# Mark your Panther sightings on the map



## Miguel Cervantes (May 18, 2017)

Placing this in the On Topic forum so we don't have to put up with all of the other non-sense that goes along with this topic. 

Recent photo images reveal that the Florida Panther is thriving and breeding. While some males have managed to migrate north, it seems tougher for the females for some reason. 

http://www.defendersblog.org/2017/05/mother-kittens-signal-long-awaited-milestone-florida-panthers/

Whether what you have seen has been a illegally released pet or a migratory cat, or even a native cat that the DNR just refuses to admits exists, they are here in Georgia.

I am interested in where you can pin locations of positively ID'd Panthers, mountain lions, puma etc. (all the same)

I am not interested in a melonistic trait debate, so take that garbage elsewhere. This thread is to label locations of sightings over the years. 

Here's the map. Copy and save it to your computer, then go to paint or whatever program you use and put a dot of the location of your sighting and tell us a little about it when you post it back up in here. 

My first sighting was 20 years ago in North Putnam on a 1500 acre tract we were leasing. It was archery season and I got to observe this big cat with a fresh killed rabbit walking out of the pines and down the dirt road, eventually turning into the clear cut. 

My second sighting was about 10 years ago in Southern Bibb on the Ocmulgee River. I was in what would have been swamp, river overflow, but the water was down, and heard this one coming before I saw it cross a break / shooting lane heading towards a flood pond. About 30 minutes later it came back the same path and went on about it's way. This was archery hunting as well.


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## Nicodemus (May 18, 2017)

It was either 1994 or 95 and I was at the top of a 150 foot 500KV tower in Baker County doing an inspection when one crossed the ROW, maybe 100 yards from me. Middle of the afternoon and I got to watch it for a while as it moved across the open ROW. I`m fairly sure it was one of the tagged panthers that were released in the Osceola National Forest as an experiment. It or one like it was later captured not far south of Providence Canyon and taken back to Florida.


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## Red dirt clod (May 18, 2017)

*April 12th 2017*

My stepson called me around 8:30 am and asked if I was setting down, he said he just saw a mountain lion chasing a rabbit on the power line behind his house. This was in North Hall county. He called the DNR and reported it, they said to try and get a picture. He has put out 3 trail cams but so far only yotes and deer. Never known him to exaggerate or lie. He worked for the DNR during summers and did a tour in Afghanistan. I am on a new IPad, don't know how yet to work your map.


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## Miguel Cervantes (May 18, 2017)

Red dirt clod said:


> My stepson called me around 8:30 am and asked if I was setting down, he said he just saw a mountain lion chasing a rabbit on the power line behind his house. This was in North Hall county. He called the DNR and reported it, they said to try and get a picture. He has put out 3 trail cams but so far only yotes and deer. Never known him to exaggerate or lie. He worked for the DNR during summers and did a tour in Afghanistan. I am on a new IPad, don't know how yet to work your map.



Is this pretty close?


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## kmckinnie (May 18, 2017)

Nicodemus said:


> It was either 1998 or 99 and I was at the top of a 150 foot 500KV tower in Baker County doing an inspection when one crossed the ROW, maybe 100 yards from me. Middle of the afternoon and I got to watch it for a while as it moved across the open ROW. I`m fairly sure it was one of the tagged panthers that were released in the Osceola National Forest as an experiment. It or one like it was later captured not far south of Providence Canyon and taken back to Florida.



I have not seen the one in Quitman county. But that not far from yours. Others have said they seen one there. 
Maybe so.


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## Red dirt clod (May 18, 2017)

*Yes that's perfect*

13 miles north of Gainesville right off 129.


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## Throwback (May 18, 2017)

Can you please define "positively ID'd?"


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## Miguel Cervantes (May 18, 2017)

Throwback said:


> Can you please define "positively ID'd?"



Sure, Tawny in color, long tail with black tip, 90 to 130+ lbs, no spots, stripes or black coat.


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## bulldawgborn (May 18, 2017)

Summer 2003.  Riding west on GA 298 in Treutlen County.  Panther slipped over a standard 4 ft fence pretty as you please, about 75 to 100 yards in front of me.  In what seemed like one motion it covered the ditch and right of way quickly, paused at the edge of the road, and glided across the road.  Saw it's long tail and tawny brown color clearly.  I would say this cat was over 100 lbs.  Took a couple seconds to realize what I had just seen.


