Typical Southern male attitude, they see a cougar in their area, and the first thought that pops into their mind is to nail the thing.
It may be apples and oranges, but the 'Southern' bit doesn't 'splain to me why Pennsylvania and Michigan are among the top three states in total number of deer hunters, or why Michigan and Wisconsin are in the top three in deer harvest per year, or why the top three bowhunting states are all in the upper midwest, of why the hunter density in the US is highest in Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, New York, and Rhode Island.
If you want to shoot things, go to Pennsylvania.
My brother's in-laws are a big rural Pennsylvania family. When they take family photos, they don't have to tell the kids to stand still for the photographer. They kids know that if they move, they'll get shot by somebody 3/4 of a mile away.
I see what you did there!