Cougar taken by Hunter in Tennessee

[gator-n-buck]

 

[PillsburyDoughboy]

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[SKFOOTER]

YOWSER!!!!!!!!!! :super:

 

[PillsburyDoughboy]

This one is making the FB rounds reported to be in the Williamsburg KY area


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[bigtex]

This one is making the FB rounds reported to be in the Williamsburg KY area


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That ones been making the rounds for years now....

 

[PillsburyDoughboy]

This one is making the FB rounds reported to be in the Williamsburg KY area


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That ones been making the rounds for years now....

I figured it might .


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[BamaProud]

It hasn't been that long ago, less than a year, that a ton of people on this very site would make stupid comments about Cougars being in this state. Wonder what think now?

No different. I still think 99% of sightings are cases of mistaken identity.

I maintain that there is no established population in the state...and that there is no evidence that we are any closer to having one. Stories of people seeing Congers/Panthers and other Large cats are a regular recurrence in virtually every state where there isn't a verified established population. I have never suggested that is was impossible for one to roam through the state...or that one could escape/be releases from captivity.

...and I to don't understand the fear. I worry more about twisting my ankle in the woods or falling and breaking a leg.

 

[Timber Ghost]

This one is making the FB rounds reported to be in the Williamsburg KY area


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That is a leopard.

 

[TheLBLman]

I maintain that there is no established population in the state...and that there is no evidence that we are any closer to having one.

Until recently, I would have agreed with you.
But there is now some very compelling evidence that some group has recently been ILLEGALLY bringing in and releasing wild-origin cougars (female & males ones) into Tennessee. This COULD establish a wild-origin breeding population (which of course is their goal).

Other groups have been recently trucking in and releasing feral pigs in West and Middle Tennessee, so there is also evidence you (in West TN) are closer to having a breeding population of "wild" pigs. Wonder if they like to eat the Asian carp that so many other groups brought in a few years ago?

 

[Land Between the Lakes]

Has there been anymore news on the cougar?


The TWRA now has a cougar page on their website.

 

[TheLBLman]

There is now a recent East TN photo floating around, supposedly of a cougar.

If it's not photo shopped, and if indeed from where stated, it appears to be an older cougar kitten, adding relevance to my last post above. The picture made the local news and is supposedly being taken seriously in terms of attempts to authenticate that it's not photo shopped, and/or not from another state.

Here's the story from the local Knoxville news . . . . . .
http://www.local8now.com/news/local/hea ... 68511.html

 

[Biggun4214]

There is now a recent East TN photo floating around, supposedly of a cougar.

If it's not photo shopped, and if indeed from where stated, it appears to be an older cougar kitten, adding relevance to my last post above. The picture made the local news and is supposedly being taken seriously in terms of attempts to authenticate that it's not photo shopped, and/or not from another state.

Here's the story from the local Knoxville news . . . . . .
http://www.local8now.com/news/local/hea ... 68511.html

With the undeveloped lands in Sevier County and surrounding areas (GSMNP and Cherokee National Forest) why would a wild cougar be frequently seen in a subdivision?

 

[TheLBLman]

With the undeveloped lands in Sevier County and surrounding areas (GSMNP and Cherokee National Forest) why would a wild cougar be frequently seen in a subdivision?

I don't think one would, assuming he migrated here of his own accord and had grown up truly "wild".

A wild origin cat (migrating in from the Dakotas) would be expected to gravitate to those areas least populated by people.
On the other hand, a released "captive" might have no such concerns about people being around.
Maybe a transplanted wild-origin kitten (brought to TN via truck) might not have so much concern about people either?

Should that particular picture turn out to be authentic, it may "document" a cougar near Kodak, TN but it doesn't document origin, nor does it document whether it naturally migrated or was hauled here in a truck. If we're somehow able to get some DNA on an East TN cat showing wild origin, it will just add to my suspicions that some organization is trucking them in (the same way wild pigs were trucked into West TN).

If some group were trucking in young wild-origin cougars from the Dakotas to Tennessee,
wouldn't that be a violation of the Lacey Act?