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## Miguel Cervantes (May 18, 2017)

bulldawgborn said:


> Summer 2003.  Riding west on GA 298 in Treutlen County.



So that would be about here?


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## mrs. hornet22 (May 18, 2017)

Saw one when I used to work in Barrow County. 2 of us were standing on the loading dock and the sun was just coming up. It was walking in the wooded lot next to our building. Lots of woods behind our building also. Thank goodness I was not the only one that saw it. We called DNR and they said, "We don't have those here". The girl that worked in the warehouse would hear some weird LOUD noises come out of those woods. She swore bigfoot lived back there.


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## mrs. hornet22 (May 18, 2017)

Miguel Cervantes said:


> Sure, Tawny in color, long tail with black tip, 90 to 130+ lbs, no spots, stripes or black coat.



Yep. What he said. The long tail.


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## bilgerat (May 18, 2017)

didn't one get shot in Troup co a few years back


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## Miguel Cervantes (May 18, 2017)

bilgerat said:


> didn't one get shot in Troup co a few years back



I believe so, and I also believe it cost that fella lots of money and penalties. 

Don't know where exactly in the county it was though.


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## Miguel Cervantes (May 18, 2017)

bilgerat said:


> didn't one get shot in Troup co a few years back





Miguel Cervantes said:


> I believe so, and I also believe it cost that fella lots of money and penalties.
> 
> Don't know where exactly in the county it was though.



Not knowing exactly where in Troup, other than near West Point Lake, I'm going to take a shot in the dark and place a dot over that way. If someone has more specific information as to where it can be changed.


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## Crakajak (May 18, 2017)

I think he was on COE land in Troup.
Saw one in North Central Talbot in 2012. Saw it for a good 6 seconds walking across a pasture edge crossing a creek.Stood about 3 ft tall about 4 ft long and a 3 ft tail. Didn't have my camera with me or I would have taken a picture of the paw print in the sand.


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## Miguel Cervantes (May 18, 2017)

Crakajak said:


> I think he was on COE land in Troup.
> Saw one in North Central Talbot in 2012. Saw it for a good 6 seconds walking across a pasture edge crossing a creek.Stood about 3 ft tall about 4 ft long and a 3 ft tail. Didn't have my camera with me or I would have taken a picture of the paw print in the sand.


This look close enough?


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## Crakajak (May 18, 2017)

Yes.


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## jimbo4116 (May 18, 2017)

I have never seen a panther but I have talked to people who have and seen pictures that were definitely panthers.

Multiple sighting have been made west of Bowen Mill pond in Western Brooks County. 

Then there is this. Just read past the lions and tigers, although there is a population of both in southern Lowndes and southern Brooks counties.  Don't laugh and they have been known to get out a time or two.

http://www.tigerstripes.org/

Valdosta Times Big Cats

http://www.valdostadailytimes.com/n...cle_a2665d36-1c0d-57de-8e70-b41e23ac9f9c.html


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## jbird1 (May 18, 2017)

No love for the Barrow cat?

I believe you!


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## Wycliff (May 18, 2017)

I saw one in Screven county about the middle of the county by the river in what is now Tuckahoe WMA in about 1988-1989


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## T-N-T (May 18, 2017)

Have a cousin who swears on all that is holy sh saw one in the North center of bacon county some years back.  She gets wild eyed when she tells the story.

Directly above the C in bacon


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## Lindseys Grandpa (May 18, 2017)

Saw one in Newnan middle of day. I was waiting to stop traffic for a funeral and it crossed road about 50 yards  away. Heard later that a guy who lived nearby had one for a pet . Figured it must have gotten loose.


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## treemanjohn (May 18, 2017)

I saw one in Cohutta 30 years ago with my father and a very good friend saw on there last fall while he was mountain biking. My father said that he and my uncles treed several on Rich Mountain while coon hunting while they were kids. Circa 1930ish


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## Capt Quirk (May 19, 2017)

Stick a pin in Tennille for me please? It was crossing the road a couple miles from our place. It looped across both lanes in a couple or steps. Big critter, but it seems like something got it's tail. Other than that, it had the right shape and coloring of a cougar, or what you guys are calling a panther. If I had been going any faster, I would have hit it.


