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Read Thread: guess what I saw

guess what I saw
Board: State: Tennessee
Jun 24, 2007 10:42am
Thread (disabled) Board
I am almost embarrassed to post this as there are some of you out there who are not going to believe it and there are those of us who do not take embarrassment well. Critisism? I can take that. Doubt? I can take that as well, but embarrassment is an animal that bites hard when it is accompainied with critisism and doubt. Speaking of animals that bite hard...
Yesterday my daughter, Godsbird, and I were out collecting boxes and we went to Marshall County for a very particularly fun box and on the way home, somewhere near the place where Marshall County and Rutherford County in middle Tennessee join, we both saw a cougar. I thought it was extremely odd that we would see one on such flat ground, especially that close to a road, but I know what I saw. My daughter saw it too. and suggested that perhaps it was a bobcat. We turned the car around and went back to where we saw it. It was still there, so I pulled over to the shoulder of the road on the opposite side and she reached for the camera. I leaned out the window to snap a photo and got it's attention. Right about the time I went to snap the shot a blue sedan passed between us and the cat. I got a really nice picture of a blue blur, and the cougar was over into the woods after that. I thought about getting out of the car, laying on the ground, and making a noise like a wounded idiot who was having a hard time believing what he saw, but it dawned on me...what would eat one of those? So I just asked my daughter to describe what she saw instead. Sure enough, she saw it too. The tail was long and thick, and about the length of it's body, so it wasn't a bobcat. It was about the size and color of a fawn, so it wasn't a house cat. Folks, you can say what you like, you can believe what you want, you can laugh at me or whatever, I would not be able to sleep if I didn't post this. Now, I wouldn't let this stop me from going letterboxing. I wouldn't let this stop me from taking my kids into the woods. What I would do and entend to do is make sure I don't go alone and make sure my kids don't go alone. There have been 62 cougar sightings in Middle Tennessee since 2001 with no fatalities, and only 2 attacks. These two attacks were from folks trying to chase them down and the animal becoming cornered. I made the observation the other day that we are seeing Armadillos around here these days. With human habitats expanding daily, animals must seek out natural surroundings that previously were foreign to them. I have close to 60 boxes planted. I feel a since of excitement everytime someone contacts me to say they found one of my boxes. It would be spiting to myself to fabricate a story that might make letterboxing in my area slow down, so for whatever it is worth to you, I know what I saw. I intend to continue seeking out strange new boxes, and new box civilizations, and to boldly plant where no man has planted before, I just would not feel right keeping this quiet. Now, you are free to start finger pointing, laughing and whispering about what a nut I am.
Re: guess what I saw
Board: State: Tennessee
Reply to: #103118 by Ole'Pops
Jun 24, 2007 10:51am
Thread (disabled) Board
I see nothing embarassing, nothing to doubt, and certainly nothing to criticize.

Letterboxing out the woods entails encounters with wildlife. The most I see around here is deer, squirrels and chipmunks... and some snakes, lizards and turtles. I'd be enthralled to have an encounter with a cougar.
Re: guess what I saw
Board: State: Tennessee
Reply to: #103121 by BrewHiker
Jun 24, 2007 10:59am
Thread (disabled) Board
It was more of an observation than an encounter, praise God, but they are not supposed to be indigenous too this area. That is why I want to inform everyone of what I saw. I am going to contact the TWRA on Monday morning. It seems sort of odd because I had done the research on cougars back in January for a box I planted. I never thought I would ever see one in the wild.
Re: guess what I saw
Board: State: Tennessee
Reply to: #103118 by Ole'Pops
Jun 24, 2007 11:00am
Thread (disabled) Board
Darn, I wish you could have gotten that picture you were trying for, mstrwndl. No criticizing or finger-pointing here. I'd be fascinated to see something like that too. The most unusual thing I've seen around here are foxes.

Oh, and I like the newer sig stamp you've been using in the Main St. PLB ring.

Becky :)
Re: guess what I saw
Board: State: Tennessee
Reply to: #103123 by Nurse Wanderseek
Jun 24, 2007 11:02am
Thread (disabled) Board
Thanks. I need to go back to the other one, though. I cut the beard back to a goatee.
Re: guess what I saw
Board: State: Tennessee
Reply to: #103118 by Ole'Pops
Jun 24, 2007 11:23am
Thread (disabled) Board
I do not think you are a nut...
bobcats are small and tend to be usually more elusive than the cougar or what we call a "mountain lion" or panther (although panthers are usually black). you probably did see a cougar.

