Panthers in SE Texas??

[Matthew328]

I was driving to Beaumont on Friday night on Hwy 105 and right outside of Cleveland on Hwy 105 right about 9:50pm a friggin black panther walks right in front of my truck crossing the highway!! I thought I was seeing things at first but it was a panther sure enough, he had a long tail and was about 3 1/2 feet tall head to paw.  I didn't even faze him driving past on the road....I called a few natives of the area who confirmed that there are panthers running around and at night people can hear their "screams" in the big thicket. 

I called the Big Thicket Hqtrs. today and they did confirm that all signs point to their population increasing as sightings are getting more numerous.  Anyone encounter one or are these just myths? 

[Guest Wildcat 08]

Yes we do have them scattered across East and Southeast texas.

[tvc184]

No panthers but I do have the Brooklyn Bridge for sale.

[Guest Kelly Football]

I've seen a few over the years, mostly Bobcats though.

[Matthew328]

I've seen some bobcats west of Fort Worth....but this was not one..his tail was long and he was much bigger also...it scared the hell outta me at first because that was the last thing I expected to see...but it was a beautiful animal.  I did some research and apparently as recently as 1900 there were newspaper reports of encounters with panthers in SE Texas. Their natural habitat apparently used to be the entire SE United States

[Guest Dirk Diggler]

We have them! I saw one last year Hunting. Kept my distance.

[Guest tigersvoice]

I've seen some bobcats west of Fort Worth....but this was not one..his tail was long and he was much bigger also...it scared the heck outta me at first because that was the last thing I expected to see...but it was a beautiful animal.  I did some research and apparently as recently as 1900 there were newspaper reports of encounters with panthers in SE Texas. Their natural habitat apparently used to be the entire SE United States

I've seen bobcats and I have seen cougars - both in the wild.  There is no way to mistake one for the other.  I have never seen a panther, to my knowledge, but I would guess it would be about the size of a cougar.  Still, I don't know why anyone would be confused over sighting a bobcat or a cougar/panther.

[bullets13]

when i was about 10 years old we had a black panther come up to our house and bed down in some high grass under our kitchen window (I lived in meeker at the time).  they're definitely around, although they're pretty elusive, as that's the only one i've seen, and i've been around SETX for about 20 years now. 

[duckbutter]

About 10 yrs ago I watched a cougar stalk a couple of small bucks that were grazing in my oat patch in Newton.  At first I thought it was a really large bobcat until I saw its long tail and then I knew what it was.  The wind was swirling and they winded him before he could catch one.  Pretty neat to watch it unfold though, watched him try to sneak up on them for about 5 min before they busted him.  About 2 weeks later my brother-in-law saw him cross one of his lanes close to his feeder.  We both could have killed him but decided that since they are so rare in this part of Texas we would just watch.

[westend1]

I won't believe we have any around here until (1) reliable pic on game camera or(2) someone shoots one and brings it in.  Too many hunters with game cams not to have lots of pics if they were around.  JMO

[829126]

are they legal to shoot ???

[tvc184]

I won't believe we have any around here until (1) reliable pic on game camera or(2) someone shoots one and brings it in.  Too many hunters with game cams not to have lots of pics if they were around.  JMO

I'm with you. Between game cams and every device on the market today with cameras built in, why haven't we seen the pics?

They might very well be out there..... but they seem to be as elusive as Big Foot.

[duckbutter]

are they legal to shoot ???

Yes cougars (mountain lions) are legal to shoot in Texas as long as you have a valid hunting license.  As far as "black panthers" are concerned I have mixed thoughts on them being in this area.  However, if you go to the Ellen Trout Zoo in Lufkin you will see that the Jaguar's range is up in this area.  They have a map that shows a shaded area that includes S.E. Texas.  The Jaguar can be spotted or black.  It just might be possible for some to be in this area.

[Guest SunCat]

My grandfather had a photo of a panther he killed near Buna. This was probably in the 1930's - so there could still be some left.

