The Missouri Dept. of Conservation is still trying to say that any cougars in the state are just traveling through from other states and that we do not have a native population here.
Same as Wisconsin. Several years ago, one attacked a steer in a field next to my DILs family farm. The attack was witnessed by a Turkey hunter and the hunter shot at the cougar with his turkey loads. He drew blood, but did not kill the animal. DNA from the blood trail confirmed it was a cougar. Wounds on the steer confirmed it indeed had been attacked and this is what saved the hunter from a hefty fine and loss of gun and hunting privileges. Later that week, my DIL's father called the DNR to confirm tracks found in their garden. The agent confirmed they were indeed cougar tracks, but when asked about killing the animal, the reply was, "you better have some wounds on whatever it is attacking to prove there was an actual attack.". several months later, DNA confirmed that the same cat, a young male, had been hit by a car and killed in Connecticut. There are trailcam pictures of cougars a mile or so as a crow flies, from where we live on the outskirts of town. Down at my son's land, about 25 miles south of where we live, There are many pictures of cougars on the neighbors trail cameras. I witnessed one crossing the road on my way home from there. When I contacted the DNR, I was told I must have mistook a bobcat for a cougar. I see Bobcats all the time, there is no mistaking a bobcat, out in the open, crossing the road broadside, directly in front of you, in broad daylight, for a cougar. There is no mistaking the 3' drooping tail of a cougar. Yet, I understand the reluctance of the DNR to proclaim there is a population, when so many of the residents of our state, are completely naive about them. After the attack on the steer mentioned before, local Rednecks would leave the local bar, packed in a pickup, with loaded guns and drive the local roads. Their reasoning being, they were protecting the lives of livestock and humans alike. Parents kept their children home from school, because they feared they would be attacked on the way to/from the bus or even on the playground during recess. Every time a dog strayed from home, it became a cougar casualty on Facebook. Then, when the lost dog was found, it became a "miracle" that it survived.
That said, I have no problem with cougars in the area, just as I have no issue with wolves. Within reason. When their numbers get too high, and/or when they lose their fear of humans, they need to be controlled by hunting. Like with wolves, cougars only show up when and where food is plentiful. Modern deer hunting has increased deer populations around here to the point that car/deer collisions are a common occurrence, even during daylight hours and year round. It used to be the only time you worried about hitting a deer was during the rut. Unless I cannot help it. I refuse to ride my motorcycle at dawn, dusk or during nighttime because of the high probability of hitting a deer. Can't plant anything down at the cabin, whether it be an ornamental cherry/crabapple tree, or flowers, without some sort of protection from the deer. Even daffodils, which are supposed to be deer proof, are eaten to the ground the minute they emerge. This even tho the area is surrounded by Ag fields and we have acres of food planted for year round grazing, just for the deer. The lawn around the building is covered with deer scat to the point you can hardy walk without stepping on it. We are given all the free antlerless tags we want, yet no one shoots more than one, if that, on their property. So yes, there is food there for predators. If there are predators, we are responsible for much of the blame. As I said before, those nights I go out and cannot hear the 'yotes yipping, I know the wolves have moved in. Like the deer, they leave Dodge or make themselves scarce when the wolves move in. Give it a few weeks and once again you will hear them yip and you know the wolves have moved out.
