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  1. #81
    Registered User Pedestrian's Avatar
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    02-14-2003
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    Default North Georgia Mountain Lions

    I moved to the North Georgia Mountains about 6 years ago. From the 1st day my new neighbors warned my family and me of mountain lions. At first I discounted these stories and felt that this crazy old lady was just trying to scare my kids.
    Jump forward to last year.
    My wife now works at the local newspaper. She had a local farmer come in with photos of a calf kill he clamed was done by a mointain lion. He said he walked up on the cat as it was feeding on the kill. This man has tons of credabilty because he not only is a farmer but a wildlife biologist as well. He documented everything including a casting of a print left by the cat and gave it over to the Georgia DNR. Later the DNR came out and conducted thier own investigation and concluded that it was indeed a Mountain Lion but this did not prove existance of a population of cats in Georgia. Their explanation is that it is probably someones exotic pet that got out. The farmer checked with everyone who lives in the area and of course no one has or had a mointain lion pet.
    (Opion Alert)
    Game managers don't want to admit to a population shift until it is substanble because admiting it brings attention to it. Attention causes fear, curiosity, etc...
    (Opion Alert End)
    One thing that is FACT. There is at least one mointain lion in the North Georgia Mountains.

  2. #82
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    Default

    I saw a Black Panther in the woods near Wacahoota, Fl. My wife saw it at the same time. Forest Rangers around these parts tell me I'm crazy, but, a lot of regular folks I have talked to have spotted them, also. I've never seen one on the AT. Just bears.

  3. #83
    Registered User
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    Default

    There are a few mountain lions in North Georgia, Btw Black Panthers were native to Florida and parts of south Georgia.

  4. #84

    Default SNP in `99

    I was camping in Big Meadows campground the summer of `99 and went for a sunrise walk through the meadow. Saw a deer with the flesh missing from one whole side(still alive). I was talking later that day with a park ranger and described it to her. She then told me that they had scattered mountain lion reports in and near the park but nothing confirmed. I sent her copies of the pictures when I returned home but then lost track of /contact with her.
    She had said that there had been prints found and scat along the park boundry, near Old Rag I believe.


  5. #85

    Default

    In the last few years their have been scattered reports of mt. lions on or near the trail in N/W N.J.. Recently a natural science teacher and a car full of guests saw one cross the road at culvers gap in NJ too, they were quite startled by it and according to them got a pretty good look. Their have been a few reliable reports of sightings over the years.

  6. #86
    LT '79; AT '73-'14 in sections; Donating Member Kerosene's Avatar
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    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by freefall
    I was camping in Big Meadows campground the summer of `99 and went for a sunrise walk through the meadow. Saw a deer with the flesh missing from one whole side(still alive). I was talking later that day with a park ranger and described it to her. She then told me that they had scattered mountain lion reports in and near the park but nothing confirmed. I sent her copies of the pictures when I returned home but then lost track of /contact with her.
    She had said that there had been prints found and scat along the park boundry, near Old Rag I believe.
    I'm quite confident that I came across one just south of Harpers Ferry in October 2001.
    GA←↕→ME: 1973 to 2014

  7. #87
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    Default Big Cats in Shenendoah

    I have seen what I'm sure were fresh tracks up on Flattop Mtn. this past summer. One of my neighbors that lives up there said that he has seen one crossing the road early one morning as well. I think they are there.

    =e=

  8. #88

    Default I saw one near the Colorado Trail

    Quote Originally Posted by Former Admin
    There have been reports of mountain lions making a comeback along the trail. For many years these animals have been thought of all but extinct along the Appalachian Trail corridor. Anyone know anything about this or have any comments or experiences.
    I have not seen a cougar near the AT, but have seen one in Arizona and one in Colorado. The one I saw in Arizona was in rugged mountains south of Tucson. I was flying an Air Force Helicopter at hovered over it for several minutes until it ran into its den.

    The second was in Roxborough State Park south of Denver. It is near the start of the Colorado Trail. As we were passing alongside of a large boulder, I saw movement out of the corner of my eye. I stopped to look. Then I saw the movement again. It was the tip of a tail of a bit cat. Then the Cougar stood up. It was a full grown mountain lion. My wife and I backed away and the mountain lion got up and moved away from us. As we continued the hike, we saw the mountain lion several times. It seemed to be watching us from the high points, but never moved toward us. A few weeks later, a hiker attempted to walk his dog through the same area. The mountain lion attacked the dog. The man was injured trying to save the dog.
    Shutterbug

  9. #89
    Registered User SnackMan's Avatar
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    ocean city, MD
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    Default

    Cats must be my animal, spied a panther, bob cat, and either another bobcat or a cougar by the end of the trail.

  10. #90

    Default Gwnf

    Was in WV on part of the Tuscarora Trail and came upon one on the trail. It was raining and I'm sure the thing was distracted (were it a dry day he would have heard us from a mile away) as it was we were 75 yards from the thing. It finally heard us and BOUNDED away down the trail at an alarming rate until out of sight.