[bronco1]

Typically this the cat that people mistake for the Panther, not saying you didn't but usaully this is the case.

Jaguarundi (Herpailurus yaguarondi)

Texas Status

Endangered

U.S. Status

Endangered, Listed 6/14/1976

Description

Jaguarundis is slightly larger than a domestic cat, weighing 8 - 16 pounds. Their coat is a solid color; either rusty-brown or charcoal gray.

Life History

Jaguarundis move in a quick weasel-like manner. They eat birds, rabbits, and small rodents, hunting during early morning and evening. Although Jaguarundis hunt mostly on the ground, they also climb trees easily and have been seen springing into the air to capture prey. Historical accounts from Mexico suggest that Jaguarundis are also good swimmers and enter the water freely. They are solitary (live alone) except during the mating season of November and December. Jaguarundis are active mainly at night, but also move around during the day, often going to water to drink at midday. They live 16 to 22 years in captivity.

Jaguarundis are endangered because the dense brush that provides habitat has been cleared for farming or for the growth of cities. Jaguarundis still exist in Mexico, but they are now very rare in Texas. People in the Lower Rio Grande Valley are working together to plant native shrubs and restore habitat for the Jaguarundi, Ocelot, migrating songbirds, and other animals.

Habitat

Like the Ocelot, the Jaguarundi is found in dense, thorny shrublands.

Distribution

It is found in the south Texas brush country and lower Rio Grande valley. Jaguarundis are also found in northern Mexico and central and south America.

Other

The Jaguarundi is so elusive that researchers have been unable to estimate how many are left in the wild.

[MR. REALITY]

i was looking around on the net and it said there is no such thing as a black panther. i remember a cougar being killed in hardin county a few years ago. i am not sure how to put a site on here so if you have time do a search for mountain lion mule and look at these pic.

Bronco1:

The email that circulates about this isn't accurate but the pics are prety interesting.

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Caption not true.

[sharkfutbol]

There is for sure Panthers in the area.  I have bobcats on my property nightly and have several witnesses who have seen the cougar, jaguar or panthers... in the same area.  I have witness with my own ears the screaming of the cats as they sound eerily like a screaming crying baby.  The cattle ranchers have seen them for a long while around here.  I live in sabine pass and yes they are here.  Not to long ago the port arthur news did a story and pic of the cougars being spotted near hiway 365 and near intercoastal waterway by the port arthur refinery.  As for shooting them I believe you need to check the laws.  Long tail cats might be protected.  Bobcats however are legal.

[mustang]

Did anybody hear about the state of Texas releasing black Bears into the wild again? 

[duckbutter]

I understand that some land owners got letters from TP&W informing them that black bears are or were going to be released and not to mistake them for wild hogs while hunting.  Killing one would bring a big fine.  Don't know how true this all is but it would not surprise me if it were true.  Maybe the bears could help control the hog population...

[MR. REALITY]

There is for sure Panthers in the area.  I have bobcats on my property nightly and have several witnesses who have seen the cougar, jaguar or panthers... in the same area.  I have witness with my own ears the screaming of the cats as they sound eerily like a screaming crying baby.  The cattle ranchers have seen them for a long while around here.  I live in sabine pass and yes they are here.  Not to long ago the port arthur news did a story and pic of the cougars being spotted near hiway 365 and near intercoastal waterway by the port arthur refinery.  As for shooting them I believe you need to check the laws.  Long tail cats might be protected.  Bobcats however are legal.

there is no doubt in my mind there are cougars, or panthers which ever you wnt to call them, in our parts . i have not seen one but did find a calf in the fork of a tree one day while working cows. i was just saying i have heard people talk about black panthers but science says there is no such thing.

