https://twitter.com/HuntressRay/stat...96770425786368

Some of you may know, I saw one of these behind my house back over the summer. I called the Dept. of Fish and Wildlife about it and they said that I was seeing things. Well, now it is confirmed that they do exist in Ky.

Here's what WKYT said about it.
http://www.wkyt.com/home/headlines/F...1.html?ref=541

 

There was one seen around Hazard a couple of years ago.

Too bad this one had to be put down. They're beautiful animals.

 

I can't believe they shot this animal. What a shame.. I could see if it were doing harm but shooting just in case IF it was to do harm is not right.

Yes there are big cats around here. I've not seen them myself but very credible sources have told me about them. One guy was a game warden the other guy long time friend through work and the other a long time, good friend who lives on the river..
They don't want to panic the people by making them widely known. Got a good friend from Fayette County that says they do the same thing about the bears in east central KY.
I have seen markings long ago while hiking off trail in Danial Boone National Forest area of some sizeable cats. Don't think they were quite full grown mountain lions but bobcat size for sure. That was some uneasy nights camping in the wild knowing they were around you...somewhere, watching.

I did see a big panther in Florida a couple of years ago. That was a cool sight for the short time it lasted. I was safely in my car then. Well as safe as one can be with a Mom freaking out in the seat next to you.

 

My Dad saw a bobcat that a trapper got off the farm next to his. (Southern Campbell County) I personally saw one of those mountain lions behind my house this summer. The one I saw was similar in color of the one killed. My neighbor saw a black one a couple months ago. I don't want them around. They my be nice to see, but not in my back yard. We've got a bunch of coyotes around here too. I called the Dept of Fish and Wildlife and said they do not exist in Ky. I don't agree with their assessment.

Bears in Eastern Ky are now hunted. And they do put down the ones that are not afraid of people.

 

The one my buddy has seen, more than once, is a black one. He lives in Grant Co.

The cats don't bother me until they become scroungers near homes.

Bears just scare me any more.

There were reports of bear sightings in Boone Co a couple of years ago again. Talk to some of the older farmers out there and they will tell you a bear story or three..

 

If you remember, there was a black bear roaming around the Cincinnati area. Several reports and pictures of it.

 

The game departments don't want to acknowledge them for some reason, until it's incontrovertible. I suspect for a couple reasons. One, mountain lion has been extirpated over large parts of its former range for nearly a century, so there are no bag limits, regulations, specified hunting season, etc. as a practical matter, can someone be charged for shooting something that doesn't even exist officially? An "Endangered" species is another matter. They don't want to open that nutroll.

Out in California they are making a nice comeback, and picking off joggers with some regularity. Don't get me wrong, that's what mountain lions do. The officials out there in a recent attack said something like "We need to find out what provoked the attack."

Uh, I hate to break it to these guys, but critters get their food the easiest way they can, like anybody else. They are a predator, and little kids, joggers, fluffy the wonder kitty are all fair game as far as the big cats are concerned. The only provocation is being food! They were extirpated for a reason. Don't ever buy the nonsense that "mountain lion attacks are very rare."; if there aren't any mountain lions around - that's probably true. But it's a circular argument. If mountain lion is common - then don't be surprised.

 

This is why I keep my 9mm on me at all times. 11 rounds of FMJ's will get the point across that I'm not an easy meal.

 

Thanks for your input Ted! The other day when I got this article, there was a guy doing some work here for me that is from Northern California. He said basically the same thing as you. He said the people around there shot them when they could. It's actually illegal out there to do that, but they needed to do that to keep the population in control.

 

It may be a liability angle too, if there are reintroduction efforts they may not want the publicity. If somebody gets munched, it's no stretch to think somebody's family is going to want to sue. Hell, for that matter Saber toothed tigers, Cave bears are probably extinct for a reason. They made Grizzlies and Cougars look like toys.

 

I have acreage in Jackson and Clay counties and we have seen bears and cougars on trail cameras.

 

I saw a cougar, mountain lion, whatever, behind my house last year. I live in Campbell County. Talked to a guy in Pendleton County that also has video of the big cats too.