Mountain Lion Killed in Kentucky

What a shame that magnificent creature didn't get to live. But I can fully appreciate their reasoning. They must have been shocked to actually see one after answering lots of calls reporting them only to find a bobcat or large domestic.
I'm really surprised that they don't have tranquillizers as standard equipment in all their vehicles. I'm sure it's a cost issue but that just seems a really sensible expenditure to me. Perhaps some friends of animals organization could supply those for the Wildlife guys so maybe this doesn't get repeated.
Those of us who live near or spend time in wilderness areas have always known they are there. My Dad was a surveyor for the Tennessee Valley Authority when Kentucky Lake was being established. He told of finding a dead panther while working a particularly wild area near a branch called Panther Creek. The one they found was about half grown and had been disturbed by scavengers but he said there was no doubt what it was. The crew chief took the skull to a local biologist who confirmed it as being a cougar, not a bobcat. I believe the dentition is different.
Reports of black panthers around Kentucky Lake, particularly on the western shores, have persisted since the lake was built. My grandparents never saw them but heard them from time to time. Bobcats were common and their screams were well-known but the "panthers" had a completely different vocalization, something between a roar and a growl.
In one of my great-grandmother's letters to her grandson she mentions that a panther got one of the young lambs and left half of it in a nearby tree. That letter was written about 1920 if memory serves me. She says that the flooding of the nearby river has driven all the bottom-land critters into the uplands. The flood had driven copperheads and rattlers that normally lived in the bottoms up to their house site, the invasion being such that the children could not play outdoors and all went about their chores armed with at least a hoe.
I know that "hair on the back of the neck" sensation as well. But for me it wasn't a panther (at least I don't think there was one around) but a Great Horned Owl looking at me from less than 10 feet away and looking for all the world like he was trying to decide if he could take me as an afternoon snack. I probably stood there, slack-jawed, for several minutes---until he lost interest and sailed silently away.
Bottom line for me is that they've been in isolated pockets all along. Why the governmental agencies don't want to admit this is beyond me. Scan any source of old news reports and you'll find reports of sightings, damages done, etc. by panthers. While a high percentage of those reports could be errors, if even 10% cannot be dis-proven, that is a strong suggestion that they've always managed to survive in certain conditions.

originally posted by: pauljs75
I also wouldn't be all that surprised if a mountain lion also manages to hitch a ride on any freight train heading east from the rockies. It just has to slow down enough for the cat to jump on.

had to comment before I read the rest of the thread...

I now have visions of hobo mountain lions...perhaps in an animated movie...ridin the train and singin their life stories.

Thank you!

Back on topic, yeah, it sucks that they had to kill it. I understand why though.

I live in Texas and I swear I seen a black BIG CAT crossing the road back in 2011. Possible Black Panther?

bobcats can be pretty big too: pbs.twimg.com...

and they can haz unnatural relationships too:

message.snopes.com...

originally posted by: misguided
a reply to: Yeahkeepwatchingme

This seems to be the case across the U.S. East of the Mississippi. Although the reports keep piling in about large cats, and the reports of the always infamous "black panthers", but as the old saying states, "Where there's smoke, there's fire!" A wolf was killed in Kentucky about a year and a half ago and it was also stated that it was likely someone's pet. Ether there is a large underground group on illegal pet owners releasing large animals into the wild or these animals are here and no one wants to admit it.

People keep some weird things as pets. It's actually legal to keep a wolf as a pet though, provided you know enough about dog training. I remember back when I lived in Reno that a guy across from one of the parks kept a Grizzly Bear as a pet. Made a hell of a guard for their yard. If you could manage to get into the fenced in area, good luck getting past it. To this day I have no idea how they got the permits for that, but the house was home to a very rich family with a ton of political connections so they had ways.

a reply to: diggindirt

It's a shame that agencies will not admit that there are population of cougar on the east coast. If I'm not mistaken there was believed to be both a western and eastern mountain lion, until settlers pushed the mountain lion to extinction on the east coast as the pushed westward. If they could establish that they're on the east coast in small populations they could have protection for them, and possibly grow there numbers in the eastern United States. I know bear were introduced into Tennessee and have now got a population big enough in southeastern Kentucky that they have a hunting season for them, although it is a quota hunt and only so many are allowed to be taken. I'm 28 now and as a boy do not remember bear being a problem and in the small community I grew up in they have been photographed downtown next to dumpsters at local businesses. These animals can strive if we give them protection. They were here before, if not as if they have to adapt.

originally posted by: misguided
a reply to: diggindirt

It's a shame that agencies will not admit that there are population of cougar on the east coast. If I'm not mistaken there was believed to be both a western and eastern mountain lion, until settlers pushed the mountain lion to extinction on the east coast as the pushed westward. If they could establish that they're on the east coast in small populations they could have protection for them, and possibly grow there numbers in the eastern United States. I know bear were introduced into Tennessee and have now got a population big enough in southeastern Kentucky that they have a hunting season for them, although it is a quota hunt and only so many are allowed to be taken. I'm 28 now and as a boy do not remember bear being a problem and in the small community I grew up in they have been photographed downtown next to dumpsters at local businesses. These animals can strive if we give them protection. They were here before, if not as if they have to adapt.

