Another Louisiana Cougar!!!

Look what I found!!! This picture was just posted on my message board. I don't have the details yet. Other than the the camera owner's name on the trail cam picture. If anyone has any information about this email me or post it here.

I bet if you rub him on the head he will purrrrr.

Thats a big cat....

Thats no house kitty there!
Skeptics explain that

explain how you varafied the picture was from louisana.

Looks superimposed to me.

...Jefroka

Meh.....da name says Robichaux don't it!

Very interesting. Follow up with this. My Dad and I were in the woods a few weeks ago and we heard a sound that sent chills down our spine. My dad 65 years old and grew up hunting in the woods had never heard anything like it before.

My info is all second hand. I have not talked to Kevin.
Time stamp should be pm, not am.
The cougar was spotted and a trail cam was put out to catch his picture.
LDWF has put out scent traps and hair snares to try to get some hair for DNA testing.
Picture comes from central Louisiana (Campti, west of Kisatchie National Forest).

that thing is huge... awesome sight

how do you know thats from Louisiana. The name can be changed very easily...http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f326/jasonphoto01/redo.jpg

As I stated already the information I have is second hand. Should be easy enough to verify though. LDWF is soppose to be involved.

If he was using a SWAMP GHOST, he would have gotten a better pic of that cat. Look how slow the trigger time is on that cam, the cat is almost out of the picture.....

I came across a track in a foodplot, West Feliciana, two weeks ago and it was a perfect print the size of my hand with five toes.

Don't know if it is bear/kujo/chuba/mr. mountain lion.

5 toes most likely means it was a bear.

They can say whatever they want to about cougars not being here. I hunt in central Louisiana and have personally seen 2 of them. The people at WLF told me to my face that I was lying. You can give housecats any kind of steroids you want, they don't get that big.

If LDWF admits they are here, then they'll have to manage (protect) them. There's 2 critters I'm scared of -- grizzly bears and cougars. These cats are showing up in places where they haven't been seen in a long time.

They DO NOT say that they are here. (At least the ones I spoke with) I spoke with them on Quail Drive last week. I was there and started talking to a small group of agents and I decided to ask them about a sound that my father and I heard. I mentioned a "Cougar" or "Panther." They smiled and said that they have done studies and field test for years, during the study, never have they had any evidence of a large cat in this state. They said and I quote "With all of us and cameras, loggers and farmers in the woods year in and year out, only hunters "Claim" to see them.
I am not saying they aren't here. But he did make a good point. I did convince myself on two separate occasions that I saw one. I guess we'll find out sooner or later.

Dave Moreland states that they are here and talks about DNA proof at lake fausse point. This is on the Bayou Bucks dvd.

my dad and grandfather had a camp on dutch bayou when i was a kid.dutch bayou is at the end of blind river where it meets maurapas.well one night some fellas from down the river came by said they were going somewhere( bar I believe) to please if we hear anyone at their camp to go investigate.well around 11 pm all hell breaks loose. the most horrible sounds coming from the direction of the mens camp.sounded like something from a horror film but real. dad and grandpa jump up run to the door.grandpa with gun in hand shoving my dad out the door.dad says" hell you the one with the gun, you go first".well that stopped the trip down there. the next morning the men come to the camp and wanna know what happened last night then demand we go see.there walker and beagle dogs maulled.3 dead and the rest left for dead.cougar tracks were everywhere.i dont have to ask the ladwlf i know there be cougar here abouts.running rampit doubt it, but here? yes.

I don't mean to scare the crap out of the rich folks livin on the Bluffs golf course, but we hunt right across Thompson Creek from the course, near Asphodel plantation, and there were 2 big brown cats seen by a guest while he was waiting to get picked up from a morning hunt. He had already unloaded his gun. This was broad daylight. He was scared to death to make a sound when they walked by and ghost white when the truck went to get him.

Cougars are officially recognized as being in Louisiana. Scientifically documented. People that say otherwise are simply ignoring the facts. Deny it if you like but the cougar presents has be officially confirmed.

