How often do you believe someone when they say they saw a Cougar in SE Louisiana?

I'm the same way I've had an old timer say he saw one as well and he definitely knows his stuff when it comes to being in the woods. Don't think he would have made it up or gotten confused.

0.00000% of the time

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Its always the same story "I was driving home the other night on (insert road) and I saw a cougar, it was fricken huge no way it was a bobcat."

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I've had one cross in front of me on a mountain pass road in AZ. There's really no mistaking it. Of course, it was still light out.

now you got me thinking....last year i was hunting in north la and I could have sworn I saw a monster cougar run across a spot i could see. I kept watching the brush and a little later a monster of a bobcat walked out.

I've never been one to say that there is no way they aren't here, because a few years ago I believe they caught one around Shreveport/bossier area (might have been longer ago than that). But I don't think people realize a bobcat can get up to around 24" at the shoulders and weigh up to 40-45 lbs. And that's a big arse cat. I'm sure that there are some cougars roaming around somewhere, but I don't think they are that prevalent in Southeast Louisiana. It seems every week I see a post on social media about someone seeing a cougar/ black panther.

this is a good article about where they have been spotted in Louisiana.

Wildlife & Fisheries confirms cougar sighting in Northeast Louisiana
Updated Dec 21, 2016; Posted Dec 21, 2016
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By Todd Masson

tmasson@nola.com,

NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune

For years, Louisiana residents who reported cougar sightings were considered just barely a notch above those who shared morning coffee with extraterrestrial visitors on flying saucers. But another confirmed cougar sighting late last month indicates the big cats make at least occasional forays into the Bayou State.

A Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries biologist conducted a site investigation, and determined a trail-camera photo submitted to the agency was legitimate. The sighting occurred in Northeast Louisiana.

Maria Davidson, manager of the department's Large Carnivore Program, said area hunters should be on the lookout for the cougar.

"It is quite possible this animal could be photographed on other trail cameras placed at deer feeders," she said. "It is unlikely this cougar will remain in any one area longer than it would take to consume a kill. It is impossible to determine if the animal in the photograph is a wild, free-ranging cougar or an escaped captive."

Owning cougars is illegal in Louisiana, but it's possible the one in Northeast Louisiana got out of a pen or cage.

The recent sighting is one of several documented by the department in recent years.

The first was in 2002 by an employee of Lake Fausse Point State Park. It was later confirmed with DNA analysis from scat found at the site.

Three confirmed trail-camera photos were taken of a cougar in Allen, Vernon and Winn parishes in 2008.

A cougar was shot and killed in a neighborhood by the Bossier City Police Department on Nov. 30, 2008. The DNA from that cougar confirmed it originated from a New Mexico population.

Another confirmed trail-camera picture was submitted in August of 2011 from Vernon Parish. There have been no additional reports since then until the recent sighting.

The mountain lion, cougar, panther or puma are all names that refer to the same animal. Its color ranges from light tan to brownish grey. The only species of big cats that occur as black are the jaguar and leopard. Jaguars are native to South America and leopards to Africa. Both species can occur as spotted or black, although in both cases the spotted variety is much more common.

Although the department has received many calls about black panthers, there has never been a documented case of a black cougar anywhere in North America.

The department said it receives calls reporting sightings of cougars throughout Louisiana. Many of the calls are found to be cases of mistaken identity, with dog tracks making up the majority of the evidence submitted by those reporting cougar sightings. Other animals commonly mistaken for cougars are bobcats and house cats, usually seen from a distance or in varying shades of light.

Because of the lack of physical evidence, the agency has concluded Louisiana does not have an established, breeding population of cougars. In states that have verified small populations of cougars, physical evidence can readily be found in the form of tracks, cached deer kills, scat and road kill.

The recent sightings of cougars in Louisiana are likely animals dispersing from existing populations. An expanding population in Texas can produce dispersing individual cougars that move into suitable habitat in Louisiana. Young males are known to disperse from their birthplace and travel hundreds of miles, seeking their own territories.

Penalties for killing a cougar in Louisiana may include up to one year in jail and a $100,000 fine. Anyone with any information regarding the killing of a cougar may call Operation Game Thief at 1-800-442-2511. Callers can remain anonymous and may receive a cash reward.

To report sightings of cougars with physical evidence such as photos, tracks or scat, contact Maria Davidson at 337-262-2080 or mdavidson@wlf.la.gov.

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two big cats that looked like a mom and her baby were just hanging out about 30 yards behind the house near the tree line. She said they looked like Cougars but my uncle didn't believe her for one second until he saw the pics she took. I'm gonna try to get him to send them to me so I can post them.

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This would be earth shattering news (well, it would be unexpected, at least). All the verified cougar sightings (other than the ones in bars ) have been young males as the males tend to disperse and travel long distances in search of females. Females, on the other hand rarely travel far from their home ground and currently there has been no evidence found of a breeding population in Louisiana. Any DNA evidence I have read about has indicated males from populations west of Louisiana including one from the New Mexico area.

I'm not in LA, but there's very few people who I'd believe if they told me they saw one. I know they come through AL once in a while, but people are just way too easily fooled for me to trust them. Even people who are avid outdoorsmen think they see things they didn't. The human mind is a funny thing. I've seen some very interesting videos about what people think they saw vs. reality. I believe James Randi did one (not about the outdoors, but in general).


I see we already have a 100% black panther sighting in the thread.