panthers anyone ???

ace · Postby **ace** » Mon Nov 19, 2001 2:26 pm

While deer hunting saturday @4:00 pm my cousin swears he saw a black panther. I told him it was a pig or bob cat, He infomed me that he knows what a bob cat and pig looks like! I don't think there are any verified
sightings in MS? I know there are several hundred sightings each year, like this one but none verified. Also, there are no sray cats were we hunt. [img]images/smiles/icon_eek.gif[/img]

DuckE · Postby **DuckE** » Mon Nov 19, 2001 2:36 pm

I hear stories about people seeing panthers every year, my brother-in-law says he swears he saw one a few years back, and he would know what he was talking about I feel sure. I cannot validate any of these stories nor can I disprove any. The way I look at it is that there were panthers in this state many many years ago so there is a slight chance that there are a few around, but I would not bet on it. All I know is that I have never seen one. [img]images/smiles/icon_wink.gif[/img]

dos gris · Postby **dos gris** » Mon Nov 19, 2001 2:38 pm

To my knowledge there has never been any record of a "black" panther in North America. A couger may be a different story.

Postby **Greenhead22** » Mon Nov 19, 2001 2:50 pm

The MDWFP was sent a copy last year from a guy who filmed a black panther in a pasture. I saw the film myself and it was legit. My dad has seen two on our lease in the delta, the most recent was 10 yrs ago.

dos gris · Postby **dos gris** » Mon Nov 19, 2001 3:23 pm

Here we go again! I always want to laugh when people start talkin about black panthers...

" No completley authenticated observation of a melanistic Couger is known from the North American portion of the animal's range, but reports of so called "black panthers" are irrepresible."

- Lowery, "The Mammals of Louisiana and Its Adjacent Waters"

I think it would have been quite a discovery if someone possessed authenticated evidence of a "black" panther. That considering it would be the first record in history. I don't think so.

[ November 19, 2001: Message edited by: dos gris ]

Postby **Greenhead22** » Mon Nov 19, 2001 3:34 pm

dos gris, I saw the video. I also saw the video shown on the Mississippi Outdoors Show, it's legit. Black panthers have been seen in Mississippi for years, but no one wants to accept the truth. I wished my dad would have had his gun when the saw one 10 yrs ago, but I don't think it would have matter cuz he was running for his life, I've never seen him so shook up before.

dos gris · Postby **dos gris** » Mon Nov 19, 2001 3:39 pm

Do me a favor and please contact the MDWFP and ask them if they have authenticated documentaion of a black panther in MS at any time in history? Or better yet contact the USFWS and ask them the same for North America. I think you will find out its all BS.

Postby **Greenhead22** » Mon Nov 19, 2001 3:59 pm

What they are looking for is a footprint or a dead panther for it to be official. Everyone knows that a video can be altered, but this one was not. You could clearly make out the panther walking across the open field. The guy called in on the show when two of the top game wardens were there. They told the man to send it to the show. The tape was mailed to the show and it was shown that following week. Now whether or not Melvin Tingle sent it to the MDWFP, I don't know. It's going to take a dead panther for anyone to believe it, but you tend to run instead of standing your ground. [img]images/smiles/icon_biggrin.gif[/img] [img]images/smiles/icon_biggrin.gif[/img] [img]images/smiles/icon_biggrin.gif[/img] [img]images/smiles/icon_biggrin.gif[/img]

Wingman · Postby **Wingman** » Mon Nov 19, 2001 4:13 pm

Yeah, everybody thought the world was flat till they didn't fall off the edge in the boat, now didn't they? I say, there is very good chance for black panthers around...but don't go and be a redneck and shoot one just to "prove" it.

Wingman

DuckE · Postby **DuckE** » Mon Nov 19, 2001 4:18 pm

First, I want to mention that my brother-in-law did not say that he saw a "black" panther. He did say it was a brownish big cat. Then again, I have not seen anything other than bobcats around here. To my knowledge, that is the biggest cat in this area.

Postby **judge jb** » Mon Nov 19, 2001 6:21 pm

there are quite a few people in Ms. who own cougars as pets... there are,were, three in Tippah Co. new laws regarding liability insurance forced those that could not afford the high, high, insurance rate chose to turn them loose as apposed to turning them over to the authoritys'. probably quite a few cats runnin loose.... all have been spaded, neutered and de-clawed.. not much chance of reproduction... there is no such thing as a black panther, according to bioligist.... yea, i seen a bunch of strange stuff in my life, and my grand-parents claim to have witnessed them.... so i got to go with my Pa and Ma.... could be big black cats out there....

judge jb

no angel · Postby **no angel** » Mon Nov 19, 2001 8:59 pm

there have been several reported in our area by some respectable people and another question is why would these people lie??? i have been and done alot but never seen one but that doesn't mean there are not any . i believe there are or could be panthers in our area. several have been seen at our hunting camp.
this is kind of like the bear i saw several years ago and i looked at it on 20 power at 150 yds. people said i was crazy until it was seen by about 15 more people together one day on the side of the highway!!!!! i can't say what is or is not out there but there is always a chance and i hope these animals do exist and people don't kill them to try to prove they are right!!! that would be stupid to kill something just to show they exist.

South Woods · Postby **South Woods** » Mon Nov 19, 2001 10:08 pm

Well, I don't know what it was, but about five years ago i saw a VERY large cat. It was not a bobcat. It was not a black panther. I have seen a few cougars in cages and it resembeld them. It really scared the crap out of me.
I had a gun, but i did not think of shooting it until it crossed the logging road i was parked on. I was so shocked at what i was seeing.
It was kind of of greyish tan, more tan than grey. Bigger than a bobcat andhad a fairly long tail. Like i said, i don't know what it was, something kin to a cougar is my only guess. Andy

Wingman · Postby **Wingman** » Mon Nov 19, 2001 10:08 pm

Turning a de-clawed cat loose to hunt on it's own is one of the most inhumane things you could do. How do they suppose it will catch it's food, with sticky tape?

Wingman

peewee · Postby **peewee** » Mon Nov 19, 2001 10:28 pm

There is a 1:200,000 chance that a couger will possess the melanistic phase and since there isn't 200,000 cougers left in North America it seems the chances are very slim.

Dos Gris I dont know how old your book is but Dr. Leopold (Applied Aquatic and Terrestrial Ecology) teacher told us there was one recorded melanistic couger, he was held in captivity in I believe the cincinatti zoo but he died about four years.

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