DuckSouth.com

Bring on the stories...I love to talk about this.

Wingman

Only seen three in Tunica county. First one about 30 years ago on a forestry field trip to the Flint woods. Thing ran across the road in front of the bus about 100 yards.

2nd time just North of the house on top of the levee about 12 years ago.

3rd time might of been 2 of them, Saw something jump down off the top of a round bale of hay. When I got close their was only one laying on top of the bale of hay. Those 2 did not look very dark. Looked more like a real dark deer skin color.

Facial features lead me to believe that picture is of the melanistic phase of the African leopard. The mountain lion,aka cougar or panther has much more rounded ears and the face is normally rounder and shorter.
Stories? The last confirmed sighting would be nice. Think of all the deer hunting and rabbit huntng with dogs. Would it not stand to reason that one would be sighted, if not outright killed, in the pursuit of those game animals?
DD---since I have hunted the Flint woods for the last thirty years, where did you spot te lion? Killed several deer from there and used to hunt ducks in there when big rains filled those small sloughs full of water.

Correct, Chance, that is a jaguar or some type of South American cat, but I just used the pic to spark conversations about panthers. While they say there are no known cases of melanistic cougars, they also used to say the earth was flat.

Continue...

Wingman

Yep, here we go again..............

No one will accept the fact that black panthers.......or cougars.......have ever been in Mississippi until someone kills one and accepts the $10,000 fine. Ten yrs ago one of our members had a broadside shot at one 30 yds away, didn't pull the trigger. The gamewarden was called, told him that it was seen and there are a very good set of tracks to look at.............GW never showed up. My dad has seen two in his life, saw one of them on several occassions. I've been skeptical about this until I went to Buras, La last season for a duck hunt. One of the cooks at the camp had a picture of a black cougar that was taken by one of those gametracker systems. And they ended up catching the damn thing in a cage, dunno what happened after that. I'm telling you, it was jet black in color. There was a sighting a couple of yrs ago close to our camp, but the cat was a dark brown color with a long curl tail seen going across a big field. Now we can pull out some book that says that there is no such thing as a malegnistic (sp?) cougar or panther, but you can't always believe whatcha read.

i have been told that the town of panther burn was named just for that

it was explained to me that as the land surrounding the area was cleared all the debris was pushed into large piles and left to dry then it was burned it consequently flushed out the panthers that had found these brush piles a suitable place to live

may have messed up the story somewhat anyone else heard of this tale?

never seen one but doesnt mean i dont believe in them never seen alot of things i believe (man on moon, Jesus, 150 duck bands, etc)

good hunting
the doc

I have been looking at the forum for many months and never replyed, but this one I have too.I have seen actual home video of a "black panther" in MS. A old college buddy hunts around Vally Park/Delta Widlife area and filmed it I believe '97.It is about 10 minutes of video and it is walking along the edge of a field with tall seige grass behind him.Clear as day, had a tale about 4 feet long.

Gaddis, I could have seen the same black panther two years ago at my camp just 9 miles north of Valley Park. Me and a buddy of mine were ridding my 4-wheeler through a CRP field and it came out of a tree, we really did not know what we saw other than it was black and had a long tail until a couple of months later, one of our member's guest was deer hunting and watched this cat for about 20 minutes at about 40 yards away! Been looking for any sign of the cat ever since but have not had any luck. People may call you crazy, but I know what I believe I saw. Maybe if I get any solid evidence I can change my name to black cat.

Doc,
I'm from the south delta around Panther Burn. My grandfather always told me the same story. Whether it is true or not, I don't know, but it sure makes for one good story.

If only someone would produce one of these videos. I have heard there was footage of one from some people that hunted the north end of the Forest.

Wingman

This is kinda related (color wise) Friday evening close to dark we (my wife, my daughters and myself + 2 friends I called to come look at it) saw a black and white deer. The deer was basically black all over with the exception of the underside of its head/neck and belly. A pretty large white patch also extended up from its belly onto its side. No I wasn't drunk and that's why I called my buddy on the phone to come look at it. Weird looking for sure!

Saw a tan one while deer hunting just south of Newton @ 10 years ago. Haven't seen it since. Wish I'd had a camera.

Kinda like Bigfoot, or UFO's, everybody talks about it and some people have even filmed it, but its usually disproved. Wingman is correct about no known melanistic Cougars, but unlike housecats, large cats take to water readily and will wallow in mud like a hog to protect itself from mosqitos and for extra insulation in the winter. 2+2=4.

Just call me "Doubting Thomas." But, I really would like to see one of those videos, too.

By the way "burn" is an archaic English term for a piece of land, suitable for farming, needing only to "burn" to remove debris and make it ready. Wonder if that might be part of the origin. I've often wondered that when I used to pass by on my way to Hollandale, Arcola, Wayside and other garden spots in the
area. By the way, if you hit a pothole in the road between Arcola and Wayside, I helped pave that sucker when I was in high school working for MS Highway Dept. Two summers of wading rice paddies and whuppin' water moccasins with a range pole!

Gaddis wrote:I have seen actual home video of a "black panther" in MS.

Perhaps one was seen in this video at one time:

http://www.smokybendranch.com/