HuntnMa Posted August 30, 2007 Report Share Posted August 30, 2007 let me start this off with a happy dance ........ Today has been the best day ever.......i wont go off topic and say why, lol...but it ended with me seeing a real life florida panther , at the closest it was 40 yds, then it got about 60 yds. before it disapeared.......i was showing this kid this area, he thought he saw a hog , took my binoculars and then he's like" i dont think that is a hog",( i was on the phone with Fl. poor thing, lol...)so i looked, i saw this tail wiggling back forth like a cat, thats about the time, i freaked out, i'm screaming panther ,panther, and it was like my foot knew to hit the accelator before i even did...hauled butt down there, it was not a pretty ride going through the marsh at 40-45mph...lol...but i saw it up close... i forgot to take pics , i should of waited, then gone flying down there, all i was thinking about was getting a positive id on it, which i did ....oh yeah, the happy dance continues .... I dont know why i have been so blessed, but thank you God.....to see one in the wild in florida is rare enough, but this was my second time in 10 yrs. , the first time , flhuntress and i saw one that was chasing some deer in the pasture abot 9-10 yrs. ago...... i still havent seen a live bear, lol...... ok, what i need to know is how can i bait this cat to get a pic, is it even possible ? do they travel the same areas, what are their habits ? i have not a clue one about them, anything you can say to help me would be so appreciated..... _________________ Happy Huntin' to all... Be Safe and God Bless Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhunt Posted August 31, 2007 Report Share Posted August 31, 2007 Wow, too bad you did not get a pic. Where at in Florida is it you saw the cat? Far as baiting, dont know, but hope you can get a pic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HuntnMa Posted August 31, 2007 Author Report Share Posted August 31, 2007 it's in orange county......central florida.....from what i have been reading theres less than 100 and most of them are south of me....i'm finding out alot of good info. on them....sad note, there has been 6 or 7 panthers killed in 2007 alone, thats almost 10%....thats sad.... i have a partial track pic of it, but its not that good, so i'll be out there in the a.m., probably all day stalking this area, it's an old canal that was filled in, now we keep it mowed, so i can sit there and see all of it..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhunt Posted August 31, 2007 Report Share Posted August 31, 2007 Hmmm, Orange county? That is interesting, about 17 years ago there was supposedly one around where we lived in Orange county, a neighbor saw it in the woods behind his pasture where he had his horses. I never saw the wildlife people come out, but from what that neighbor said they confirmed a track. You familiar with the Clarcona Ocoee area? Twenty five to thirty years ago, that was a pretty wooded area, with acres and acres of groves and even some cattle operations. With how that area has become, surprised there would be any significant wildlife much less any big cats still around there. Hope you can get some pics. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buckee Posted August 31, 2007 Report Share Posted August 31, 2007 Is this a black panther, or a cougar ? Awesome siting either way Cougar like to kill their own food. To bait one you would have to use something live. Sometimes they will come in to predator calls, if they happen to be near by. They are pretty secretive, silent creatures. We get around 3 cougar attacks per year around here. It's the young and the very old cougars that can't be trusted. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhunt Posted August 31, 2007 Report Share Posted August 31, 2007 Cougar like to kill their own food. To bait one you would have to use something live. That was what I thought too. Dont think that cats will scavenge like a yote. There is a product called furfindr that some guys on another site I occasionally go to for trail cams use for attracting predators to their cams. Here is a link http://www.wasatchwild.com/furfindrinfo.html. Might be something to consider. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HuntnMa Posted August 31, 2007 Author Report Share Posted August 31, 2007 thanks.....it was a puma/cougar, but in florida , we call it a panther..... I'm fimiliar with that area, it's all so grown up now, all of florida just about, lol...the land its on is 30, 000 acres , actually from what i have read, it's perfect habitat for a big cat....they'll adapt to just about anywhere....it's only a matter of time before more and more sightings are reported........i can't go today, i forgot i had to take my mom to the doctors.....but i'll be out there tomorrow..... thanks for the link.....i thought about tying a chicken up and waiting, but that would be cruel, so thats not an option, but i did have evil thoughts about it , until i thought about it screaming, being scared, i just cant do .......... this is great ! going to the link now...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HuntnMa Posted September 1, 2007 Author Report Share Posted September 1, 2007 i'm getting work to get me that furfinder call that wnthunt sent me the link too, Thanks.... i'm setting the trail cam up by it and i'm praying.....just got the news from my old boss, he said to his knowledge that the last confirmed panther in Orange county was in 1986, IN THE SAME AREA as this one......i am so kicking myself for not getting pics..even a far off one would be better than what i have.......Thanks again for your help..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buckee Posted September 2, 2007 Report Share Posted September 2, 2007 I sure hope you can get a picture of it Ma, that would be pretty cool to see. And you'd probably get your picture in the local paper Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bachflock Posted September 16, 2007 Report Share Posted September 16, 2007 Congrat! Lots of "unofficial" sightings here in MI. I have yet to see one, however. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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