User Panel
Quoted:
I am of the belief that they prey on mustangs whenever they can, especially foals. I had a close encounter with a lion that was about 12 feet directly above me, when we stumbled onto it's kill, a full grown horse. Some gravel cascaded down and when I looked up I was looking into it's face, that's when it growled. If I had been hunting alone that day I might not be here today. I have worked with someone that was involved in a mountain lion study. He said when they started he used to carry a handgun but as time went on he no longer considered them dangerous. I have great respect for that individual and his opinions. I have only ever seen a handful and I am sure over the years a great many have seen me as I hiked around the mountains, still that one experience has convinced me that they can be dangerous and I always carry a handgun. View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
Mountain lion isn't gonna take on a horse..............is it? I have worked with someone that was involved in a mountain lion study. He said when they started he used to carry a handgun but as time went on he no longer considered them dangerous. I have great respect for that individual and his opinions. I have only ever seen a handful and I am sure over the years a great many have seen me as I hiked around the mountains, still that one experience has convinced me that they can be dangerous and I always carry a handgun. When I was doing wolf research I uncovered a number of studies in Finland and Russia indicating large numbers of people {usually children} who were attacked in past centuries and it still goes on in some locales {India for example}. Likelihood to be attacked hinges on time in the range of the predator. Mode of transportation is IMO the main and key factor in attacks. Few people in developed countries WALK long distances anymore, nor do they work on foot in fields and certainly small children do not in large numbers anymore. A study on wolves in AK indicated a few factors may increase odds of attack; female {menstruating?} small stature small frame It only makes sense that large numbers of children walking alone or in small numbers would increase odds of attack. I suspect the same set of factors could come into play with mt lion, too. And we do see this more common in 3rd World environments where walking in rural areas is common and where children walking is common as well {leopard, which are very similar to mountain lion in their habits}. |
|
Quoted:
Does KY fish and game acknowledge the existence of mountain lion/cougars/pumas/whatever you want to call them? Because VA Dept of Game and Fisheries does not, despite evidence of their existence. View Quote |
|
|
Quoted: They released a statement saying it wasn’t a cat, and if the owners want to know what killed their animals they have to pay for a necropsy View Quote But then I could have told you a cat didn't kill a pitbull , a husky and 3 horses in one morning on that property . |
|
Quoted: There are enough confirmed attacks against humans to dispel the notion that they simply will not attack a person. I know of several who have been stalked, but none who have been attacked. Same applies to wolves which of course have also been known to attack people. A friend actually shot one mt lion that stalked him in deep snow while he was inspecting a rural property {realtor}. When I was doing wolf research I uncovered a number of studies in Finland and Russia indicating large numbers of people {usually children} who were attacked in past centuries and it still goes on in some locales {India for example}. Likelihood to be attacked hinges on time in the range of the predator. Mode of transportation is IMO the main and key factor in attacks. Few people in developed countries WALK long distances anymore, nor do they work on foot in fields and certainly small children do not in large numbers anymore. A study on wolves in AK indicated a few factors may increase odds of attack; female {menstruating?} small stature small frame It only makes sense that large numbers of children walking alone or in small numbers would increase odds of attack. I suspect the same set of factors could come into play with mt lion, too. And we do see this more common in 3rd World environments where walking in rural areas is common and where children walking is common as well {leopard, which are very similar to mountain lion in their habits}. View Quote |
|
The UK has a big cat problem. People owned them as pets until the government made it illegal. I saw a huge cat paw print clearly in the moss when walking one day. The one it most looked like: a leopard.
