Bobcats in AACo??!

[gtodave]

Chupacabra is much more believable than a panther

 

[GTOGUNNER]

There's not even a confirmed Mt Lion sighting on the east coast, let alone a panther. If there was one around people would be missing lots pets.

I saw one in Glenn Dale. DNR sent an officer to talk to me about my sighting. Office told me it was highly unlikely. I showed him the paw prints that were preserved by my wife. (She didn’t see the cat)
The officer changed his questioning. Have you been smelling rotting carcasses? (Always). Anyone have pets nearby missing? (Not that I know of)

His final statement was that they would have to check records of people that had big cats as pets. And make sure they still had possession.

I lived very close to NASA, USDA there is a thousands of acres including Ft Meade NSA etc, to support a cougar or other similar size cat.

Around that time there was also a sighting around Great Falls Va.

 

[John from MD]

There's not even a confirmed Mt Lion sighting on the east coast, let alone a panther. If there was one around people would be missing lots pets.

I can tell you for certain that panthers are in South Georgia and Northern Florida cause I have seen them.

 

[gtodave]

I saw one in Glenn Dale. DNR sent an officer to talk to me about my sighting. Office told me it was highly unlikely. I showed him the paw prints that were preserved by my wife. (She didn’t see the cat)
The officer changed his questioning. Have you been smelling rotting carcasses? (Always). Anyone have pets nearby missing? (Not that I know of)

His final statement was that they would have to check records of people that had big cats as pets. And make sure they still had possession.

I lived very close to NASA, USDA there is a thousands of acres including Ft Meade NSA etc, to support a cougar or other similar size cat.

Around that time there was also a sighting around Great Falls Va.

Notice I said "confirmed". I've met a bunch of people who say they've seen one. DNR still says no, and there's no hard evidence (pictures) yet. I'm sure they're here.

I can tell you for certain that panthers are in South Georgia and Northern Florida cause I have seen them.

I should have said Mid Atlantic area. Yes, FL has their own panther.

 

[E.Shell]

Notice I said "confirmed". I've met a bunch of people who say they've seen one. DNR still says no, and there's no hard evidence (pictures) yet. I'm sure they're here...

"DNR still says no...". It is my understanding that because the eastern mountain lion is an endangered species, eastern state wildlife agencies try to "overlook" sightings and evidence to avoid acknowledging their existence.

The reasoning is that if we have an endangered species known to live in the state (pick one), we would have to have a conservation program and dedicated preserve areas to protect it. Because the mountain lion is very nomadic, there is no practical approach to this. Do we want to close substantial areas of Garrett/Allegheny/Washington counties, just in case a mountain lion might seem to use those areas as a home range?

There is credible video footage of a mountain lion in Garret county, taken years ago. There are VERY often rumors of road kills that are quickly and quietly removed (while deer lay there and rot) and supposedly one was killed on I-64 in central VA 8-10 years ago (discussed in-depth at the time at ArfCom).

I found a track in a remote swampy area in VA that looked very much like a barefoot human had slid in the mud at the edge of a creek, but that was in December in an area no one would ever go barefoot. It looked like toes and the ball of a foot, but it was smeared pretty badly. I could not identify it, and have been roaming the woods for almost 60 years, with almost 50 of those years spent trapping and reading sign. I wrote it off as a partial bear track, and bears are common in that area, but I still wonder about it.

Anyone who has tried wildlife photography will attest to the difficulty of getting decent pictures of even relatively common animals in the wild. I AM surprised that no one has picked one up on a game camera.

 

[Squaregrouper]

I saw 2 Bobcats in Baltimore City this morning.

 

[John from MD]

I saw 2 Bobcats in Baltimore City this morning.

The Beretta kind I suppose?

 

[Squaregrouper]

The Beretta kind I suppose?

No, the actual feline- Lynx rufus. I see them every Tues-Sat (except when I'm on vacation) @28Shooter can back me up on the sightings. He has seen them a bunch of times too.
.

 

[John from MD]

Ok, they are in a zoo somewhere.

 

[K31]

I saw one in Glenn Dale. DNR sent an officer to talk to me about my sighting. Office told me it was highly unlikely. I showed him the paw prints that were preserved by my wife. (She didn’t see the cat)
The officer changed his questioning. Have you been smelling rotting carcasses? (Always). Anyone have pets nearby missing? (Not that I know of)

His final statement was that they would have to check records of people that had big cats as pets. And make sure they still had possession.

