Cougars ( mountain lions)

[RockyTrail]

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.

Cats are quiet and sneaky for sure... I was reading a account of one of the California mountain bike attacks a few months ago, and supposedly a biker had one chase him as he was rolling down a macadam (asphalt and rock) road. He heard a clickety sound, thought it was his chain dragging but was actually the cat's nails/claws hitting the pavement as it sprinted. The biker actually got away (or more likely the cat broke it off). Sorry I don't have the reference...but the point is, like flying bullets it's the one you never hear that will get you!

[longshank]

About a year back I read an article in harper's magazine about the resurgence of the eastern cougar pop. and how local and state government refused to acknowledge their presence. The funny thing was that there had been government effort to reintroduce the animal in the area. The sources for this information were workers who had participated in the effort. Apparently they feared that the human pop. were better off not knowing for the might fear the reintroduction.

[hacksaw]

There is a Cougar family within the confines of the CNF in North Georgia. I have had off and on run ins with their screams, scat, prints, and once even got to witness a mother/cub feeding...for about 30 seconds! There is some evidence of the offspring branching out, most likely in search of a territory to stake out. No one in an official capacity will admit to the existance of the Eastern Mountain Lion in Georgia, but that don't mean they ain't here!

From personal experience and in-depth research, there is no evidence to support an Eastern Cougar stalking man (Please note the qualifier: EASTERN Mountain Lion/Cougar). They just don't do it. If they catch your scent, you never know it because they will vacate the area, right now and reeeeel quick.

With the current level of deforestation and development in this area it is within reason to think that there soon will be human/big cat encounters that result in injury or death but it will be due to an injured, starving or cornered animal and not a casual encounter in the woods or on a trail.

Cougars are very powerful and quite secretive top predators who hunt for a living. Don't mess with him(as if you'd get the chance) and he won't mess with you.

If you want to worry about what critter might cause you harm in the woods, worry about wild hogs. They WILL attack you and they can do you much harm. They are plentiful in the woods and they are agressive and they ALL got an attitude! Best defense is a large calibre hand gun or rifle.

[highway]

Cougars were never completely killed off in Florida as was the case in most of the SE yet there has never been a documented case of a cougar (panther) attacking a human in our fair and mostly flat state. And, I am at least 90% certain I saw one here once, too, very late in the evening, but neither it nor any others are really black in color, unless, of course one includes that 60's era political group

[Pacific Tortuga]

Cougars were never completely killed off in Florida as was the case in most of the SE yet there has never been a documented case of a cougar (panther) attacking a human in our fair and mostly flat state. And, I am at least 90% certain I saw one here once, too, very late in the evening, but neither it nor any others are really black in color, unless, of course one includes that 60's era political group

The Florida Panther is smaller than most mountain lions in the US but thats not saying much when you are face to face with one. Mosquitos kill more people in a year and that is more than the cats EVER will. I think the AT corridor is perfect for the animals to migrate north and survive, there is something cool about hiking and feeling your not the top preditor on the trail makes for a greater awareness of your surroundings.

[SawnieRobertson]

Wolves, yes! Mountain lions, NO! There is a definite difference in their preferred menus.--Kinnickinic

[oldmanwinter]

Not sure if the "Black" panther debate ever got solved, but just to add some info; There are 11 sub-species of Puma in North America ranging in color from "dark grey, slate grey, yellow, and reddish brown". There is another 8 sub-species of Puma (not associated with Leopards) existing in South America.
Also, looking at a small map I found...it looks like the greatest concentration of Pumas on the east coast is in NH. Maybe also parts of Vermont and Maine.

[oldmanwinter]

Also, someone mentioned earlier that the only black cat was some leopard in Africa and Asia. WAY OFF. There are two species of black cat in South America. There are black versions of both the Leopard and Jaguar in South America.

[HIKER7s]

Contrary to many reports or agency claims that they arent where we know they are, its a little unsettling. Much Of my in state hiking these days center around introducing newbies to our world. Many of these people are children. Other than normal readiness issues you have to be on top of with an acceptable level of skill or experience to deal with you have the tangibles. Bears n Snakes are dealt with a certian way. These cats though are the one thing that you cant get that comfy feeling about. Granted in large parties of 8-15, especially ones that ramble, you likely not to even see a toad let along any of the large critters.

These cats are exclusively predatory and apparently will stalk humans and, as shown attack humans in the predator mode much much more than the rare story of a black bear switching into that unusual type of behavior .

So you go and hope your number inst next on one of these rare cat to human ambushes.

[Gray Blazer]

There is a big black panther living near Wacahoota, FL. I've seen it and other locals have seen it.

[highway]

Also, someone mentioned earlier that the only black cat was some leopard in Africa and Asia. WAY OFF. There are two species of black cat in South America. There are black versions of both the Leopard and Jaguar in South America.

What was mentioned above concerned dark variant of the cougar discussed its existance in our portion of this hemisphere. Any black one in our hemisphere is nothing but an most likely non-existant, extremely rare at best, melanistic, aberrant quirk of nature as much of one as an albino version would be. They come in a few brownish, greyish, tawnyish colors (not black) and became so rare along the US eastern seaboard because when their primary food source, the white tailed deer, was hunted to being almost completely eradicated by ourselves, the cougar populations met their demise along a similar fashion.

But the deer are coming back now in greater numbers than they ever existed. And it would appear that the few remaining cougars, too, from deep within their tiny enclaves hidden in a few of our larger, less-accessible forests, are beginning to spread outward, feasting upon the more abundant white tailed deer. It was once thought that Florida had the larger remaining population of them in the East, but even it was always so small that they were still in danger of slipping into extinction by inbreeding, because the remaining available gene pool of their subspecies (in the east) was so miniscule. And their numbers kept declining. It was sad news here when one was reported being killed by a car, trying to cross some highway, and many of them regrettably died here each year in such a fashion.

