# Florida Panther



## outdooraddict

Ok, this has turned into a huge debate so I wanted to see if I could get some help from you guys. Someone is saying that the Florida Panther does not exist north of South Florida, plus this is backed up by biologist and the FWC. A friend of mine says he saw prints last week. I have seen tons of coyote tracks and I have seen what looks to be large rounded panther tracks (large as my hand) on Point Washington, Elgin and Aucilla WMAs. I was personally hunting during the first few days of general gun this season on Eglin off of hwy 87 near grassy point. I heard something walking in the swamp and a panther jumped out 30 yds from my stand. I had my scope on it because I heard it coming. This was not a coyote and it wasn't a bobcat. If it had been either of those two I would have pulled the trigger. I have seen bobcats on my trail cameras all over the panhandle but this thing was BIG. Big head, long body and I was scared to death walking back to my truck at dark because he had gone in that direction. I say we have panthers. What do you guys say? Have any pics?


----------



## SouthAlabamaSlayer

Do a forum search, there was a thread about 2 months ago on this topic. Everyone agreed that there are panthers in Alabama and Northern Florida.


----------



## southern yakker

I haven't seen one but I've heard multiple people see them especially around st marks area. My dad said he saw one a couple years ago there.


----------



## Grassflatsfisher

100,000's of deer cams in the woods and not a single picture. All these people see tracks yet no one ever post a picture of them. Not saying it isn't possible but the evidence isn't there. If they were as prevalent as people say there would be more factual evidence.


----------



## Chris V

There are several subspecies of panther/puma/cougar/etc (whichever you call them) and its very likely the different forms crossover into another's regions. I have no doubt that they exist throughout the southeast. Now whether or not it was the "Florida" panther is uncertain


----------



## Collard

Wirelessly posted (Not the droid youre lookin for)



Grassflatsfisher said:


> 100,000's of deer cams in the woods and not a single picture. All these people see tracks yet no one ever post a picture of them. Not saying it isn't possible but the evidence isn't there. If they were as prevalent as people say there would be more factual evidence.


Exactly.
They'll have to really build up their numbers before they spread and are seen in abundance. You would think we'd have some trailcam pics by now.
On another note....seems the ufo's and bigfoots have become rather reclusive since EVERYONE has a camera now.


----------



## SouthAlabamaSlayer

Grassflatsfisher said:


> 100,000's of deer cams in the woods and not a single picture. All these people see tracks yet no one ever post a picture of them. Not saying it isn't possible but the evidence isn't there. If they were as prevalent as people say there would be more factual evidence.


 How many deer pictures aren't in front of bait, not many. How exactly do you bait a panther? I don't think anyone is saying that they're everywhere, just saying that they're here.


----------



## sniperpeeps

There was a guy who killed one in Lagrange Georgia about 5 years ago. Was in GON magazine and all over the news. I believe he got into some legal trouble.


----------



## Grassflatsfisher

SouthAlabamaSlayer said:


> How many deer pictures aren't in front of bait, not many. How exactly do you bait a panther? I don't think anyone is saying that they're everywhere, just saying that they're here.


I got over 15,000 pictures of deer this year in AL. Not a single one was over a drop of corn. Wouldn't a panther be looking for deer and ***** at bait sites anyways? Like I said, the may exist but there aren't near as many as people say.


----------



## panhandleslim

These cats were here before they were ever endangered and likely never went 'extinct' in the area. With the recent increase in the number of wild pigs there is an increase in the food source for panthers. Panthers are reclusive animals. Females tend to be very secretive. Males have a very large area that they cover. My brother-in-law saw one recently in north Escambia county. They are not just prevalent in south Florida but they are thick in the Big Bend area of Florida. Steinhatchee and Cedar Key area. That is not really THAT far away. The Yellow River drainage and the area of that drainage inside of Eglin AFB is huge. Now, I would love to have some trail camera photos but I have met several guys whose life work is to get trail camera photos of wild Tigers and these are hard to come by even when you are seeing lots of pug marks and actual human/cat confrontations. Taking trail cam photos is not as simple as it seems...good comment about bait. I talked to Dan Moultrie and he told me that he had a 1,800 acre deer enclosure south of Birmingham that had 200, internet connected, trail cameras inside. He decided to kill everything inside the enclosure and start a new program. Half the bucks that ended up getting killed, he had never seen on these trail cameras. If you miss half the bucks on more than one camera per 100 acres, imagine how easy it would be for these reclusive cats to circumvent areas that humans travel.


