Large Black Cats

[Yarak]

Saw a few posts on another thread and wanted to start one about this subject
How many have actually saw a large black cat and knew that it was no house cat ?
I can accept the science that says there is no melanism in the puma family
However I have seen 3 very large black cats in my lifetime
1 I was in my front yard and kept hearing a cooing sound like a baby would make when I spot this LBC under the light walking towards me but quartering some. What I saw was 6’-7’ nose to tail tip and it was maybe 20 yds from me
2 had just started hunt a new area when I hear something coming up the trail toward my stand
It was a LBC and it walked about 10’ from the tree I was in and looked up at me and casually turned and walked away.
It was maybe 4’-5’ nose to tail tip
3 was driving to work one morning going by some hay fields that had just been cut when I see what I think is a big black lab playing just off the road ahead of me
When I get to the place I see it’s a LBC and it has its front feet stretched out in front of itself and it’s pushing itself under the cut bay like it was after a rabbit or field rat
This cat was maybe 5’-6’ nose to tail tip and was less than 50 yds from me
Many in my family and neighbors have seen these cats
Let’s hear the stories

 

[KsRancher]

My dad is certain he seen one that was NOT a house cat. Would have been in the late 1980's by Zenda,Ks. It's in south central Ks. A couple local farmers and ranchers seen it also.

 

[BeastOfTheTrees]

Heard stories about them around our area. Allegheny NF, PA. Never have seen one though.

 

[BAKPAKR]

I have heard several stories of “panther” sightings in West Virginia. Almost invariably, they were black. Since I have never seen a photo of an actual black mountain lion, I find that odd.

 

[Mike Islander]

More than 10% of jaguars are black. No question there are likely black "big cats" wandering the US right now.

 

[BeaverHunter]

Saw a few posts on another thread and wanted to start one about this subject
How many have actually saw a large black cat and knew that it was no house cat ?
I can accept the science that says there is no melanism in the puma family
However I have seen 3 very large black cats in my lifetime
1 I was in my front yard and kept hearing a cooing sound like a baby would make when I spot this LBC under the light walking towards me but quartering some. What I saw was 6’-7’ nose to tail tip and it was maybe 20 yds from me
2 had just started hunt a new area when I hear something coming up the trail toward my stand
It was a LBC and it walked about 10’ from the tree I was in and looked up at me and casually turned and walked away.
It was maybe 4’-5’ nose to tail tip
3 was driving to work one morning going by some hay fields that had just been cut when I see what I think is a big black lab playing just off the road ahead of me
When I get to the place I see it’s a LBC and it has its front feet stretched out in front of itself and it’s pushing itself under the cut bay like it was after a rabbit or field rat
This cat was maybe 5’-6’ nose to tail tip and was less than 50 yds from me
Many in my family and neighbors have seen these cats
Let’s hear the stories

Not even some crappy cell phone pics? Pics or it didn’t happen.

 

[MattB]

In this day and age, you’d think that we would have game cam pics if they were wandering around.

 

[FLATHEAD]

Been in the woods as long as I can remember.
Never seen one.

 

[dieselchessy]

It would be odd to have someone tell those three stories with a normal color cougar as the subject.

 

[Yarak]

Not even some crappy cell phone pics? Pics or it didn’t happen.

I grew up in a time when there were no cell phones and this was those days

 

[Oregon]

When I lived in SC, everyone knew someone who had seen a black panther in the woods. Bubba's cousin, has a friend whose brother in laws sister saw it for sure.
Hundred thousand trail cams, deer dog drives non stop for 4 months and no one has proof.
Otter running across the road at low light is the elusive panther.

 

[grfox92]

@Yarak where do you live that you have had all these sightings?

Sent from my SM-G990U using Tapatalk

 

[LongWayAround]

We know that jaguars have melanism and we know that jaguars historically ranged into the southwest United States.

But it seems like these stories are more of an eastern phenomenon. The OP didn't say where he was from though...

Also, with the number of trail cameras and everything else out there, no one seems to have a credible picture. Some how, non have been shot and reported either. Even areas with only the occasional mountain lion/puma/whatever seem to report them with some regularity.

If I saw a black cat that was five feet long at close range, I would be pretty sure of it. But it's hard to believe when no real evidence exists.

 

[TxxAgg]

Mountain lions can look many shades darker than they actually are but they still aren't black.

There's no such thing as a big black cat walking around the woods. Jaguars are barely into the US and all documented pics are of the normal spotted variety.

I'd believe in Bigfoot before the fabled American Black Panther.

 

[Mike Islander]

When I lived in SC, everyone knew someone who had seen a black panther in the woods. Bubba's cousin, has a friend whose brother in laws sister saw it for sure.
Hundred thousand trail cams, deer dog drives non stop for 4 months and no one has proof.
Otter running across the road at low light is the elusive panther.

Yep. In the last 15,022 days in South Carolina, many of them outdoors, have not seen one. But I have seen both otters and beavers.

 

[Yarak]

@Yarak where do you live that you have had all these sightings?

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I’ve lived overseas and in several states and I grew up in west central Al and this is where I had these sightings
People can ridicule all they want but it doesn’t change what I saw and really I’m too old to care what anyone thinks

 

[Kenn]

One person has seen three and there are NO game camera pics, no carcass’ found and no solid evidence of existence. If I see three I think I’m going to keep it to myself.

 

[Dust Rider]

Why didnt you shoot it while hunting in the stand? If I ever see a Squatch, its getting lead or the F350 head on.

 

[FLATHEAD]

I’ve lived overseas and in several states and I grew up in west central Al and this is where I had these sightings
People can ridicule all they want but it doesn’t change what I saw and really I’m too old to care what anyone thinks

My Grandfather told me many times about seeing one cross the road at night
near his house once. This was in E. Central AL., (St.Clair Co.) prolly back in the mid 60's.
I dont know what it was, but in his mind he saw a Large Black Cat the size
of a Whitetail deer. I never argued with him, I wasnt there.
He had no reason to lie.

 

[Yarak]

Why didnt you shoot it while hunting in the stand? If I ever see a Squatch, its getting lead or the F350 head on.

This is a very good question and I’ve asked myself the same question
This second sighting was 50 miles from my original sighting and I’d say I was so shocked by seeing it I remember thinking…..well how about that !!!??? And it never crossed my mind to shoot