Absolutely incredible thing to see

[Missionary]

That is a healthy bobcat. Interesting it was visible that long and exposed enough for you to see it.
Eagles were "introduced" into the Danville area some years ago. Two years back there was a nesting pair in a large swampy area not far from the north side of town.

 

[Pistolero]

Come on, EVERYBODY KNOWS that there are no black panthers out there, just your imagination.

The various Fish and Game Depts are bound and determined to deny these guys as long as they can. It amazes
me.
They denied Fla panthers from the 60s through the 90s when enough road kill bodies were being dumped in
their laps that they had to allow as how "there must be a very small breeding population in the Everglades".
Hard to deny the existence of a dead mtn lion/panther laying on the floor in your station.


That is BS, too. Lots of them all over Fla, they are just VERY sneaky and hard to see.

I have seen one normal color mtn lion here in east KS, of course KS fish and game says that there are no mtn
lions in KS. Yep, same old BS song and dance.

Ian - I think that jags are quite a bit bulker than cougars, typically outweigh them by a bunch and not as long
in the body, at least the pix I have seen. Wouldn't surprise if jags are moving back into their old range now that hunting
pressure is down (since they don't exist).

Wikipedia (not the most reliable source for anything political, but seems to be OK for ordinary stuff) says jags
run 125-211 normally, but have been weighed at 348 lbs! Third largest world cat after tiger and lion. Mtn
lions run more like 90-150 lbs.

I wonder if ocelots are moving back in and might have a black phase? They were originally found along the
gulf coast and up in to Arkansas, about the size of a large bobcat, normal color is wild spots.
Typically around 30 lbs max.

Bill

 

[smokeywolf]

Ah yes, ocelots. Remember "Honey West"? Can't think about ocelots without remembering Anne Francis.

 

[Pistolero]

I had to search on Honey West and Anne Francis. Somehow, although I was around and watching TV
in those days, missed her entirely. Wikipedia says she appeared on Burke's Law, the title of it is
familiar, but I have no memory of the show or who played in it, apparently why I never heard of Honey
West.
Sounds cool, driving a Cobra with a pet ocelot.

Bill

 

[Ian]

I don't know what it was, Bill, but a traffic lane is around 12 feet and this cat easily spanned that at full stretch, nose to tail. It appeared very thin and had a smallish head, ears flattened or not visible to me.

 

[KHornet]

Most likely a Mountain Lion Ian. In addition to the three or four shot or darted within the city limits of
Omaha, one was hit by a car and killed a couple years ago near Gretna. The wife of a friend of mine
who lives in Gretna (about 5 mi west of Omaha) claims to have seen a female with cubs on the outskirts of
Gretna. I think the ranchers who have had a problem with them, will shoot them and bury them
rather than go thru the legal hassal with the Game and Parks people. Don't know that for a fact,
but think it is a fair assumption.

 

[fiver]

it seems to work with wolves.
we have a super liberal season and cheap tags but ehh they ain't always handy right at the moment.

 

[Pistolero]

I'd agree with KHornet, seems like mtn lion. VERY long tail and smallish head.
Seems to fit. Young and female lions are not bulky animals, thin.

The SSS approach does seem to work, although the last S is where some folks
just can't quite make it happen.

Bill

 

[Rick]

Seems this sighting has given me a brand new habit. I can no longer go out back without scanning the back fence line.

 

[Brad]

The big cats do go for the old and weak first.......

 

[Pistolero]

KHornet, reach over and slap Brad for me, will you?

Old and weak..... well, yeah, starting to resemble that remark.

Bill

 

[KHornet]

Naw, I may need him to help me and the wife move into the Old Farts home!

 

[Paul]

A guy who spends a lifetime out in the woods can consider himself lucky to ever spot a cougar in its element here in the PNW.

A neat story, I sure hope you could see him again AND get a pic, Rick.....

 

[fiver]

there has been a MTN. Lion hanging out at the Park [Dawn got married at] for the last couple of weeks.
I guess them not letting me go up there and shoot the rock chucks is paying off.
yes I asked.
it's mostly hanging out around the Frisbee golf course since it mostly runs up along the rock face.
and a lot of deer come and calve out on the little flat up above there.

 

[Pistolero]

Need to set up a trail cam and get some pix.

Bill

 

[fiver]

I think about 1/3rd of the town has cell phone pic's.
the wife was showing me some her friend sent to her, I knew the Lion was up there but I wasn't aware most of the town had pictures of it.

 

[Pistolero]

That seems abnormal. Makes me think of the gator attack in FLA. Mtn lions are normally
VERY shy and if this one is getting this habituated to people, how long before some kid
starts looking like a good snack?

Bill

 

[fiver]

eh [shrug] it'll be one of the pot smoking Frisbee players, so no major loss.
I'd about bet it's a female and she will have her cubs moving along pretty soon.
the large volume of rock chucks and the ability to find a good den is why she is in the area.

 

[KHornet]

There was a recent news article about a woman who rescued her child from a Mt Lion, that had its mouth
around the kids head, and she pried the cats mouth open. Both mom and child survived, but badly clawed and
bitten. Cat was later tracked and killed, and determined to be a young one. Good thing, as had it been a
mature cat, neither would probably have survived. Wild animals are wild, and are going to stay wild.
Picture taking of predators is IMO nuts, unless you are behind a door or window.

 

[RBHarter]

I keep telling people ,"we're not at the top of the food chain, we barely make the cut for apex. We're still food for a good many cats,bears and reptiles maybe a few fish" , mostly they call me names and accuse me of drinking .

Oh well . Cats and coyotes I'd photograph here ,but the Department of Wildlife doesn't/can't get an accurate count on the cougars so it seems pretty unlikely I'll ever see 1 in person without dogs and a tree in the wild . They have an open season, over the counter tags and the only restrictions are "you may not knowingly take a female with kits or any cat with spots". In most areas the bears run when they see people. Just lucky here I guess.