I lived very close to NASA, USDA there is a thousands of acres including Ft Meade NSA etc, to support a cougar or other similar size cat.

Around that time there was also a sighting around Great Falls Va.

Goatman. No doubt about it.

 

[K31]

The Beretta kind I suppose?

No.

 

[Troublesbrewin]

Ok, they are in a zoo somewhere.

He did say Baltimore City, the whole damn place is pretty much a zoo.

 

[LeonardWashington]

I’ve seen one coyote on the feet in Millersville, and one dead on 50. But never a big cat.

 

[MG-70]

I saw one in Germantown, some 3-4 years ago. It lifted its head up from some tall weeds, and by the time I got the phone out to take a pic, it was gone. I've also seen a coyote in Germantown in the last few years.

 

[28Shooter]

No, the actual feline- Lynx rufus. I see them every Tues-Sat (except when I'm on vacation) @28Shooter can back me up on the sightings. He has seen them a bunch of times too.
.
View attachment 399660

Yes, I can indeed confirm Brother Squaregrouper's comments. Their are bobcats in Baltimore City and we see them on a regular basis. Occasionally, if one pays attention, we might even spot a cougar - two-legged variety - very dangerous!

 

[Squaregrouper]

Yes, I can indeed confirm Brother Squaregrouper's comments. Their are bobcats in Baltimore City and we see them on a regular basis. Occasionally, if one pays attention, we might even spot a cougar - two-legged variety - very dangerous!

For some reason, the ones in Baltimore City are only ever seen in Druid Hill Park.

 

[etc1006]

There are packs of them in HoCo.



Usually on Thursday nights at Looneys in Maplelawn.

So I've heard.

But many of the them are the common bar fly (or a cross)....

 

[fscwi]

I’ve only seen bobcats in real life a few times.

An adult male ranges up to 35lbs and as tall as two feet at the shoulder. By comparison a fawn is about 15 inches from ground to belly and a buck or adult doe is about 20 inches from ground to belly. Of course they extend higher to the shoulder, but a big bobcat is about the size of a mid summer fawn.

If I remember right they will also sometimes eat very young fawns.

They can kill full size deer, there are videos on youtube of bobcats killing both whitetail and mule deer.

 

[Archeryrob]

Notice I said "confirmed". I've met a bunch of people who say they've seen one. DNR still says no, and there's no hard evidence (pictures) yet. I'm sure they're here.

I got a buddy that hunts South Mountain in some very thick stuff. He and his buddy always find some nice bucks in there. Years ago he was walking a trail in rifle season and rounded a turn and said he was face to face with a cougar at 30 yards and they both saw each other at the same time. He said it was no doubting what it was. He slowly backed up and the cougar slowly backed up until they couldn't see each other and then he went back the way he came in. He said it didn't threaten him and wanted out of there as bad as he did.

Bobcats are everywhere, but very elusive. Never seen one hunting, but we've seen them in the neighbors farm field mid day. I wish we had more cats and less of these song dogs.

 

[marcwells]

I saw one in Glenn Dale. DNR sent an officer to talk to me about my sighting. Office told me it was highly unlikely. I showed him the paw prints that were preserved by my wife. (She didn’t see the cat)
The officer changed his questioning. Have you been smelling rotting carcasses? (Always). Anyone have pets nearby missing? (Not that I know of)

His final statement was that they would have to check records of people that had big cats as pets. And make sure they still had possession.

I lived very close to NASA, USDA there is a thousands of acres including Ft Meade NSA etc, to support a cougar or other similar size cat.
https://wildlyanimals.com/are-bobcats-endangered/
Around that time there was also a sighting around Great Falls Va.

There's been some sightings of Bobcats in my condo community. We have a great wood trail through the woods and I saw one running across the road near where the trail begins.

Police say there have been sightings, not sure if one or multiple bobcats.

A quick Google search shows that they are not pack animals and rarely attack humans.

So, should I be concerned walking in the woods at dusk/sundown? (duh! what other time would I walk in the woods - gotta make use of those lights) If I ever come across one any recommendations as to what to do?