Cougars/Mountain lions In WNC?

[FrenchHen]

There hasn't been a cougar death in Oregon in over 10 years...and we have loads of them.

 

[Kung Foo Chicken]

I saw them all the time in Elkin NC at night crossing the road while driving. I've seen one here in Upstate SC when I was a kid. A few others report seeing them from time to time (very rare).

 

[Tala]

There hasn't been a "reproducing population" of them here since the early 1900's according to the AR game & fish.

I know a guy that saw one on his hunting property, but it was appropriately scared of humans. I wasn't afraid to hunt here, alone. I don't know of anyone who has had problems, but I believe that they're out there - even if the game & fish denies it.

 

[Bear Foot Farm]

Well first of all I have personally seen one in eastern N.C. between New Bern and Havelock in that big National Forest ( I forget the name).

Croatan​

 

[Carolina Chicken Man]

Quote:
Croatan

Croatan, yeah that's right. There's a lot of bears there too.

 

[Bear Foot Farm]

Quote:
Croatan

Croatan, yeah that's right. There's a lot of bears there too.

I'm about 20 miles North of New Bern, and have seen bears on our farm many times

 

[enola]

Officials in WV can claim all they want about there not being cougars in the state. My daughter saw one, and I definately believe her ! She said she was about 50 yards from it and she knows what she saw.

Twenty years ago a friend of mine had a yearling filly attacked by a cougar. She had a large bite in her neck and claw marks on her shoulder and hip. The 'Officials' denied it then too......

But, I have seen pictures of horses with wounds from being attacked by cougars. Her wounds looked the same to me and the vet that treated her.

 

[muddstopper]

I am thinking about hanging some bait and game cameras and see If i can get a few pics.

 

[TennesseeTruly]

We had a dead one in Boones Creek, TN a few months ago that was hit by a tractor trailer. Wildlife experts claim that they're not here but I saw the dead one in the road. So I know they're here.

Since WNC butts against ETN where I am, you can be sure that they're there as well.

Laurie

 

[sturdyprairiegal]

I'm not in TN, but I can tell you we've definitely got cougars/mountain lions/pumas (we call the mountain lions here) in Kansas. First of all, they make a VERY distinctive sound. The first time I heard her, I thought at first it was a woman screaming. Grabbed a shotgun, threw the dogs in the back end of the truck, and flew down the 1/2 mile driveway not sure what I was going to do but dang sure someone was in need of help. Nope... no one anywhere around. Then I got to thinking, that was such a strange sound. Not quite like screaming. More like yelling. No, more like yowling. Yeah, that's it... sort of like a cat. Holy cow, that must have been a really serious cat. Nah, couldn't have been...

Got online and searched "mountain lion sounds" and there it was. Unmistakeable. A 150 pound cat in heat... Oh wow. In heat means there's a 150 pound female AND bigger males in these here woods! (I'm in the middle of 25 acres of woods, a few miles from a public wildlife/hunting area and reservoir). Next day, I found her tracks and photographed them. Approx. 3-3/4" across. Chasing the deer tracks.

Since then I've heard her quite a few times, and several different types of sounds. Always too close to the house for comfort, given that I have little kids here and dogs, not to mention the poultry. But we've never seen her except once, just at dusk, when I had 13 young kids here for a bonfire who kept running back and forth along the trail, house to campfire circle. My own daughter is certain she saw it. I thought to myself "running kids look like running mice to a cat..." So I brought everyone in the house and called it quits on the marshmallows.

Of course, "there are no big cats in Kansas." Just ask the Game Commission