Do panthers really roam the big East?

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette ^ | Sunday, April 25, 2004 | Bob Batz Jr.

[Willie Green]

This week's Eastern Cougar Conference continues the exploration of whether they do, could and should

IN THE MONONGAHELA NATIONAL FOREST -- Todd Lester wants to nail a cougar -- bad.

So bad, that on this first Friday in April, after working his graveyard shift in the underground coal mine near his home in North Spring, W.Va. -- 11 p.m. to 8 a.m. -- he's loaded his hunting gear into his red four-wheel-drive pickup and hurried north. He's driven more than three hours, through a spring storm that's frosted West Virginia's highlands with several inches of snow, and arrived about 1 p.m. in the Pocahontas County town of Marlinton, in the gut of the Monongahela National Forest.

He's worried that it's getting late, but he hasn't eaten since 3 a.m. So he pulls into a Dairy Queen drive-through and orders a BBQ sandwich and a small Mountain Dew, which he drinks only when he needs to be extra alert.

Then he drives another hour up onto one of these clouded 4,000-foot ridges, parks on a lonesome gravel road, zips up his camouflaged coat, and steps into the woods on a faint game trail, stalking his elusive quarry with his loaded weapon:

A camera.

[Willie Green]

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Highlights of cougar conference

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Hmmmmm... there's plenty of deer for the kitty-cats to feed on...
lotsa hikers along the Appalachia trail too...

[Willie Green]

ping for the pussycats.

[Mike Darancette]

Come to So. Cal. If you look, they will find you.

[Camel Joe]

No thanks, and if I ever get my hands on the moron that cut this brain fart why I'll.... Just what we need.

[LOC1]

Interestingly, I saw a mountain lion in west Texas (near Camp Wood) on Thursday evening April 22, 2004, at 8:15 pm. He was stalking a herd of eleven white-tailed deer across a creek from me, about 60 yards away. Either he moved suddenly, or the deer smelled him, because the deer suddenly scattered like a covey of quail, and the mountain lion slunk away with no dinner.

[Camel Joe]

Your lucky it didn't scent you. You aren't nearly as elusive as a whitetail. I hope you will venture out well armed in the future. Stay clear of trees and heavy brush near the trail.

[dayton law dude]

Well shoot...I came to read this thread thinking it was about the Pittsburgh Panthers and the Big East Conference and all, and I would have to go and try and defend my alma matter...but It's not. Oh well. I'll do it anyways:

GO RED STORM!!!
WE ARE!...
...St. John's

[Libertarianize the GOP]

ping

[hometoroost]

There be Panthers out there.

[Zeppo]

Todd Lester wants to nail a cougar -- bad.

Um, I'm not usually one to be judgmental over others' sexual preferences, but isn't that taking things a bit too far?

[joesnuffy]

The tree and animal hugging govt agencies are planting them all over the place...
good thing 'Tyrannasoreasses' are extinct...

[LOC1]

The wind was blowing from him to me. I was about 25 feet above him on a high bluff, seated inside an open gazebo. Horizontal distance was about 60 yards. Had a .243 with me, loaded with 100 grain bullets. Did not want to shoot him, or he would have been dead.

Think it was a young mountain lion, not very accomplished hunting skills. He should have had one of the white-tailed deer. They were only 5 or 10 yards away from him.

By the way, it is spring turkey season here. Saw several gobblers, but did not want to clean one.

Had the rifle in case the big Axis deer buck showed himself. Would have taken him.

[Merdoug]

This isn't about panthers, but for the past two weeks I've been reading about a strange creature called the "Beast of Gevaudan" I found the story while reading a book, of "unknown" occurances, from the library. It involved an animal that has never been definetely identified which killed and ate about 60 people in France between 1764 and 1767. Here is a link to a web site on the beast, if anyone is interested:
http://labete.7hunters.net/bete1.htm

[Tamzee]

My Marine nephew saw one here in the Poconos about 2 years ago and he's not prone to illusions or panic. There have also been other numerous sightings in PA, just one a few months ago by a fellow who worked for the Game Commission for over two decades.

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/04050/274935.stm

[Smartass]

"Hmmmmm... there's plenty of deer for the kitty-cats
to feed on...lotsa hikers along the Appalachia trail
too..."

Good solution. Feed leftest politician to the Cougars.

[Styria]

The young mountain lines are dangerous, because they're still trying out new foods and are also trying to find and establish a territory. The old ones are more set in their ways and are a bit safer.

[holyscroller]

By the time he'd get a call of a sighting and get there, the cat could be miles away. Most of them range a territory of about 100 square miles.

We have quite afew of them here in Washington State. I live in the foothills of the Cascades, and about twice a year, a few neighborhood pets disappear, and somebody gets a glimpse of the diner. There was a funny incident afew years ago over in the Olympic Mountains. A hiker got jumped by a large cougar, and it turns out the guy was a wrestler. He instinctively rolled over and pinned the cat, and then found himself nose to nose with it. They were both spread eagle, with his hands and feet pinning the critter's paws. He didn't know who was more surprised and scared, and wondered how he was going to get out of his precarious position. He finally made acouple fast moves and the cat shot off one direction, with him going the other. They've had a lot of attacks on small children the past few years up in British Columbia. Cougars are all over the US, so there definately are some in Penna.

[glorgau]

He instinctively rolled over and pinned the cat,

I imagine the cat has learned that people are not in the easy prey category.

[Safetgiver]

One was shot in Crawford Co. about 1969 or so. There were two in swamp and a guy killed the smallest. Momma high tailed it.