Mountain Lions/ Cougars back in Kentucky! (Louisville, Frankfort: safe, move, eat)

[CraigCreek]

In response to LadyAlicia:

In town (i.e. Lexington), gray squirrels, chipmunks, opossums, cottontail rabbits, raccoons, an occasional groundhog, perhaps deer on the outskirts of town. Mice and rats. Gray squirrels are the most commonly seen mammal here - raccoons and opossums are nocturnal, so less frequently spotted - but they are there. Box turtles (actually terrapins) are common in wooded areas. Lots of birds of all kinds. Only non-poisonous snakes are in the Bluegrass - copperheads in the much more rugged Palisades are sometimes encountered, but in general, there's nothing very scary in the way of Lexington wildlife. There are also frogs, toads, salamanders, lizards, fishes, etc. in Kentucky. The University of Kentucky Press has published excellent field guides to Kentucky birds and Kentucky mammals (along with trees and shrubs, wildflowers, and reptiles and amphibians).

A bit farther out, in addition to all the above, there are red and gray foxes, skunks, coyotes, white-footed mice, red squirrels and bobcats (and beavers in the Kentucky River Palisades). All of these tend to be shy around people.

Bears are returning in eastern Kentucky and are moving west - they've been spotted and filmed in suburban Berea, just one county away from Lexington. Elk and bison have been reintroduced in various places, but are not part of the Bluegrass fauna at present, though both were here historically.

No wolves or documented mountain lions (there are many claims of seeing mountain lions, however, and it's possible they are still in rural Ky), though both were here historically as can be seen by still-extant place names. Wolf Run is a major Lexington stream, much of which runs underground now, alas. There's a Painter Creek in Nicholas County - "painter"="panther". Elk Lick Falls is in a nature sanctuary in Fayette County, and Elkhorn Creek is another major Bluegrass waterway.

The best approach to Kentucky's wildlife is to live and let live. Give large creatures and/or predators a wide berth - do not automaticallly shoot, as you may be in violation of hunting seasons. Most wild animals are shy and do not seek out contact with people. Many are nocturnal, and you may never even know they are there.

If you are a hunter, get in touch with the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife about laws and regulations. If you encounter a scary wild animal (like a bear) while hiking (unlikely though this might be), make a loud noise and look intimidating while backing away - do not run, as many are faster than you are! If you live in an area known for bears or raccoons, make sure your garbage is safely secured so it won't attract unwelcome guests.

Most Lexingtonians find that an occasional sighting of an unexpected wild animal is simply an interesting experience, not a source of fear or worry.

[ladyalicia105]

Originally Posted by CraigCreek

In response to LadyAlicia:

In town (i.e. Lexington), gray squirrels, chipmunks, opossums, cottontail rabbits, raccoons, an occasional groundhog, perhaps deer on the outskirts of town. Mice and rats. Gray squirrels are the most commonly seen mammal here - raccoons and opossums are nocturnal, so less frequently spotted - but they are there. Box turtles (actually terrapins) are common in wooded areas. Lots of birds of all kinds. Only non-poisonous snakes are in the Bluegrass - copperheads in the much more rugged Palisades are sometimes encountered, but in general, there's nothing very scary in the way of Lexington wildlife. There are also frogs, toads, salamanders, lizards, fishes, etc. in Kentucky. The University of Kentucky Press has published excellent field guides to Kentucky birds and Kentucky mammals (along with trees and shrubs, wildflowers, and reptiles and amphibians).

A bit farther out, in addition to all the above, there are red and gray foxes, skunks, coyotes, white-footed mice, red squirrels and bobcats (and beavers in the Kentucky River Palisades). All of these tend to be shy around people.

Bears are returning in eastern Kentucky and are moving west - they've been spotted and filmed in suburban Berea, just one county away from Lexington. Elk and bison have been reintroduced in various places, but are not part of the Bluegrass fauna at present, though both were here historically.

No wolves or documented mountain lions (there are many claims of seeing mountain lions, however, and it's possible they are still in rural Ky), though both were here historically as can be seen by still-extant place names. Wolf Run is a major Lexington stream, much of which runs underground now, alas. There's a Painter Creek in Nicholas County - "painter"="panther". Elk Lick Falls is in a nature sanctuary in Fayette County, and Elkhorn Creek is another major Bluegrass waterway.

The best approach to Kentucky's wildlife is to live and let live. Give large creatures and/or predators a wide berth - do not automaticallly shoot, as you may be in violation of hunting seasons. Most wild animals are shy and do not seek out contact with people. Many are nocturnal, and you may never even know they are there.

If you are a hunter, get in touch with the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife about laws and regulations. If you encounter a scary wild animal (like a bear) while hiking (unlikely though this might be), make a loud noise and look intimidating while backing away - do not run, as many are faster than you are! If you live in an area known for bears or raccoons, make sure your garbage is safely secured so it won't attract unwelcome guests.

Most Lexingtonians find that an occasional sighting of an unexpected wild animal is simply an interesting experience, not a source of fear or worry.

