Last week on the MO conservation web site they also had an article about a cattle rancher in Ray County MO that shot a young, 115 pound cougar out of a tree on his place. I'm sure the cougars will be happy about the Elk!! Ever hear those extra foot steps in the woods when you are walking to your tree stand on those cold, dark mornings. They may not be deer or yotes!!!!! A car actually hit one on Hwy 54 about 10 miles from my place about 8 yrs ago. Their heeeeeeeeerrrrrrrre !!
David...yes I am aware of the Elk restoration effort by the MDC.
On Oct 18th 2006 I nearly hit a Mountain Lion in Iron County on Hwy 32 between the intersection of Hwy DD and Hwy A. It was in the East bound lane of 32 running parallel to the shoulder when I crested a hill. I swerved to avoid it but thought I actually had clipped it. As I passed it turned and looked directly into the headlights. What I would have given for a "dash cam" that evening. I went back to look for it thinking I might have injured it...but found nothing.
I reported it to the Conservation dept via email and received a form letter back that really pissed me off. In effect the letter stated that there were no "confirmed" sightings of Mountain Lions in Missouri and that nearly all reports were either "unconfirmed" by their Mountain Lion Response Team or determined to be sighting of dogs, coyotes, bobcats or deer. I sent back a scathing response to the effect that I had killed over 50 deer and 20 coyotes in my life, watched bobcats in the wild at my farm and knew the difference between each. I also questioned why the state of Missouri had a "Mountain Lion Response Team" if there were no Mountain Lions in the state... I never received a response back. But I saved the original letter in the event I later saw another big cat near the farm. Turns out after further research that there had been nearly 1500 sighting reported but the department had only "confirmed" 10 at that time. The problem was that to confirm a sighting they had to have a body, clear tracks, photographic or other physical evidence that was irrefutable.
I also reported my sighting to the Iron County sheriff and the police chief of Viburnum MO. Both...asked me not to relay my sighting to other Iron County residents...! Yet there are children in the rural parts of the county that wait at remote school bus stops early in the morning and could be vulnerable.
What I saw and described was a juvenile animal about 18" high at the shoulder... about a 3 ft long body and two foot long tail. What was unique was how the cat moved. It was VERY smooth and graceful in its movement. It moved unlike any other animal I have seen in the wild.
Now...the MDC has acknowledged multiple "confirmed" sightings of Cougars or Mountain Lions in several geographical areas of Missouri. But did not do so in 2006...
And yes...I am always armed when walking our timber today. Something I didn't always do in years past. They may still be rare...but they ARE out there and can be a threat.
Kerry
