Hmmm...I appraised land for the Federal Land Bank in Parker, Palo Pinto, Erath and western part of Hood County back in the late 70's and early 80's. I was over a lot of that country and shocked how many folks were living there and I am sure that there many more today. The Brazos River would be a natural highway for a lion to travel and a young male driven from the Possum Kingdom area would follow that natural corridor.
Another strong possibility is that someone got tired of feeding a pet that was eating three times what they expected and turned the critter loose. Either way, I am sorry for the family who lost a loved one that was much too young.
If they bring in someone with decent hounds, catching a lion in that terrain should be very easy.
Adios,
Gary

good plan Dalroo. gettem.

I bet the guy died of natural causes and body was scavenged.

There has never been a documented case of a mountain lion killing a human in Texas.

I know the USDA expert folks are talking about on this case. He is likely the best mountain lion tracker in the United States. Likely the planet and I don't say that lightly.

Hopefully someone sits the Hood County Sheriff down and explains this all to him that there is nothing to gain politically from spreading panic. TPWD won't do it because they don't get involved with politics. Which is what this is all about. A politician.

I am sorry for the loss of the young man who passed away. Hope his family can find solace and peace with is passing.

When you stop hunting predators they start hunting people. We need to thin the population back down to the minimum and persecute them relentlessly where they cohabitate with humans so they can only survive in the most remote parts of their habitat. That is the only way. That will re instill fear of man.

Wolves will be the worst to fight off being most see them as fluffy and harmless. They can literally wipe out herds of elk in a blink all for fun! The fight will be with what the people see not how the animal acts.

Natural? Like he fell and hit his head on a rock?



While untrue, what would it matter if a mountain lion had never killed a person in Texas before. There is nothing geographically limiting the ability of mountain lions to kill people in Texas or geographically superior about the people in Texas to withstand such attacks. That it had not happened before doesn't mean that it can't happen or won't happen. The same could have been said for Oregon until 2018, when Diana Bober was killed in Mount Hood National Forest. History is a poor predictor for mutually exclusive events.

By the way, a 3 year old child was killed by a mountain lion in Beaumont in August of 1911.



Hard into instill fear into something that is dead. It isn't like when you are shooting one mountain lion that all the others are watching the event go down. Mountain lions are largely solitary animals. You aren't going to get a herd of them together in order to 'instill fear' into the population.

I hunted in Mason

no blinds, just ground blinds

early dark one day I just settled in the cedar ground blind
and to my left in the early twilight was a mountain lion
making his way slowly to a tree in the dark

I have my 30-06 but it was worthless, can't see crap
so I reached down and gripped my 1911 and waited..
he wasnt hungry that morning but that was a tense
hunting moment to remember

the local rancher came by to visit and shared what
I saw with him; he said that's normal , ,,, there used
to be more. The county used to pay bounties for 2 ears

Where at in mason? we have a place just north of mason. I talked to the biologist a few years back and he said there were a couple around they had documented. They sure can cover some ground, chased one in Arizona with hounds for 40+ miles. Those toms will reach 100+ sq miles of territory.

I saw an article circulating saying there was no evidence of a mountain lion attack on the dude in hood county. They actually said no evidence of an attack by a mountain lion, or any other wild animal.

Reports are conflicting. TPWD says not. The ME says maybe, that it was not homicide or suicide. TPWD does not make legal determinations in such cases, however, only advisory.
https://dfw.cbslocal.com/2020/12/06...k-north-texas-area-where-man-found-dead/

Would think it would be obvious if a animal killed someone.

it was probably covid.

That depends largely on how much damage has been done in the event, how much damage was done after the event, and how quickly the remains are found after the event.

If the victim died of another cause and was scavenged significantly, body moved from the location of death, etc, it can be difficult to put all the pieces back together to figure out the exact order of events.

It can be difficult to determine the difference between being killed by an animal and scavenged by an animal, for example.

I forgot where it was exactly, it's been 25 years

it borders a wildlife preserve
and a mountain/hill.... supposed to have gold stash from Jesse James/outlaws

I tend to believe the Medical Examiners Office before I believe Texas Parks and Wildlife.

TPW struggles with basic animal identification; I'm not sure I trust their expertise in forensics.

https://tpwd.texas.gov/education/hu...conservation/SikaDeer_614.1_118.png/view

.

if they actually communicated that to the press/printing department.... that person should be fired

Parks and Wildliffe knows animal biology, behavior, ecology

ME knows human physiology and trauma
I would trust the ME's assessment more than PW

The Medical Examiner killed said by a wild animal, possibly a mountain lion. I would guess that it would more likely be a pack of wild dogs.

It’s not the killing of one. It is the persecution of all. Just because it hasn’t been killed doesn’t mean it hasn’t been hunted. Sometimes wounded, etc.

If you hunt them hard enough in an area survivors learn to keep out of there, and the bold ones get killed.

Just like deer, they learn to avoid humans where they are hunted. But will eat out of your hand at times by Lake Tawakoni for example where they are not.

We had a big cat on a lease in Wichita Falls years ago & it was always a little sketchy walking into the deer stand in the dark knowing that you're not the apex predator in the area.

Being on the ground with other apex predators always adds a little spice to life.