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## LOVEMYLABXS (May 19, 2017)

Mine was a little to the Northwest of Ga.  Muzzleloader hunting deer when she walked right up to me back in 2013. Didn't have a tag so shot her with my Kodak instead


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## EAGLE EYE 444 (May 19, 2017)

LOVEMYLABXS said:


> Mine was a little to the Northwest of Ga.  Muzzleloader hunting deer when she walked right up to me back in 2013. Didn't have a tag so shot her with my Kodak instead




Mike, I am really enjoying this thread.  When I first saw the title of it, I immediately thought about you and your encounter back a few years go because I still remember that up close encounter out in your area of the world.  Both of your photos are awesome too.   Here is the link for more info from back then too.

http://forum.gon.com/showthread.php?t=782585&highlight=cougar 

I have been somewhat surprised at all of the remarks so far right here in Georgia as it is good information to know about.


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## Miguel Cervantes (May 19, 2017)

Map updated, hopefully, minus the short tail cat sighting, sorry.


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## COYOTE X (May 19, 2017)

I have a picture (My Avatar) of tracks left by one my son and I saw on February 11, 2017. Coffee/Telfair/Benhill county line. Awesome to see it in broad daylight, and thankful my son got to see it with me. Found out a few weeks later that the neighbor has lost a few calf and said he knew it was around, just had not seen it yet.


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## Miguel Cervantes (May 19, 2017)

COYOTE X said:


> I have a picture (My Avatar) of tracks left by one my son and I saw on February 11, 2017. Coffee/Telfair/Benhill county line. Awesome to see it in broad daylight, and thankful my son got to see it with me. Found out a few weeks later that the neighbor has lost a few calf and said he knew it was around, just had not seen it yet.



Not to dispute your son, or what he or you saw, but those tracks are about half the size of what a mature panther would leave. 

I'm not trying to turn this into a debate thread, nor will I and will mark a dot for your sighting trusting that what your eyes witnessed are more valid than the picture of the tracks.


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## Miguel Cervantes (May 19, 2017)

Updated map


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## fish hawk (May 19, 2017)

Several sightings at my Uncles farm along the ocmulgee river bottoms,early 70's.Telfair/Coffee line


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## jcbcpa (May 19, 2017)

Miller County
About 25 years ago, my brother and I were deer hunting.
I was in my stand and about 150 yards or so from me had one climb a pine and sit on a limb maybe 20 or 30 feet up the tree. I could see it plainly with my scope. I watched it for maybe 10 minutes or so and then my brother came walking the trail to my stand and spooked it. 
We went and looked under the tree at the tracks and notified the local game warden. I'm sure the DNR went and looked at the location and tracks but I can't remember.


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## Darien1 (May 19, 2017)

It was 1972 in Jones county.  Four of us were shining rabbits in a field on a farm north of Gray.  Right near where there was a huge propane storage tank along the right side of the highway.  Three of us were standing in the bed of a pick up truck and one guy was driving.  We were using the trucks head lights and one of us had a Q Beam shining over the cab.  We were in a hay pasture when he/she came out of the wood line on the left and crossed the pasture about 40 yards in front of us at a quick walk.  All four of us, at the same moment said "mountain lion"  No mistaking that long tail and long body.    Its something I will never forget as long as I live.   Also, I have no idea how to place that red dot on the map so maybe someone can do it for me.


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## Miguel Cervantes (May 19, 2017)

Map update


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## Miguel Cervantes (May 19, 2017)

Interesting conversation at lunch with a friend who grew up in Baxley, resulting in the dot I put on the Bacon county line and possibly corroborating an earlier account on here about the small prints. Back in the late 70's and early 80's they regularly saw a cougar, assuming it to be a female due to it's smaller stature, with a broke tail. Still the long tail, but damaged from an accident or some other source. He also stated that this cat was more of the darker cinnamon color that Puma's can exhibit, which may lead to the more melonistic reports seen at dusk making people assume it is black in nature. But I don't want to stir up that hornets nest, nor encourage a debate on this thread about that phantom phenomena. 

His story is congruent with the conglomeration of sightings in that area. 

Non-breeding males have a hunting range of around 700 square miles, that can be expanded should they be looking for a mate. 

Females in general have a smaller hunting and breeding range and the close proximity of sightings and size of prints reported here and from his story are consistent with what y'all are saying. 

I am certain, by the size of the cat in my sightings in N. Putnam and S. Bibb, with one report from Jones, paralleled to a large print find I had in Jones only a few years ago that it is possible all three of those could be the same male cat. 

