Lakeland Cougars...

spangler

https://www.miamiherald.com/news/article260540172.html

Officials: Florida panther struck and killed by vehicle

The Associated Press

LAKELAND, Fla.

An endangered Florida panther has died after being struck by a vehicle.

It’s the 11th panther death attributed to fatal collisions, out of 11 total deaths this year, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

The remains of the 2-year-old male panther were found Sunday near Lakeland in Polk County, wildlife officials said.

Florida panthers once roamed the entire Southeast, but now their habitat mostly is confined to a small region of Florida along the Gulf of Mexico. Up to 230 Florida panthers remain in the wild.

joekat46

There was a picture last week of one swimming the Peace River.  All of the Peace  is n/o Charlotte Harbor.  They are much further north than commonly reported.  Anyone know how that quota hunt in the refuge went?  

swampdog

I was wrong. I figured the high speed I-4 and other high speed interstates would keep them from moving North. With the increase in traffic and population growth they can now just walk between the cars stopped on those interstates… It’s the backroads getting them.

josh_scott84

Found along the Polk Parkway. Bet he came from the Circle B area

OGBOHICA

Like Manatee's we supplemental feed them with AR's and Cattle Reimbursement... BOHICA

MCSHunter

The first thing we need to do is stop calling them "Endangered" The piles of deer I used to see in Big Cypress should now hold that title. The Feds have no idea how many Texas/puma/cougars there are and they never will know. All they care about is keeping the money spigot flowing.

gottheitch22

I live in polk county and hunt property on the river in hardee county and seen cougars there . There are cats all over the state . Its FWC cash cow .

gottheitch22

I would bet there are over 1000 in sw Florida alone . 

MCSHunter

had to edit. 

hoggator

I am on the opposite side of the popular opinion on this one. I am good with them being out there. I logged in 27,471 steps in the turkey woods yesterday.  Counted 4 coveys of quail, 4 hogs, 25 deer.  This season I killed 4 deer, 7 hogs, ducks, gators, 1 turkey so far.  All in Fl public lands, mostly SFL.  Are they having an impact?  Of course they are.  I just feel like I can hold my own in the woods without needing the State to remove an apex predator so I can “harvest” more.  I am not from Miami & don’t think pigeons are endangered.  I did however raise them for a while & my male pigeon named “hunter” was a bad dude.  He would wing slap my Labrador in the face when he got close to the coup & they were nesting.  We all have different opinions on this one.  I personally love seeing the tracks when I walk through BC. 

spangler

I don't have a problem with cougars.  I'm happy to see them return to reasonable and sustainable populations in Florida.  I think it would be really cool to see one from the tree stand some day.  I also have no desire to hunt them myself.

I do have a problem with BS political agendas/programs or unrealistic/ignorant 'conservation' practices.  It's true, the 'Florida Panther' is a money maker first and foremost (keystone species my a s s).  'Saving' the ever so 'special and unique panther' by introducing, in an overwhelming manner, Texas genetics and calling it a Florida Panther is disingenuous at best. 

And when people want to hunt bears and cougars, or whatever, and those populations are running rampant... yet we are not allowed to hunt, as part of a responsible management plan.. THAT is ludicrous and infuriating.

Big Mak

Well, I agree with Spangler except I would of particularly love to harvest one. 

Pinman

Manatees say "hello"....

Turner River Terror

Their just grass eatin Hogs that got tame...
You have 2 years of Head shot Sea Cow Season and they'll get back wild.
Heck , Make the Regs the same as Gators
Personally I'd like to try a slab...Maybe they taste like Lobster

Turner River Terror

If they came in an easy carry home size I'd have already ate a few.
Kinda hard to get one in the cooler and forget sneaking it back to the house.

Pinman

Tag I saw in Martin County a few years back...

FloridaOD

In 1973 I, along with my mom and dad watched a Panther in the area that would at that time soon become Rotenberger.  

For me, the Cats are welcome. I share some similarities, and habitat needs. 

spangler

Been reading "Totch", he's commented that they only ate manatees when times were real hard.  He's talking hard times, during the great depression... Also says curlew (ibis) are the best thing to eat. 

ANUMBER1

young curlew (still got some brown feathers) are pretty good.

H20dad

ANUMBER1 said:

young curlew (still got some brown feathers) are pretty good.

How do they compare to black bellys?  

bswiv

spangler said:

Been reading "Totch", he's commented that they only ate manatees when times were real hard.  He's talking hard times, during the great depression... Also says curlew (ibis) are the best thing to eat. 

A good read it is. And I'd note that Bartram credited curlew as being one of the best.

Which makes me think........though with my memory it's possible we've done such in the past......but, maybe a thread of good reads, outdoors/natural world related?

ANUMBER1

H20dad said:

ANUMBER1 said:

young curlew (still got some brown feathers) are pretty good.

How do they compare to black bellys?  

never had a black belly,  braise some curlew breast, remove from pan, cook rice in pan, chop up breast and add to rice, pretty good.

joelunchbucket

Curlews and ibis’ aren’t the same kinds of birds. 

Jonsredfishin

I ate a Cougar from Lakeland at Camp Mack one time. 😂 

spangler

Panther is to Cougar as Curlew is to Ibis.  Old Florida colloquialism...

hoggator

Curlews. 

Ibis

I haven’t tried either, but have been told that Curlews taste great.  Person that told me that also mistakenly thought it was a juvenile ibis. 

FloridaOD

I recently had a vivid dream.......
I ran over a Panther. Dead.Quick. I was driving under speed limit...... watching, hoping to see Cat....
Piled up just off the roadside.Forward body hit.I caressed her. Weird. I thought about the Cat, very much alive, 1973..... West of the Miami Canal pump station at the southern border of what would then soon become Rotenberger WMA.
I had only actually once before touched Felis Concolor, only seconds, a Conservation Organization Event, limited audience, a passing glance as the adult Cat jumped up from the floor to a table......Power and Grace. Like a dream.
So here I am am, on the side of the  road.And  she had a tracking collar........ And I took the collar off. 
Ha!..... Now I Am Skink. Former Florida Governor, per my friend Carl Hiaasen’s book...... what now????

I got back in my vehicle with the collar, drove north ........ after crossing the big waterway, I stopped and tossed the collar........ no doubt the FWCC was tracking...... moving North at...... 63 MPH..... another Cat Transport, caught in the Act this time..... Ha!

spangler

Uh oh

https://www.wfla.com/news/polk-county/video-camera-captures-second-panther-spotted-in-polk-county-this-month-fwc-says/

spangler

H20dad

Tastes like pork. Get the word out. 

ANUMBER1

I thought this was about lakeland cougars????