Cougars in TN

[Travis C.]

I can't wait to see SAMBOLIE's response. :D

These latest sightings and the fact the TWRA is getting out ahead of it now are really interesting to me. From the time I was a little kid, I always heard tales from my grandfather about them and wished they would come back or be found still here intact.

https://www.tn.gov/assets/entities/twra/attachments/cougar.pdf

They have had 6 sightings so far some as close to Nashville as near Dickson.

http://twra.maps.arcgis.com/apps/StoryMapBasic/index.html?appid=800fe4e965594896ad6200e5ed1ccbab


Anyone else as interested in this or am I out on a limb by myself on this one?

[SalmonDaze]

I can't wait to see SAMBOLIE's response. :D

These latest sightings and the fact the TWRA is getting out ahead of it now are really interesting to me. From the time I was a little kid, I always heard tales from my grandfather about them and wished they would come back or be found still here intact.

https://www.tn.gov/assets/entities/twra/attachments/cougar.pdf

They have had 6 sightings so far some as close to Nashville as near Dickson.

http://twra.maps.arcgis.com/apps/StoryMapBasic/index.html?appid=800fe4e965594896ad6200e5ed1ccbab


Anyone else as interested in this or am I out on a limb by myself on this one?

Minimal risk to humans because of plentiful game (deer), but having been up in the Dickson County woods; I'd be paying close attention to those "back of the neck" hairs.

Plenty of attacks (and a few deaths) in California each year; but they're getting pressure to come out of the hills for lack of food. Big cats are no joke if they're tracking you . . . and you're not going to know until they're on your back.

. . . But it would be cool to see one . . . way over there on the next ridge. ;)

[SAMBOLIE]

I can't wait to see SAMBOLIE's response. :D

These latest sightings and the fact the TWRA is getting out ahead of it now are really interesting to me. From the time I was a little kid, I always heard tales from my grandfather about them and wished they would come back or be found still here intact.

https://www.tn.gov/assets/entities/twra/attachments/cougar.pdf

They have had 6 sightings so far some as close to Nashville as near Dickson.

http://twra.maps.arcgis.com/apps/StoryMapBasic/index.html?appid=800fe4e965594896ad6200e5ed1ccbab


Anyone else as interested in this or am I out on a limb by myself on this one?


If i was with you then I guarantee that you would be on the limb by yourself. I hear those cats can climb. I do not believe that he would want to follow the scent that I left behind.

Carry a small caliber pistol. 22 is sufficient. Shoot your partner in the leg and run while he wrestles with the cat. Works in bear country also.

[notorious]

I saw the black cougar a few years ago while driving through OH area...it jumped the road in front of me.. bounced in the middle and then gone, I asked my partner if he saw it however, he did not confirm the sighting. It is in northern Davidson and Sumner county. Big, big cat and regardless to what TWRA says... it is real.

[jad2t]

I see cougars all the time in bars around middle TN.... Oh, is that not what we're talking about?

[TNtroller]

It would be cool to see one out in the woods, but hope it had just eaten. Or maybe taking a nap on that tree limb you mentioned. LOL

[gordonc615]

The group of guys I hunt with own a cabin in Huntington TN in west tennessee. There's been 1 sighting in the 25 years they've owned the place. I def believe there's a higher population than they believe and twra has known about it for a long time. they just don't have the funds to start a management program along side all the other work that goes into this type of big cat

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[gordonc615]

not to mention union university actually keeps a sighting database/blog for ppl to post when they have a sighting somewhere in the area

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[Travis C.]

I see cougars all the time in bars around middle TN..

Thorough analysis has proven those to be female dogs instead of cougars Jimmy. :D

[tcintn]

Three years ago I reported to TWRA that I had seen what I thought was a cougar while walking the path beside the Elk River just below Tim Ford Dam.
It was laying on a big limb to my left and as I told TWRA it's tail looked to be 4' long and his body was that length. At that time I decided to turn around and head home. The response from TWRA was "no way".Have not seen one there since. Did put my hands on 61 trout there on Saturday though.:)