Posted on 09/13/2018 9:49:25 PM PDT by wardaddy
WESTMORELAND, Tenn. - A string of mountain lion sightings across this area have left some residents on edge and now another sighting of the incredibly large cat has been caught on a trail camera.
Eric Flitcroft owns about 70 acres of land on the edge of Macon and Sumner Counties. One of Eric’s friends uses some of the land to hunt and has a trail camera setup in the woods that is motion activated.
Last week, Eric was looking through still images on the camera when in between images of deer and bobcats he spotted what wildlife official believe could be a mountain lion.
“What made me pretty sure that’s what it was, is the posture. The way it was standing there stalking something, it was more than just a wildcat or domesticated animal,” he says.
(Excerpt) Read more at newschannel5.com ...
That cat reminds me of our beloved big boy who passed away a little too young. Tears want to come now as the ending credit music of Rescue Dawn plays in the background. :(
play clean as country water
TWRA has finally admitted that yes, there are mountain lions in Tennessee again.
I have lived in Shelby County, Tennessee all of my life and have watched the animal population changing from the 1960s until now.
What we have now that I never saw back then:
- Lots of deer all over the place - even in suburban areas.
- Armadillos
- Coyotes
- Fire ants
- Bears? Mountain Lions? (may be on the way)
What I used to see, but hardly ever see any more:
- Rabbits
Where did all the bunnies go? Long time passing...
Global warming, therefore we can blame Trump?
The coyotes are eating the rabbits. When the deer start disappearing you might want to be armed on walks in the woods. A large predator is doing it.
El Tigre Gigante!
There are plenty of bridges. So they can swim across in the shade.
You answered your own question:
Coyotes
Bears
Mountain Lions
Any bobcats in the area- around here, they'll take rabbits. And don't forget the hawks and other raptors.
Or a panther/painter.
The state wildlife agencies never seem to want to admit certain animals are present.
There have been mountain lion sightings in Ohio for years and they still won’t admit it here. One ran across the road in front of my car in the early 90’s in Indian Hill - a wooded Cincinnati suburb. Some friends in Blanchester, OH outside of Cincinnati have a pair that wanders around their property every so often and seen by many people in the county. I’ve read and heard of many other sightings.
They’d rather say each sighting is an “escaped exotic animal” than admit that they are here.
There are enough rural and wooded areas in Ohio for cougars to exist and rarely or never be seen. 30 years ago coyotes and black bears were unheard of and now coyotes are everywhere and black bear sightings are on the rise. As the cougar population increases I’m sure they will have eventually admit they exist here.
Ten or 12 years ago we had a cougar around here in Williamson Co. We heard it one night (the only thing that has scared me living here for 30 years) our neighbor saw it and my g-kids saw it watching them from the woods. They thought they were seeing a big st. Bernard and were describing it to me. When they said big thick tail I knew what it was. We called TWRA and they wouldn’t even return our call.
Since then a hunter friend who hunts near us has also seen the cat, and its footprints. We live next to the Natchez Trace, so there is lots of happy space for him to occupy.
What I understand is IF they admit that these cats exist, then FISH & Game have to commit a portion of their budget to monitor, count, etc. them. That was the story someone from state government here in NH told me.
A male mountain lion was killed on the Merritt Parkway in Greenwich, CT a few years back. That is about 25 miles east of Manhattan Island NYC. They traced its DNA back to the Black Hills of SD. It was a young male on the prowl for a new territory.
Ouch.
Black bear ha e been spotted over near the Trace and Pinewood
As per the state wildlife people and National Park rangers in my state of Kentucky, they do not exist here, you are seeing a bobcat. But on the side the rangers pull you aside and tell you if you ever have tracks call them asap lol!
There are mt. lions around my area and in the last 15yrs. I have seen them several times, big cats with the face of a mt. lion and that long tail and I have seen bobcats, big bobcats, they are not alike.
They’ve actually admitted these are ranging puma in middle TN
And the black bear sightings
I live about six miles due south of Franklin TN square
From my spot towards Leipers Fork on the Natchez Trace
Five miles as the crow flies
Multiple bear sightings last year
Amazing
When I was a boy in central mississippi folks were complaining about a puma killing cattle near Port Gibson
Nobody believed them
Early 70s
A few weeks later game wardens were called to a farm with a dead puma in the pasture shot with buckshot
Rancher was like do you believe me now
Off Bayou Pierre
My deer hunting area
“Nashville cats, play clean as country water
Nashville cats, play wild as mountain dew
Nashville cats, been playin’ since they’s babies
Nashville cats, get work before they’re two”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2WP8eNbTFtw
It’s about time they admitted that! Knowing we have them changed how I let the g-kids play and my evening walks! When my neighbor saw it (he’s a hunter as well.... knows what he saw) he had a camera around his neck.... but he was more concerned about getting his g-kids into the house!
I heard about a bear a number of years ago. The guy who told me was a Leipers Fork guy who saw it while hunting. He wouldn’t tell anyone where he saw it because he didn’t want some nitwit shooting it!
I know we have bobcats. One sits on my neighbor’s deck every morning and surveys the hollow. Add in the foxes, rattlers and coyotes and I guess nature is just out to get you!
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