panthers, mountain lions, anybody?

[left turn]

i'm from southern coastal area of north carolina and move back and forth between boone nc. some of my dads friends have land in the Green swamp which is a very vast remote area down on the coast.

i had always heard stories of Black Panthers but never believed it. well here within the last year there have been many sightings in the remote areas of the green swamp. strange thing is, is they are not black but more like tan and lighter brown. i have no reason to doubt these people that said they have seen them because they were extremely series when speaking about it because the experience had scared the pudding out each on them. one of the cats was in a tree next to the mans wife while she was climbing a porta climb to deer hunt. it was running down the opposite tree while she was going up here tree. another two men on two separate occasions saw two in the same area together.

so i guess my question is has anybody run into something like this on the trail, i've been all around the boone area and sections of the AT and never heard stories, just old stories from the old days when these cats used to be in abundance in the wild. are they making a come back?

[toothpick]

Was in Florida last week and there are numerous stories about panthers there. Lots are brown and some are black. I'm sure it is entirely possible that there are panthers in the swamps of the Carolinas.

[Wise Old Owl]

The Truth? you will be making too much noise or the hiker 10 minutes ahead will be making too much noise for you to be concerned, it would take a lot to see one. Even if you were looking for one and being very very very quiet (just like Elmer Fudd) you won't see one.

[Snowleopard]

There was one shot by a hunter in Georgia. DNA testing showed that it was related to the population of cougars in Florida. So, in NC it is possible for a wandering animal to show up. A breeding population would be a surprise, but could happen.

[Wise Old Owl]

There was one shot by a hunter in Georgia. DNA testing showed that it was related to the population of cougars in Florida. So, in NC it is possible for a wandering animal to show up. A breeding population would be a surprise, but could happen.

Yea hefty fine for shooting a endangered species. Silly Hunter was all proud of himself showing off the body to the Fish & Game Warden.

[emerald]

See DNA links cougar killed in Georgia's Troup County to south Florida panther population and Florida's most endangered species (USFWS). Many would benefit from reading the species account linked from the USFWS link.

[Feral Bill]

Black, brown, or tan, it's all the same species. Same with the name: puma, mountain lion, cougar, panther, painter, catamount, etc.

[Snowleopard]

Thanks for the links, Emerald. Only 80 animals in the Florida population is a pretty small population. That makes it less likely for a viable population to be established much further north.

There have been confirmed instances of mountain lions in the Northeast, but these are most likely released captive animals.

[emerald]

The small population was to blame for inbreeding depression which prompted efforts to improve its genes. It's a common problem conservation biologists must resolve when dealing with endangered species.

[trailangelbronco]

I live in Cougar country. Ton's of em. I have never had a problem. Back east, the cats would be seriously outnumbered and live in stealth mode. Any noise or smells freaks em out and they hide unless they spot prey to kill. Small prey.

Daytime they are up in trees. Out west here, dogs and little kids get mauled once in a great while, but even that is very rare.

[Graywolf]

Cougers, on the trail??? Now I really have got to get out there..

[Tinker]

Hey, I've heard that there are feral cats all over Rhode Island (housecats gone wild).
I've only seen them about a dozen times in my entire life.
Just because you don't see them (cougars) doesn't mean they're not there.
I don't see any reason that they can't be anywhere along the AT. Scat has been found in Vermont identified as that of the Panther, Catamount, whatever. Same species.

[emerald]

Scat, prints and even sightings does not an established, breeding population make.

[Shutterbug]

...
so i guess my question is has anybody run into something like this on the trail...

If by "the trail" you mean the AT, my answer is "no."

I have seen mountain lions in the wild in Arizona and in Colorado. They are beautiful animals. All of the ones I have seen have been a tan color -- almost yellow. One was right at sun set and looked darker. I assume it was just because there wasn't enough light to see the true color.

I have a friend who lives near Houston, TX. He swears that he saw a black panther in the woods north of Houston. I know him well enough to know that he is sincere in his belief that he saw one, but I am not yet convinced that he saw what he thought he saw.

[Graywolf]

If by "the trail" you mean the AT, my answer is "no."

I have seen mountain lions in the wild in Arizona and in Colorado. They are beautiful animals. All of the ones I have seen have been a tan color -- almost yellow. One was right at sun set and looked darker. I assume it was just because there wasn't enough light to see the true color.

I have a friend who lives near Houston, TX. He swears that he saw a black panther in the woods north of Houston. I know him well enough to know that he is sincere in his belief that he saw one, but I am not yet convinced that he saw what he thought he saw.

Cougers are a live and well in Texas..Especially the eastern and southern sections of the State..Not mentioning West Texas Mountains...I have seen them as far north as the Ouachitas of Oklahoma and the Arkansas Ozarks...

[Shooting Star]

With the overabundance of deer in the Southern Appalachians,
any mountain lions are probably well fed kitties. No need to hunt,
they just go shopping. No need for hikers to worry. I don't think
I've ever read of a credible sighting on the AT. Anyone know of one?

[Tinker]

Nope. From what I hear they prefer not to me noticed. Especially by their prey.

[Graywolf]

here is a good site for anyone interested...Go to the About Eastern Cougars for the Legal Status of the Puma..

www.easterncougar.org

There are many, many more ssites and info out there..And Yes, All eastern Cougars are protected by law, NOT only the Florida Panther..

MEOW.......

[TIDE-HSV]

There have been many threads on this. All I can add is that my wife and I saw one on the Blue Ridge Parkway, not far from the Mt. Pisgah Inn. It was around 10:00 PM and we were traveling on the Parkway towards the Inn when it crossed the road ahead of us. It was a bit misty, but not enough to make the sighting doubtful. It was larger than I would have thought, light in color with a black-tipped tail. The tail was almost as long as the animal. There have been other sightings in the same general area. BTW, I don't care if I'm believed or not, so you can save those kinds of comments...

[Shooting Star]

There have been many threads on this. All I can add is that my wife and I saw one on the Blue Ridge Parkway, not far from the Mt. Pisgah Inn. It was around 10:00 PM and we were traveling on the Parkway towards the Inn when it crossed the road ahead of us. It was a bit misty, but not enough to make the sighting doubtful. It was larger than I would have thought, light in color with a black-tipped tail. The tail was almost as long as the animal. There have been other sightings in the same general area. BTW, I don't care if I'm believed or not, so you can save those kinds of comments...

I'm not surprised by your sighting. There are a number of anecdotal signings
like yours that crop up in newspapers up and down the mountains. The standard
of proof from a wildlife biologist's perspective is pretty high. They need to see
tracks, scat, hair samples, an occasional roadkill etc to be convinced. Whatever
population we do have in the Southern Appalachians is too small to produce much
evidence. A research group critter-cam'd several hundred miles of AT in Virginia
in recent years and got lots of pics of all the animals you would expect - bears,
deer etc. But no mountain lions. I think the AT is too people traveled and so much
of the trail corridor abuts farms and roads and small towns that it's about the last
place to produce a mountain lion sighting. These cats know how to be unseen.
I'd love to see one while out backpacking. Just hope he's well fed when I do...