Going with the odds here. In recorded history, there has been a single documented case of a black, or melanistic, mountain lion. I'll go with wet, muddy, shadowy side before I'll go against odds and science!!

I’m with you! I love it when people tell me what doesn’t or does exist and what I’ve seen in the wild because they sit in their office and read the internet or magazines about the outdoors. There is such a difference in sitting in a box stand waiting for a deer on the weekends and spending countless nights and days sleeping on the riverbanks, and basically living in the woods and river bottoms every chance you get. (Not that anything is wrong with sitting in a box stands, I have many). It infuriates me when “no it alls” tell me what happens with wildlife. I’ve seen a mountain lion in East Texas, I’ve seen a squirrel drag a 6ft water snake out of its den on the river right over my boat, carry it out on a limb, shake the heck out of it until it was hanging below him and dropped it in the river….. I’ve found a human severed knee cut at mid shin and mid thigh on the beach. Called the sheriff and they came and got it. Seen several gators in places where “there are no gators.” Amazing what you see when you are really looking and in the middle of it. Oh, I’ve also found a black bear track in a gopher mound in the river bottom in 1997. Were there bears in East Texas back then. Nope, but there was at least one that came through from Arkansas or somewhere……I have only seen one chupacabra in East Texas though, the majority I’ve seen were out west.

I get defensive bc I know what I’ve seen, but I also know that 99 percent of lion sightings in East Texas are not real. Heck, I think it was 3 weeks ago, my nephew texted me that they saw a black panther….🙄

When I was a teenager, I used to fish at White Deer Landing
a good bit. I'll always remember when some kids were splashing
and swimming nearby and one came up and was talking to
me about fishing and this and that, and I mentioned that they
needed to keep an eye open for snakes.
He chimed right in- " Oh, my daddy and my uncle have scuba
dived all over this lake when we first started coming here, and
there's not any snakes in this lake. . . "
It wasn't probably 5 minutes after I caught a snake on my
minnow pole, and all the kids ran hollering up to momma
and daddy's camper like the kids in the Jaws movie and
hollering that that man over there just caught a snake on
his fishin' pole !
People used to say that there wasn't any alligators in
the lakes in Texas also.

Black panthers are hard to see..

A Mountain Lion would be a rare sight in East Texas (and most other places) but COUGARS do exist in good numbers.

Most sightings will be in or around local bars (9-12 p.m. prime time) but rarely seen after 2 a.m.

They do come in different colors I am told.


[/quote]

Unfortunately most people don't understand there aren't resident lions in E Texas. There is the very very rare dispersing male that might show up. Yet thousands of people claim to see them and all claim to be very experienced outdoorsman. They prefer to ignore the proof that says otherwise[/quote]

“Proof” that there are no lions in East Texas? There are plenty of stories of “black panthers” sightings in East Texas. I live here and laugh at each of these stories. However, the ignorance to imply that all lion sightings are BS and there are no lions in East Texas is laughable. I am that East Texan described above. I’ve seen one while hunting hogs and 10 years before that one tried taking down one of our cows. Distinct claw marks down both sides and the tail was bitten off, leaving about 8 inches behind. If I had only known that it was proven there are no cats in East Texas. With that said, I do know the majority of sightings are not legit. But they are definitely around. [/quote]

You might want to reread what I said. I didn't say it was impossible for a Mt lion to be in east Texas. I clearly said there is the occasional dispersing male. But there is not a breeding population in east Texas

I agree, most are woke BLM now, black panthers must still be sleeping.

Triton$, welcome to the forum. Every once in a while we get a new member that is an internet know it all, all hat no cattle types. Even less frequently we get a new member that is wise and can teach us things and share first hand experiences. Go easy so we can determine which you are, otherwise...