The typical reaction of the Pennsylvania Game Commission to reports of cougars is to first claim that it is mis-identification, then they say that if it was a cougar, it was a pet that was released.
I have seen newspaper reports from the county that I grew up in of a lady seeing a pair of immature cougars standing next to her barn in the 1960's. There are typically reports every year or so in that area where people have seen them cross the road in front of them. One was a guy that I know. He saw a cougar along the side of the PA Turnpike a couple of years ago. This guy has taken cougar hunting in the Western US and he knows what they look like.

a reply to: butcherguy

Kentucky Fish and Wildlife seem to have the ssame response that it was probably a bobcat, large domestic cat, or some other animal that was mistaken for one. Then like this one, they say it was most likely a pet that got out. I'm curious to see the results of the necropsy. I have never saw one myself but have numerous hunting buddies that swear to have saw them.

In Michigan the DNR refuses to admit that Cougars are in the lower peninsula but many people have spotted them. The wolves crossed the ice from the upper peninsula to the lower but the Cougars didnt? I was small game hunting by Mackinac City 2 days ago and I spotted what I believe are wolf tracks. The deeper into the woods I got the more I saw. There were no people tracks around, this large canine was alone and there were no homes for miles. I know we have coyotes everywhere but I started feeling creeped out. Even though I had a 12 gauge with game load and a .38 revolver I decided it was time to leave. I usually snowshoe with my kids back there but I think I'll go elsewhere when we finally get some good snow.

a reply to: chefc14

I came up on a bobcat when I was bow hunting last year, had my pistol with me but it was still an uneasy feeling. I think we scared each other. I drew my pistol and slowly backed away.. Didn't want to use my pistol on it and didn't have to, but it made me feel a little better to have it. Had always heard coyotes in the area early in the morning before day break, but hadn't that year, figure he may have had something to do with that. Never know what you may run into in the woods. Needless to say I didn't have a very good hunting day, and with a bobcat patrolling the area there probably wasn't a deer in a few mile radius lol

a reply to: misguided
I love seeing the animals. I've seen way more deer than I've shot. All of the years I've been hunting this year is the first time I've seen coyotes. The first one walked out and looked directly at me. I was sitting in my blind. I grabbed my pistol and then thought,"why, I'm not going to eat him." He turned and trotted away after a 30 second stare down. A few days later I saw one come through trotting. They are a beautiful animal. I've had turkeys walk through and a family of grouse. Honestly, I'd love to see a big cat, as long as he's heading away.

i bet that was an illegal pet that escaped.

Theres no way there are actual wild lions in Kentucky.

one single one shot dead? how do you think it got born if theres no lions to mate with? wed know this before now if there were prides in the US.

what do you mean we'd know by now if there qwere prides in the US? mountain lions don't do prides. and there are mountain lions in a lot of the united states. they are actually just recolonizing places that nature attracted them to before.

mountain loins re-entered oklahoma from two directions west and south. black bears and alligators recolonized oklahoma in the southeast

the mountain lions the east infiltrated from the north or adjacent lion territory in the states. one reason is likely the over regulation of deer hunting. the place is an all you can eat year round buffet for them. this means more Cubs survive. When they mature they have to go to new territory if they don't want to depose the local alpha male. so they follow the food which we have conveniently protected and multiplied for them.

a reply to: Biigs

I don't think mountain lions travel in prides. You do know we were discussing mountain lions, which are native to North America, and not lions lions like those in Africa.

That's some pretty crappy fish and wild life guys they got there, running around "protecting" wildlife without tranquilizers.... Sheesh..

a reply to: misguided

Mountain lions, or aka cougars, or pumas, are solidarity hunters. No prides...

a reply to: edaced4

I know it sounds funny, but in mountain passes the trains sometimes do slow to a walking speed pace. Other times trains come to a complete stop while waiting on a switch or taking on loads somewhere. Then you even have rail cars with various livestock, which I think would definitely arouse the interest of a large cat looking for an easy meal. Many open cars, but a cougar wouldn't necessarily ride in the train - just walk around or lie on top of it. It'll just stay up there until it gets bored and the train slows down enough for it to jump off.

Not like the cougars specifically scout out trains for rides, but nobody or nothing to stop them either. If one shows up a thousand miles away from where other sightings occur, having one jump off of a train isn't as ridiculous as it sounds.

Other than that, some of the longest greenbelts in the U.S. lower 48 in terms of not being developed or paved over tend to follow railroads and powerlines. Lots of territory can be covered by any wildlife following those paths, and it gives them a modest respite from everything man does in otherwise urban areas.

Maybe some linemen or rail workers/engineers could chip in? I would expect them to have some interesting stories about wildlife showing up where it's not expected.

a reply to: SalientSkivvy

Thank you, I thougt they were. I checked the most recent update earlier and they are saying it could take weeks for the results of the necropsy, hope they announce it. www.courier-journal.com...

a reply to: Answer

Brown bears? Then don't go to Roscoe, IL. There were pictures and videos of a brown bear roaming around neighborhoods in late summer/ early fall of this year.

Apparently, the bear had moved in-town because of housing developments in the area. It was looking for food.

The mountain lion could have been in someone's illegal private collection and just got too expensive to keep.

a reply to: Pitou
It is a shame..We have an attack or so every year..the problem with a big cat like that being close to people(do not actually know how close) they are not fearing people and thats a bad thing for pets, women and children. They are very stealthy and prefer not to be seen so its plausible a small population could exsist.