Big Cats

[bigcrappiemax]

Any of you fellows know what big cats we have in northern Mississippi?

I was hunting last week when I saw what I thought was coyote walking straight towards me. When I raised my scope to it, I discovered that it was a coyote-sized cat. My first thought was that I was fixing to kill the world's largest bobcat. It was colored up about the same as a bobcat, but when it turned, I saw that it had a tail that was about as long as the cat itself.

I missed my chance to shoot it by trying to figure out what it was. By the time I decided that it didn't matter what it was and that I could figure it out just as well and perhaps even better with it being dead, it had disappeared into the thicket.

I have never seen anything like it. Any ideas as to what it was?

[bird down]

I saw a big brown cat just like your describing. The one I saw was near strayhorn. It probably weighed 60 to 80 lbs and had a super long tail. I saw it while bow hunting and it was out of range.

[NIMROD]

Probably a Mountain Lion or Panther. If it was a Florida Panther it is on the endangered species list and could get you big trouble with the feds. Not sure on Mississippi laws but in Arkansas if no season on it then it is protected .

[deltaduk]

Game wardens will tell you they do not exist. I beg to differ.. Hunter in Bradley county ARK killed one bout 1 week ago. The ONLY way I would shoot one is if it threatened my life. Even then, I would try to scare it away first before shooting it. I have heard what I thought was a panther/cougar screaming while hunting in the delta (sounded like a woman screaming). My son saw one while deer hunting in Benton county years ago . Sure would like to see 1 myself and not at the zoo!!

[feeshrman]

I heard about The one killed in Arkansas. Authorities have claimed they didn't exist there either. I heard the fellow who shot the cougar is claiming it was threatening him. I know I sure as heck would feel threatened. Glad you got a good look at it, That's a story you can tell your grandkids.

[feelay]

I saw one just west of Moon lake in the late 90's. No mistaking the way they move and that long swooping tail.

[SteveJ]

I was working the night shift at NAS Meridian about 25 years ago and was on the road between the hanger and the gate and one ran across the road in front of me. Had to be a cougar or whatever you want to call them, yellow/tan in color and the tail was as long as the body. Sure looked like the ones I have seen on TV.

[bigcrappiemax]

I'm glad I ain't the only one that has seen one. My folks said I'd been drinking! I would've killed it had I not been so surprised. I had the perfect shot as it walked broadside of me probably 20 feet or so. I was hunting on COE property here at Enid. It seemed like a really long time when I was watching it, but it was probably no more than a minute or two.

If I was a different type of person, I might have tried to take its picture, but I ain't.

[DonDon]

I along with hundreds of others have seen them. EVEN SOME GAME WARDENS have seen them. I know of a half dozen that have confided in me that they have.
Besides a Bobcat, we also have Jaguarundis from time to time. They come in from South Texas and have been documented in Mississippi and Alabama. There was one last year that was seen in West Central Alabama. They're from 15-25 pounds. the pics are of a Female Panther with a cub and a Jaguarundi.

[bird down]

I'm glad I ain't the only one that has seen one. My folks said I'd been drinking! I would've killed it had I not been so surprised. I had the perfect shot as it walked broadside of me probably 20 feet or so. I was hunting on COE property here at Enid. It seemed like a really long time when I was watching it, but it was probably no more than a minute or two.

If I was a different type of person, I might have tried to take its picture, but I ain't.

I know how ya feel. I bought a video camera after my incident. There has never been one run over, killed, photographed, etc that has been documented in ms.