----------



## Countryboyreese

They are here. My dad got stalked by one in south bama. He saw it chasing a turkey the same day. My friend heard two communicating in the pace area. Almost everyone I hunt with have seen them.


----------



## L Hull

I moved here from Ga several years ago. I read the GON(Georgia Outdoor News) article. My son actually saw one but I misunderstood what he said on the walkie, and told him not to shoot it. Georgia does not even list them as a game animal so if the Ga department of natural resources pursues a case it usually gets thrown out. I don't know if what we had in Ga were Florida panthers we knew them as black panthers. There also was a guy in south Ga years ago that shot a Western Mountain Lion, turned out it was a left over from some joint study done by Ga & Fl DNR. They let several go that were tagged around the state lines, to study how far and fast they would range out. After the time was up they caught the tagged ones, but they said the one the guy shot was one of the offspring. This was also in the GON.


----------



## Outside9

Grassflatsfisher said:


> 100,000's of deer cams in the woods and not a single picture. All these people see tracks yet no one ever post a picture of them. Not saying it isn't possible but the evidence isn't there. If they were as prevalent as people say there would be more factual evidence.


I agree, never one dead on road, never a good photo and if I found that good of a print, why not mark it and bring in a biologist to ID it?


----------



## KingCrab

Big foot doesnt exist either butt there are many shows about them. Trust me, If there's this much talk about them, they do exist. Just not in your mind. I've heard too many supposed sightings of a big Black cat that makes female screams in the night . I know they are real. They are just camera shy.


----------



## Countryboyreese

Anyone else hear the story about a man getting attacked by a black panther in north alabama? I heard about it a while ago, interesting read.


----------



## K-Bill

Countryboyreese said:


> Anyone else hear the story about a man getting attacked by a black panther in north alabama? I heard about it a while ago, interesting read.


panthers up here and into AL, absolutely. but tan/brownish color. black panthers, i've been told my many folks smarter than me there's no such animal. had a long talk with an fwc officer who recently moved back to the panhandle after being in the glades for several years and dealing with plenty of them. he also confirms they are amongst us in these parts.


----------



## KingCrab

K-Bill said:


> panthers up here and into AL, absolutely. but tan/brownish color. black panthers, i've been told my many folks smarter than me there's no such animal. had a long talk with an fwc officer who recently moved back to the panhandle after being in the glades for several years and dealing with plenty of them. he also confirms they are amongst us in these parts.


 They Exist!!!:thumbsup:


----------



## GatorUSN

When I was about 16 ('93) my friends parents took us to the Florida vs Auburn game and we saw one dead on the side of 85...just like everyone says, you know exactly what it is when you see it.


----------



## sniperpeeps

Here you go for anyone who doesn't believe they are here- 

http://www.fws.gov/southeast/news/2011/11-057.html

Where he killed it is about 40 miles South-West of Atlanta


----------



## hyco

tan panthers, yes..........black panthers, no. there is no such thing........tony


----------



## OTTE*DA*WORM

hyco said:


> tan panthers, yes..........black panthers, no. there is no such thing........tony


 
There is so black panthers. These were spotted near Hollywood, FL.


----------



## GatorUSN

pic of black panther in escambia county:



View attachment 70266


----------



## 192

GatorUSN said:


> pic of black panther in escambia county:
> 
> View attachment 70266


Holy S*#$!! That was funny!


----------



## espo16

GatorUSN said:


> pic of black panther in escambia county:
> 
> 
> 
> View attachment 70266


 
Albeit very funny, I actually laughed out loud and almost shit myself at my desk, the fact remains that YOU...ARE..AN..IDIOT.... good one though...


----------



## VOLMAN

I remember the previous thread. I live in Crestview and used to work in Brewton. On my way home one evening, I saw one on 4 about 1 1/2 or so east of Zcorton bridge. It was stalking a yearling feeding in ditch. Like I said before it was BIG, Black and had a looong tail all up in the air. Saw possum cop at Pic and Save in Baker, stopped and told him and was told that wasn't what I saw. I know better and was sober as a judge too.


----------



## espo16

VOLMAN said:


> I know better and was sober as a judge too.


That drunk huh?:whistling:


----------



## Countryboyreese

http://www.fieldandstream.com/blogs/hunting/2010/12/alabama-man-fends-panther-attack-knife. Here ya go. Hope the link works.


