I was driving in North Randolph County this morning and saw something strange in a field. It was black and had a really long tail. When I stopped the truck it looked back at me. I wish I would have had binoculars or a scope to get a good look It sure looked like a big cat.
Buck-Ridge
Are There Mountain Lions In Arkansas?
Mountain lions live throughout the Americas. But are there mountain lions in Arkansas? Continue reading to learn more.
We've got a few but if it was black it probably was a K9 of some kind.
Don't kid yourself. Wife came in describing an animal that crossed the road in front of her, lights on. just after dusk. This was when we lived in Northern Louisiana 1988. She was about 5 miles north of the line on Hiway 79 below Magnolia. Key part of the description was the legs being thick all the way down and a very long tail. Description was definitely was not a dog. When I showed her a picture of a black panther she confirmed that was what she had seen. Told a few guys I hunted and worked with, they were not surprised, there had been sightings for several years. We now live in Bella Vista and have at least 2 in the area that are seen several times a year, usually during the early morning or late evening.
That pic of a black panther you showed your wife....
Let's see it....because it's scientifically impossible....
Let's see it....because it's scientifically impossible....
Oki- be careful if you’re out golfing in Bella Vista early in the morning. I know for a fact 1 of the 2 black panthers attacked a group of geriatric golfers during an early tee time.
One of the old timers died of a heart attack on the spot. AGFC came out and denied the whole incident. They played it off like the golfers were senile and said they just found a few coyote tracks.
One of the old timers died of a heart attack on the spot. AGFC came out and denied the whole incident. They played it off like the golfers were senile and said they just found a few coyote tracks.
Back about ten years ago I seen something similar. Was wading down foursche river above middle Brook and below Missouri state line. Had a stringer full of small mouth bass. Fishing my way back to my exit point. Was starting to get dark. Kept hearing noises up on a small bluff off the side of the river. Got to the end point started walking through a feild grown up. Saw some deer darting across the field. Grass was about to deers back. They came to a farm road and crossed. Then behind them a big cat (darker than a deer) came across about a min later. When it's nose entered the grass on the otherside of the road it's tail still wasn't out of the other side of the road. Had to five foot long. Needless to say I didn't wait around to find out anything.
I can say from experience I've seen clearly two mountain lions in South Arkansas where they supposedly didn't exist until that one was killed in Hermitage a couple of years back and the AGFC couldn't deny it anymore. Those two sightings I can say without a doubt I know what I saw.
Now my 3rd encounter was not as clear. I had been bowhunting behind my parent's house (between El Dorado and Strong) and was coming out of the woods at dark. I had a small flashlight and mainly kept it pointed down at the trail but right before you come out of the woods is a fairly steep incline so I pointed it up the trail about 30 yards and an animal was in the trail quartering away from me but looking back. I vividly remember yellow eyes and it was jet black. Given the circumstances I can't definitively say what I saw. Could have been a big ol tom cat but it appeared much larger (not as big as either mountain lion I saw but much bigger than a house cat).
I never could figure out exactly what it was. I hesitate to say it was a "black panther" but maybe it was a juvenile mountain lion and it appeared black due to it being dark and the flashlight wasn't very powerful. I know it wasn't a bobcat, one of the defining characteristics I remember was the long tail with the upward curve at the end.
Other two sightings were between Magnolia and Stephens at a buddy's deer lease. I was in a stand and watched this one clearly for a couple of minutes. No mistaking what I saw. And the other one crossed the road just outside of El Dorado off of Old Calion road. Again got a clear look. No mistaking what it was.
Still can't explain the one behind my parents place. I just know I didn't have anything but a bow and all I could think to do was grab an arrow out of the quiver in case I had to protect myself. It stared at me for what was probably less than 10 seconds but felt like an eternity, then took about 3 steps and leapt out of the trail and was gone.
To this day I wonder if it was just my mind playing tricks on me but I can still see those glowing yellow eyes looking back at me. Not gonna lie, I was scared half to death!
It would be nice to have some proof of what it was but I probably never will. Haven't seen anything like that since that encounter. I want to say that was around 1997.
Now my 3rd encounter was not as clear. I had been bowhunting behind my parent's house (between El Dorado and Strong) and was coming out of the woods at dark. I had a small flashlight and mainly kept it pointed down at the trail but right before you come out of the woods is a fairly steep incline so I pointed it up the trail about 30 yards and an animal was in the trail quartering away from me but looking back. I vividly remember yellow eyes and it was jet black. Given the circumstances I can't definitively say what I saw. Could have been a big ol tom cat but it appeared much larger (not as big as either mountain lion I saw but much bigger than a house cat).
I never could figure out exactly what it was. I hesitate to say it was a "black panther" but maybe it was a juvenile mountain lion and it appeared black due to it being dark and the flashlight wasn't very powerful. I know it wasn't a bobcat, one of the defining characteristics I remember was the long tail with the upward curve at the end.
Other two sightings were between Magnolia and Stephens at a buddy's deer lease. I was in a stand and watched this one clearly for a couple of minutes. No mistaking what I saw. And the other one crossed the road just outside of El Dorado off of Old Calion road. Again got a clear look. No mistaking what it was.
Still can't explain the one behind my parents place. I just know I didn't have anything but a bow and all I could think to do was grab an arrow out of the quiver in case I had to protect myself. It stared at me for what was probably less than 10 seconds but felt like an eternity, then took about 3 steps and leapt out of the trail and was gone.
To this day I wonder if it was just my mind playing tricks on me but I can still see those glowing yellow eyes looking back at me. Not gonna lie, I was scared half to death!
It would be nice to have some proof of what it was but I probably never will. Haven't seen anything like that since that encounter. I want to say that was around 1997.
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