House cats may show off some slick abilities at times, but they can’t compete with their wild cousins.
We’ve seen cats catch an owl, fight off a coyote, and even stare down a moose, but it’s nothing but bad news when they come face to face with a panther.
The population of Florida panthers has been in serious trouble for many years. According to NPR, the predator known as “Lord of the forest” took the brunt of the large human migration to the Sunshine State in the 1970’s, reducing the number of cats in the wild to around 20-30, due to hunting pressure and habitat disturbance. Researchers began developing strategies to save the animal, which was experiencing severe problems due to inevitable inbreeding. The restoration efforts culminated in the 1990’s with 8 female pumas from Texas being transported to the area in hopes of increasing genetic variability and being a boon for the species.
The strategy, along with various other protections put in place after it was listed as an endangered species, have grown the population to an estimated 200. While it’s nowhere near the numbers that once ranged from Florida to Louisiana, it appears to have been successful, at least to this point.
But the species is far from out of the woods. Continued suburban expansion remains an issue for the wildcats, as each breeding unit (one male and two to five females) required around 200 square miles of habitat. Cars are also a major issue for the panther population, with 26 killed by automobiles in 2018 alone.
Naturally, as more of these large predator cats begin roaming the southern parts of Florida, there’s going to be an increase in encounters with humans, livestock, and pets. One ranch in the heartland of panther territory estimates they lose between 5 and 7% of their calf crop annually due to predation.
It also means that quite a few pets may go missing, like we see in this video out of South Florida.
A security camera captured a tough to watch scene when a panther locked eyes on a house cat and took advantage of the opportunity, pouncing on the cat and pining it down on the driveway before locking jaws on its head and carrying it away to eat in peace.
A rough scene for sure and it shows why some people don’t want any further growth of the native species, but it’s hard to argue against saving a creature that has long called the Florida swamps home and is the state’s official animal.
If you’re in South Florida, you may want to keep your cats inside…
Florida Panther Makes A Run At Young Fawn Distracted By Black Bear
Imagine looking out your window and seeing something like that go down.
I mean, a panther, a deer and a black bear in your backyard all at once? All you need is a gator and you have the Florida Grand Slam.
Florida panthers are a rare animal, a subspecies of cougar that is only really found only in the southern part of the state. An apex predator that helps to control the population of other animals, they are very important for a state with such diverse wildlife. However, their population is currently endangered, with just over 200 individuals left in the wild.
Florida is also home to the white-tailed deer. These animals are found throughout the state and are a common sight in many rural and suburban areas. Like everywhere else, the deer have healthy populations and serve as a meal to both predators and hunters alike.
That includes black bears, which the state also has some small populations of. Black bears are omnivores eating everything and anything they can get into. Although they aren’t known for their hunting it still happens fairly often… especially when there is an easy target… like a fawn.
Which is why a young deer is going to be very weary of them.
Here, we see a doe and her fawn in a Florida backyard as they intensely, and nervously, watch a black bear at the tree line.
But as they keep their eyes on the black bear, a new and undetected threat is coming right for them. A Florida panther is sneaking around the house right up behind them.
In a crouched position, ready to pounce, the panther stays low until it finds the perfect opportunity.
Like predators do, the panther launches towards the fawn in attempt to get an easier meal.
The small deer takes her eyes off the black bear just in time to realize that it has a new attacker. It takes off and barely gets up to speed in time. The panther is on her tail but the deer tricks it in the long grass and made a break for it.
The deer got lucky on that day, with two predators eying them down at the same time.
Welcome to Florida… it is crazy out there, folks.
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Golfers Watch A Sneaky Bobcat Snag A Rabbit Right On The Course
There golf course hazards are getting deadly…
Bobcats are known to roam just about everywhere in the US.
Being the most populous wild cat in North America, they live in a multitude of habitats that range from swamp lands to mountain ranges to suburban neighborhoods.
They are also ferocious hunters, taking out tons of creatures like rattlesnakes, baby alligators, ducks, and any number of small game animals.
While most bobcats tend to remain hidden in brush or at least the cover of night, sometimes we get a glimpse of how they operate in broad daylight, like this video taken on a golf course.