My son saw a bobcat the other day and I hadn't seen one of those in 30 years.

it's awesome getting a chance to see these creatures when you least expect it :)
just keep your distance...
Re: guess what I saw
Board: State: Tennessee
Reply to: #103135 by Dixie
Jun 24, 2007 11:42am
Thread (disabled) Board
No problem there, Dixie!
Re: guess what I saw
Board: State: Tennessee
Reply to: #103140 by Ole'Pops
Jun 24, 2007 1:07pm
Thread (disabled) Board
I'm so glad you posted this! My brother and sister in law live in that area and have a couple of very dear black labs...How exciting! but I think I should let them know....Thanks!
Re: guess what I saw
Board: State: Tennessee
Reply to: #103118 by Ole'Pops
Jun 24, 2007 1:21pm
Thread (disabled) Board
I saw one in Howland, Maine about 20 years ago. I contacted the state biologist about it and he all but laughed at me. I'm still mad about it to this day. I know what I saw. It was a big dun colored cat using it's long tail as a rudder as it ran. It was chasing crows across the interstate. It had huge feet in proportion to the rest of it. I'm thinking it was a young one. It was beautiful. We watched it cross quite a wide area. We had time to pull over and stop but not to dig out camers. Later, I found out that these are sighted often enough that folks call them Maine UFO's. There were two cars of four people each who saw this particular mountain lion. I am not adverse to believing it was once someone's pet, but I very well do know it was not a lynx or bobcat.
Re: guess what I saw
Board: State: Tennessee
Reply to: #103172 by eaglewatcher
Jun 24, 2007 1:34pm
Thread (disabled) Board
A lynx is higher in the rear end like a manx. This cat had huge feet as well. It was just walking along the edge of a corn field next to the woods. Like I said, I got a really good photo of a blue blur as a car went by, but I wish I could have gotten pictures. My daughter kept yelling at me to roll up the window.
Re: guess what I saw
Board: State: Tennessee
Reply to: #103173 by Ole'Pops
Jun 24, 2007 2:09pm
Thread (disabled) Board
mstrwndl,
do you think the drought may be a factor in seeing more of these animals in human areas? if it is that could be a reason to be EXTRA careful in hunting this year. we live outside city limits and i have to say that between the late freeze & the drought our vegetation is just pathetic this year. it has looked like autumn since april. i don't know much about nature, but i do know that once the food chain is altered a bit everything just goes nuts.
just a thought,
b l3
Re: guess what I saw
Board: State: Tennessee
Reply to: #103178 by B L3
Jun 24, 2007 2:59pm
Thread (disabled) Board
B L3- you are so smart! I never even thought about that!
Re: guess what I saw
Board: State: Tennessee
Reply to: #103118 by Ole'Pops
Jun 25, 2007 8:04am
Thread (disabled) Board
Are you sure it wasn't "Pepe the Puma"? For the rest of you, that's an inside joke between me and my brother.
Re: guess what I saw
Board: State: Tennessee
Reply to: #103357 by Big Ox
Jun 25, 2007 1:33pm
Thread (disabled) Board
Well, when I meet your brother I'll ask him about this Pe'Pe cat. Hey, man, I contacted the TWRA about the sighting and they laughed and asked me to go back to where I saw it and take a plaster cast for them. I told that $%^&* I would just wait till it killed something and I would show up and teach his wise ass how to take a plaster cast of that.
Re: guess what I saw
Board: State: Tennessee
Reply to: #103486 by Ole'Pops
Jun 25, 2007 2:17pm
Thread (disabled) Board
and asked me to go back to where I saw it and take a plaster cast for them.


Get one of these, and bring it to him...

http://www.bigfootsurplus.com/bigfoot_tracker/03-0006.php

-wassamatta_u
Re: guess what I saw
Board: State: Tennessee
Reply to: #103499 by wassamatta u
Jun 25, 2007 6:06pm
Thread (disabled) Board
I work at a museum where there is an exhibit of a very large taxadermed mountain lion. The one I saw was not near as big. I thought about taking a cast of it's front paw just to freak the fellow out. Sure was a rediculous suggestion. I think I will call him in the morning and ask him if he will come mop floors and clean toilets for me while I go do his job procurring a cast.
Re: guess what I saw
Board: State: Tennessee
Reply to: #103566 by Ole'Pops
Jun 26, 2007 3:07pm
Thread (disabled) Board
I was telling my family and my sister has a friend who saw one in Chapel Hill. According to her, TWRA stated they had released Cougars in the area- I find that very hard to believe...But, having seen your stamps, you could just carve a paw print from a chunk of dirt- you are THAT good! :)
Re: guess what I saw
Board: State: Tennessee
Reply to: #103792 by JaWr
Jun 26, 2007 5:17pm
Thread (disabled) Board
Oh, now...! The texture is a bit different from PZ. They said they released cougars in Marshall County? They told me there had been none in that area for over 100 years, and no reports at all. I looked on their website and on the US Wildlife Commission site and there have been 62 reports in Middle Tennessee since 2001. I am going to forget about it. Sooner or later they will contact me and say, "Where did you say you saw that cat?" The only trouble is it will be after something or someone is dead.