So what happens if you shoot one since they dont have any in Louisiana?

check out this site. it has proof of cougars in louisiana.
http://www.bio.txstate.edu/~cgreen/Cougar_SENaturalist.pdf

here is a link to the louisiana wildlife and fisheries page that says cougars do exist in louisiana but that they are endangered.
http://www.wlf.state.la.us/experience/threatened/index.cfm

the department of wildlife and fisheries also says the we still have red wolves in louisiana, i think its probable that a stray individual makes its way into louisiana every now and then but its almost certain we don't have a viable population

I love it. The nay-sayers all keep saying where are the pictures? With all the deer cams we have no pictures. That is only cause every pic that we have they just blow off and say it is not from Louisiana!! I have really been doing my research on these cats, only cause I'm moving to an area that has a very healthy population of them and I want to know how to handle them. I have learned that if they don't want to be seen they won't be seen. They have a case in Colorado where a Cougar is stalking a young girl at a home. The DWF has been trying to kill this cat with dogs, traps, poison and everying else they can think of and still have not even seen it!!! The parents said they have seen the cat looking in the girls window at night at the girl while she sleeps and it has eaten both of the pets!! These things are probably the most elusive animals in the woods, I really don't know how I'm going to be able to hunt with a lot of them in my hunting areas!!! Mike, keep up the great work!!!! Thanks I've been waiting for this!!!

Hey Charley, you sure its not a peeping tom looking through the window? Hee hee

...Jefroka

If you are hunting in Louisiana then don't worry about them. They are not even close to the numbers you may think they are in this state. (If there are any) We still do not know where that photo was taken. Stay with the facts. Where are you hunting and most importantly what makes you think they are everywhere?

BTW. We had the same problem with Big Foot peeping in on my wife. So I decited to invite a few friends over and we shared a bag of Jack Links beef jerky while we threw rocks at him. Man....he was pissed.

jefroka, what the heck are you talking about!?

Cullin, I'm moving to Utah which has a good population of them. As for me saying I've been waiting for this, it might not be this picture. But it is just a matter of time and when even more proof is found it just shocks me how people still call it bull. Put it this way, there is way more evidence that they live in LA than a lack of it. Still many people don't just not believe cougars are in LA, they make fun of the people that look at all the evidence and say heck yeah we must have a few. I call these people stuborn idiots!!

jefroka, what the heck are you talking about!?

Cullin, I'm moving to Utah which has a good population of them. As for me saying I've been waiting for this, it might not be this picture. But it is just a matter of time and when even more proof is found it just shocks me how people still call it bull. Put it this way, there is way more evidence that they live in LA than a lack of it. Still many people don't just not believe cougars are in LA, they make fun of the people that look at all the evidence and say heck yeah we must have a few. I call these people stuborn idiots!!

Quote from Charley "The parents said they have seen the cat looking in the girls window at night at the girl while she sleeps..."

...Jefroka

Again, what are you talking about, or should I say what is your point? Research the storie I'm posting about and you'll learn of how elusive these cougars are. I just don't understand how some people of the human race can be so stupid. I am a believer in Creation from God, but I have to tell you that your kinda stupidity makes me start to believe in evelution and you are the in between state!!

Was just making a simple joke about the cat peeking through the window as in peeping tom such as tom cat, didn't realize it would be so difficult for you to figure out.

...JP

In Utah you will have to worry about them. They are over there. I apologise.

I talked to a U.S. Dept. of Agriculture predator control officer this morning and he confirmed that W&F was investigating a cougar sighting around Black Lake in Natchitoches Parish. His description of a trail cam photo of the critter sounded exactly like this photo. By the way Louisiana Sportsman will be running an article on cougar/panther sightings in next month's issue.

This is awesome, hopefully it can be confirmed just so i can hear all the nay sayers come up with some stupid reason that its a fake and compare it to a bigfoot hoax...

I did hear about that story of the cougar stalking that little girl, the family is going nuts trying to get rid of it and WLF can't catch it at all..

I live in LaSalle Parish, I have seen a wild cougar. It was only a quick glimpse, but I knew what it was when I saw it. My family grew up in the area where I live and I have heard many stories of cougar. Alot of the old timers called them panthers.

http://www.wlf.state.la.us/news/?id=1130

Channel 9 reported that some of recent sightings were confirmed by Dept. Wildlife and Fisheries. Plus, as Cullin notes below, it is on the DWF website.

LB2

I don't want cougars in Louisiana...unless they are in their early 50's and have tons of money

Is it legal to shoot one if you see one?

Up to 1 year in jail and/or $100,000 fine.

On the cougar pics. I ain't readin every one of these posts to try and figure out if the pics are real or not. I saw something on here about an escaped cat, a stuffed cat, blah blah blah...What's the deal?

If this is real then why did the Cuddie Back take a pictue before the so called cougar was past the feild of veiw.

This one's not mine to answer, but I totally don't understand your question?

It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that the Cudde Back is has the fasts reaction time in the industry, so why is the slow walking cougar almost out of the picture before the camera went off.

Because in the other pictures you can see the yellow tag in the cougars ear.

You may want to switch to an easier web site maybe one you can understand.