----------



## hyco

there is no such thing as a black panther(animal). panthers lack the melanistic gene that leopards and jaguars have and there are none of them around here. there is not any photo evidence, pictures or kills to change scientific minds. there has never been one killed up north or out west where they are alowed to be hunted. cat hunters themselves don't believe in black panthers......


----------



## SouthAlabamaSlayer

hyco said:


> there is no such thing as a black panther(animal). panthers lack the melanistic gene that leopards and jaguars have and there are none of them around here. there is not any photo evidence, pictures or kills to change scientific minds. there has never been one killed up north or out west where they are alowed to be hunted. cat hunters themselves don't believe in black panthers......


The Florida "panther" is actually a subspecies of Cougar. Cougars have never been documented being melanistic, but they do have the allele for it. A recessive allele no matter how recessive, will show up eventually. The likelihood of it happening in the same family is high, and the likelihood that those two animals would breed is high. Two recessive alleled parents almost guarantees that the phenotype would show in their offspring. So technically it's possible.


----------



## Grassflatsfisher

SouthAlabamaSlayer said:


> The Florida "panther" is actually a subspecies of Cougar. Cougars have never been documented being melanistic, but they do have the allele for it. A recessive allele no matter how recessive, will show up eventually. The likelihood of it happening in the same family is high, and the likelihood that those two animals would breed is high. Two recessive alleled parents almost guarantees that the phenotype would show in their offspring. So technically it's possible.


Technically possible...statistically improbable, especially in the numbers that everyone says they see them...specifically on this forum.


----------



## SouthAlabamaSlayer

Grassflatsfisher said:


> Technically possible...statistically improbable, especially in the numbers that everyone says they see them...specifically on this forum.


 Agreed. I believe that they are black bobcats, but hey that's just me!


----------



## Grassflatsfisher

SouthAlabamaSlayer said:


> Agreed. I believe that they are black bobcats, but hey that's just me!


I believe they are smoking crack, but that's just me! 

If there were as many cats as people say they see we would have deer cam pics, cats being hit on the road, and people and house pets being mauled and attacked. How many bears have you seen in the woods? Yet how many are on peoples deer cam? Proof is in the pudding but all I'm seeing jello.


----------



## VOLMAN

No Espo, I really was sober that evening. I know what I saw. I was on the phone with my brother in NC at the time and he started flipping out asking me to go back and take pics for him.


----------



## sniperpeeps

Grassflatsfisher said:


> I believe they are smoking crack, but that's just me!
> 
> If there were as many cats as people say they see we would have deer cam pics, cats being hit on the road, and people and house pets being mauled and attacked. How many bears have you seen in the woods? Yet how many are on peoples deer cam? Proof is in the pudding but all I'm seeing jello.


Dude read the article I posted about the guy in Georgia who killed one and got prosecuted for it almost in Atlanta. No trail cam pics or sightings of him until he got killed and that area is congested with subdivisions. Those cats aren't dumb. They are around here, not in huge numbers but they are here.


----------



## Cracker

sniperpeeps said:


> Dude read the article I posted about the guy in Georgia who killed one and got prosecuted for it almost in Atlanta. No trail cam pics or sightings of him until he got killed and that area is congested with subdivisions. Those cats aren't dumb. They are around here, not in huge numbers but they are here.


The Woods&Water write up about the same incident said it was likely a captive cat that escaped..:whistling:


----------



## sniperpeeps

Cracker said:


> The Woods&Water write up about the same incident said it was likely a captive cat that escaped..:whistling:


That write up was done before any research was done on the cat. Everyone thought that at first but why do you think the guy was prosecuted if it was a captive cat? They examined the cat, determined it to be a wild Florida panther, and prosecuted him for killing an endangered species.


----------



## sniperpeeps

Cracker said:


> The Woods&Water write up about the same incident said it was likely a captive cat that escaped..:whistling:


And who is more credible US Fish and Wildlife or woods and water?


----------



## Cracker

Wouldn't he get in trouble anyway seeing there is no Florida panther season???


----------



## Cracker

sniperpeeps said:


> And who is more credible US Fish and Wildlife or woods and water?


It says Wildlife resources said it was probably captive


----------



## hyco

I do believe it was a young panther. Seems like I remember it also was Dna'd to be related to a known male from central Florida. The biologist surmised it was exploring. It was also TAN. Do panthers travel thru the area? It's entirely possible. I've spent more time in black water than the avg person over the last 15 years and have never saw any sign even remotely panther. I've turkey hunt shoal river ranch and have been in clubs all around black water. Not a sign and don't know anybody who has......tony


----------



## Tungoil

Have seen two in 40 years on private owned 17000 acres. Last time was in 1980.