The more reports we get from you guys the more the likelyhood there is we can parse down exactly how many Puma's we are talking about here.


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## Nicodemus (May 19, 2017)

Miguel Cervantes said:


> Interesting conversation at lunch with a friend who grew up in Baxley, resulting in the dot I put on the Bacon county line and possibly corroborating an earlier account on here about the small prints. Back in the late 70's and early 80's they regularly saw a cougar, assuming it to be a female due to it's smaller stature, with a broke tail. Still the long tail, but damaged from an accident or some other source. He also stated that this cat was more of the darker cinnamon color that Puma's can exhibit, which may lead to the more melonistic reports seen at dusk making people assume it is black in nature. But I don't want to stir up that hornets nest, nor encourage a debate on this thread about that phantom phenomena.
> 
> His story is congruent with the conglomeration of sightings in that area.
> 
> ...



The one in Bacon County sounds like it might have been a jaguarundi.


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## Miguel Cervantes (May 19, 2017)

Nicodemus said:


> The one in Bacon County sounds like it might have been a jaguarundi.



I was trying not to go down that rabbit hole. 

Given that it tangled with something that was bigger than it and got it's tail broke would go along with a stray Florida panther, especially since most of theses sightings have one common denominator. Water. 

The female, due to a more confined range and apparently being dumber than a doe deer when it comes to crossing traffic, seems to be less likely to be seen migrating north than the males do. 

I did see a dead collared panther on a trip down 95 towards Kings Bay a few years ago. I'm not counting that one since I can't remember exactly how far down it was and it was doornail dead. 

Also, I can't verify that the Florida panther shares it's likelihood to be found in a cinnamon coloration like it's western cousin can. But there is also the possibility of an escaped illegally attained western cougar in sightings as well. 

The various coloration in the Florida panther, if any would be a topic for someone that is expert in the species. Certainly not me. 

In so much as the Jaguarandi goes, I think a separate on topic thread could fill pages with sightings based on claims made in other forums on GON. It is certainly a possibility given the size of the prints in the Bacon County area and accounts of coloration and size given by witnesses. 

There is much to be yet discovered in the wilds of Georgia that have yet to be caught on camera and would make for great conversation if they ever were found. 

Here's a good Jaguarandi link if anyone wants to crank that thread up. 

http://jagabama.blogspot.com/2011/10/georgia-photo-gray-fox.html

I can tell you from experience that by the curve and length of the tail in this links photo that it is not a fox.


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## Miguel Cervantes (May 19, 2017)

A couple of good articles here.

#1 - I've never, before reading this article, known that they were introduced to the Okefenokee. That in and of itself lends to some SE Ga sighting credibility. 

#2 - The second, more recent link is evidence that they are dispersing in territory northward, but does not corroborate any movements as far north as Georgia. I would have to again reference the Okefenokee relocation program for any panthers in Georgia. 

http://www.gainesville.com/news/20140330/florida-panthers-may-move-farther-north-in-state/1

http://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/environment/article141012563.html


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## Nicodemus (May 19, 2017)

Here is the information on the North Florida experiment. Kind of long, but tells of each of the collared animals.


http://southeasternoutdoors.com/wil...florida-panther-reintroduction-study-7507.pdf


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## Miguel Cervantes (May 19, 2017)

Nicodemus said:


> Here is the information on the North Florida experiment. Kind of long, but tells of each of the collared animals.
> 
> 
> http://southeasternoutdoors.com/wil...florida-panther-reintroduction-study-7507.pdf



That is good stuff Nic. Thanks for posting that.


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## Nicodemus (May 19, 2017)

Miguel Cervantes said:


> That is good stuff Nic. Thanks for posting that.





One of our local DNR biologists was keeping track of the going ons here in Georgia and writing a weekly report in the Albany Herald during that time. When the time came to get T 48 back, my "Cuz in Law" was in on the capture. He showed me a pic of him with that panther after it was tranqed. Big cat.


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## Miguel Cervantes (May 19, 2017)

Nicodemus said:


> One of our local DNR biologists was keeping track of the going ons here in Georgia and writing a weekly report in the Albany Herald during that time. When the time came to get T 48 back, my "Cuz in Law" was in on the capture. He showed me a pic of him with that panther after it was tranqed. Big cat.



I did find the studies done on dna testing of kittens interesting. Especially since a good number of the males had been sterilized.


