Would You Support Pumas Released Back To NC?

[Devilwin]

There is talk to bring back pumas to North Carolina, and I was wondering what we thought about it. The eastern cougar was the race of puma concolar found here in NC. It has been extinct here for over 110 years. Now the NCWRC believes it may be a good time to bring some back, as the deer herd in the state has exploded in recent decades.
Once found from Maine to Georgia, the eastern cougar lost ground as more and more of their habitat was destroyed. Today, the only mountain lions in the east are the 85 to 100 Florida panthers, found in Florida swamplands.
The plan, while still in its infancy, calls for 8 Texas cougars, a race nearly identical genetically to the eastern cougar, to be released in a couple of locations in the mountains, and eastern coastal swamps. The animals will be collared, and monitored closely. Pumas are apex predators, and while shy around humans, are capable of bringing down deer and other large ungulates. Males can be 100 to 150 pounds, females are somewhat smaller.
My opinion is simple. While pumas were once a part of our fauna here years ago, the burgeoning human population means that conflicts could happen. Pumas have killed humans in our western states, but usually these were old animals with failing health, or youngsters too clumsy to hunt properly. I think if this is done every precaution must be taken to avoid such events. There will almost certainly be a public outcry against this, people will say the risk is too great, and they have a good point.
The project's 8 cougars will be young adults, already capable of hunting deer.
Like I said, they were once here in numbers. And attacks on humans are extremely rare. I think it would be a good event if they can stay on top of the animals, and as their population increases, remove excess animals to other wilderness habitats.
But now, the pumas may be voting with their feet. A wildlife officer saw a female with two cubs in the Pisgah National Forest a couple of years back, and another large male was spotted near Linville Gorge in 2016. Pumas are wanderers, and cats born in Colorado have turned up in Tennessee.. So maybe the pumas have beaten the NCWRC to the punch!

[Mtn.Devil.91.92.01.10.15]

People here in WNC swear they have seen pumas. It seems contrary to almost any documented reports, but about one in five outdoor enthusiasts claims a sighting.

Oh and I am thoroughly for reintroduction.

[tteettimes]

I thought I saw one in a bar the other night 😌😌

[Devilwin]

I thought I saw one in a bar the other night 😌😌

Well, I knew that was coming, and it didn't take long..lol

[BD80]

I thought I saw one in a bar the other night 😌😌

That's what you get for drinking with ungulates ...


I'm fine for the reintroduction, as long as they are banned from public places.

[Mtn.Devil.91.92.01.10.15]

I thought I saw one in a bar the other night 😌😌

You certain it wasn't a cougar?

[fuse]

I had no idea this was under discussion.

Thanks for sharing.

Having seen the re-introduction of wolves to Yellowstone video, I’d be supportive.

[Kdogg]

The potential problem will be when the deer population fluctuates the pumas are going to move in to human developments. South Carolina has a non native coyote problem because several decades ago hunter released them into the wild. Now they are a nuisance throughout the state preying on small deer, rodents and pets.

[Devilwin]

The potential problem will be when the deer population fluctuates the pumas are going to move in to human developments. South Carolina has a non native coyote problem because several decades ago hunter released them into the wild. Now they are a nuisance throughout the state preying on small deer, rodents and pets.

True, but coyotes are now in every eastern state. Only in the Alligator River Refuge in eastern NC, where the last 100 wild red wolves roam, are coyotes scarce.

[Reisen]

Yes.

[wavedukefan70s]

The potential problem will be when the deer population fluctuates the pumas are going to move in to human developments. South Carolina has a non native coyote problem because several decades ago hunter released them into the wild. Now they are a nuisance throughout the state preying on small deer, rodents and pets.

We also have some kind of panther,cougar cat.i have seen them twice. with others .it's not a dark bobcat.my wife has seen one.i saw one with in 30 ft. scared the crud out of me.we locked eyes for probably 30 seconds.he/she just walked off.

[BigWayne]

I am in California where we have many Pumas/Mountain Lions. They are pretty widespread and there is conflict with humans. Hunting is relatively unpopular in the coastal region here and prohibited in large part in many places. With the terrain of flatter populated areas adjacent to wild hillsides, the deer and other wildlife come down into the populated areas to shield themselves from predators, since the humans are essentially no threat to them. The lions inevitably follow them down and end up in people's yards.

Good article that covers a lot of angles and challenges of dealing with lions and public opinion. (http://www.sacbee.com/news/state/california/article182397016.html)

I would not recommend doing anything to bring more pumas to NC. If they get there on their own, fine, but don't hurry it along. Getting any deeper into the discussion will end up quickly in PPB territory.

[CameronBornAndBred]

8093

I lived in the NC mountains and heard LOTS of stories of sightings, but had none of my own. (Had a cool bigfoot experience, though.) A friend of mine in W.Va. shared this photo however.

I think cougars are rarer than bigfoot in NC, but I also think both are hanging around. ;)

[BigWayne]

8093

I lived in the NC mountains and heard LOTS of stories of sightings, but had none of my own. (Had a cool bigfoot experience, though.) A friend of mine in W.Va. shared this photo however.

I think cougars are rarer than bigfoot in NC, but I also think both are hanging around. ;)

So have you been sending your bigfoots our way to compensate? (http://www.kcra.com/article/woman-suing-california-agencies-for-not-recognizing-existence-of-bigfoot/18371137)

[Mtn.Devil.91.92.01.10.15]

8093

I lived in the NC mountains and heard LOTS of stories of sightings, but had none of my own. (Had a cool bigfoot experience, though.) A friend of mine in W.Va. shared this photo however.

