Tennessee Cougar Confirmation?

[Land Between the Lakes]

On the TWRA Website there is an article from a few weeks ago that talks about a trail cam photo of a cougar from Obion County, TN. The trail cam picture is included in the article.


What are your opinions on this?

 

[muddyboots]

For sure. I seen years ago

 

[Land Between the Lakes]

There have been sightings in LBL over the years but none confirmed. Some of those sightings were actually from people with training in wildlife related career fields. I also know there have been nearly 50 cougars confirmed in nearby Missouri. The MDC actually thinks the state of Missouri could have a breeding population of cougars one day as cougars from the great plains states continue to move east into Midwest states. Arkansas also has had several confirmed cougars in recent years.

The question comes down to if you do see a cougar is it wild or is it an escaped or released pet.

 

[Land Between the Lakes]

I read an article where after the pictures were reviewed the biologist believe the cougar is a young male. This is significant since young male cougars often travel long distances to find new territory to live in.

 

[Orion]

I'd like to see them. Yeah they might kill a few deer but that's ok with me. How cool would it be to see one of these big cats.

 

[chris1976]

I'd like to see them. Yeah they might kill a few deer but that's ok with me. How cool would it be to see one of these big cats.

Not very cool at all in my opinion.


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[TheLBLman]

Yeah they might kill a few deer but that's ok with me.

Well, guess that depends on how you define "a few deer".

I believe an adult male cougar needs the equivalent of about 1 deer weekly?
That would work out to 52 deer a year.

Now, just doing the math, the "average" TN deer hunter only kills "a" deer about once every 2 years?
So a single male cougar would kill annually somewhere in the ballpark of what 100 "average" TN deer hunters kill each year?

How many cougars do you want on YOUR property?

I personally am fascinated with all the apex predators, but question the merits of trying to re-introduce them into highly populated areas such as most of Tennessee. We can debate whether the reasons we no longer have certain dangerous animals in TN had more to do with market hunting, sustenance hunting, or simply most residents not wanting to co-exist with certain animals. But there are some legitimate good reasons why we don't currently have free-roaming bison and grizzly bears in Tennessee, all of which pre-date our current population density by huge margins. With our current human population density, I would question the merits of anyone wanting to re-introduce the cougar to Tennessee. No, not cool, imo.

Cougar populations are increasing and expanding west of the Mississippi River. Similar happened with coyotes, so we may eventually get lots of cougars whether we want them or not. I don't, at least not in Tennessee.

Speaking of apex predators which have had "issues" co-existing with man, the expanding grizzly bear population around Yellowstone National Park is causing quite a stir, and this is an area of relatively low human population (unlike Tennessee).
http://www.foxnews.com/travel/2015/11/0 ... ntcmp=hpff
In the past five years, including 2015, a total of 72 grizzly bears have been euthanized by managers in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem after they killed cattle, destroyed property or became a nuisance by seeking food at homes and ranches.

Yes, I realize cougars and grizzlies are two different animals, but they share some of the same issues in coexisting with humans.

 

[AT Hiker]

Heck no to cougars, at least the 4 legged ones. They can wreak absolute havoc on wildlife and livestock not to mention a potential hazard to us.

Sure the idea is novel to have them but in reality we just dont have the open space for them here anymore.


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[csi-tech]

The pictures were plain as day. Very cool.

 

[TheLBLman]

The evidence of occasional "just passing thru" young male cougars has been mounting for years. Some have tried to dispute this by claiming we would have trail cam pics, etc. if they were. But note we wouldn't have heard about this particular one had there not been that single lucky pic snapped?

Has there been even one more pic? Where'd he go? Probably back in South Dakota by now?

What's really "cool" is that these cats can be so elusive, even able to walk across several states without anyone seeing them, much less get their pictures taken.

 

[tsc]

Could they out-compete the yotes? They would become the largest predator. Would the yotes allow that or kill the cubs? Seems they kill all their competition like foxes but they haven't done so to bobcats?

 

[hunterncoach]

Wouldn't surprise me if there was a conspiracy to introduce cougars into eastern US to give ppl one more reason to argue against the need of hunting since cougars are predators more than capable of putting a dent in a deer herd.
Probably not the case, but wouldn't surprise me (damn liberals will do anything to help their ideology)

 

[Land Between the Lakes]

According to an article on the Eastern Cougar Network website the cougar taken in Kentucky last winter was wild. It is believed to have traveled to Kentucky from the Black Hills of South Dakota.


The article is on the Eastern Cougar Network website.

 

[tsc]

Can you imagine walking in to your stand in the dark and have one of those cats drop out of a tree on you! You talk about a bad way to start your day.....Whew! :shock:

 

[PillsburyDoughboy]

Can you imagine walking in to your stand in the dark and have one of those cats drop out of a tree on you! You talk about a bad way to start your day.....Whew! :shock:

I just wonder how many hunters would have the control not to pull the hammer on one of those cats?

 

[Land Between the Lakes]

Has there been any more information on this story?

 

[gladeshunter]

I'd like to see them. Yeah they might kill a few deer but that's ok with me. How cool would it be to see one of these big cats.

They eat more than a few deer. I came up to tennessee from south Florida. The cougars are out of control down there and protected more than the gold in Ft.Knox. The epicenter is Big Cypress national preserve.
Around the year 2000 hunters were taking around 250 deer a year out of there and a couple hundred hogs. Now the hog harvest is 0 and the deer harvest is down to less than 100. Other areas around there including large cattle ranches are also seeing a decline in wildlife numbers. Raccoons and possums are nearly impossible to find.
These cougars are eating machines, it would be foolish to want them here in Tennessee if you like your other wildlife and your pets.
They are treated as pests in Texas and other states for a reason!

 

[Mudbone]

Wasn't there a guy on this site last year that had a trail cam pic of one?

 

[Grnwing]

I too am from South Florida, the Big Cypress area is managed for the panthers as the deer are an important food source for them but you cannot contribute the total decline in deer harvest numbers just to the panthers. I've seen deer/bears/panthers all in an evening The introduction of the pythons have greatly reduced all mammal numbers in the area(deer/hogs/raccoons/opossums). I am glad Tennessee doesn't have as many threats to the deer population as S Florida but whenever a new predator is introduced to an area it will have an impact, just not sure how much of an impact panthers would have in Tennessee. On the other end of the country, you have Minnesota dealing with Wolves that along with several harsh winters have really but a stress on the deer heard, that will continue to be an issue for game managers to find a balance.

 

[Hawk]

According to an article on the Eastern Cougar Network website the cougar taken in Kentucky last winter was wild. It is believed to have traveled to Kentucky from the Black Hills of South Dakota.


The article is on the Eastern Cougar Network website.

Just a short 1200 mile stroll from the Black Hills to West Tn.
There was another cougar sighting around Hornbeak,Tn. that was not verified. That would be a short hike for a cat to reach the Turnpike Road area close to Mason Hall where the TWRA verified the sighting.