|
|
Quoted:
There are enough confirmed attacks against humans to dispel the notion that they simply will not attack a person. I know of several who have been stalked, but none who have been attacked. Same applies to wolves which of course have also been known to attack people. A friend actually shot one mt lion that stalked him in deep snow while he was inspecting a rural property {realtor}. When I was doing wolf research I uncovered a number of studies in Finland and Russia indicating large numbers of people {usually children} who were attacked in past centuries and it still goes on in some locales {India for example}. Likelihood to be attacked hinges on time in the range of the predator. Mode of transportation is IMO the main and key factor in attacks. Few people in developed countries WALK long distances anymore, nor do they work on foot in fields and certainly small children do not in large numbers anymore. A study on wolves in AK indicated a few factors may increase odds of attack; female {menstruating?} small stature small frame It only makes sense that large numbers of children walking alone or in small numbers would increase odds of attack. I suspect the same set of factors could come into play with mt lion, too. And we do see this more common in 3rd World environments where walking in rural areas is common and where children walking is common as well {leopard, which are very similar to mountain lion in their habits}. View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
Mountain lion isn't gonna take on a horse..............is it? I have worked with someone that was involved in a mountain lion study. He said when they started he used to carry a handgun but as time went on he no longer considered them dangerous. I have great respect for that individual and his opinions. I have only ever seen a handful and I am sure over the years a great many have seen me as I hiked around the mountains, still that one experience has convinced me that they can be dangerous and I always carry a handgun. When I was doing wolf research I uncovered a number of studies in Finland and Russia indicating large numbers of people {usually children} who were attacked in past centuries and it still goes on in some locales {India for example}. Likelihood to be attacked hinges on time in the range of the predator. Mode of transportation is IMO the main and key factor in attacks. Few people in developed countries WALK long distances anymore, nor do they work on foot in fields and certainly small children do not in large numbers anymore. A study on wolves in AK indicated a few factors may increase odds of attack; female {menstruating?} small stature small frame It only makes sense that large numbers of children walking alone or in small numbers would increase odds of attack. I suspect the same set of factors could come into play with mt lion, too. And we do see this more common in 3rd World environments where walking in rural areas is common and where children walking is common as well {leopard, which are very similar to mountain lion in their habits}. And the urban hiker types tend to do all sorts of mental gymnastics to downplay the threat. Yes, it is rare, but they tend to blame the hiker and make excuses for the predator when an attack happens. They are whistling past the graveyard. |
|
Actually, I was just reading about these—because ironically Penn State says there Mitochondrial DNA Studies say there never was an Eastern Cougar—the ones that are “extinct” east of the Mississippi are the same as the cats out west. So, if it’s the same cat, how can it be extinct? The western cats are moving into the eastern US, but not according to US fish & game.
In an ironic nose-thumbing from Mother Nature, three months after being declared “extinct” in 2011, a cat was killed by a car in CT, with the body retrieved. Just “passing through...” |
|
Quoted:
I'm interested in this subject. Can you point toward any articles or studies? I was stalked by something during deer season. I'm pretty sure it was a big cat, but I never got a look at it. And the urban hiker types tend to do all sorts of mental gymnastics to downplay the threat. Yes, it is rare, but they tend to blame the hiker and make excuses for the predator when an attack happens. They are whistling past the graveyard. View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
Mountain lion isn't gonna take on a horse..............is it? I have worked with someone that was involved in a mountain lion study. He said when they started he used to carry a handgun but as time went on he no longer considered them dangerous. I have great respect for that individual and his opinions. I have only ever seen a handful and I am sure over the years a great many have seen me as I hiked around the mountains, still that one experience has convinced me that they can be dangerous and I always carry a handgun. When I was doing wolf research I uncovered a number of studies in Finland and Russia indicating large numbers of people {usually children} who were attacked in past centuries and it still goes on in some locales {India for example}. Likelihood to be attacked hinges on time in the range of the predator. Mode of transportation is IMO the main and key factor in attacks. Few people in developed countries WALK long distances anymore, nor do they work on foot in fields and certainly small children do not in large numbers anymore. A study on wolves in AK indicated a few factors may increase odds of attack; female {menstruating?} small stature small frame It only makes sense that large numbers of children walking alone or in small numbers would increase odds of attack. I suspect the same set of factors could come into play with mt lion, too. And we do see this more common in 3rd World environments where walking in rural areas is common and where children walking is common as well {leopard, which are very similar to mountain lion in their habits}. And the urban hiker types tend to do all sorts of mental gymnastics to downplay the threat. Yes, it is rare, but they tend to blame the hiker and make excuses for the predator when an attack happens. They are whistling past the graveyard. The continued attacks through the ages in the old world are directly attributed to lack of access to firearms (exposure to which is why the north american wolves are timid and retiring) for peasants. The more aggressive wolves are in a certain area, the less likely they've been exposed to guns. |