  11. #91
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    08-22-2004
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    We met a SOBO thru-hiker (Trek - not the one in the video) in the shelter just N of Marion, VA and he claimed a mountain lion stalked him for a few miles somewhere in PA. He said that was the most frightened he'd ever been. Last year thru-hike was his 4th one in a row.

    Some of you may know him - he usually started hiking around 3:30 a.m. and didn't stop until 7 or 8 p.m. His register entries were alway's "Trek passing thru." Oh well, he said he's doing another one this year. Maybe some of you 06 Nobo's will see him. If you do, ask him about his mountain lion run-in. It's a good story.

  12. #92
    Registered User 4whim's Avatar
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    11-01-2005
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    Colorado
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    Default

    I have no doubt I was seeing Cat prints in Shenandoah last April, not bear, not wolf/coyote,,,cat prints. more worried bout them than bears .

  13. #93

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by freefall
    I was camping in Big Meadows campground the summer of `99 and went for a sunrise walk through the meadow. Saw a deer with the flesh missing from one whole side(still alive). I was talking later that day with a park ranger and described it to her. She then told me that they had scattered mountain lion reports in and near the park but nothing confirmed. I sent her copies of the pictures when I returned home but then lost track of /contact with her.
    She had said that there had been prints found and scat along the park boundry, near Old Rag I believe.
    When I left Waynesboro to head into SNP, a local stopped me and told me with GREAT BIG WIDE EYES that there were Mountain Lions in the hillls. He was dead serious. I walked on. Heard a Bobcat scream at a shelter just south of Front Royal, but saw no cougars.

    I had dinner last night with a volunteer from GSMNP. He swears he saw Lion tracks in the park, and that a Ranger admitted to him that they are in the park. Man, I'd love to see one. But until I do, I'll remain skeptical. It's my nature.
    'All my lies are always wishes" ~Jeff Tweedy~

  14. #94

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by MOWGLI16
    I had dinner last night with a volunteer from GSMNP. He swears he saw Lion tracks in the park, and that a Ranger admitted to him that they are in the park. Man, I'd love to see one. But until I do, I'll remain skeptical. It's my nature.
    I would love to see one in the wild as well, and hope that they have indeed started returning. Now if we could successfully get the wolf reintroduced....


  15. #95
    Registered Trademark
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    12-28-2005
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    Default

    I saw a mountain lion (Cougar) on the border of the Citico Creek and Joyce Kilmer wilderness areas (TN/NC) in 2002. It was at the bottom of a rocky hill standing there looking at me. By the time I got my camera out it had moved into the brush, away from me, but I do have a slide where you can see it's face (if you look close).
    In your heart you know it's flat.
    - R.A. Wilson

  16. #96
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    Default

    I saw a mountain lion eat a howler monkey in Corcovado National Park, Costa Rica. It was 20 yards from where I camped. I have pictures if anyone is interested.

  17. #97

    Default

    Howdy,

    The naturalist at Promise Land State Park in PA admitted to me that there were Mountain Lions in the area. She didn't know whether they were released or part of a viable population.

    My favorite story is one told to me by the mother of one of my sons friends. She saw a cougar in her backyard (Montrose, PA) and called the game warden. He looked at the footprints and said they looked like cougar prints. Then with a straight face he said, The official policy of the State of Pennsylvania is that there are no mountain lions. However, if you shoot one it's a $500 fine.

    Peace,

    Bill

  18. #98
    ...Or is it Hiker Trash? Almost There's Avatar
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    Default

    These are the perfect reason why not to hike with headphones on. For the most part they'll leave us alone, but if one decides to stalk a lone person...you won't know it till it pounces on you. I was just thinking of a story of a lone hiker in Alaska who was killed by one. From the scene it looked to the rangers like she didn't know it was there till it pounced on her from behind, she struggled but it knocked her off balance and she went down...it was all over from there! Probably nothing to worry about...but all the same I like to be aware of my surroundings.
    Walking Dead Bear
    Formerly the Hiker Known as Almost There

  19. #99
    Registered User blindeye's Avatar
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    08-27-2004
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    amesbury massachusetts
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    Default

    the story goes that back in the1940's there was one of those enclosed hunting places in northern new hampshire or vermont. they had cougars (catamounts) boars. wolves etc. there was a big thunder storm lots of wind and so forth. well you guessed it fence blew down all the animals escaped. i have never seen any BUT i have met people who claim to have seen cougars and boars.

    about ten years ago i was in the adirondacks and i swear i heard a wolf, just figured i'd share the story

  20. #100
    Thru Hiker Wannabe timhines's Avatar
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    12-18-2005
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    Bryson City, NC
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    Everyone should be careful what you wish for, you just might see a hungry one on the trail!

    I've never seen a cougar, but once we had to kill a bobcat that was terrorizing our farm. Those things blend in to their surroundings like nothing else.

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