----------



## sniperpeeps

Cracker said:


> It says Wildlife resources said it was probably captive


Read up on it if you want like was mentioned it was a wild cat. 

There are cats in south Florida and nothing makes them stay there. If they want to roam they can and I'm just saying that they could easily roam around here. I also do not believe there are any black cats but who would believe it unless you saw one.


----------



## KingCrab

There are to many reports of them to say they are not real or exist. I dont deny or refute this. My Grandfather says he's seen them. I dont dispute. U will once in your life believe what people u trust say. Unless u trust no one.:no:


----------



## Deeplines

Back in the 70's one was reported up in North Alabama. I was young but I remember all the talk about it, because it was black. It lived down by the Mulberry river. I never saw it but I did hear it scream one night.


----------



## earnhardt3rulz

I saw one this last hunting season crossing a road in Tate's Hell Swamp I took cell phone video. Watched him/her for at least 5 minutes, had to be close to five feet long, with a 3 foot long tail.


----------



## Grassflatsfisher

earnhardt3rulz said:


> I saw one this last hunting season crossing a road in Tate's Hell Swamp I took cell phone video. Watched him/her for at least 5 minutes, had to be close to five feet long, with a 3 foot long tail.


Please post the video.


----------



## Grassflatsfisher

sniperpeeps said:


> Dude read the article I posted about the guy in Georgia who killed one and got prosecuted for it almost in Atlanta. No trail cam pics or sightings of him until he got killed and that area is congested with subdivisions. Those cats aren't dumb. They are around here, not in huge numbers but they are here.


I did. My take away is there are 100-160 in existence and 50 were seen in the Escambia, Santa Rosa, and Oakaloosa this hunting season. Again I never said they didn't exist, just not buying all the sightings.


----------



## espo16

earnhardt3rulz said:


> I saw one this last hunting season crossing a road in Tate's Hell Swamp I took cell phone video. Watched him/her for at least 5 minutes, had to be close to five feet long, with a 3 foot long tail.


Had to be done.... let me see this so called cell phone video NASCAR fan....


----------



## hyco

the flag has been thrown. somebody post some proof and we might get it changed to a simple delay of game...................


----------



## IM4MOPAR

*Sighting*

Saw one in 1990-91 near Blountstown, fl. I was a stander during a dog hunt I was invited to. during mid-morning, a fire was burning through several sections, I guess dog hunting was REAL BIG down that way, alot of people were really mad. Anyways, I was stationed on the ROW of a two lane blacktop, I was the only one with a rifle instead of a shotgun, if nothing else, I think to help catch the dogs. Smoke would roll across the road in waves, then clear, smoke rolled, cleared, and not 20ft away was a panther(tan) crouching on the blacktop, he was not crouching directly at me, I raised the rifle in a self defense position, he watched me, I watched him, smoke was just starting to roll again on the far side of ROW, he launched away from me just as quick. I can still remember it to this day!! Lucky to see one.


----------



## RHowington

<IMG> http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3567/3589792168_ed9269f108_z.jpg?zz=1</IMG>

Stalking my dinner


----------



## overkill

1972 driving on Schillinger Road (Mobile). It was standing on the edge of the woods - 3 seconds later, gone. Big, black with long tail. I never forgot those few seconds. As the sailors say...this is no BS.


----------



## xxinfamous1xx

welll welll


----------



## Cracker

Black lab??????


----------



## TatSoul

i would have had 1 hand on the 45 1 on the 30 06 and been crapping my pants


----------



## K-Bill

TatSoul said:


> i would have had 1 hand on the 45 1 on the 30 06 and been crapping my pants


you're not a dog guy, huh?


----------



## MrFish

K-Bill said:


> you're not a dog guy, huh?


Yeah, I think we've debated this pic before. Tail wasn't long enough and some other stuff. Emaciated lab was the consensus.


----------



## K-Bill

MrFish said:


> Yeah, I think we've debated this pic before. Tail wasn't long enough and some other stuff. Emaciated lab was the consensus.


i knew i had seen these pics before. thanks.


----------



## MrFish

Apparently, I thought it was a panther the first time. I don't know, next time shoot the damn thing and stop stirring up sh*t.:whistling:


----------



## hurricanes1

Nice pic of a black dog!


----------