To this day I am 90% sure that I once caught a brief glimpse of one in a large wooded area behind my house. It was near the end of a rifle range I had constructed, it was late inthe evening and it just gracefull appeared, looked briefly at me from about 100 yard line, and then turned and stepped quickly across, fading into the shadows. I can still see that long tail it seemed to have, locked permanently in my memory of that brief encounter, and I sincerely hope it was not just wishful thinking on my part. It seemed to be at least twice the size of its more prevalent cousin, the bobcat. The following day I called the Florida fish and game folks and they sent someone out to look at a few of the paw prints I preserved. They couldnt (or wouldnt) tell me what it was. This happened about 1985 or 1986 or so.

it is nice to see them expand their range, back into areas where they once were.

[highway]

There is a big black panther living near Wacahoota, FL. I've seen it and other locals have seen it.

One only gets a very quick glimpse of one, if one is extremely lucky, and it is usually under a low-light condition, like early morning or late afternoon, where it is caught slipping along partially hidden in shadow. That is why so many of the few viewers consider them black. They are not. In that flash of a quick, partially hidden view we so seldom get of them, they just appear darker than they really are. I dont doubt you saw one. I just doubt the color you say it is

[StarLyte]

One only gets a very quick glimpse of one, if one is extremely lucky, and it is usually under a low-light condition, like early morning or late afternoon, where it is caught slipping along partially hidden in shadow. That is why so many of the few viewers consider them black. They are not. In that flash of a quick, partially hidden view we so seldom get of them, they just appear darker than they really are. I dont doubt you saw one. I just doubt the color you say it is

I feel that it would be such a privilege to see one of these beautiful creatures.

[MOWGLI]

Wolves, yes! Mountain lions, NO! There is a definite difference in their preferred menus.--Kinnickinic

Yes, Wolves eat white blaze purists while Mountain Lions prefer blue blazers.

[Gray Blazer]

One only gets a very quick glimpse of one, if one is extremely lucky, and it is usually under a low-light condition, like early morning or late afternoon, where it is caught slipping along partially hidden in shadow. That is why so many of the few viewers consider them black. They are not. In that flash of a quick, partially hidden view we so seldom get of them, they just appear darker than they really are. I dont doubt you saw one. I just doubt the color you say it is

Caught it in my headlights no more than 40 ft in front of me as I came around that hard curve on 320 at the Marion/Alchua Co line. Black as night. Around 2:00 in the AM. Local rangers have told me I'm out of my mind. Many locals have seen it and know where it lives.

[SawnieRobertson]

Yes, Wolves eat white blaze purists while Mountain Lions prefer blue blazers.

Wolves don't eat purists! That's silly. They just scare purists. They just become legendary among those frightened by the outdoors, especially at night. Their howl is the most awesome of sounds, but, like thunder, it won't hurt you.

OTOH, mountain lions will attack you from behind, break your neck, and eat your face, their favorite delicacy.

Ohhhh, okay. I just lived in The West too many years to realize that those in the East are really just beautiful, overgrown, elusive pussy cats.--Kinnickinic

[HIKER7s]

Ohhhh, okay. I just lived in The West too many years to realize that those in the East are really just beautiful, overgrown, elusive pussy cats.--Kinnickinic

Must of been misguided a bit somewhere's. .....

Although uncommon, mountain lion
attacks on humans occasionally occur.
Fifty-three unprovoked mountain
attacks on humans were documented
in the US and Canada from 1890 to
1990. Nine attacks resulted in 10
human deaths. Most victims (64%)
were children who were either alone
or in groups of other children. Attacks
on humans have increased markedly
in the last two decades

[Ramble~On]

Suddenly I am reminded of a certain video of a bear swinging in a hammock in someones backyard................no sign of the hammock owner and the bear looked really plump in the mid section as if it had just had a major munch out session......and then.........it slept for a while not unlike the sleep that comes after a great big meal...........

What if Mountain Lions discover that hammocks are like big burritos....and after a meal they're really comfortable to sleep in........

Lions, Tigers and Bears...............Oh My.

[Newb]

My wife and I saw a dead cougar on I-95 in northern North Carolina a couple of years ago. Very sad to see it dead.

[Ramble~On]

I had heard stories of them being in WNC from a lot of people who I would never doubt...but I had never seen one....I had hiked with a friend in snow one year and saw fresh tracks...I am not an expert tracker but these tracks weren't bobcat...anyway.......no sighting...
I remained a skeptic until the night I saw one with my own eyes.
Still...one sighting in all these years....all the time I've spent solo hiking....quietly I might add....but then again I haven't had hundreds of bear sightings either....only a few and the bear population around here is pretty healthy...so, as I thought more about it....It is rare to see larger animals as it is....bear, coyote, bobcat, deer for that matter in WNC....so the more rare the animal.......you'd have to figure the more rare the sightings.

I've had many backpacking trips through areas that I know are thick with boar, bear and coyote without ever seeing or hearing one...that doesn't mean that they aren't there. Last night I was driving out of Cataloochee Valley and a bull elk "bugled" right next to my truck....it was standing 10 feet from the truck inside the treeline.....if it wouldn't have made a sound I would have passed right by and never known it was there....
That's a pretty big animal to pass by without knowing its there....
Cougar.......are elusive and smart..It doesn't surprise me that sightings are rare...