More on big cats

Brian Broom, The Clarion-Ledger11:06 p.m. CST November 26, 2014
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(Photo: Florida Wildlife Commission/Special to The Clarion-Ledger)

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The Clarion-Ledger’s Sunday story about mountain lions moving closer to Mississippi drew a strong reaction from readers on social media. The majority felt this cat was long out of the bag and has already returned to the state.
Albert K. Stowers commented: “They have been around for years. I have seen two different ones.”
Robert E. Hays described his encounter.
“I just want you to know that I saw one in the middle of a sunny summer day when I was stone cold sober and on the job,” Hays wrote. “I was driving on Caney Creek Road south of Conehatta and one crossed the road, slowly, in front of me.
“As he started across, I saw him, and I slowed down so as not to hit what I thought was a dog. But it was not a dog. It was a mountain lion. He crossed the road about 50 feet in front of me and went into some tall grass where he turned and looked at me, now stopped!, before moving on off to the east.”
Katie Webb also said she has run into one.
“Saw one through the scope at 200 yds with my husband about a year ago here in the delta 20 (minutes) south of Greenwood,” Webb wrote on Facebook. “Watched it for about 3 minutes and there was no denying what it was.
“And someone else saw 2 together about 500 yds from that spot the year before. Haven't gotten a trail picture yet though!”
While there was no shortage of commenters claiming to have seen or heard about big cats in Mississippi, all the reports lack one thing — physical proof.
Richard Rummel, Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks’ Exotic Species Program director, said he has investigated hundreds of reported sightings over the past 30 years.
While he considered some of the reports credible, he has been unable to find any proof.
Many times, the sighting is reported weeks after it happened and any prints or other evidence has been washed away by rain. Other times, tracks thought to be made by a panther turn out to be those of a large dog.
Despite every lead over three decades coming to a dead end, Rummel said no one wants to see a panther in Mississippi more than him and he is anxious to find proof.
“Photographs, definite tracks that we can confirm or a fresh kill that can be attributed to a cat,” Rummel said. “Scrapes. They make scrapes like a bobcat.
“That will generally leave an impression of a back foot.”
Rummel said the scrapes are generally made by cats pawing in forest debris such as leaves or pine needles.
“It’s kind of a territory thing,” Rummel said.
If you think you’ve seen a panther, Rummel said to report it to MDWFP quickly before any evidence is lost.
If a possible paw print is found, Rummel said to take a photo of it with something in the picture for size reference. Objects mentioned were a quarter, pocket knife, or anything else on hand to give a size comparison.
Contact Brian Broom at (601) 961-7225 or [email protected]. Follow The Clarion-Ledger Outdoors on Facebook or @BrianBroom on Twitter.

We have them in central Il State denies it but the trail camera pictures keep showing up, Guy shot one a couple years ago during deer season North of Peoria , Not suprising you all have them.

Was explained to me that acknowledge ment would require a study. At a cost of million s. And they don't have the funds to do so. Best answer I've heard.

Sightings in Missouri have been getting more and more frequent in the past couple of decades. The Mo Dept. of Conservation's official stance was there were no wild mountain lions in the state. There were plenty of game cam pics and other sightings and pics to prove otherwise. Then one night, a Mountain View resident shot a big male off the roof of his chicken coop. There was another lion with it that got away before he could get off another shot. Ever since, the conservation dept. acknowledges there is a small but growing population in the Ozarks.

It was explained to me that the reason the game and fish guys consistently say there are no cougars in MS and arkie is that if they admit there are big cats in a area that the cats may be considered a protected species and some parcels of land COULD possibly be shut down to hunting to protect the so called protected cats. Idk if that is completely true but it does sound kinda logical though. Talked to my uncle from Winona bout this today. He has seen them in a few different spots round Montgomery county over the years.

Here kitty, kitty, kitty.
Pretty kitty.

I have seen 2 in Tn over the last 40+ years. TWRA will tell you we don't have them. But I talked to one and he told me if they were to say there here. Then the study and all the red tape would cost the state way to much $$$.
Pete

One was killed here in Arkansas, down at Hermitage, opening week of rifle season. G&F says " we don't have a breeding population"