|
Quoted:
"Wolves in Russia, anxiety through the ages" by will graves The continued attacks through the ages in the old world are directly attributed to lack of access to firearms (exposure to which is why the north american wolves are timid and retiring) for peasants. The more aggressive wolves are in a certain area, the less likely they've been exposed to guns. View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
Mountain lion isn't gonna take on a horse..............is it? I have worked with someone that was involved in a mountain lion study. He said when they started he used to carry a handgun but as time went on he no longer considered them dangerous. I have great respect for that individual and his opinions. I have only ever seen a handful and I am sure over the years a great many have seen me as I hiked around the mountains, still that one experience has convinced me that they can be dangerous and I always carry a handgun. When I was doing wolf research I uncovered a number of studies in Finland and Russia indicating large numbers of people {usually children} who were attacked in past centuries and it still goes on in some locales {India for example}. Likelihood to be attacked hinges on time in the range of the predator. Mode of transportation is IMO the main and key factor in attacks. Few people in developed countries WALK long distances anymore, nor do they work on foot in fields and certainly small children do not in large numbers anymore. A study on wolves in AK indicated a few factors may increase odds of attack; female {menstruating?} small stature small frame It only makes sense that large numbers of children walking alone or in small numbers would increase odds of attack. I suspect the same set of factors could come into play with mt lion, too. And we do see this more common in 3rd World environments where walking in rural areas is common and where children walking is common as well {leopard, which are very similar to mountain lion in their habits}. And the urban hiker types tend to do all sorts of mental gymnastics to downplay the threat. Yes, it is rare, but they tend to blame the hiker and make excuses for the predator when an attack happens. They are whistling past the graveyard. The continued attacks through the ages in the old world are directly attributed to lack of access to firearms (exposure to which is why the north american wolves are timid and retiring) for peasants. The more aggressive wolves are in a certain area, the less likely they've been exposed to guns. @TNC In reviewing the material, it is important to realize that this topic is highly politicized. Especially, generations now of Americans have been told that wolves simply do not attack humans. Those who don't want wolves for various reasons at times overestimate the MODERN threat by referring to past events when human behavior was very different. The truth is that there is good solid support for wolf attacks against humans, but in modern cultures the risks are low. If conditions changed then all bets are off. Also, there are those regions where attacks by wild animals continue to occur. You can google the situation in India, but again, remember the politicization of the topic. For some more material on the subject: "WOLVES; Behavior, Ecology, & Conservation" Edited by Mech and Boitano has a few pages {292, 302-304} on wolf attacks. Parenthetically, I obtained direct assistance from Dr Mech when I was advising our local government on the wolf management/control issue. He is quite "pro-wolf" and thus he and I see things very differently, but he is the world's most renowned authority, so when I was researching the subject, I went to the source. And he was very helpful, too. https://www.adfg.alaska.gov/static/home/news/pdfs/wolfattackfatality.pdf http://personal.inet.fi/luonto/mikael.broo/Policy.htm http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1025&context=wolfrecovery |
|
Quoted: @MAERSK cites a well-known source. @TNC In reviewing the material, it is important to realize that this topic is highly politicized. Especially, generations now of Americans have been told that wolves simply do not attack humans. Those who don't want wolves for various reasons at times overestimate the MODERN threat by referring to past events when human behavior was very different. The truth is that there is good solid support for wolf attacks against humans, but in modern cultures the risks are low. If conditions changed then all bets are off. Also, there are those regions where attacks by wild animals continue to occur. You can google the situation in India, but again, remember the politicization of the topic. For some more material on the subject: "WOLVES; Behavior, Ecology, & Conservation" Edited by Mech and Boitano has a few pages {292, 302-304} on wolf attacks. Parenthetically, I obtained direct assistance from Dr Mech when I was advising our local government on the wolf management/control issue. He is quite "pro-wolf" and thus he and I see things very differently, but he is the world's most renowned authority, so when I was researching the subject, I went to the source. And he was very helpful, too. https://www.adfg.alaska.gov/static/home/news/pdfs/wolfattackfatality.pdf http://personal.inet.fi/luonto/mikael.broo/Policy.htm http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1025&context=wolfrecovery View Quote Russian Woman Attacked by Wolf, Axes it to Death |
|
Just taking coyotes as an example, urban yotes don't get shot at, and they'll come right into someone's garage and eat their cats.
