cougar in mississippi sightings

"He could be in Mississippi. Cougars are shy, nocturnal, solitary, secretive animals, with large home ranges. This photo was different. It would be a difficult battle, he said, largely because of the opinions and fears many Easterners already have toward predators like the mountain lion. Your email address will not be published. The Florida Panther, residing on the southern tip of Florida, is the only breeding population of cougar east of the Mississippi River. Similar to Tennessees wild elk and buffalo, the cougar was extirpated from the state around the early 1900s due to overhunting and habitat loss. According to TWRA, all of the confirmed gator sightings have been in the extreme southwest part of the state. I was sitting in a box blind late one afternoon in a big field surrounded by woods, armed only with a digital camera. The adult cougar is sandy brown to tawny gray with a whitish belly. Mark Elbroch is the director of the puma program at Panthera, a nonprofit group focused on protecting the worlds wild cats and the ecosystems they inhabit, and the author of The Cougar Conundrum.. "One has never been documented. Cougars there enjoy full protection from hunting and trapping under state law, although individuals may procure licenses for certain activities such as scientific research or population management. Heres a tip: there are specific areas in Mississippi where cougars tend to congregate. Although Sluder said the video was shot from a distance of about 75 yards, the video shows a cat that appears large. The MDWFP has never confirmed an official sighting of a wild cougar in Mississippi, Rummel said. You can look at the erect ears. Our research, which was published online last week in the journal Biodiversity and Conservation, shows there is plenty of room for them. No subscription required to play. Cougar extinct: Eastern puma declared extinct by US Fish and Wildlife Yes, TWRA says cougars and alligators are migrating to the state, but The Louisiana cougar is the third confirmed sighting near Mississippi's borders in recent months. "I happened to see something out of the corner of my eye," Sluder said. Reports of sightings of these wild felines from local residents near the Mississippi/Louisiana border are increasing, mostly along the Pearl and Bogue Chitto Rivers. Their return would most likely result in healthier forests, safer roadways, less zoonotic disease and, in turn, healthier human communities. Since 1890 in the U.S. and Canada, there have been 100 attacks on humans at all, according to the research organization The Cougar Network. However we proceed, these big cats are on their way back to their Eastern haunts. Video submitted by Mandy Dye. As I yanked off the lens cover and fiddled with the on-off button, the cat got up and started slowly walking toward the wood line. If youre with a group of people, gather together. Fearing it was an attack, he grabbed his slug gun and half-aiming sent a slug toward the cat that was now only yards away. Their cocktails are also excellent, and your cougar would appreciate being treated to a martini or whiskey, especially in combination with dessert. Do not run, crouch or lay on the ground. The most common is probably about cougars, also called . Go to Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency. Mountain Lion Population (In Each U.S. State) - Wildlife Informer With the difficulties associated with cougars naturally making their way east, the more likelyand certainly quickeroption for returning the cougar to its native habitat in the East is a human-led reintroduction. The B.C. To do this we use the anonymous data provided by cookies. None of that snooty, upscale dress codes and uptightness. "It may be a pretty big one, but it's a house cat," Rummel said. Numerous cougar sightings were reported east of the Mississippi River last fall, encounters that have become more frequent in recent years. The closest a wild cougar has been spotted to Mississippi was in 2008 when a male juvenile made its way from central Florida to Georgia. In recent years, there were no proven sightings of cougars in Mississippi until 2019 when one was surprisingly sighted in the southwest region of the state. The photo must be of a cougar. But do note that it can get crowded because of the small bar area. We Should Welcome Them. It is unlikely this cougar will remain in any one area longer than it would take to consume a kill," Davidson said. One of the biggest debatable aspects of this whole controversy revolves around the term black panther. Wildlife officials flatly deny the existence of any sort of native melanistic big cats, in spite of the fact that a surprising proportion of all big cat sightings reported in states east of the Mississippi River are of black cats with estimated weights that exceed 65 pounds. No, I held my fire and did not shoot the cat because it was not cougar season, but I stayed stock still while looking down my rifle barrel with finger poised over the trigger. only two of them the Eastern cougar and Florida cougarwere found east of the Mississippi River. So don't miss out; try one of these dating apps below to meet older women looking for younger men. The chocolate mousse, for one, is rich and delicious, but the main treat for you will still be the beautiful cougars here. Are there cougars east of the Mississippi? According to the National Wildlife Federation, the historic range of the Florida panther once extended from Florida to Louisiana throughout the Gulf Coast states and Arkansas. The results of the study suggest that the cougar is recolonizing the Midwest with a range expansion eastward. He said it has been many, many years since there has been a reliable wild panther sighting in Mississippi. Brittney Lohmiller / The Natchez Democrat Michael Mascagni shows Mississippi Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks employee Richard Rummel where Mascagni