the trigger then. Line got real quiet. So I pulled the trigger while they were still on the line and shot the tree above its head. It took off like a scalded cat and I had the game warden there in 20 miniutes. Making all kinds of threats. I laughed and told them that they had no case since the cats don't exist. I had tracks and a large lay down with hair in it. They took the hair sample and said they were going to have it tested. They never returned my calls when I called to enquire about the results

 

[mete]

A forester couldn't tell a bobcat from a cougar except by size ?? How about a long tail vs short tail etc ?

 

[Selfdfenz]

In my area black bear populations have been increasing over the last 10-20 years. During my childhood seeing a black bear was unheard of, but not any longer. In the bigger scheme of things, if bears are doing well in what to be their traditional area of operation there might be aspects of habitat improvement that would also help support a small group if these cats. I can't see why re-colonization in what was traditional range for these cats is so hard for these wildlife agencies to believe or acknowledge.

If nature abhors a vacuum perhaps it abhors that vacuum on a species by species basis....

 

['Card]

I grew up in the Appalachians a little farther north of you in WV. Growing up, I heard a lot of the same types of 'black panther' stories you're talking about.

At the time I believed them, now I guess I'm not certain. I've only ever seen big cats in the mountains twice, and both times they were a long way off and yellow/brown. I can easily see how someone could mistake a young bear for a cat, though - especially far off and in heavy woods. But even with that I'm not sure I can completely dismiss the 'black panther' stories. A lot of the sightings I remember came from experienced woodsmen who I don't believe would have made that mistake.

 

[Art Eatman]

Cougars' colors vary quite a bit. They're typically a tan or tawny color. Some have a lot of melanin, whence cometh the "black panther" stories. Usually, though, it's more of a very-dark brown than an actual black.

A buddy of mine and I baited one up, one time, that was nearly a sealpoint Siamese cat in markings. Gorgeous critter.

My wife has been luckier than I, in seeing panthers in south Georgia. Three different times. She commented about it one time to a friend, who sorta sneered as if a woman couldn't tell a panther from a house cat. Her response to the guy was, "Well, it looked just like the one in our living room." I think that was one up for her...

Art

 

[Selfdfenz]

I remember several stories told by both of my G'mothers regarding the ML/black panthers in our part of western NC. I'm guessing those events would have taken place in western NC in the 20's or 30's. No reason to doubt one word from either of these Ladies.

Based on my childhood travels in the area in the 50's & the wildness of the place then [and now] I will have to remain the skeptic with I read the all-knowing statments from officials in the wildlife enforcement arena when they pontificate about what is and isn't roaming this wild mountain sides.

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[BIGR]

selfdfenz, what county were you raised in. You still live in WNC?

 

[Selfdfenz]

Caldwell
Been around the country but I'm back at present

 

[B.D. Turner]

About three years ago I was a small town police chief. One summer night another officer and I drove out of town to check on business at one of the local crack houses. We drove by and didn't see anything going on and started back to town. On the way back he was turning on the alley lights looking for deer in the fields. All of a sudden he yelled stop stop back up! What in the world is that? he said. I backed up and caught a glimpse of a very large cat walking across a field and then turning away from us. We are both avid hunters and have never seen anything like it. It walked like a cat but was much larger than any bobcat.

 

[Selfdfenz]

And like the western part of the state there are sections of eastern NC that have plenty of bears now. Not saying one predisposes an area to the having the other but there's many an acre of river bottom and pocisin in eastern NC where people are likely not to set foot in 5-10 years.

Perhaps Art is still watching this thread and if so perhaps he can chime in on where or not, in his opinion, cougars would prey on coyotes. I don't think an average coyote would stand a chance against a mature cougar but I wonder if the coyote would look like food or just something to avoid.

S-

 

[B.D. Turner]

Up until last Monday morning I didn't believe we had coyote here in the east. I am 43 and have never ever seen one before living or dead around here. That was before last week when my dog went crazy barking and a coyote was standing in the front yard. I gave the coyote a sporting chance and laid out six rounds of .44 mag. from my Marlin as he ran across the cow pasture.
I believe there are still things roaming these big woods that we don't always see or know about.

 

[BIGR]

Selfdfenz, I have deer hunted in Caswell County, near Yanceyville for a few years now. Back a few years ago A hunter on our lease swore up and down he jumped a big panther, while muzzleloader hunting. One eveing at about 3 PM we had just went back into the woods and I heard a shot on the property where we hunt. I thought one of the guys had jumped a deer going to his stand and shot at it. Later on one hunter said a big panther looking cat leaped out from an old barn that fallen down. When it jumped out he saw it and fired at it but missed it. When he told us the story we kind of doubted it since he has been known to tell some tall tales. But weeks later the landowners wife saw a big cat run across the road near that area and we seemed to think maybe there is a big cat there after all. I have seen bobcats there 3 or 4 times over the past few years and had the chance of shooting 2 of them but didn't. I killed one near where I live in 1982 and another big one in the late 90's while on a grouse hunt. Years ago myself and two other people, personally heard a panther scream (sounded like a woman screaming). I have heard too many people say that there are panthers in WNC and I believe it is true. I have talked to hunters that have encountered big cats while hunting. One said he was surrounded one night by a big cat, and the cat walked in circles, around where he was at. Another one was on the ground and using a bleat call and a big cat leaped through the air towards him, thinking he was a deer. He said when the cat realized he was not a deer it changed directions in mid air and hit the ground running away from him. The terrain in WNC is some of the roughest you will find and it seems that it is idea for the big cats. Some areas man has never seen and very rarely goes near. I truely believe there's big cats in them hills.

 

[Art Eatman]

I don't see why a cougar wouldn't eat a coyote. They'll darned sure kill and eat house dogs. We had one event where a cougar came into a house's "mud room" and killed one of the two dogs chained there. He dragged it from its collar and then hauled it off to eat.

My flight instructor chases radio-collared lions for the bug'n'bunny folks. One lion that he tracked ranged from the mountains north of Marathon, Texas, down into Mexico to the south end of the Del Carmen range. That's some 200 miles.

If the habitat is right, lions are likely to wander in. I know they're in Florida and Georgia, so there's no reason for them not to have moved into the Carolinas. They don't read maps.

Art