The bobcat is seen creeping on the fairway and scoping out a few rabbits that were hanging out off to the side. The bobcat starts approaching them cautiously, getting closer with small bounds and pauses, very similar to the gait of rabbits themselves, a crazy cool adaptation that allowed it to get within striking range without alerting the unsuspecting rabbit.
Once the bobcat got in range it was goodnight for the bunny, who barely even reacted before it was lights out and all over.
Talk about a fun day on the course with the boys though.
Get out in the sun, crush a few cold ones, smoke a cigar, and see a bobcat hunting up close and personal.
Hell of a Saturday if you ask me…
Florida Turkey Hunters Watch Two Florida Panthers Brawl
That would certainly be an unexpected event in your morning hunt…
And the type of event that only happens once in a lifetime.
To see a cougar in the wild is a pretty rare thing. They’re generally one of the more elusive and stealthy predators in all of North America. So, while seeing two cougars going at it is pretty extraordinary, to have the rarest subspecies doing that makes it all the more uncommon.
Florida panthers are regarded as a subspecies of mountain lions (or cougars as they’re sometimes called), and native to Florida. They’re technically not a true sub-species since the only real difference is that Florida panthers generally have a kinked tail and a unique fur patch on the back, which seems to have evolved as a result of inbreeding due to the low numbers.
These big cats are considered a rare and endangered species, with only a few hundred individuals left in the wild.
Florida panther males will often fight for territory and dominance. These territorial battles serve to establish dominance and protect their mating rights. Florida panthers are solitary animals and will defend their territories from other males to ensure access to food and mates.
A father and son were out for a turkey hunt when the craziest thing happened. As they sat calling out some gobblers, a ruckus started and crows started to lose their minds.
Before they knew what was happen a pair of panthers were right in front of them going at it hard.
The pair of hunters got an up close and personal view at this wild fight.
The father summed it all up in the video.
“As the gang of crows got closer I peeked out of the right side of the blind and I caught movement, and sure enough it was a young male Florida panther. As I was pulling the phone out to get some footage of him, out came quite possibly the same cat I saw with my daughter one year and two days before and hit him like a freight train!
As the battle went on, A pack of rather large wild boars came running in to the screaming of these to Apex predators. One of the Boars, was really hell-bent on settling some old scores I guess, and came in hot right up to about 6 feet and probably was the reason the younger cat made it out of there alive.
This is why I love being a Man of the Sea and the Wilderness, you just can’t quite ever imagine what’s amazing thing is going to happen…”
This is what hunting is all about…
Making memories and moments those two hunters will talk about forever.
Hunter Snags Wild Turkey With His Bare Hands
Using decoys can be a bit of an art.
Making sure you set them up realistically to fool the incredibly intelligent animals that we chase after. It’s even more impressive using these things to further fool an animal and get within very close distances.
This video here is the ultimate use of a decoy, I don’t know many people who could pull this off and get within even a few feet of a wild turkey like this.
The video starts with it looking at a group of jakes walking in checking them out. After a couple gobbles, you see the decoy and realize there is a hunter behind it.
Over the span of a minute the hunter does his best turkey impression hiding behind the decoy and crawling towards the flock of birds.
Apparently, the show was very believable he gets within a couple feet of the birds, but… they still seem a little weary.
You see his hand start to come around the decoy. Just as the jake turns to run the man reaches out and snags its leg and pulls it in to get control. He grabs it by the legs and neck and holds it up like a championship trophy.
One might question why this would ever happen, and the two involved summed up the story:
“Due to the virus, Kyle and myself were working remotely. We were able to leave early, so we decided to turkey hunt after the passing rain.
When we finally heard the roar of the gobbles, we knew we were going to double. The jakes had full gobbles. When they came around the corner, we realized it was a group of jakes. Kyle had always mentioned catching one behind my decoy.
At that time, I grabbed my phone, and he grabbed the camera. The rest is history.”
I guess when you have been planning something and the opportunity presents itself, you have to pounce. And that’s exactly what this guy did.
Don’t try this one at home, it will probably not go this great every time.
