Panther, Puma, Cougar?
Before I forget, I want to tell you about Ken W's. panther. He was right about the quicksand and he was right about the big cats living wild in our county. Whatever you call it, they're not a feral house cat. If you ever catch a glimpse of one of them, or see a paw print, you'll be shocked at the size of it.
It was the scream that first convinced us. Late in the evening, if we found ourselves still working in the summer dusk, we were chilled to the bone by a scream that just can't be described. Even coming from a distance, it was enough to start us packing for home. I thought more then once, I'd be glad to have those thick log walls finished and be sealed inside. We questioned neighbors, and other local hunters. Many had heard it and several had seen tracks. At first the only sightings were from cars who'd had one run across in front of them at night. Even the hunters we talked to hadn't actually seen one. But we didn't talk to anyone living in that area of the Knox County country who didn't believe they were out there. I'd lived in this county then for several years, about 15 miles from there and never heard of a big cat before. So they must be staying in the area of the Kokosing Dam and Fredericktown. Not too many people would talk to strangers about it for fear of being ridiculed. We had to admit to hearing it before they would grin and open up.
The Kokosing Dam is a favorite area for me to "hide in nature" when things pile up on me. I go off alone with my camera and don't come back till I feel calm. I have a snapshot of a paw print at the edge of the lake. I came across them very early one morning. The paw is bigger than my splayed hand and the one I took the picture of is clear enough to see it's shape clearly. Believe me, it gave me a start when I first saw it. It was fresh, and I spun around to be sure I was alone.
Just a few years ago, on his way to work early in the morning, my current husband got a wake up call when a huge light brown cat jumped across the county road in front of his pickup. With an enormous stride it bounded once. He said he couldn't believe his eyes. I wish I'd seen it.
Then last year, TV 4 started getting reports of a big cat near the Columbus area. At first there were a lot of jokes about it. Till the reports expanded to sightings by our Highway Patrol and other "reliable" people. Believe what you will, I'm sure wildlife is adjusting to life in the 21st Century. They may be small in number, but they are out there.
It was the scream that first convinced us. Late in the evening, if we found ourselves still working in the summer dusk, we were chilled to the bone by a scream that just can't be described. Even coming from a distance, it was enough to start us packing for home. I thought more then once, I'd be glad to have those thick log walls finished and be sealed inside. We questioned neighbors, and other local hunters. Many had heard it and several had seen tracks. At first the only sightings were from cars who'd had one run across in front of them at night. Even the hunters we talked to hadn't actually seen one. But we didn't talk to anyone living in that area of the Knox County country who didn't believe they were out there. I'd lived in this county then for several years, about 15 miles from there and never heard of a big cat before. So they must be staying in the area of the Kokosing Dam and Fredericktown. Not too many people would talk to strangers about it for fear of being ridiculed. We had to admit to hearing it before they would grin and open up.
The Kokosing Dam is a favorite area for me to "hide in nature" when things pile up on me. I go off alone with my camera and don't come back till I feel calm. I have a snapshot of a paw print at the edge of the lake. I came across them very early one morning. The paw is bigger than my splayed hand and the one I took the picture of is clear enough to see it's shape clearly. Believe me, it gave me a start when I first saw it. It was fresh, and I spun around to be sure I was alone.
Just a few years ago, on his way to work early in the morning, my current husband got a wake up call when a huge light brown cat jumped across the county road in front of his pickup. With an enormous stride it bounded once. He said he couldn't believe his eyes. I wish I'd seen it.
Then last year, TV 4 started getting reports of a big cat near the Columbus area. At first there were a lot of jokes about it. Till the reports expanded to sightings by our Highway Patrol and other "reliable" people. Believe what you will, I'm sure wildlife is adjusting to life in the 21st Century. They may be small in number, but they are out there.
posted by LeeAnn | 1:19 PM
1 Comments:
Just as a P.S. Columbus, Ohio's T.V. station has reported sightings again this fall. I didn't hear much about it all summer. Maybe the leaves have to fall to make it harder for the cat to hide. The t.V. announcers don't even grin anymore when they report a sighting. And people who sight a "mountain lion" are no longer afraid to report it.
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