cougar in mississippi sightings cougar in mississippi sightings

Because its an unexpected place, theres not as much pressure to impress. "We look at distinguishing characteristics to identify. Mandy said the truck drove off as she was recording. Published April 28, 2023 1:19 p.m. PDT. The ladies youll meet here are up for some low-maintenance fun over barbecues and drinks! They serpentined in and out of the cover once or twice more, and then everything went quiet. Despite rumours and hearsay, there is still no strong evidence to support a viable cougar population residing east of the river. According to Robinson, bringing cougars east would allow them to skip through undesirable and more dangerous environments. Once youve entered one, youre nearly done with your job because youre likely to encounter a cougar giving you a flirty smile! She might already be yours before the evening is over. Brittney Lohmiller / The Natchez Democrat Michael Mascagni shows Mississippi Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks employee Richard Rummel where Mascagni found tracks that might be from a cougar on his property. We have previously exterminated cougars in the East and we can do it again, he said. A popular go-to in the city for stellar food, drinks and music, this is an old-school joint that will spice up your love life. You can look at the erect ears. As I yanked off the lens cover and fiddled with the on-off button, the cat got up and started slowly walking toward the wood line. ", RELATED NEWS: 2016: Season of giant bucks. It is well documented that cougars travel hundreds of miles in search of new territory. So what are you waiting for? Rummel said. We now know that large carnivores greatly benefit entire ecosystems and hold those ecosystems together. Copyright 1998 - 2023 Mississippi Sportsman, Inc. All rights reserved. Relating this story to nearby neighbors elicited several stories of encounters they had also had but had been reluctant to tell anyone about. With that out of the way, lets circle back to the purported existence of panthers in this area of the Southeastern United States. A study published in the Journal of Wildlife Management in 2012 compiled confirmed locations of cougars collected outside of their established range during 1990-2008. Trust us, youre gonna be hooked. Contact Brian Broom at 601-961-7225 or bbroom@gannett.com. Finding cougars is a good bet here for the same reasons as a farmers market. Eastern cougars or "pumas" once roamed every U.S. state east of the Mississippi River, but it's been 80 . One of the most-comical explanations from certain officials at least for me involves them throwing out the its an escaped pet line. While the picture was recorded with the same phone, from the same distance, Mandy took the first picture from inside her car looking through a windshield, and the animal was in the shade. This is an any-weather building, so you don't have to worry about the temperature outside. If enough of the sightings can ever be undeniably verified as being from actual wild cougars, the resulting revelation would point to the existence of a breeding population. In January, the . That's when I started taking pictures and shooting video.". Davidson said it is likely a male that has set out to establish its own territory and is probably on the move. The best nights to stop by are Thursday, Friday and Saturday. It was close enough that I could clearly see droplets of moisture in the big cats whiskers through my Leupold scope. Heres a tip: there are specific areas in Mississippi where cougars tend to congregate. Mandy said she thinks it could be a Florida panther, which is known to be tan with a whitish-gray belly and chest. Mississippi man spots panther on property, second sighting in area in week Published 6:18 am Friday, September 13, 2019 By Del Loy said he took these pictures of what he believes to be large cat prints in the sand near his house in Washington not long after he moved there seven years ago. After all, cougars in Mississippi love a man who can cook. Cougar in Obion County in 2015. Cougar Watch is a project to record public sightings of cougars (Puma concolor) in and around the Adirondack Park. Scott Mahoney is a Dating Coach for BeyondAges.com. Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. "And . Contact Brian Broom at 601-961-7225 or bbroom@gannett.com. Getting the call from the wildlife representatives, Mascagni said, helped reassure him of what he saw and heard that day driving to his house. The bobcats tail appears bobbed, hence the animals name, and is typically 3 to 8 inches in length, which is very short in comparison with the tail of a cougar. [], The Nomad Pursuit Convertible Vest is a minimalist vest with maximum features. Removing federal protections for the Easts cats makes one thing much easier: reintroduction. Other times, an image of a cougar has been photoshopped on to a photo of Tennessee landscape. One time, as I walked quietly along a woods road in the early morning gloom, a cougar stepped out of the roadside brush into the trail right in front of me. The bobcat is the only other animal belonging to the cat (Felidae) family that can be found in Tennessee. I also leverage zoology to become an educator, educating others about the importance of protecting our natural environment and the beauty of animals in their natural habitats. Voted as Best People Watching and Best Martini in Memphis, The Lobby Bar at the Peabody will sweep you up into an elegant romp with a Mississippi cougar. Theres something really cool about Mississippi cougar bars that are harder to find. Scott Petyon, the collections manager for the Mississippi Museum of Natural Science, said it does not look like a panther. When photographing suspected cougar tracks it is helpful to place a ruler or object such as a coin to enable size judgment. Its clear the Eastern United States has the space, and the right type of space, for cougars to exist comfortably if we allow it. If you're new to online dating or just struggling in general, eHarmony really makes it easy for you. Dont turn away, but back away slowly, and towards shelters like a car or house if possible. A full-grown cat would measure around 7 feet from nose to tip of tail and stand about 2 feet tall at the shoulders. But