Their rural cousins are running for the next county if you so much as put the brakes on. So yeah, I can see where large predators would really become a problem if they're routinely exposed to Rule 5.56. |
|
Can't see any cat smaller than a lion or tiger killer 3 full size, healthy horses in one night.
|
|
|
We've got some of those big cats in East Texas.. Unfortunately had a large tan cat run out in front of my car last week on the highway, still feel bad it went out that way.
|
|
|
|
|
|
View Quote |
|
Quoted:
Looked it up so I might as well post it. Confirmed sightings, tracks, dna, etc from the Cougar Network. Obviously not definitive but still interesting. They have a more recent interactive map on their site. cougarnet.org/confirmations View Quote Verifying those sightings would only have taken the DOT or Fish & Game to go pick up the carcasses (which they did) and recording the sightings. But instead of making those dead cougars public information, it was hushed up. The two live sightings (CA and FL) were reported and never made public by authorities, despite the fact that the CA sighting was within yards of houses within the city limits of Victorville. And I know of many more sightings reported by friends, family and coworkers that are not shown on that maps. I'll guestimate that there are probably four times or more confirmed cougar sightings than that map indicates and I'm probably guessing low. |
|
|
A few years ago we had a similar report in the neighboring county.
Made the local news. Second horse that was killed and the call went out to select houndsmen. Neighbor and friend went. He came back that evening pissed. There were bear tracks everywhere. They treed and killed it later but the press referred to them as lion kills for months after. |
|
Quoted: I don't understand why. It is not uncommon to see video of mountain lions on Colorado newscasts. View Quote It is a lot harder to see a mountain lion in the eastern forests than in the western forests. The eastern forests contain a lot of undergrowth and are mainly deciduous while the western forests are thinner and mostly coniferous with less dense undergrowth. |
|
Quoted:
Does KY fish and game acknowledge the existence of mountain lion/cougars/pumas/whatever you want to call them? Because VA Dept of Game and Fisheries does not, despite evidence of their existence. View Quote He would occasionally find the drag marks in the dunes where they dragged deer they had killed. He worked for DCR though. |
|
Quoted: In all fairness the one on my wall was around 50lbs. Still not big enough to do that. View Quote I've watched a full grown before from a treestand while bowhunting just before sunrise . Walked right under my tree . Pretty cool to see one but never heard of one that big. The one I saw looked to be in 25 pound range . |
|
Quoted:
Locals are being told bobcat Lol View Quote Members of the state fish and wildlife diagnostics team examined the animals and said the attack does not appear to have been done by a large cat as initially released by the sheriff’s office. “We can say it’s not a cat, and there is no evidence of a coyote,” said Bill Lynch, a wildlife biologist with the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources. “It’s inconclusive,” he said of the deaths. “You have to do a necropsy. It wasn’t a cat. It wasn’t even anything like that. There wasn’t enough damage. There is one track that is questionable.” It will be up to the animal owners to decide if they want to pay for necropsies to determine official causes of death for the animals, Lynch said. “It was not conducive to an animal attack,” he said. “There was not enough disruption to the area.” Lynch does not know what could have caused the deaths. LINK |
|
Friend of mine caught the ass end of a mountain lion on his game cam about 5 years ago. Central Ky.
