Warning Panter Sighting In Obion County

[runco]

Saw this on FB today, a possible cougar sighting (panters to you natives), moutain lions if you think its older woman:

 

http://www.tn.gov/twra/news/18363

 

[URL=http://s963.photobucket.com/user/runco0318/media/panter_zpsr0ac4oue.jpg.html][/URL]

 

 

 

 

TWRA Receives Photo of What Appears to Be Cougar in West Tennessee

Tuesday, October 06, 2015 | 8:36am

TWRA Receives Photo of What Appears to Be Cougar in West Tennessee

NASHVILLE --- The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency has received a photo of what appears to be a cougar (mountain lion) taken on a trail camera on private land in Obion County in West Tennessee.

The photo is being analyzed by photo/graphics experts. It was taken shortly after 8 p.m. on the evening of Sept. 20. The trail camera date was incorrect stating it was taken on Sept. 19. An investigation to solidly confirm the sighting is ongoing, although a TWRA official was unable to recover any tracks, hair or other physical evidence.

Like all wildlife species in Tennessee, cougars are classified as a protected species which cannot be hunted or killed until a hunting or trapping season is established by the Tennessee Fish and Wildlife Commission, the governing body of the TWRA.

States with breeding populations of western mountain lions are Nebraska, Wyoming, Colorado, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Texas. There have been documented sightings of cougars in Missouri, Arkansas, Illinois, Kentucky, Connecticut, and Kansas. Biologists believe these sightings were young males leaving their home ranges in search of new territory. These males have been known to travel hundreds of miles.

TWRA biologists assure Tennesseans that in the event of a confirmation of one animal it does not mean there is an established population. A cougar sighting could easily be attributed to a transient young male or an illegal release of a captive animal.

---TWRA--- 

- See more at: http://www.tn.gov/twra/news/18363#sthash.kjv6rTju.dpuf

[monkeylizard]

There are two in the picture. The black one is on the right.

[Garufa]

There are two in the picture. The black one is on the right.

 

You're right.  I see its eye.

Edited October 6, 2015 by Garufa

[monkeylizard]

Oooh! You're right! There's another one just left of center!

[xsubsailor]

 I saw one while hunting Anderson Tully (Lauderdale county) about 10 years ago. He spotted me and eased off in one direction and I eased off in the other.   :D

 

  1 couger, 1 shot (muzzleloader) = I could see bad things happening.

[Oh Shoot]

Saw this on FB today, a possible cougar sighting (panters to you natives)..

 

The correct colloquial misspelling is "painters". ;)

 

- OS

Edited October 6, 2015 by Oh Shoot

[Grand Torino]

Holy crap. I've seen them in Arizona, New Mexico and Colorado but never thought I'd see one here.

[peejman]

Cool. Good to see an apex predator back.

[LagerHead]

You're right.  I see its eye.

 

That's a tall one.

[runco]

The correct colloquial misspelling is "painters". ;)

 

- OS

Not from my hollar, spelling is correct city slicker or should I say scruffy little city slicker.

Edited October 6, 2015 by Runco

[Garufa]

That's a tall one.

They're all huge don't ya know.

[cjohnson44546]

ya'll missed the transparent one climbing on the tree.

[Omega]

I purchased a welder off a guy just past Cadiz a few years ago, he had a some large cat tracks out back of his place. He was told by TWRA it was not a panther, and not to start such rumors. They had walked all over the tracks but I could still make them out. I lived out in Colorado until I was 18, and still go out there once in awhile and they sure looked like the ones I seen there.

[otnman]

Nobody will believe me, but I saw one at the alum cave trailhead on newfound gap. It was when they were building harrahs in cherokee. I would leave early to get there when the contractors came in. It was about 5:30 and completely dark. He was in the middle of the road headed from the parking lot full of cars with people I assume waiting to go hike. (Bet they would give up their hike if thy could see it) Anyway, I lit it up with the kc highlights on the jeep, so there is no doubt what it was. As I sat there getting my phone out to take a picture it wondered off on the opposite side before I could get the camera open...

[Ugly]

A little Google search will reveal many sightings in TN, the gov sure goes out of the way to deny they are actually here. I would think it's odd except, it is the government.

[otnman]

A little Google search will reveal many sightings in TN, the gov sure goes out of the way to deny they are actually here. I would think it's odd except, it is the government.

Yeah, I googled it after that and saw that twra and the nps does all they can to deny it...so I just let it go...

[Oh Shoot]

Yeah, I googled it after that and saw that twra and the nps does all they can to deny it...so I just let it go...

 

All these thousands of "sightings" and nobody ever gets a credible picture. Till now, and TWRA ain't denying this one, eh? Maybe they waited the three weeks or so to acknowledge it to have it analyzed to rule out digital fakery.

 

- OS

Edited October 7, 2015 by Oh Shoot

[dawgdoc]

The Georgia DNR also denies that panthers exist in Georgia, despite one being killed in the state.  They said it was one of those roving males, but they still charged the guy with killing a protected species (even though that species doesn't exist in Georgia).  

