[Hollynla]

Originally Posted by Old Fossil

I'm from the 1930s and at that time black panthers were common talk, and not to scare people, they were just a natural event and no big deal unless they started taking calves. When Arkansas Game and Fish was in denial, when someone presented undeniable proof their common denial statement was that someone's pet cougar got away. Oh well, many of us have known better for years.

A neighboring property owner said in the 10 years she's been living back here (we only have 3 homes down the road I live on and we all border forestland), she has seen one black one and one tan one. Well, that was until her husband's 3rd sighting of the traditional tan colored one.

Fish & game couldn't deny it any further when there was video of one from someone's game camera, then one was shot and the body turned in. That's when the denial changed to, they are here, but no evidence of them reproducing.

[TRex2]

We have them here in Texas too. On average, we guess there is about one per country, and on average they have a six county roaming area, so in any one location you have the possibility of seeing one of the six that roam your area (isn't math fun?).

On the other hand, on any particular day, you only have about one chance in a thousand of having one within a mile of you (more math), and they don't like to be seen by humans, so sightings are rare.

Since there are six roaming any particular area, that allows for breeding.

I don't know why the numbers don't rise, except here one gets hit by a car or truck about once every 5 years.

That and the occasional gunshot must keep them in check.

[GSR13]

I'd be more concerned about Bigfoot than Mountain Lions if I lived in Arkansas.

[Bluefox]

Originally Posted by GSR13

I'd be more concerned about Bigfoot than Mountain Lions if I lived in Arkansas.

Isn't Arkansas where the Boggy Creek Monster lives? I remember that movie (documentary?) scaring the crap out of me when I was a kid.

[Bluefox]

Originally Posted by Slytrix

Very Cool but also something to brush up your face to face with a mountain lion skills. From a video posted a week or so ago, do not turn your back on them. Make yourself look big and slowly back away.

20 years ago in the local east county San Diego mountains a hiker and a horse back rider got killed by lions. The horse rider got taken while riding.

Still, compared even to black and brown bears, attacks are exceptionally rare. They are a little more frequent on Vancouver Island where attacks are disproportionately high relative to the total N. American population for unknown reasons, but they are largely animals that do not want to be seen and tend to avoid humans at all costs. Most victims are children or the elderly. At any rate, if you have the fortune of seeing one consider yourself very lucky (or unlucky).

Still, they can be absolutely vicious creatures. I've seen documentaries where they have literally broken the necks of adult male wolves and one where a female with a cub successfully intimidated and chased off an adult male grizzly in Canada which definitely weighed at least 6-700 pounds. They are pure muscle and know how to leverage their weight in a very clinical way. One of the most amazing megafauna on our continent for sure.

[btoverdrive]

Originally Posted by Bluefox

Isn't Arkansas where the Boggy Creek Monster lives? I remember that movie (documentary?) scaring the crap out of me when I was a kid.

The Boggy Creek monster is actually the Fouke monster, if you believe in such things. Fouke is a small community just south of Texarkana. The movie was based on sightings around Fouke. I have driven through Fouke many times and never seen him, it, etc, but it was always during the day.

[P47P47]

Originally Posted by btoverdrive

The Boggy Creek monster is actually the Fouke monster, if you believe in such things.

Didn't the original "Fouke monster" turn out to be two goofballs who went out in the woods, got real drunk, scratched each other up good, then claimed that they had been attacked by a "monster"?

[elkotronics]

Didn't the original "Fouke monster" turn out to be two goofballs who went out in the woods, got real drunk, scratched each other up good, then claimed that they had been attacked by a "monster"?

You're correct, P47P47! Tell him what's he's won, Bob! Really, your answer sounds logical...on the surface.

[P47P47]

Originally Posted by elkotronics

Didn't the original "Fouke monster" turn out to be two goofballs who went out in the woods, got real drunk, scratched each other up good, then claimed that they had been attacked by a "monster"?

You're correct, P47P47! Tell him what's he's won, Bob! Really, your answer sounds logical...on the surface.

It's what my cousin told me about the story when I was visiting him in Little Rock a year after it had hit the news.

[elkotronics]

Your story jibes with the one from Snowflake, AZ, in the 80's that spawned the movie 'Fire in the Sky.' These two guys couldn't finish their tree-thinning job for the state forestry service on time per contract, so they made up a story about a spaceship beaming one guy up and conducting "what is his species" experiments on him. True story!

I didn't mean to bemean you or your story, but actually your story may indeed be what really happened.