all of the old timers swear there are big black cats around here. I have heard them say about knee high at the shoulder with a long body and a tail half again as long as the body. usually guestimate they weigh anywhere from 80-150 pounds. The descriptions are pretty uniform. I've never seen one so I dunno. Guy a couple posts up who talked to DCR, and he said panther, this is the same thing. It is a common folk tail in Ky and west virginny |
|
Quoted:
The actual statement I'm seeing in the news says they don't think animal attack at all. Members of the state fish and wildlife diagnostics team examined the animals and said the attack does not appear to have been done by a large cat as initially released by the sheriff’s office. “We can say it’s not a cat, and there is no evidence of a coyote,” said Bill Lynch, a wildlife biologist with the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources. “It’s inconclusive,” he said of the deaths. “You have to do a necropsy. It wasn’t a cat. It wasn’t even anything like that. There wasn’t enough damage. There is one track that is questionable.” It will be up to the animal owners to decide if they want to pay for necropsies to determine official causes of death for the animals, Lynch said. “It was not conducive to an animal attack,” he said. “There was not enough disruption to the area.” Lynch does not know what could have caused the deaths. LINK View Quote |
|
Quoted:
Just taking coyotes as an example, urban yotes don't get shot at, and they'll come right into someone's garage and eat their cats. Their rural cousins are running for the next county if you so much as put the brakes on. So yeah, I can see where large predators would really become a problem if they're routinely exposed to Rule 5.56. View Quote Before we had a season on wolves, I used to see them frequently. Even have a few nice pictures of them. Now that lead flies at the wolves, I do not see them in daylight hours. |
|
Quoted:
The actual statement I'm seeing in the news says they don't think animal attack at all. Members of the state fish and wildlife diagnostics team examined the animals and said the attack does not appear to have been done by a large cat as initially released by the sheriff's office. "We can say it's not a cat, and there is no evidence of a coyote," said Bill Lynch, a wildlife biologist with the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources. "It's inconclusive," he said of the deaths. "You have to do a necropsy. It wasn't a cat. It wasn't even anything like that. There wasn't enough damage. There is one track that is questionable." It will be up to the animal owners to decide if they want to pay for necropsies to determine official causes of death for the animals, Lynch said. "It was not conducive to an animal attack," he said. "There was not enough disruption to the area." Lynch does not know what could have caused the deaths. LINK View Quote |
|
Quoted:
Interesting map but woefully incomplete. I've personally reported 6 sightings and they are no included on that map. Strange, since 4 of those sightings were of dead cougars laying alongside the highway. One in along I-65 in AL and three along highways (I-80, I-81, I-180) in PA. Verifying those sightings would only have taken the DOT or Fish & Game to go pick up the carcasses (which they did) and recording the sightings. But instead of making those dead cougars public information, it was hushed up. The two live sightings (CA and FL) were reported and never made public by authorities, despite the fact that the CA sighting was within yards of houses within the city limits of Victorville. And I know of many more sightings reported by friends, family and coworkers that are not shown on that maps. I'll guestimate that there are probably four times or more confirmed cougar sightings than that map indicates and I'm probably guessing low. View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted:
Quoted:
Looked it up so I might as well post it. Confirmed sightings, tracks, dna, etc from the Cougar Network. Obviously not definitive but still interesting. They have a more recent interactive map on their site. cougarnet.org/confirmations https://i.imgur.com/SEUHVBJh.jpg Verifying those sightings would only have taken the DOT or Fish & Game to go pick up the carcasses (which they did) and recording the sightings. But instead of making those dead cougars public information, it was hushed up. The two live sightings (CA and FL) were reported and never made public by authorities, despite the fact that the CA sighting was within yards of houses within the city limits of Victorville. And I know of many more sightings reported by friends, family and coworkers that are not shown on that maps. I'll guestimate that there are probably four times or more confirmed cougar sightings than that map indicates and I'm probably guessing low. |
|
Quoted:
A few years ago we had a similar report in the neighboring county. Made the local news. Second horse that was killed and the call went out to select houndsmen. Neighbor and friend went. He came back that evening pissed. There were bear tracks everywhere. They treed and killed it later but the press referred to them as lion kills for months after. View Quote |