I am not a hunter by no means and neither is my husband. Im one of the dumb people who will see a bear and say "Oh how cute! Can I hug it? " LOL!!

What about insects? Like really big bugs? I kind of have a bug phobia...

[masonsdaughter]

I have seen panthers and saw one mountian lion last year, and I do not own a cell phone with a camera. There are bears, wolves, and skunks here. Most of them do not want to be seen, therefore, they do not come around humans. If you are in the woods or a rural area, be aware of what is around you and if you see something remove yourself from the area as soon as possible, but do not run, unless it starts to chase you. However, I have only heard of rare instances of a big cat chasing people. I think it was last year a bear attacked a man in the Red River Gorge area. Supposedly without reason, but the man got several pictures of the bear, so I assume he was busy taking pictures instead of getting out of the area.

[masonsdaughter]

Sorry, I posted at the same time you did. Insects. Well, let me see. We have flies, roaches, ants, chiggers, mosquitoes, fleas,ticks, gnats, and lots of worms. You will encounter any or all of these if you spend much time outside. The key to key to keeping them out of the house is to keep leaves raked away from the house and keep the house clean. Most of them are just aggrivating. Oh, yes, we do have spiders. Most of these won't bother you, but we have the black widow and the brown recluse, or fiddle back, both of which can put you in the hospital. Both of these are seldom encounterd, though. I hope this doesn't scare you off, but if you plan on moving here, you will encounter some of them. Most of them will not hurt you.

[CraigCreek]

Originally Posted by masonsdaughter

Sorry, I posted at the same time you did. Insects. Well, let me see. We have flies, roaches, ants, chiggers, mosquitoes, fleas,ticks, gnats, and lots of worms. You will encounter any or all of these if you spend much time outside. The key to key to keeping them out of the house is to keep leaves raked away from the house and keep the house clean. Most of them are just aggrivating. Oh, yes, we do have spiders. Most of these won't bother you, but we have the black widow and the brown recluse, or fiddle back, both of which can put you in the hospital. Both of these are seldom encounterd, though. I hope this doesn't scare you off, but if you plan on moving here, you will encounter some of them. Most of them will not hurt you.

On the more pleasant side, we also have beautiful butterflies, moths, dragonflies, damselflies, waterstriders - and lightning bugs! (fireflies).

Beetles, too, of many kinds. Not a problem, other than for invasive alien emerald ash borers and cockroaches. Those are not from the pleasant side...

[ladyalicia105]

ICK!!! I better live in pants, boots and long sleeve shirts!

[Crazee Cat Lady]

Originally Posted by masonsdaughter

. I think it was last year a bear attacked a man in the Red River Gorge area. Supposedly without reason, but the man got several pictures of the bear, so I assume he was busy taking pictures instead of getting out of the area.

That man did everything in the world you are not suppose to do, when you see a bear.
First off, instead of letting it go on it's way, he chased through the woods after it(Mistake one),
then because he wanted a picture of it, he threw a rock at it, to get it's attention and make it turn around toward his camera (Big mistake number two), then the bear got angry and started running at him
so he decides now to run away from it (Mistake number three ~or so they say) and he tried to climb
a tree to get away from it, the bear clawed him.

[CraigCreek]

Originally Posted by Crazee Cat Lady

That man did everything in the world you are not suppose to do, when you see a bear.
First off, instead of letting it go on it's way, he chased through the woods after it(Mistake one),
then because he wanted a picture of it, he threw a rock at it, to get it's attention and make it turn around toward his camera (Big mistake number two), then the bear got angry and started running at him
so he decides now to run away from it (Mistake number three ~or so they say) and he tried to climb
a tree to get away from it, the bear clawed him.

Yep, that's not bear-wise. Reminds me of the horror stories from the Smokies, of clueless tourists trying to put a bear cub into the front seat of the car, right next to the kids, because it looked so cute.

Mama Bear didn't think much of this idea...

Perhaps bear-safety needs to be routinely taught in Kentucky schools, as bears are making a considerable come-back nowadays. Of course, most bear-safety is just common sense (which isn't as common as it should be, alas).

[masonsdaughter]

I hadn't heard that he had thrown a rock at the bear. I did assume that he had stopped to take pictures of the bear, which the bear may have seen as agressive actions. Most of the insects I mentioned are aggravations, nothing more. The spiders, a different matter. If you are going to be out in the woods or weedy areas, you learn to deal with this. If you realize that this is a rural area and that this is the kind of stuff you encounter, and it is not the end of the world, you will be fine. The rural areas are where these creatures live. Understand that, and learn to either live with them or stay out of their way and you will be fine. I just figured the op didn't need the situation whitewashed. Rural area, wild animals, insects. Bottom line.

[CraigCreek]

I use (safe) bug repellent when I'm in the woods during warm weather. It seems to work well for me, generally speaking, though some mosquitoes just won't quit!

You do have to check for ticks after being in the woods...they are not as bad in areas which have predominant hardwoods as in areas with pines or cedars. Not sure about hemlocks, but there are few of those growing naturally around Lexington.