It took about 25 years of sightings before Fish and Game fessed up and admitted that there are a handful of mountain lions crossing Kansas from time to time. Of course, that means there are dozens or more. The reports of big black cats are more rare, but, have also been made over the past 20 years by sane people. Fish and Game fiercely denies their presence. I'm not sure what this fellow saw but I'm more likely to believe him than Fish and Game. Heck, their the same crazy people who have been scattering rattlesnakes all over the place for years and claiming they have not been doing that despite admissions by their former employees that they helped do it for years.
http://www.koamtv.com/story/24451681/calf-attack-in-kansas-causes-concern
By the way, in about 1970, I was one of a group of teenagers from farm country bussed into Kansas City one day to experience some of the realities going on there during the period of "Make love, not war" and "If it feels good, do it". One of our stops was at the KC headquarters of the Black Panthers. We were educated very quickly by several of their members, including frequent use of the term "MF", in all 12 letters, and heated reference to the horrible sins committed by our ancestors. I'm pretty sure it wasn't one of those fellows that was spotted by Mr. Yoho as they are now in their 70's and 80's.
I went to high school in Balboa, Canal Zone. One of my classmates' father was golfing in the Canal Zone and found a baby black kitten on the golf course that happened to border the Panamanian jungle. He brought it home and they raised the critter. They later realized that it wasn't a house cat but a Jaguarundi, a miniature black panther. The animal was relatively docile while in the home, but they built a open air cage to keep it outside during the day.
A number of neighborhood dogs roamed the area and seemed to delight in chasing house cats ... but one day the Jaguarundi got loose. The little black kitty cat put several dogs into the animal hospital for about a week. From then on, the dogs would cross to the other side of the street whenever they got neat THAT house.
True story. ca 1950's.
There is much local lore about them around here as well; however, I have never personally seen one in 30 years in the woods. No game cameras have seen them. The wardens here also say they don't exist. I have heard from what I consider to be credible sources that they are here, so I'm open to the idea, but never having seen one for myself, still doubtful.
Plenty of bobcats though. Too damn many to be honest.
I doubted that they existed until I saw one South of Nacogdoches in 2000. I had always heard the old timers talk about them being "black as a skillet". They were right, not dark brown or dirty brown, but black as a skillet. I haven't seen another one since. Good thing is that there were 3 witnesses with me on that day. They do exist, keep on looking.
I've seen cougar/mountain lion from Mineola area to Texarkana area.
The first one I saw had killed a Shetland horse and was covering it with debris on the side of a pond dam at Lake Hawkins.
The others had been flushed from their hiding by someone and they simply leaped by me, never making a noise at all. I measured one leap that was about 25ft and appeared to be about 6ft off the ground.
They were from light tan to dark chocolate brown.
I caught a young black panther kit in 1967 while squirrel hunting near Oak Grove. Kept it maybe 6mos. When it took off across the pasture with the rooster I had to put it down. He weighed 35lbs.
No matter how awesome they are, I guarantee that I'm not ever gonna pet another one.
B-)
Official denials of predatory cats
I (and others, too) believe that the reluctance of the local Fish and Wildlife Department to acknowledge the existence of panthers (pure black fur) and the black jaguar (actually black, but spotted) is due to the fact the State has very little budget with which to either keep track of the animals, or provide some sort of public protection.
They're in Oklahoma, particularly in the S.E part of the State. Big cats usually like a close water source, but there is a small documented population of cougars in the dry S.W. near Mangum.
I have an understood agreement with them. If they stay away from me I won't soil my britches...:bored:
Looks like Uncle Si was right all along.;-)
During the summer of '68, I was 7 yo and staying the summer with my paternal grandparents NE of Colmesneil, TX (Tyler County). My grandfather had an old Korean army jeep that was painted orange. I remember the year because he and I would drive along the old lumber roads out in the Piney Woods of E. Texas. This was the year he let me sit in his lap and steer the jeep. We would go out there and shoot .22 pistols and rifles. One day, as I was "driving", we crested a small hill and I saw the back half of a large black cat as it had just crossed the dirt road, perhaps a couple of hundred feet ahead. I mentioned what i saw and my grandfather had me jump back into the passenger seat. We drove up to where I thought the cat had crossed but did not see anything.
My 91 yo grandmother still lives out here and told me a couple of years ago that some of the neighbors had said they had seen a bear.
I have even read stories of bigfoot in those parts, out along the Neches River.
Official denials of predatory cats
old Cletus hunted down this "black panther of Logan County" a while back.
Ended up being a black bobcat, but he has also taken numerous mountain lions that are not "supposed to exist" in Oklahoma
Bryan
> During the summer of '68, I was 7 yo and staying the summer with my paternal grandparents NE of Colmesneil, TX (Tyler County). My grandfather had an old Korean army jeep that was painted orange. I remember the year because he and I would drive along the old lumber roads out in the Piney Woods of E. Texas. This was the year he let me sit in his lap and steer the jeep. We would go out there and shoot .22 pistols and rifles. One day, as I was "driving", we crested a small hill and I saw the back half of a large black cat as it had just crossed the dirt road, perhaps a couple of hundred feet ahead. I mentioned what i saw and my grandfather had me jump back into the passenger seat. We drove up to where I thought the cat had crossed but did not see anything.
>
> My 91 yo grandmother still lives out here and told me a couple of years ago that some of the neighbors had said they had seen a bear.
>
> I have even read stories of bigfoot in those parts, out along the Neches River.
The bear does not surprise me. Teddy Roosevelt made one of the last "bear hunts" in that part of the world. They used to roam as far up as where I am. It would not surprise me to learn that they missed a few. Also, I seem to remember that some were turned loose in LA and could have migrated. I'd love to see one in the wild. There are claims up here to still see the "honey bear" from time to time. I've never seen it or the big cats.
Check out the book "Backwoodsmen" about life along the Neches River. It was very cool and cleared up a lot of things I'd heard from my Grandfather about life in Shelby County and Polk County (where most of my kin are from).
Bryan
I'll check that book out.
I lived in Center, TX when my mom remarried in '66, went to Center Elementary School. My stepdad was from there (and St Augustine).
I spent my summers during the '70s between both sets of grandparents. Mom's parents retired in Indian Springs, east of Livingston (just west of the Alabama Coushatta Rez.)
Bryan
> I'll check that book out.
>
> I lived in Center, TX when my mom remarried in '66, went to Center Elementary School. My stepdad was from there (and St Augustine).
>
> I spent my summers during the '70s between both sets of grandparents. Mom's parents retired in Indian Springs, east of Livingston (just west of the Alabama Coushatta Rez.)
Well any folks you went to school with with the last name of Dockins or Sims were relations to me. They lived out at Campti on Flat Fork Creek. You have to be going there to get there, and bajos can be heard if you listen carefully. 🙂
Jaguars?
I've heard there have been a few sightings in Arizona and New Mexico. At one time they ranged far and wide north of the border.