[Fowld-Up11]

I say there are black "somethins" in southeasttexas, it might not be scientifically proven but this is my story on it...I was 11 and my dad and I were bringing a deer he shot to the old processin place in lumberton (by the soccer fields) which is now just a taxidermy shop i believe...and we were draggin this buck into the big freezer and the guy says he wanted to show us somethin...he moves a deer off one of the racks and layin there is a BIG BLACK CAT (which i believe was a panther) looked strait out of the jungle book...said it had been killed somewhere off 421...the paw was about as big as my head...it was the coolest thing id ever seen...this is no lie it was awesome....

[HAWKS24]

There is for sure Panthers in the area.  I have bobcats on my property nightly and have several witnesses who have seen the cougar, jaguar or panthers... in the same area.  I have witness with my own ears the screaming of the cats as they sound eerily like a screaming crying baby.  The cattle ranchers have seen them for a long while around here.  I live in sabine pass and yes they are here.  Not to long ago the port arthur news did a story and pic of the cougars being spotted near hiway 365 and near intercoastal waterway by the port arthur refinery.  As for shooting them I believe you need to check the laws.  Long tail cats might be protected.  Bobcats however are legal.

there is no doubt in my mind there are cougars, or panthers which ever you wnt to call them, in our parts . i have not seen one but did find a calf in the fork of a tree one day while working cows. i was just saying i have heard people talk about black panthers but science says there is no such thing.

I have a place up in College Station, in the Navasota River Bottom. And we have been seeing big cat tracks around our feeders. And then about a week ago my buddy had a couger walk out while he was hunting and lay rite  underneith the feeder. So i beleive there are some big cats around SE and East Texas.

[westend1]

There is for sure Panthers in the area.  I have bobcats on my property nightly and have several witnesses who have seen the cougar, jaguar or panthers... in the same area.  I have witness with my own ears the screaming of the cats as they sound eerily like a screaming crying baby.  The cattle ranchers have seen them for a long while around here.  I live in sabine pass and yes they are here.  Not to long ago the port arthur news did a story and pic of the cougars being spotted near hiway 365 and near intercoastal waterway by the port arthur refinery.  As for shooting them I believe you need to check the laws.  Long tail cats might be protected.  Bobcats however are legal.

there is no doubt in my mind there are cougars, or panthers which ever you wnt to call them, in our parts . i have not seen one but did find a calf in the fork of a tree one day while working cows. i was just saying i have heard people talk about black panthers but science says there is no such thing.

I have a place up in College Station, in the Navasota River Bottom. And we have been seeing big cat tracks around our feeders. And then about a week ago my buddy had a couger walk out while he was hunting and lay rite  underneith the feeder. So i beleive there are some big cats around SE and East Texas.

Why no dead cat(or at least a photo)?

[643]

No black cat was ever in the taxidermy shop in Lumberton....ever. 2 Mountain Lions n both came from out west...

[HAWKS24]

There is for sure Panthers in the area.  I have bobcats on my property nightly and have several witnesses who have seen the cougar, jaguar or panthers... in the same area.  I have witness with my own ears the screaming of the cats as they sound eerily like a screaming crying baby.  The cattle ranchers have seen them for a long while around here.  I live in sabine pass and yes they are here.  Not to long ago the port arthur news did a story and pic of the cougars being spotted near hiway 365 and near intercoastal waterway by the port arthur refinery.  As for shooting them I believe you need to check the laws.  Long tail cats might be protected.  Bobcats however are legal.

there is no doubt in my mind there are cougars, or panthers which ever you wnt to call them, in our parts . i have not seen one but did find a calf in the fork of a tree one day while working cows. i was just saying i have heard people talk about black panthers but science says there is no such thing.

I have a place up in College Station, in the Navasota River Bottom. And we have been seeing big cat tracks around our feeders. And then about a week ago my buddy had a couger walk out while he was hunting and lay rite  underneith the feeder. So i beleive there are some big cats around SE and East Texas.

Why no dead cat(or at least a photo)?

Because my buddy was huntin with a bow and it was out of range...and all he had was his camera phone..but he did get a good picture of the track it made.