Cougar in Ky.

[littlecanoe]

Yep,  I have a lot of family still working there.  I hope that the company survives this economy.  We sure don't need to loose any more jobs around here.

Does anybody have pics of these cats?  I don't at all doubt that they are there I just wanna see one.  Well, a picture.

This story is 3rd hand at best but here goes.  If nothing else it will just add to the Legend of the Cougar! 

I was told by a local farmer that a fella in the Clementsville area of Casey county, about halfway between Liberty and Campbellsville lost a calf in his feeder operation.  The calf had an ear torn away and the only thing that they could attribute the wounds to would be a large cat, larger than a wildcat.  Supposedly KF&W was involved and they made that assessment.

There were documented black bear sightings close to that area 1-2 years ago.  It's pretty rough country in places.  Bear or cougar could stay hidden pretty well.

[JonD.]

I don't know about Marion County, but while I was at Cox's I saw a picture in the Greensburg paper that was taken by a trail camera which was definitely like the one I saw. They also had  a picture of a black bear in another issue.

I had an uncle who swore he saw a black bear several years ago while bowhunting a few miles from Bradfordsville. We all laughed at him, but he really did see something-- he left his bow, climbing stand and all up on top of the knob, and when he pulled up to tell us about it he was shaking bad. They all laughed at me too when I told them about the cat.

[Blood River Bandit]

Calloway county, Ky    A pic from my trailcam of what I believe to be a large cat Feb. 23, 2012 & also that same pic zoomed up. I have also attached a pic of a doe deer standing in front of the same camera Feb, 26 2012. This will give you something to compare with. Take a close look and email me at ken2kc@yahoo.com  . I've sent these pics to the local KDFW & also to a western Ky. Wildlife Biologist-KDFW regional area and all tell me " its only a deer ". LMAO Anyone with half a brain can see that the pic of Feb.26th is a doe deer & the pic of Feb 23rd,2012 isn't a deer. No way its a deer. They say its a infant deer with its tail throwed up.lol Look at the image of the animals face in the zoomed up pic..the face is short in front of the eye,the left rear foot you can see the footpad( hair around the edge of the foot) this isn't a hoof. Notice the front shoulder lowered to the ground and the short length of the leg to foot , the face of the animal is looking to the left( side profile) with the face near the ground and in the sage grass. Also note the ears..you can see the image of the short ears where as the doe deer has 4 or 5 inch long ears. I'm also adding a pic with the colors altered to show that the white streak is the cats tail laying upon its back to the back of its head. I'm sure this isn't a deer... my eyes sees a large cat (cougar).
 In the summer of 2006  around 7pm I was traveling by car down Beat Farmer Rd.   myslef & a friend seen a cougar chase a doe deer across the roadway in front of my car. We were less than 100ft away and with a very clear view .
I also reported this the the KDFW but they seem not to believe me. As I researched online about cougars in western Ky. I came across this site naturealmanac.com/cougars/​sightings.html and was surprised  to see 5 cougar sightings from yr 2000 to 2004. These sightings are within 3 to 4 miles from where I had the sighting in 2006 and about the same distance from where my trailcams are located. I don't know who in the area reported these sightings between 2000 and 2004 ..but I'm sure they are true. The KDFW won't confirm cougars in Ky. but at the same time a KDFW official let it slip to me about the cougar kitten roadkill in Floyd Co. Ky. lol. First they didn't exist and all of a sudden I called his bluff and told him that I knew about it. He said he believed me but to have actual photograps of proof is needed before any claims can be made of their existance here. They want to debunk my photo but I will stand by what I'm saying here is true. My photo is authentic and from my trailcam located on the east embayment of Blood River in Calloway Co. Ky.

[jjmitchell60]

 
I was introduced to this forum today and am a new member. This topic caught my attention due to the denial of the KDFWR as to the Cougar/Panther I have seen on my farm.
 
[/size]I own a farm in Nicholas County and one in Fleming County. I live in Nicholas County about 8 miles from y farm which is located across the road from the 6900+ acre Clay WMA. I have seen a black cougar (panther cat as my grand parents called em) on my farm several times. it was stalking a flock of wild turkeys one day and caught one. I was told it "officially" does not exist in KY and being black it was most likely some one's pet turn/gotten loose. Funny thing is it had been seen many years in that area and the farm has been in my family for MANY years. The KDFWR state they do not exist in KY. Now they have seen one on and around my farm in Fleming county, it is the tan color which is normal. Also behind my home there has been one seen with pictures taken of it, it too is tan. I have seen the pictures and have hunted where it was seen in the pictures so know the area. Now many will say, including the KDFWR people, that there have not been any panthers in KY in well over a Century but when Boone and others settled KY they were as common a deer or buffalo. They never left, just adapted to human thus were able to hide more. As the years went by we relied less and less on food we hunted thus the woods became more of a hiding ground for panthers. Now we are hunting more with more people turning to hunting as a hobby thus there are more humans in the woods of KY now so we are seeing the panthers more and more. Also the bear as well.
 