Could a federal agency being doing this with a wink and a nod from the appropriate authorities?

There just seems to suddenly be too many cougars being documented all over Tennessee, and these cats are not exactly behaving as would be expected from a natural migration.

 

[scn]

No, a federal agency would not be allowed to do this with a wink and a nod from TWRA.

I've been told that there have been private groups illegally releasing cougars in the US. The info I was given several years ago was that it was primarily in the northeast. There has been zero evidence of anything along those lines going on in TN.

IMO, the sightings in WTN are most likely from wild, wandering cougars out of the Dakota gene pool. That doesn't mean that they came all the way from the Dakotas as some of those cats have been documented in states to the south of them for several years.

The ETN cat, imo, is a badly photo-shopped picture of a bobcat. I have zero confidence that it represents a wild cougar.

 

[TheLBLman]

No, a federal agency would not be allowed to do this with a wink and a nod from TWRA.

When I posted that "wink and a nod" comment, I was actually thinking more in terms of an "appropriate" federal agency, such as, but not limited to, the park service, with TWRA possibly being kept totally in the dark regarding. Keep in mind anything is possible, and the rule of law seems to mean little within some federal bureaucracies. Also, if such might be happening, I would doubt if anyone other than the very top echelon within said bureaucracy would be aware.

I've been told that there have been private groups illegally releasing cougars in the US. The info I was given several years ago was that it was primarily in the northeast. There has been zero evidence of anything along those lines going on in TN.

I agree it is premature to label some of the suspicious findings as "evidence". Let's just say it's extremely suspicious when a FEMALE cougar of Dakota origin (along with numerous males) suddenly appear en masse scattering across Tennessee, WITHOUT any increase in sightings in Illinois, Indiana, much less Kentucky.

The ETN cat, imo, is a badly photo-shopped picture of a bobcat. I have zero confidence that it represents a wild cougar.

I agree that it may very well be a photo-shopped pic of a bobcat. But apparently, TWRA wasn't able to quickly conclude that to be the case. Still waiting to hear what the photo "experts" have to say. In the meantime, assuming it to be genuine, it would appear more as an older kitten than an adult cougar.

 

[Biggun4214]

A lady from Kodak made numerous post about cougars on Facebook not too long ago. She told of TWRA confirming her sightings and either Va or Va Tech doing a long term study in her neighborhood. The study had been going on for several years and there was Hundreds in the area. Silverfox posted that he heard a rumor that TWRA were stocking rattlers to control the population because it was getting out of hand. Not sure where he could have heard such. The last post I saw from her was she rather have the cougars. It's amazing how many wildlife experts there are on Facebook.
And yes there have been cougars and other exotic animals in captivity in the general area. A former officer saw an elephant walking down the road near Kodak a few years ago. So anything is possible.

 

[TheLBLman]

A former officer saw an elephant walking down the road near Kodak . . . .

Dag-nabbit! I just spit coffee all over my keyboard! :mrgreen:

Well, on 2nd thought, guess I'd rather see an elephant walking down the road near Kodak, than a Bengal Tiger walking under my tree while bowhunting in Roan County! :tu:

For those who think a cougar's scream might send a chill up your spine, just imagine you're setting in a tree in the pre-dawn (bowhunting) on a cool October morning, and a Bengal Tiger roars somewhere between you and your truck!

 

[JKC]

There is a photo of the Humphreys County cougar 3/4 mile from our property. I think it's great. I doubt I'll ever see one but just knowing they are out there makes it more exciting to be in the woods. Their territory is so large (13,000-50,000 ac) it won't have a big impact on any one property. They also eat wild hog and coyotes.

And deer and turkey and cows and any anything else on a farm.

 

[BULL MOOSE]

So who are these groups referenced?

Greenpeace, humane society?

What groups or hunting clubs released hogs in west tn?

 

[W.Seay]

I guess cougars are like vending machine...... they're cool to have around until they attack you all kidding aside, the thought of walking to my stands in the dark with a cougar sighting very close is a little alarming.I don't know what I would do if I saw one in person.