 

My mother and I saw a dead panther on I-16 in the late 80's, and my parents saw another dead one (a baby) on a different part of I-16 10 years later.  There was one case of a forester being chased into the Savannah River in the winter by a panther.  But the DNR denies that they live here.

 

The most recent sighting near me involved a security guard who saw a panther sitting on a couch, outdoors, in a trailer park in Rossville.  Classic Rossville, if you know the area.

 

Some say it is a conspiracy theory because as soon as the government admits that they exist, then they automatically have to protect the habitat under the Endangered Species Act, which would cost a lot of money and headaches.

Edited October 7, 2015 by dawgdoc

[runco]

Nobody will believe me, but I saw one at the alum cave trailhead on newfound gap. It was when they were building harrahs in cherokee. I would leave early to get there when the contractors came in. It was about 5:30 and completely dark. He was in the middle of the road headed from the parking lot full of cars with people I assume waiting to go hike. (Bet they would give up their hike if thy could see it) Anyway, I lit it up with the kc highlights on the jeep, so there is no doubt what it was. As I sat there getting my phone out to take a picture it wondered off on the opposite side before I could get the camera open...

My grandfather worked for the Park Service for many years.  He said he has seen a many of "panters", mostly the brown type, and swears he seen one of the black ones.  He use to have to clean 441 road of snow from the Sugarlands to almost Cherokee in the winter months, and usually early of the morning before sun up, and that is when he would seen them.  He also use to be one of those men that was stationed at a fire tower, the one on the Pinnacle in Greenbrier back in the 50s and early 60s, says he seen one or two there too.  He also was apart of the search team that looked for Dennis Martin, the little boy that was lost at Spence Field back in 1969.  He and few others believe maybe something like a mountain lion got that little boy, never was a trace.  Here is the story on the lost boy from wbir:  http://www.wbir.com/story/news/local/2014/05/22/dennis-martin-missing-45-years/9405607/   Bottom line, I believe you, and many in around Gatlinburg, Pittman Center to Cosby will believe you too.

[dawgdoc]

I read a report from a hunter in Georgia who saw one from a tree stand.  He described it as dark chocolate brown, but he could see people calling it black if it were wet.  When it comes to black panthers, the authorities have the most condescending view:  "You didn't see a black panther because the only black cats are leopards and jaguars that don't live in America."  Instead of explaining how someone could have seen a large black cat, they simply ignore the report like it was a ghost or UFO.

 

They ignore the basic biological concept of genetic drift.  With genetic drift, when a population is reduced in number, the effect of reproduction of individuals with a gene mutation is magnified.  For example, if a species had only three gray individuals and one black individual, and lightning randomly kills two of the gray ones, the chance of black color of the resulting offspring among the remaining population has dramatically improved.  Genetics is more complicated than that, but it illustrates the point.  In a large population, a rare gene can get diluted, but in a critically small population, a rare gene can explode in numbers.  It is a very easy way to explain large black cats in America since panthers were hunted to almost extinction.

[Ugly]

All these thousands of "sightings" and nobody ever gets a credible picture. Till now, and TWRA ain't denying this one, eh? Maybe they waited the three weeks or so to acknowledge it to have it analyzed to rule out digital fakery.

- OS

TWRA is saying that he was probably passing through though. That will be the default answer to its presence after they finish their extensive investigation into the photo. Perhaps the big guy was going to CT where they have less guns

[otnman]

Runco. ..lived here all my life and never heard that story...sad story...dawgdoc the one I saw was brown, forgot to mention that

Sent from my SCH-I435 using Tapatalk

[Mike.357]

I had a bobcat walk down one of my trails right by the house a few weeks ago.  I'd about believe any cat story now.

 

Had a mule and a horse pop out of the woods onto my driveway a week ago.

 

Nothing surprises me anymore.

 

The Martin boy story is really sad, knew of it.

Edited October 7, 2015 by Mike.357

[monkeylizard]

I have no doubt that mountain lions are in our state. We have plenty of wilderness for them. Those cats will range for hundreds of miles. Don't know if we have any established ones here or if they're like TWRA said and just passing through. Either way I don't want to run into one. Crazy efficient predators.

 

My brother was out camping in Arizona many years ago with some guys. They heard a sound like a woman screaming. Creeped 'em out pretty good. Then it happened again and again, getting closer each time. When it sounded like it was right on top of them they jumped in the truck and got the heck out of there, leaving all their tents and gear. They ran into a ranger the next day when they went back and he said it was almost certainly a mountain lion and that they did the right thing by getting out.

Edited October 7, 2015 by monkeylizard

[Spots]

I've seen one and my dad has seen 3 or 4. My Grandpa cal ways claimed to have killed on coon hunting as a teenager back around 1915. He wasn't the kind to exaggerate and my dad isn't either. Dad saw a couple of them when cutting snow late at night, and at least one coon hunting. They drift through from time to time, especially in the unpopulated areas like New River where I grew up.

Sent from behind the anvil