do note that it can get crowded because of the small bar area. He said it has been many, many years since there has been a reliable wild panther sighting in Mississippi. Its ideal for having a stiff drink with a Mississippi cougar in a retro lounge environment. Cougars, also called pumas, mountain lions, panthers and other names, can weigh more than 150 pounds and easily take down deer, elk, cattleeven humans! For over 80 years, there were no signs of cougars in the Eastern states, so federal wildlife officials declared them an extinct subspecies. She noticed the driver was looking out across a field. Cougars are North America's second-largest wild cat and have been present in Mississippi since the late 1990s. The photo must be authentic. Follow him on Facebook and Twitter. Their return would most likely result in healthier forests, safer roadways, less zoonotic disease and, in turn, healthier human communities. After a short while, the cat walked back out into direct view in a freshly mowed area about 60 yards away and sat down on his haunches. Its almost like youre part of an exclusive club when you visit one. Mature single women have busy lives and social calendars, so they arent typically just sitting around at bars waiting to be swept away. Claws are retractable and are very seldom part of a track. Mountain lions, panthers, cougars or whatever you want to call them, were extirpated in Mississippi over 100 years ago and none have been confirmed in the state since. Legally, that impediment is gone and it allows us to go forward with the question of What was the role of the Eastern Puma in the ecology of the Midwest and Northeast and how has its disappearance affected that ecology? Robinson said. Its a significant distance they have to travel, but its just a matter of time before they begin expanding in various directions.. Ricky Flynt, a biologist with the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks, said the cat is far less sensational than some media outlets have made it out to be. Required fields are marked *. Submitted by a 19-year-old student and hunter to the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency from a game camera in one of his favorite hunting spots, this image stood out from the slew the agency receives of purported sightings. Just because the landscape in the photo has been confirmed as real, doesnt mean the sighting itself has been confirmed. It wasnt long before I heard a loud crack-boom in the direction of my friend, who was also situated on a high bank of the creek watching several deer crossings. Considering that there are large expanses between Tennessee and the established populations, it will likely be a long time before cougars make their home here. My friend took careful aim and fired. It has a full bar, and theres plenty of space to dance if thats your thing. It's ideal for having a stiff drink with a Mississippi cougar in a retro lounge environment. I can assure you it was not. Although Sluder said the video was shot from a distance of about 75 yards, the video shows a cat that appears large. Cougars once had the run of the continent, ranging far and wide. Teen arrested after two dead, four others injured in Bay St. Louis shooting, Truck possibly connected to Hinds County jail escape found in Newton County, Jones County volunteer fire department units deploy twice Sunday, HPD seeks public help locating two suspects in ongoing investigations, Powers Fire & Rescue responds to 48 emergency incidents in April, Laurel FD responds to fire at Howard Industries Sunday. Do not play dead. 1-Beier, P. Cougar attacks on humans in the United States and Canada. It's a house cat. It was barely visible. And cougars in Mississippi know it! And luckily for them, they dont end up with Lyme Disease.. They nearly succeeded, particularly east of the Mississippi River. A second sighting of a cougar this spring in the Tri-Cities area has been captured on a security camera, this one in Kennewick. Youll have the best luck on Thursday, Friday or Saturday night. You can get discounted beer or other drinks from Sunday to Tuesday, while live music takes over for the rest of the week. Its the biggest of its kind in the state! The DNR maintains mountain lion sightings using a system to receive, record and review mountain lion reports. "I'm not going to just blow it off when someone sends me pictures or video." All of it had Sluder laughing because he said the cat was large, but nowhere near the size of a panther. And until October 2015, to residents of Obion County, Tennessee, the cat was a ghost. With a population of over three million, there are a lot of older women for you to choose from in Mississippi. If we can have two cameras right there where the original tracks were left, we can double our chances of possibly getting a photograph of it, Flynt said. We've seen the best results using AFF and think you will too. The cat reversed course in mid-air and vanished in a flash. He could be in Texas. There is a breeding population of mountain lions in Arkansas, and since our ecosystem desperately needs to be rebalanced, they should put a hunting moratorium on the shooting of cougars with a . No subscription required to play. The fact we could even see this cat from that distance is proof positive it was huge.. Maybe youve been living under a rock, but women are more career-minded, sex-positive and independent as ever. Fearing it was an attack, he grabbed his slug gun and half-aiming sent a slug toward the cat that was now only yards away. The closest a wild cougar has been spotted to Mississippi was in 2008 when a male juvenile. The space is big enough that you wont have to worry too much about seating. The cat was a tawny tan colored, and was roughly the size of a deer and had a long, swishing tail. Although historically cougars have been found across North and South America, over the last century their range has been drastically limited east of the Mississippi River. Your email address will not be published. Results revealed 17 areas in the Upper Midwest, Ozarks, Appalachia and New England, each at least or nearly twice the size of Yosemite National Park, that fit the bill. Our team of researchers explored the habitat potential for cougars using factors important for cougar