one we saw spotted the truck after a minute or so at 400yds and hauled butt, it wasn't hangin' around to see what we were up to.

A guy on our lease claimed he seen a black one. Got everyone excited. Next day another hunter on the lease next blind over pulled the trigger on what he swears was the big cat. Turned out to be a feral cat. He tried to tell us that the cougar must have been carring the cat and he shot it out of his mouth. The guy who started it all still swears he seen a cougar.

hey i talked to the new gamewarden in panola co,he said that pic was taken about 8 m from my deerlease,i ve killed several bob cats there,but havnt seen r anyone else seen a big cat there,we r right by sabine river and havnt got any pics yet

Be sure and wear protection...and for god's sake be careful, I don't think they really like that sort of thing...

I had a snack stash on my property that included cans of tuna. Something got into the box, tore everything up, then punctured and CRUSHED the tuna can (top to bottom, which takes a lot of pressure) with fangs about the width of the can. Far too big for bobcats or smaller feral animals. That was in the woods off of our south pasture. In the winter, we keep our horse herd in that pasture. In a herd, our horses are pretty predator-savvy and will stalk, charge and kick the snot out of coyotes, but every once in a rare while, the entire herd will scream and run up the ranch road til they get to the barn. I've often wondered what it was... til I found that can. Last year, some of the guys around here actually caught pics on their cams of a cougar coming in and taking deer. They had 'em hanging at the feed store for a while to tell hunters to beware. Haven't heard of black panthers/cougars here, however.

With cougars/panthers being so rare to East Texas, why would anyone want to shoot one?

IMO, it would be a blessing alone just to see one and take home the pride in letting it survive.

The true character of a hunter is not determined by what he kills, but in what he chooses to let live.

Those things eat all the deer.

I really like that, Dan. I get teased for it, but a lot of times I will stop shooting and enjoy the awe of nature... huge flock of geese lifting, beautiful duck landing on the water, a doe and her fawn. Sometimes just being able to see first hand is plenty.

I once encountered a cougar in central Florida. It was the most awesome thing I've ever seen in the woods. I was riding my trail bike with a buddy of mine and we were trying to get out of the national forest before sunset. His pedal clip broke and while he was bent over to fix it, I saw something I first thought was a deer's hind, making it's way thru the tall grass. But the movement was all wrong and the color a bit off... I could only see a small part of it. I was literally speechless when this beautiful, awesome cougar stepped out of the tall grass and onto the path in front of us, not 30 yards away. All my buddy could say was "Oh s%$#t!" But this huge, majestic cat barely gave us a second thought. It stood there, looked directly at us, then turned... and in just 5 seemingly effortless bounds, covered the length of a football field and vanished into the woods.

I've spent decades working in the outdoors as a park ranger/wilderness instructor and seen a lot of beautiful and amazing things out there, but sighting that cat still stands out as the most spectacular!

I seriously doubt there are enough panthers in East Texas to have any significant impact on the deer population.

I would be more concerned with the potential impact on livestock.

Lets set the record straight. There has never been a black cat documented outside of Florida. Ever!!!

Now, I have called BS on many stories of cat sightings, then I had one walk by me in Cass cty in 2005. I told the story on here back when it happened. It was surreal and it lasted all of 5 seconds, but it was a cougar and it was not black.

It would be very difficult to hunt them in East Texas because of their range and all the cover in East Texas!!! A glimpse is all anybody gets around here!!!

I don't think there are black ones in Florida, either. The one I saw there was tan. Are there any black ones in North America? "Surreal" is an excellent word... but I will never forget the awe it inspired in me!

We have seen one twice here. Once was chasing some piglets across the road, the other time it walked right through camp slowly and not scared at all. There were 10 of us that saw this one.

My grandpa lives near our land and has seen one a couple of other times. Most recently crossing a gravel road real slowly.

I suspect they hang out near us do to the large amount of hog kills we leave in one area. Never once has a hog lasted 3 days once I put it out. And several dissapear completely, no bones, fur etc.

I tried to put up a trail cam, but the buzzards during the day killed my battery. Hog was completely gone when I got the cam, but batteries where killed the very first day with buzzards.

I have been hunting in East Texas for forty years. I have seen two black ones, they were crossing the road but never while hunting. I have also heard that they are nomadic, not territorial.

Good friend of mine owns land in Panola Co. and his dad has seen one.

I can appreciate the sanctity a mountain lion brings to an area so unfamiliar to us. However, I have cattle on my property who happen to be near calving. I also have a cougar on my property as well as her cub. If I could, I would love to leave the cat to roam freely, but unfortunately, easy meals are only a few days away, and I cannot afford to lose any of my girls to a nea t looking cat. I have property that provides my family with food, and I do not want a "cute cat", to be the culprit. Starting tomorrow night, I am going to stalk that damn thing... I hate to do it, but she has been here for 2 weeks and still wont go on about her business.

We live in Red River County (NE texas), and the tracks have been most everday since.

Michelle