L.D.W.F. VERIFIES TWO COUGAR SIGHTINGS
Release Date: 10/10/2008

Photo taken on Sept. 4 in Natchitoches Parish.

Photo taken on Sept. 29 in Allen Parish.
The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) has received photographic evidence of the second and third documented cougar occurrences in the state in recent history.

Private citizens sent trail camera pictures from two different sites to the department in September. LDWF Large Carnivore Program Manager Maria Davidson and LDWF Natural Heritage Zoologist Beau Gregory then conducted site investigations that confirmed the authenticity of the photographs.

"The department interviewed the photo providers and investigated the sites and photographs. After inspecting all of the evidence, we have concluded with the best of our abilities that the photos are in fact real and of a cougar," Davidson said.

The first photograph was taken in Natchitoches parish on Sept. 4, and the second was taken in Allen parish on Sept. 29. The sites are approximately 100 miles apart, leading to speculation that the same cougar could be in both photos.

"Given the time lapse between the two pictures it is certainly possible for a cougar to have traveled that distance," Davidson said. "Both animals have the same general appearance of a young cougar, but it is impossible to determine conclusively if the animals are one and the same. It is also impossible to determine if the animals in the photographs are wild free-ranging mountain lions, or escaped captives."

Although it is illegal to own a cougar in Louisiana, it is possible that there are some illegally held "pets" in the state. Anyone holding a captive cougar in Louisiana must have a permit issued by LDWF, as captive cougars may compromise public safety. LDWF may issue permits to existing owners in the state in order to reduce difficulties associated with determining the validity of reported cougar sightings.

The mountain lion, cougar, panther or puma are names that all refer to the same animal. Their color ranges from lighter tan to brownish grey.

The only species of big cats that occur as black are the jaguar and leopard. Jaguars are native to South America and leopards are native to Africa. Both species can occur as spotted or black, although in both cases the spotted variety is much more common. Although the department receives numerous calls about "black panthers", there has never been a documented case of a black cougar anywhere in North America.

The first recently documented cougar sighting was in 2002 by LDWF Program Manager Michael Carloss on Lake Fausse Point State Park. That sighting was later confirmed with DNA analysis from scat found at the site.

The department receives many calls reporting sightings of cougars throughout Louisiana. The vast majority of these reports cannot be verified due to the very nature of a sighting. These animals can move through an area and leave little or no evidence to be found. Many of the calls are found to be cases of mistaken identity. Dog tracks make up the majority of the evidence submitted by those reporting cougar sightings. Other animals commonly mistaken for cougars are bobcats and house cats, usually seen from a distance or in varying shades of light.

The significant lack of physical evidence leads the department to conclude that Louisiana does not have an established, breeding population of cougars. In states that have verified small populations of cougars, physical evidence can readily be found in the form of tracks, cached deer kills, scat and road kills. The recent occurrences of cougars in Louisiana may be young animals dispersing from existing populations in west Texas. An expanding population in west Texas can produce dispersing individual cougars that move into suitable habitat in Louisiana. Young males are known to disperse from their birthplace and travel hundreds of miles seeking their own territories.

Cougars that occur in Louisiana are protected under state and federal law. Penalties for taking a cougar in Louisiana may include up to one year in jail and/or a $100,000 fine. Anyone with any information regarding the taking of a cougar should call LA Operation Game Thief, inc. at 1-800-442-2511. Callers may remain anonymous and may receive a cash reward.

To report verifiable sightings of cougars containing physical evidence such as photos, tracks and/or scat please call Maria Davidson at 337-948-0255 or your nearest LDWF Region office at: Minden 318-371-3050 Monroe 318-343-4044 Pineville 318-487-5885 Ferriday 318-757-4571 Lake Charles 337-491-2575 Opelousas 337-948-0255 Baton Rouge 225-765-2360.

For more information, please contact Maria Davidson at 337-948-0255. 2008-291

Since the article was released...the LDWF have concentrated their effort toward investigation of this cougar being an escaped animal from a captive location. I called and busted some guy name CULLIN (a real douche bag) on that by calling that Maria Davidson w/ LDWF the other day. They no longer believe it is a wild cat.

Correction... the cougar is wild, it may not have been free roaming a year ago but it is wild now. You can't truly tame a cougar so whether it is wild or not only depends on its location. This cougar is no less wild than if it was stocked intentionally from another free roaming population out west or Florida.

Regardless of its origin it is a wild cougar now and if it finds a mate there will likely be little cougars in La. too. I hope it is a female because most of the cougar immigrants are males as they tend to travel further than the female cougars.