I think cougars are rarer than bigfoot in NC, but I also think both are hanging around. ;)

I know lots of Sasquatch sighters as well.

Maybe I just hang out with weirdos.

[Rich]

Am I the only one who thought this?

8095

[CameronBornAndBred]

I know lots of Sasquatch sighters as well.

Maybe I just hang out with weirdos.

I wish mine was a sighting. But it was an audible experience, very close, and if running down a mountain through thick laurel was an Olympic event, I qualified over my hiking friend by .02 seconds. Still to this day the most scared I've ever been, and that includes getting mugged in DC.

[wilson]

I support the reintroduction of any animal to a habitat from which humans have artificially eliminated it.

[CameronBornAndBred]

I support the reintroduction of any animal to a habitat from which humans have artificially eliminated it.

8097

[cato]

We have mountain lions in SoCal. The ones who kill people are not spotted in advance.

[CameronBornAndBred]

We have mountain lions in SoCal. The ones who kill people are not spotted in advance.

I now have Advance on my list of places not to live.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Advance,_California

[BD80]

I support the release of pumas in Washington DC, as long as Congress is in session. The same for the capital of each state.

[MartyClark]

We have a good number of mountain lions in Colorado. As someone mentioned earlier with regard to California, mountain lions are often seen in bedroom communities in the Denver metro area, especially near the foothills.

Probably 30 years ago, a high school student was killed by a mountain lion in Glenwood Springs while jogging. About 25 years ago one of my nephew's friends was killed by a mountain lion (although it is a bit unclear as to whether the young boy may have died of fright or aspiration of vomit during the encounter) on the western border of Rocky Mountain National Park.

I do a lot of hiking and have never seen a mountain lion. I suspect that many have seen me.

One of my friends was running in Waterton Canyon on the outskirts of metro Denver. It's an old railroad grade that is now a hiking/biking trail. He rounded a corner and encountered a mountain lion crouching over a freshly killed deer. It was a snowy day and no other humans were around. He slowly backed down the trail and the mountain lion was content with the deer.

I'd need to see more facts about the reintroduction of pumas in Carolina but I'd venture a qualified "yes" at this point.

[YmoBeThere]

I have a couple mini black panthers and another(not mine) which roams my yard.

[budwom]

Pumas/cougars/catamounts/mountain lions do make occasional incursions into Eastern states. A few years ago one was hit by a car in Connecticut. I know several people who
have seen them in Vermont, but it's rare enough to doubt if there is any local population.

what's kind of funny is that our otherwise rather progressive Fish and Wildlife Dept (aka Moose and Squirrel Dept) does not want to hear about cougars, I think they fear it'll be another population they have to manage along with deer, moose, etc. A few years ago a hunter saw one and actually picked up its poop, which was verified as cougar poop...but the state insisted it must have escaped from
a private facility or something...(pretty nonsensical).

[left_hook_lacey]

Am I the only one who thought this?

8095

No. My first thought was to say I was more of a British Knights or K-swiss supporter, and would love to focus conservation efforts on those two instead of Puma. Alas, decided not to take the thread off-topic, but, now that I see I wasn't the only one, release the hounds!!!

[PackMan97]

I need to know how this will affect Red Wolves before I make a decision.

[budwom]

I need to know how this will affect Red Wolves before I make a decision.

saw one of those once, unfortunately he was dead on the side of the road...

[jimsumner]

I wish mine was a sighting. But it was an audible experience, very close, and if running down a mountain through thick laurel was an Olympic event, I qualified over my hiking friend by .02 seconds. Still to this day the most scared I've ever been, and that includes getting mugged in DC.

Remember, you don't have to outrun the puma. You just have to outrun your friend.

[Devilwin]

I need to know how this will affect Red Wolves before I make a decision.

I don't think Alligator River Refuge is on the sites being looked at for the eastern releases. But confrontation could happen in the future. Since red wolf packs number four to eight individuals, chances are the cougar would give ground. A single wolf would, however, be no match for a puma.

[lotusland]

Carolina Panthers? Impossible!

[rasputin]

When I quickly read the topic for this thread, I thought it said, "Would You Support Puns Released Back to NC?"

[BD80]

When I quickly read the topic for this thread, I thought it said, "Would You Support Puns Released Back to NC?"

When were nuns banned from NC?

[rasputin]

When were nuns banned from NC?

I'm not in the habit of responding to such posts.

[IrishDevil]

I'm not in the habit of responding to such posts.

Uh-oh. If we don't impose some order swiftly, non-punners are going to get crabb(e)y

[CameronBornAndBred]

I'm not in the habit of responding to such posts.


When were nuns banned from NC?


Uh-oh. If we don't impose some order swiftly, non-punners are going to get crabb(e)y


When I quickly read the topic for this thread, I thought it said, "Would You Support Puns Released Back to NC?"

This is exactly why puns need to remain in captivity on the DBR. The rest of the state isn't prepared to handle the crisis that would follow.

[rasputin]

This is exactly why puns need to remain in captivity on the DBR. The rest of the state isn't prepared to handle the crisis that would follow.

Kudzu?

[nmduke2001]

Nothing to see here; just a mountain lion living in a very public park.

http://www.latimes.com/projects/la-me-griffith-park-mountain-lion/