|
|
Quoted:
Nope. KY says they're not really there. PA did/does the same. In a PA hunters safety class in about 1994 somebody asked about lions. The Game cop said they didn't exist in PA. The volunteer instructor said that the PGC had to say that because, since Eastern Lions at the time were considered endangered (they were declared extinct not long ago) the PGC would have to spend a shitload of money on habitat work and protection and all that and they didn't want to. The PGC cop said nothing in response to this. PGC always said that any cougars found were "escaped pets", because that's a thing apparently. People started pointing to DNA analysis saying the cats were all from the West. Except (1) cats are going to spread East as their population grows and (2) one of the reasons the Eastern Lion got delisted was because they determined via DNA that all North American lions are the same species. So they're here. Or they will be. I'm looking forward to it, personally. Too many deer, too many liberals hiking. View Quote Well, they're not far away... https://www.tn.gov/twra/wildlife/mammals/large/cougars.html |
|
|
Quoted:
A WV arfcommer just had an experience the other day of getting in between a bear chasing a deer. I had no idea bear chased deer in order to try and eat them. View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted:
Quoted:
A few years ago we had a similar report in the neighboring county. Made the local news. Second horse that was killed and the call went out to select houndsmen. Neighbor and friend went. He came back that evening pissed. There were bear tracks everywhere. They treed and killed it later but the press referred to them as lion kills for months after. |
|
Quoted: Just to be clear, the horses were minis according to the report. View Quote From facebook. Apparently the horse owners daughter: Attached File |
|
Quoted:
A WV arfcommer just had an experience the other day of getting in between a bear chasing a deer. I had no idea bear chased deer in order to try and eat them. View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted:
Quoted:
A few years ago we had a similar report in the neighboring county. Made the local news. Second horse that was killed and the call went out to select houndsmen. Neighbor and friend went. He came back that evening pissed. There were bear tracks everywhere. They treed and killed it later but the press referred to them as lion kills for months after. |
|
Quoted:
When I was a teen I had a very close encounter with a lion when walking between willow thickets in a desert wash NW of PHX while quail hunting. I had just passed a thicket when I got the feeling, I spun to my right and there was a lion less than 12 feet from me just behind the shield layer of vegetation. I shot at the same time it vanished into the thicket. Would the cat have attacked me? Probably not but you never know, why did it stay that close as I walked by? We saw bobcats and coyotes in that area regularly as the area was loaded with game. View Quote so ago after two close encounters with people, one was stalking a toddler and the other incident involved a petite hiker. There were also multiple witnessed attacks on dogs in another area about 10 miles away. And then you have this rocket scientist. This happened in the north valley two weeks ago. |
|
https://www.facebook.com/NickBeresNC5/videos/694361530922438/
What is the dept of fish and game trying to hide |
|
Quoted:
https://www.facebook.com/NickBeresNC5/videos/694361530922438/ What is the dept of fish and game trying to hide View Quote |
|
View Quote Edit to add: it is a known fact that big cats are in the northern lower peninsula of Michigan. No one wants to talk about it, but they’re here. |
|
View Quote |
|
|
|
They were certain it was an animal attack, now they are certain it was not an animal attack, but they have no idea what???
It was either a man, or it was not.... Some of you guys remember my encounter..... I don't have any answers, but I think I said in my thread that what I heard those nights, particularly the second night, projected such incredible power... What I heard that night.... If it didn't want a struggle, even from a horse, there would be none. |
|
Sign up for the ARFCOM weekly newsletter and be entered to win a free ARFCOM membership. One new winner* is announced every week!
You will receive an email every Friday morning featuring the latest chatter from the hottest topics, breaking news surrounding legislation, as well as exclusive deals only available to ARFCOM email subscribers.
AR15.COM is the world's largest firearm community and is a gathering place for firearm enthusiasts of all types.
From hunters and military members, to competition shooters and general firearm enthusiasts, we welcome anyone who values and respects the way of the firearm.
Subscribe to our monthly Newsletter to receive firearm news, product discounts from your favorite Industry Partners, and more.
Copyright © 1996-2024 AR15.COM LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Any use of this content without express written consent is prohibited.
AR15.Com reserves the right to overwrite or replace any affiliate, commercial, or monetizable links, posted by users, with our own.