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## Nicodemus (May 19, 2017)

Here`s T 48, when he was tranquilized and captured in Stewart County Georgia in 1995.


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## Miguel Cervantes (May 19, 2017)

Nicodemus said:


> Here`s T 48, when he was tranquilized and captured in Stewart County Georgia in 1995.



That is one healthy male cat right there!!


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## Nicodemus (May 19, 2017)

Miguel Cervantes said:


> That is one healthy male cat right there!!





Yea, Cuz is a big man and that cat looks big as he is.


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## Miguel Cervantes (May 19, 2017)

Nicodemus said:


> Yea, Cuz is a big man and that cat looks big as he is.



I did see a stat somewhere, primarily pertaining to the Florida reintroductions, that over the entire period of the program not one single attack on a human has ever been reported. 

Though the one I saw in North Putnam did give me a very good long stare I figured he was satisfied with the rabbit he had in his mouth and was simply assessing whether I was a threat or not. He was a sizable cat as well. My yellow lab was a 100lb animal and this cat was easily bigger than my lab was.


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## karen936 (May 19, 2017)

Earlier this year Fannin county Morganton Ga.


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## Nicodemus (May 19, 2017)

Hugh, a lot of what these  cats were eating was armadillos. A couple of them did a lot of wandering around down here in South Georgia. 

At the present, the panthers south of the Caloosahatchee have put a serious hurting on the deer and hog populations down in South Florida.

I`ve spent  a lot of time and research looking into them, and I`ve never found an unwarranted attack on a person by a panther in Florida, at no time in recorded history.


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## marknga (May 19, 2017)

1980, Ocmulgee WMA, Twiggs County.

Before daylight walking in with my Baker Stand on one shoulder and my Remington 742 on the other. Got turned around and hung up in some thick stuff. Stopped for a minute and turned the flashlight off, taking a deep breath and get my bearings. I hear something exhale.
I turned toward the sound and flipped the flashlight on and about 15 yards or so away was them big eyes. The cat turned and and went out of sight, the long tail being the last thing I saw. It was as big as big German Shepard dog.
Found prints later that day.
At the check-in station I told the DNR guy about it and he told my dad that he might want to keep an eye on me, I was smoking dope and laughed. Ticked me off.
I know what I saw. 
Later heard of a guy seeing one that same weekend on down the power line.


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## jbird1 (May 19, 2017)

Looks like a cat highway runnin' right up the gut.


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## Capt Quirk (May 19, 2017)

Why is my sighting being dismissed? Animals with long tails do get their tails chewed off. I know you think it was a bobcat, but it was almost as long as the width of a single lane, and looked nothing like a bobcat.


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## swamp hunter (May 19, 2017)

Cause you can't even fix your Well pump that's why...
I know a bit about them cats and I've had one within 15 yards of me sitting in a ladder stand. He didn't threaten me , in fact I was a curiosity to him , as he was to me.
But I ain't walkin that swamp trail in the dark anymore.
Big controversy in them cats. I like to see them and I'm glad their here but the Feds have allowed us to be the test crash dummys on this Re.Introduction and our deer and hogs ,,ect, ,,ect,, are bout wiped out.
I am glad to see that they are spreading North and I wish you much luck around your Food plots and Feeders, your gonna need if  my experience is any fore warning. according to the recent NPS radio collar studies our deer have changed a bit from all night feeding to mostly full daylight cause they can see them coming. Not to mention about 3/4 of the deer are gone.
When I first started hunting the Glades we were doing just  over 600 bucks a year and 2 to 300 hogs. Last data for 2016 , 93 Bucks and ZERO Hogs
Careful what you wish for....


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## Miguel Cervantes (May 19, 2017)

swamp hunter said:


> Cause you can't even fix your Well pump that's why...
> I know a bit about them cats and I've had one within 15 yards of me sitting in a ladder stand. He didn't threaten me , in fact I was a curiosity to him , as he was to me.
> But I ain't walkin that swamp trail in the dark anymore.
> Big controversy in them cats. I like to see them and I'm glad their here but the Feds have allowed us to be the test crash dummys on this Re.Introduction and our deer and hogs ,,ect, ,,ect,, are bout wiped out.
> ...



Hogs are an import here and I won't miss a one of them if they're gone. 