survival, like forest cover, distance to development and highways, human population density and how people perceive wildlife. Breeding populations of the Eastern cougara subcategory of big cats known interchangeably as cougars, mountain lions, pumas or panthers under the species Puma concolor havent been seen since 1938 in Maine. Stop pretending and start getting physical today! Cougars do not have spots or stripes. There are a lot of things that can go wrong when trying to find cougars, this isn't one of those. Length varies from 5-9 feet (150-275 cm); this measurement includes the 26-32 inch (66-82 cm) tail. Sightings of cougars or their tracks are still reported occasionally in parts of . It would also likely include a pronounced education program to teach Easterners how to interact with the new predators, as well as a more robust protection program which, currently, is not in place (most states do have some level of protections in place for cougars, but reintroduction would require much more strict hunting laws to be effective). So why would you put yourself through this when theres a better way? Another study separate from ours showed similar results. Follow The Clarion-Ledger Outdoors on Facebook and @BrianBroom on Twitter. She said that is the spot in the video where it looked up. Sure, it isnt perfect, but its the best option for most guys out there right now. I did the calculations once, and for a cougar to come from southern Florida, where they are most prevalent, to the Mississippi state line would be 600 miles, and that includes them crossing the Mobile Bay. Even if you strike out in the bar itself, youre still bound to find plenty of sexy older women around the casino. Quite a few even shared their biological knowledge of large cats. At least two cougar sightings were reported near Royal Roads University in Colwood on Sunday morning. None of that snooty, upscale dress codes and uptightness. Claws are retractable and are very seldom part of a track. Lets face it: if youre in the South, you have to have some barbecue in your diet. My Montana experience includes personally having cougars at the eight- to 10-step range on at least two occasions. Now, regarding my qualifications when it comes to knowledge about identification of large cats at close range, I have had my full share of encounters over the years. Its a great way to have a relaxed encounter with a sexy older woman. The position of the ears gives it away. A date and timestamp on the image, as well as the SD card on which it was recorded, convinced the TWRA of when it was taken. Our research, which was published online last week in the journal Biodiversity and Conservation, shows there is plenty of room for them. My second encounter occurred back in the mid- to late 1970s when I was invited to accompany a friend on a deer hunt in Southwest Mississippi. Theyre almost a guaranteed good time and Mississippi cougars love the youthful vibe! They ARE, however, searching for guys online because it tends to be a better use of their time, and eHarmony is a favorite among the cougar crowd. We are always working to improve this website for our users. Areas that could host isolated but sustainable cougar populations, Source: Researchers estimates and the I.U.C.N. All games are FREE. The Peabody is already impressive enough on its own, but its famous Lobby Bar draws both locals and tourists. Video submitted by Mandy Dye. Here are some tips. And a lot of them (especially the cougars in Mississippi) are sick of pretending like a traditional, long-term partnership is something theyre actively seeking out. Bands sing their heart out twice a week, DJs take control of the dance floor every Friday and Saturday, and you can wow the older ladies at karaoke on Tuesdays. Sluder posted his video to his Facebook page and the comments poured in by the hundreds. Introducing top predators to ecosystems changes everything, in some unpredictable ways, he said. "Biologists look at it differently," Flynt said. Unfortunately, the last known resident cougar in Mississippi was killed by a car in 2001 after surviving for two years in Lamar County. Located in the Harrahs Casino in Biloxi, Mix & Mingle is a one-stop shop, especially if youre looking for cougars in Mississippi. The most common is probably about cougars, also called . This is especially true when theyre trying to meet older women. There have been some confirmed sightings in Tennessee. []. The Engel Cooler with Rod Holders is the perfect cooler for angler fishing from kayaks, small boats or even from shore. Published 12:04 am Wednesday, April 2, 2014. "I would not be surprised to get more trail camera photos, but not in that vicinity. Conservation Officer Service says it receives "relatively few" reports of daytime cougar sightings in Colwood each year, but human encounters with the animals do occur. They'rein Arkansas and one's been confirmed in Tennessee. About a quarter hour or so later, our friend said he saw the cat cautiously emerge from the brush along the steep bank at a deer crossing that was, as I recall, about 50 or 60 yards away from him. Located in Biloxi at the Beau Rivage Resort & Casino, the Eight75 Lounge is a great place to meet cougars in Mississippi. Since September of 2015, there have been a few confirmed sightings of cougars in Tennessee. Richard Rummel, an MDWFP biologist who has experience with panthers, agreed with Flynt after reviewing the video numerous times. State laws across the United States recognize cougars importance as a crucial element in the ecosystems they inhabit, and this is certainly true in Mississippi. Fish and Wildlife Service earlier this year. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Theres a welcoming ambiance from the start. If youre looking for a place that has everything, head to Mix & Mingle. Trail camera photo submitted by a landowner. irst confirmed cougar sighting is available here. The only problem with those is that the only truly large, wild black cats are leopards and jaguars. Recounting the day of the incident, Mandy said the animal was very light-colored, and she could clearly see its tail touching the ground. And with the lights down low, theres definitely an intimate feel to this place! Mandy said the scat has since been determined to be from a coyote.