[/size]Bottom line is KDFWR will never admit panthers are in KY till one is killed by a hunter and that is a shame. They finally admitted bears were back in KY but after many years of people seeing them. The sad part is it is against FEDERAL law to kill a panther so if one is killed by a hunter, we will have the proof KDFWR needs BUT a hunter will be in legal trouble.
 

[JonD.]

There have been black bear caught on game cameras within a few miles of where I hunt in Marion County.

[dxtsniper]

Ky fish and game have said repeatedly that if you see a cougar in Ky that you are allowed to shoot it. They claim they are not native here and any cougar/mountain lion seen in Ky is someones pet that has escaped or been released. With all the game cameras out there not just during hunting season but the ones run year round it sure seems like someone would have caught a picture of one by now. Hoax ictures pop up all the time on facebook book but are proven to be taken somewhere else pretty quick. They may be here but I am betting it's not in any sizeable number. If they are wild then it's most likely a young male looking for territory of his own.
The kitten that was hit by a car was dna tested and shown to have one parent that was a captive animal. I am just guessing but I'd guess that to mean the DNA was from an animal that wasn't native to the eastern part of the US.
"Blood river bandit", no offence buddy but all I see in those pictures is a young deer. The body is WAY to narrow to be a big cat.
Another thing I want to touch on is all the stories of black cats. The only large cat in the United States is the mountian lion. Jaguar have been spotted in the extreme southern part of Arizona but studies showed they were native to mexice and only came into the states rarely and didn't stay. Scientists say that a black mountian lion is possible (melonistic) but has NEVER been recorded in history. I believe the stories of black "panthers" roaming Ky are nothing more than old wives tales. They have supposedly been here for 100's of years and no ones ever shot one? Come on boys.

[scratcherky]

Officially, the only cougars/ panthers east of the Mississippi River are in Florida.

[Mad Trapper]

Ive spotted black panther out behind my cabin.
Took this bobcat while trapping one season.

Had a neighbor, cattle rancher on the backside of my property spot a 8 ft long, 200 plus lb red cat last summer, said it was heading to the backside of my land, where I have a large pond, the pond area is loaded with all types of game, deer, elk, bear,ducks,geese, etc.

Ive seen them at a distance, but not close enough where I could make out what they were.
Ive spotted them watching me while Im baiting my traps, but like I said not close enough to identity them for what they are.
Ive talked with line workers that work in remote ares in the counties,(jackson, clay) they tell me they spot large mountain lions while up in the air working off poles
I have a tendency to not believe what I dont see for myself, but I am starting to believe some of these stories, along with what Ive seen for myself.
Like Ive said I have seen large cats from a distance, real big ones, but not up close where I could say without a doubt I know what it is.

[littlecanoe]

I think that there is a probability that large cats are out there.
Like another said, I'd like to see them on camera.

Just like bear returning to central KY who's to say that ALL cats were killed out in the east and that some were left to reproduce and repopulate?  Even if some "pets" were released because they were too big to keep around it seems that the potential is there.

I'd like to see clear pics though.

lc

[JonD.]

Ky fish and game have said repeatedly that if you see a cougar in Ky that you are allowed to shoot it. They claim they are not native here and any cougar/mountain lion seen in Ky is someones pet that has escaped or been released. With all the game cameras out there not just during hunting season but the ones run year round it sure seems like someone would have caught a picture of one by now. Hoax ictures pop up all the time on facebook book but are proven to be taken somewhere else pretty quick. They may be here but I am betting it's not in any sizeable number. If they are wild then it's most likely a young male looking for territory of his own.
The kitten that was hit by a car was dna tested and shown to have one parent that was a captive animal. I am just guessing but I'd guess that to mean the DNA was from an animal that wasn't native to the eastern part of the US.
"Blood river bandit", no offence buddy but all I see in those pictures is a young deer. The body is WAY to narrow to be a big cat.
Another thing I want to touch on is all the stories of black cats. The only large cat in the United States is the mountian lion. Jaguar have been spotted in the extreme southern part of Arizona but studies showed they were native to mexice and only came into the states rarely and didn't stay. Scientists say that a black mountian lion is possible (melonistic) but has NEVER been recorded in history. I believe the stories of black "panthers" roaming Ky are nothing more than old wives tales. They have supposedly been here for 100's of years and no ones ever shot one? Come on boys.

I know this is old, but I just read it and want to add. I know what science says about black cats. Whether or not this was an exotic pet that got loose or whatever, I was almost face to face with a very large, solid black cat, and I don't care who calls me crazy or a liar.