Panthers in Arkansas?

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[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Panthers in Arkansas?

Posted: 10/10/2007 10:17:11 AM EDT

I was out at a local lake called DeGray the other week when I saw a dark figure cross the road in from of me. It was only about 20 yards or so in front of me so I got a good look at it. Its paws were about the size of a grown mans hand. Its body was about hip high ith a long tail. The way it moved was just like a big cat but the AGFC said there are no panthers in AR. I talked to a park ranger the other day and he agreed with me that I saw a panther and he believes that there are panthers in the area. So did I see a panther or something else. I know it was not a bear or a bobcat so what was it.

Posted: 10/10/2007 10:21:00 AM EDT

[#1]

The same thing happens here in MS. People see them, but the .gov denies they exist here.

Posted: 10/10/2007 10:24:34 AM EDT

[#2]

No mountain lions in Kansas either. About a month ago we had a jogger with massive scratches all over him, wider than a bobcat could have made, but state.gov assured us that we don't have those here...

Posted: 10/10/2007 10:31:15 AM EDT

[#3]

A guy in one of my classes claims to have filmed one on his farm make a kill.

Posted: 10/10/2007 11:35:31 AM EDT

[#4]

For years in Nebraska, we were told "oh no, there's no mountain lions here" contrary to what a lot of people had seen.

Then we had a cougar walk down the main street of a podunk town, we had one show up in an urban area of west Omaha, and we had one hit by a car on Interstate 80. (A buddy of mine is friends with the game warden in our area, and she took him with her to the carcass, he got lots of cool photos).

IMO, anywhere there's habitat (woods) + prey (whitetail), there's a serious potential for mountain lions.

Posted: 10/10/2007 11:45:04 AM EDT

[#5]

I live in Southeast Missouri. For years there were not supposed to be bears here. Now the TV station warns about them.<G>

Now there are mountain lion sightings. I see flocks of wild turkeys and small deer and I live in town. They couldn't be feeding off them could they?

Dennis Jenkins

Quoted:
I was out at a local lake called DeGray the other week when I saw a dark figure cross the road in from of me. It was only about 20 yards or so in front of me so I got a good look at it. Its paws were about the size of a grown mans hand. Its body was about hip high ith a long tail. The way it moved was just like a big cat but the AGFC said there are no panthers in AR. I talked to a park ranger the other day and he agreed with me that I saw a panther and he believes that there are panthers in the area. So did I see a panther or something else. I know it was not a bear or a bobcat so what was it.

Posted: 10/10/2007 11:59:29 AM EDT

[#6]

There's a couple of them near my area here in central IL. There's even a small flock of emu that have been spotted after a local guy who was farming/ranching them had a few escapees.

Posted: 10/10/2007 12:00:53 PM EDT

[#7]

Quoted:
Anyway, rumor from one of those guys that I was told was that if the PGC said there were lions in PA they would immediately be endangered and the PGC would have to spend all kinds of money on 'em. So they don't.

Makes a lot of sense. Colorado DOW was forced to curtail the most succesful ways of hunting Mountain Lions so the population is exploding. I fully expect the young ones to hit the plains.

BTW, I was once stalked by a mountain lion after I got some Elk urine on me. Very unsettling.

Posted: 10/10/2007 12:03:02 PM EDT

[#8]

range map

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cougar

Posted: 10/10/2007 12:04:20 PM EDT

[#9]

Game agencies do that because the people that see these animals do not record them. They need actual evidence to say that the animal exists there, not he said she said. So if you live in one of the states- get photos, record time, date, name, location, etc. Then send it to the regional office. Three or four of those and they'll change their stance. I can't see how anyone would think that they would officially state rumors to the public.

Posted: 10/10/2007 12:07:44 PM EDT

[#10]

Quoted:
Pennsylvania Game Commission says the Eastern Mountain Lion is dead dead dead in PA. The folks, including very experienced woodsmen who have seen them are all apparently nuts or seeing house cats. Yeah, guys with 40 years in the woods tracking and they're seeing house cats.

Anyway, rumor from one of those guys that I was told was that if the PGC said there were lions in PA they would immediately be endangered and the PGC would have to spend all kinds of money on 'em. So they don't.

Ding! Ding! Ding! We have a winner!

Eastern politicians and environmentalists love the ESA when it forces wolves or grizzly bears on crusty old Wyoming ranchers.

They're not so excited about it when it prevents them from building a subdivision on their own ranch.

Posted: 10/10/2007 12:34:26 PM EDT

[#11]

whats the big deal i grew up in rural utah, we were surrounded by cougars...

although the cougar cries at night would be a little unsettling at time.

thats a mighty big range

Posted: 10/10/2007 12:36:09 PM EDT

[#12]

It was obviously a Chupacabra

Posted: 10/10/2007 1:42:57 PM EDT

[#13]

Yup, they need to update the range map. We have comfirmed sightings and kills here in Ely, MN. No question about it, they are expanding. Good for them!

Quoted:
range map

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cougar

Posted: 10/10/2007 1:52:54 PM EDT

[#14]

I saw one at Marine Creek Pkwy in North Ft Worth about 7 years ago.

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Panthers in Arkansas?

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