I've actually been a member for about a decade just never log on. I couldn't remember any of my login so had to start a new account. You will most likely never hear from on any topics I know nothing about. Wild cats in Texas is something a know I a bit about. Thank you for the welcome

Unfortunately most people don't understand there aren't resident lions in E Texas. There is the very very rare dispersing male that might show up. Yet thousands of people claim to see them and all claim to be very experienced outdoorsman. They prefer to ignore the proof that says otherwise[/quote]

“Proof” that there are no lions in East Texas? There are plenty of stories of “black panthers” sightings in East Texas. I live here and laugh at each of these stories. However, the ignorance to imply that all lion sightings are BS and there are no lions in East Texas is laughable. I am that East Texan described above. I’ve seen one while hunting hogs and 10 years before that one tried taking down one of our cows. Distinct claw marks down both sides and the tail was bitten off, leaving about 8 inches behind. If I had only known that it was proven there are no cats in East Texas. With that said, I do know the majority of sightings are not legit. But they are definitely around. [/quote]

You might want to reread what I said. I didn't say it was impossible for a Mt lion to be in east Texas. I clearly said there is the occasional dispersing male. But there is not a breeding population in east Texas[/quote]

Gotcha, I read it as you saying there was proof there were no cats in East Texas. Don’t know what got me so wound up last night. I don’t ever get into these discussions!

North of Hwy 90 is Oklahoma and East of I-10 is the Atlantic Ocean :-)!

Lol good catch. I meant east of 45

You can't prove non-existence...especially in East Texas!

Maybe can't prove it but you can dang sure look at the evidence and use common sense

I always get a chuckle out of how east texaners think that everything behind the pine curtain is somewhat mystical and all these kinds of supernatural critters exist there.

My wife is from east Texas and I asked her if she knew anyone who ever saw a black panther and she said yes, her grandpa did 😂

Seeing a black panther in East Texas says a lot more about East Texans than it does the existence of black panthers.

It's amazing how many people believe there are "black panthers" in the US.

There are several sites dedicated to "black" panther sightings not only in Texas but other states as well. One of the most fanatical is the Kentucky site or at least was the last time I went to it. The Texas site can be hilarious at times. Like bigfoot, people all over the US claim to see black panthers. What always gives me a chuckle is the number of people who claim they "heard" a black panther as if they can be differentiated from tan ones or other cats by the sounds they make. Once again, the closest black jaguars are in Belize, Central America, and only about 6% of jags have the black melanistic genes. Even if some black ones traveled the more than 1000 miles to the Texas border, why are there not 15 times as many spotted ones seen in Texas? Statistically that would have to occur. Last jag killed officially in Texas in 1948.

Secondly, the cougar, mountain lion, puma, catamount or whatever you want to call it does not have the gene for melanism. No photos exist. Millions of game cameras, phone cameras, road kills, hunters in the woods and not one credible body of a black mountain lion ever found anywhere. I for one wish someone could PROVE they exist but stories about them are just that...stories.

I truly believe experienced hunters truly believe they have seen something and are not lying. I just feel they are cases of mistaken identity.

As I said in the beginning, I hope the person found their black lab.

But they KNOW what they heard.

You may or may not be right about that. We have a place in Navarro county, and have seen them there. Yes, 100% sure. Very rarely see them, but do see them. Are wee seeing the rare dispersing male? Maybe so. Sightings are about 5 years apart.

Dang, now I'm curious who you are in the Texas group. Lol

Of course....both your facts and logic are spot on. But it will never present a stumbling block for the thousands of people who 'want' to believe in such critters.

In the case of Black Panther sightings (exceeded only by Sasquatch sightings)....simple logic would dictate that thousands of the cats would exist in order for that many sightings to occur. Yet not ONE B/P has ever been photographed, killed or found dead.

Some folks concede that they are indeed RARE but do exist. So IF that is true....then the mystical Black Panthers are some traveling SOB's!

I mean they REALLY 'get around', (for that many people to see the same limited numbers.....right?)

Its laughable and kind of sad at the same time IMO.

In the South....we needn't even bother with such ideas. We have a source that puts it all to rest.

There is NO Cajun Recipe for either Black Panther or Sasquatch! Hence....they do NOT exist. Case closed.

Just two years ago.

https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/m...ne-spotted-in-rowlett-princeton/2505853/

Oh crao my black cat got out last night

^^^^^

Haha.............!

Well....now you've done it! A whole new rash of sightings is sure to occur.