I once had a conversation with a sweet girl that thought killing animals was a horrible thing to do. I tried to explain to her the natural balance void that hunters were filling, to no avail. So my next statement left her without a response. I told her I'd make a deal with her; Let all of the natural predators that once roamed this land be reintroduced to keep the balance and I'll lay my gun down tomorrow, cause Lord knows I can provide for me and mine by other means. The stipulation for that is this, when Fifi or little Johnny gets carried off by a Cougar or a Wolf she's not allowed to utter a peep about it. No calling the law for help or anything, because she has to understand that in this big natural world of ours we are as big a part of the natural balance and food chain as little bunnies are and you can't have it both ways. 

Me personally? I'd love to see more cats in the wild. We won't even talk about the pair of wolves I witnessed in the dead of winter down in Macon county. That's another discussion for another thread.


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## Miguel Cervantes (May 20, 2017)

I think, if nothing else, based solely on the Troup County panther killing we can all agree that there are panthers in Georgia, if only in minuscule quantities. That said, it would seem to behoove the Ga DNR to set up a site such as the Florida FWS has to report them so tracking and data can be added to the Florida program in cat displacement and establishment of new ranges for future data.

Here is the model for the FWS sight on reporting these magnificent cats. 

https://publictemp.myfwc.com/HSC/PantherSightings/Default.aspx


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## 7Mag Hunter (May 20, 2017)

1964-65....summertime camping at a friends family farm
pond (10ac)...Farm was approx 200ac next to a swamp..
Almost every night we heard very loud cat screams,
and his Grandfather called him a "Catamount".....Told us
NOT to go on the back side of pond after dark and to stay
by the campfire at night....we started sleeping in the screened gazebo...
Went looking several times during the day and found cat
tracks in the mud that were larger than our hands....
about 5 miles north of Fayetteville GA (Fayette county)
adjacent to then a large creek and several miles of swamp
bottom....


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## Katalee (Jun 7, 2017)

Saw one in 1967. Harris county off 27 just north of Columbus. On my grandfather's farm on Holland Rd. I was 8 at the time, playing in the barn.watched it cross a field for about 25 seconds.


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## doublebarrel (Jun 7, 2017)

Southern Greene and West Taliaferro. BB


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## Trigabby (Jun 7, 2017)

I had an experience in Central Twiggs near where marknga saw his.  It wasn't on the river but close and on some private land.  We had a big family of bear there, too.  Anyway, on a morning hunt on a ridge behind me I heard a lot of commotion and then heard a panther scream or growl.  Pretty sure it wasn't a bobcat as I've heard them before and I've since listened to them on youtube and it was very similar to what I heard.  Don't add a dot as I didn't actually see it, but it was definitely something I've never heard since.  This was in the late 90's.. 98 I think.


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## Bob Shaw (Jun 11, 2017)

Mid 90's I had one run across the road in front of me when heading to Fort mountain State Park on US411 near White Georgia. No mistaking that tawny color and long tail.


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## tarpley1972 (Aug 22, 2018)

Enjoying this thread!   Sighting, South Monroe County, 1998.  Panther got after some foals we had.  It was quite sad as one of the mares died.  Our farm is at 7022 GA Hwy. 87, Juliette, GA 31046...not far from the river (Ocmulgee)


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## Ol' Buckmaster (Aug 23, 2018)

I saw one in southern Hart county in 2000. It crossed the road at about 10:30 in the morning. I heard that one had escaped from a private owner just across the line in SC several days earlier but was never able to verify that. I'm not sure if it was a wild cat or not but the sighting made me want to learn everything I could about eastern cougars. I was even a card carrying member of the Eastern Cougar Foundation for several years.


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## BriarPatch99 (Aug 23, 2018)

Spring 2010 my Wife and I were on our daily early morning walk ... about a quarter mile from our house is a South GA flat pond ... as we approached the beginning of the FP ... my wife said look at the size of this dog track ... I walked over and recognised the track as being a cat track not a dog track ... it was about the size of a softball in size ...

A couple days later my neighbor says he was a huge cat sitting on a pile of dirt about daybreak about 150 yards in his open pasture bordered by  a fair size creek drainage .... this is about one mile from where We saw the track ...

The mail lady said she spotted a large cat crossing the dirt road on the other side the same flat pond about the same time period ...

So two spottings  and a track by different people within a week period ... spotters said darker tan color with really long tail...

This would be about the bottom edge of the last E in Coffee County (map)... and not a long ways from the Bacon/ Appling sightings ...