found tracks that might be from a cougar on his property. Mississippi cougar bars with live music like The Thirsty Hippo are great places to meet older women while having a blast. Some of the more memorable sightings in the Northland include: On Jan. 10 this. Cougar fur is generally a solid tan color on the upper parts with white undersides. Wildlife Department begins bear population survey. The two MDWFP representatives ventured to Michael Mascagnis Hutchins Landing Road house Tuesday after seeing photos he took of paw prints left behind from what he believes to be a cougar. Even if the chances of encountering a cougar are minuscule, it doesnt hurt to know what to do! "They can walk great distances," Davidson said. Return of the Eastern Mountain Lion - Blue Ridge Outdoors Magazine But according to specialists, the move might be more of a logistical clean-up than a sad goodbye to a once-in-a-genome superpredator. A full-grown cat would measure around 7 feet from nose to tip of tail and stand about 2 feet tall at the shoulders. This single witness account provides evidence that cougars may still be dividing their time between east Texas and central Mississippi. My buddy was looking at it through a rifle scope, so he had a clear view. Face the cougar directly, raise your arms to make yourself appear larger and speak loudly and firmly. We have previously exterminated cougars in the East and we can do it again, he said. A date and timestamp on the image, as well as the SD card on which it was recorded, convinced the TWRA of when it was taken. This powerful predator ranges from 5 to 8 feet in total length and weighs from 70 to 250 pounds, with males being bigger than females. This is especially true when theyre trying to meet older women. The Engel Cooler with Rod Holders is the perfect cooler for angler fishing from kayaks, small boats or even from shore. Cougar Watch - Protect the Adirondacks! The scientific name for the "Florida panther" variation of cougar that once called Mississippi and Louisiana home is Puma concolor couguar. (Facts & Explanations), Are Orcas Friendly? We dont recommend many sites or apps for guys who are just looking for some naughty fun. There is more examination to be done. To my absolute surprise, the half-page main Outdoors section article was titled Panther tracks in Miss?. A detailed study to examine reports of sightings dating back as far as 1900 concluded the animals were long gone and the U.S. Elbroch would also welcome states bringing back the cougar but is reluctant to think it will actually happen. And what more convenient way to do this than by using a dating app? You dont want to waste time and money hanging out at the wrong places--for example, clubs filled with college kids. Bill Garbo is a petroleum engineer and avid whitetail hunter from Madison. Given that cougars, also known as mountain lions and panthers, have been known to travel hundreds of miles in search of new territory, Davidson said the cat could be just about anywhere now even in Mississippi. Bobcats differ from cougars in their size, coloration, and tail length. "I've never seen a cat that big, which is why I shot a video of it.". From shopping sprees at Northpark to scouting for green buys at Whole Family Nutrition & Market, most Mississippi cougars enjoy a diverse lifestyle, and they like having their fun too. Nonetheless, the mountain lions territory is definitely expanding. The muzzle is white on the end and black where it joins the head. A trail camera glimpsed one in northern Minnesota, for instance, while authorities captured another in Springfield, Ill., after it had made its way there from Nebraska. I have looked, as I am sure many of you have, at numerous YouTube videos that purportedly show encounters with panthers, some of which seem very credible. Located at the back of a drugstore in downtown Jackson, this place is definitely a hidden gem. It can get a little loud in here. Others commented that Sluder had found proof of black panthers. According to the Tennessee Natural Resources Agency, two photos of a cougar were captured. But they were virtually eliminated in the Eastern United States by the early 1900s (except for a small population that survives in Florida), victims of bounty hunting and habitat loss. Its the biggest of its kind in the state! Catoosa County cougar: Is it or isn't it? | WTVC But today, according to Dr. Mark Elbroch, the Puma Program lead scientist at the wild cat conservation organization Panthera, there is just one. Opinion | Cougars Are Heading East. We Should Welcome Them. She noticed the driver was looking out across a field. Rummel said. Like a dog, the paw has four toes and a pad. Royal Roads University is encouraging all students and visitors to be cautious after there was a confirmed cougar sighting at the school on Friday . Weve visited all of the spots on the list, venturing beyond mainstream areas like Downtown Jackson, and we caught many older women willing to chat. As a scientist who has studied these cats for years, Im confident that we can. Red List of Threatened Species. Maybe youve been living under a rock, but women are more career-minded, sex-positive and independent as ever. Large cat caught on video in Mississippi - The Clarion-Ledger Females will follow more slowly, so we are unlikely to see frolicking cougar kittens in the East anytime soon. ", Youth hunters: Win big with C-L Outdoors and B&B Archery. Massachusetts This video has been edited to remove the background audio from the original video. Evidence suggests these cats help control chronic wasting disease among deer and other wildlife diseases. The video was taken by Mandy Dye around 7:30 a.m., as she was heading to work. Scientists estimate a recolonization of the Eastern United States by cougars could reduce deer-vehicle collisions by 22 percent over 30 years, averting 21,400 human injuries, 155 human fatalities and over $2 billion in costs.