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## swamp hunter (Aug 23, 2018)

We just had our 19th killed by a car out of a total of 22 this year so far..
Come and get you a bunch...please.


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## redeli (Aug 23, 2018)

1997 Treutlen County


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## Mr Bya Lungshot (Aug 23, 2018)

You can put a dot at pobiddy rd bridge at the flint river in upson county.
The year was around 1999 give or take. I heard and felt that something was behind me. Light as ever footsteps and the hair stood up on the back of my neck like I was struck by lightning. I was basically lost on the property until I seen the river and knew to go toward the road. Well I felt the need to unload my rifle at the 50 yard line reluctantly but did it anyway. So I get out to the road feeling much better about not being lost anymore. At this time the darkness was getting there but I could see a long ways either direction without a light. The moon was up I suppose. Anyway after I got a little ways up the road I heard something jump out onto the road. When I looked back I didn’t see much but I knew something was out there with me.
I stood there facing whatever it was for a minute and all the sudden I see a puma cross the road pretty much where I walked out. Shocked as ever and scared to death I focused on the long tail first then the complete silhouette and watched it cross to the otherside. Once it was about ten yards deep and out of sight I decided that was the time to reload for my safety sake and tip toe back to camp. Didn’t look back too many times, didn’t shoot anything, but my ears were listening for the slightest sound. Nobody believes it but make that spot I swear. There is no mistaking in size or what I seen. I have seen one in legal captivity year after year.


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## KyDawg (Aug 23, 2018)

Katalee said:


> Saw one in 1967. Harris county off 27 just north of Columbus. On my grandfather's farm on Holland Rd. I was 8 at the time, playing in the barn.watched it cross a field for about 25 seconds.



Back when we hunted South of there in Stewart County, there was club that had some hounds and they Chased Jaguarundi. They claimed they had killed a few. Might be what you saw.


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## swamphammock (Sep 3, 2018)

Just south of Manor in Ware county, 1994. Me, my brother and a friend riding at night on a dirt road. Clear as day in the headlights. It was wearing a radio collar. Thiught it might have been an escapee... Research showed it was most likely one of a test group brought up from the south FL pop. The study those were involved in proved they ranged much further than thought, or at least those. It also noted BREEDING by some of them, way farther north. 
I saw a small brownish gray cat with spots in southern Ware, very lightly populated and very swampy area. Not sure what it was, but I remember turning around to see it and it was gone. I didn't think on it much til I talked to a game warden who wanted all the info I could give him about it. Then I learn about there definitely being kittens from the test group.... Just makes you wonder. Could have been nothing, but who knows.


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## Patriot44 (Sep 3, 2018)

S. Fulton 2011 on the trail of a small doe 30 minutes before dark.


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## Dub (Sep 6, 2018)

November, 2002

Burke County lease

Afternoon hunt, an hour before sunset time.

75 yards away....edge of food plot that has a stream running parallel with it 25 yds inside the wood line.

Walked beside food plot for a few yards....hopped up in tree with low branches.  Obscured by the foliage.  Never made a sound that I could hear....even going up into the tree.

Made for an interesting final half hour of hunting time before I climbed down from the stand.  I didn't delay much on the walk out back to my truck. 

The farmer that owned the land told me he'd had two sightings....once on the same farm and one nearby at a friends place. 

10 miles from the lease is a WMA that I hunted some that same season.  I was sitting on a ridge one early afternoon overlooking a bottom.  About an hour or so after getting set up I see movement down in the bottom.  The biggest bobcat I've ever seen strolled through there like he was actively hunting something.  Sucker was huge.

Same stand as the long tailed cat was spotted on the lease, a buddy had a medium sized bobcat follow him to the stand.


Point being here....I'm used to seeing bobcats.   The November 2002 sighting was most assuredly not a bobcat.


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## 3ringer (Sep 12, 2018)

Back around 1998 , I was pulling a load of marble up Hwy 53 in Tate , Ga.  I was going up the hill near Tate elementary school. I was only going about 15 to 20 miles per hour. It was about 2pm on a clear day. A tan colored cougar with a long tail jumped from the embankment on one side of the road and ran across to the other side. It was only about 30 yards in front of me. I couldn’t believe what I just saw. I called DNR the next day and reported it since it was so close to a school with kids playing outside. DNR just dismissed it and said that they have had several unproven sightings in the area.


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