Pic Of Mountain Lion In Northeast Alabama(Cleburn County)

[PacadermaTideUs]

As to the Gulf, it's pretty simple: there are always sharks not far from wherever you're swimming. Always have been. I grew up on the NW FL coast, & saw a bunch of them. It's amazing how fast a non-competitive swimmer can swim sometimes. :biggrin: We once flew along the coast in a small plane; it was a LONG time before I wanted to get back into the water, after seeing a number of sharks not far from oblivious groups of swimmers. Obviously, the vast majority of the time, the shark's not interested. Now if you're in the Gulf early in the morning & at dusk,...well, just consider this phrase: "feeding time."

I've seen several myself, live and in person while I was in the water. Most people don't know that they're swimming with sharks. But they are. And generally, the sharks will leave you alone. But as you say, it's not wise to swim at dawn or dusk. Not only is it feeding time, but in the low light, you can be more easily mistaken for food. It's also not wise to go out to where the bottom starts to drop off past the sandbar, since that's where they generally cruise for a meal.

Back to the original, that's an amazing picture! I knew there were such critters around up in the AL mountains of my family heritage, but have never seen photographic evidence of that. I have seen photographic evidence of a rather large black bear down in SW AL (Washington County up north of Mobile). Similar pic, taken from a motion-activiated deer cam (or whatever those are called.)

Ursus americanus floridanus is the distinctive Floridian subspecies of the American Black Bear. It is native in several populations throughout Florida, southern Georgia and southern Alabama. One of these populations is the Washington county population north of Mobile, likely the population that you've seen a picture of.

U. a. floridanus is not known to be aggressive, though they can be pesky and it's wise to give them distance. They're spotted all the time around here, raiding dumpsters and trash cans and along roadsides. I saw one on Hurlburt Field just lumbering through the Air Force barracks. If you go hiking on Eglin Air Force Reservation (permit required) and look for it, you'll see scat and tracks all over the place.

[video=youtube;pf0cL6gUuXI]http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=pf0cL6gUuXI#at=211[/video]

 

[TrampLineman]

That pic has been floating around for years now. This cat has obviously walked around the nation as he has been claimed all over the U.S. and that buck should be rank by now.

Me and you must browse the same folks as I seen the same guy post it as well. Thankfully this was NOT taken in Alabama (who really knows where it originated from).

 

[AeroEngUA07]

http://www.buckmanager.com/2009/05/21/mountain-lion-really-killed-this-whitetail/

Here's the real story. From Texas 2009. This guy also posted 5 other pictures from this game camera one before and 4 after, you can see the dragged mark in the dirt where it took the deer.

 

[hollisx4]

He said there used to be a population of Black Panthers in Anniston when he was a kid as well..

My older relatives used to claim the same thing where I grew up in St. Clair County.....as far as I know no one actually proved they really ever saw one

 

[PacadermaTideUs]

He said there used to be a population of Black Panthers in Anniston when he was a kid as well..

My older relatives used to claim the same thing where I grew up in St. Clair County.....

There's definitely still a population of them in Philadelphia. Here's a shot of two of them hunting a couple of unsuspecting creepy arsed crackers. This was captured just a few years ago.

 

[Bamafaninco1]

Apparently you aren't watching shark week on Discovery this week.

I can't watch shark week now, Tara Reid might show up and that is worse than anything a shark could do. Yes I did watch Sharknado. I see where dead sharks are turning up on the subway's in NY. The sequel begins, only this time the sharks are playing for keeps.

 

[Bazza]

That bear video would look real nice in the bear pic thread..... :wink:

 

[TideMan09]

http://www.buckmanager.com/2009/05/21/mountain-lion-really-killed-this-whitetail/

Here's the real story. From Texas 2009. This guy also posted 5 other pictures from this game camera one before and 4 after, you can see the dragged mark in the dirt where it took the deer.

WOW..That's a busy kitty kitty that's for sure..Spotted in Cleburn County Alabama, S & N Carolina, Ohio, Pennsyvania, Maine, Texas..I thought the commercial said you can always believe what's on the internet..LOL

 

[TIDE-HSV]

WOW..That's a busy kitty kitty that's for sure..Spotted in Cleburn County Alabama, S & N Carolina, Ohio, Pennsyvania, Maine, Texas..I thought the commercial said you can always believe what's on the internet..LOL

I questioned its origin because it was so deep in the chest and withers. I wouldn't expect that in NE AL, with the fragmented environment this area has to offer. However, there's enough habitat for them here, certainly as much as in California, in the LA area. And, if New Jersey can have a black bear problems and we have them in Little River Canyon, it's just a matter of time before they pop up in my backyard. I have pix of pug marks in our adjacent state park which are 4" in width which I can't explain. (And I do know what various animal tracks look like and have since childhood.)

 

[TideMan09]

I questioned its origin because it was so deep in the chest and withers. I wouldn't expect that in NE AL, with the fragmented environment this area has to offer. However, there's enough habitat for them here, certainly as much as in California, in the LA area. And, if New Jersey can have a black bear problems and we have them in Little River Canyon, it's just a matter of time before they pop up in my backyard. I have pix of pug marks in our adjacent state park which are 4" in width which I can't explain. (And I do know what various animal tracks look like and have since childhood.)

I agree 100% with ya Earle..I'm sure there's a healthy population of them on Mt Cheaha & within the Talledega National Forrest area & wouldn't' at all be surprised if there not a small population of Black Panthers as well..I'd love to know exactly what all kinds of wildlife we have have in our area that live among us..

 

[AeroEngUA07]

I agree 100% with ya Earle..I'm sure there's a healthy population of them on Mt Cheaha & within the Talledega National Forrest area & wouldn't' at all be surprised if there not a small population of Black Panthers as well..I'd love to know exactly what all kinds of wildlife we have have in our area that live among us..

https://www.outdooralabama.com/watchable-wildlife/

What Alabama Dept of Conservation believes is still left in the state. Can drill down in the menus to see different animals i.e. mammals->carnivores, etc.

 

[TIDE-HSV]

https://www.outdooralabama.com/watchable-wildlife/

What Alabama Dept of Conservation believes is still left in the state. Can drill down in the menus to see different animals i.e. mammals->carnivores, etc.

I don't have a lot of confidence in ADC's opinions. For a long time, they told us there were no coyotes in north Alabama, and then they reversed course. We see them all the time in our neighborhood. I saw one day before yesterday a couple of blocks from my house...

Edit: I see they're still denying any black bear are in the state, whereas the NPS says there is a breeding population in Little River Canyon...

 

[AeroEngUA07]

I don't have a lot of confidence in ADC's opinions. For a long time, they told us there were no coyotes in north Alabama, and then they reversed course. We see them all the time in our neighborhood. I saw one day before yesterday a couple of blocks from my house...

Edit: I see they're still denying any black bear are in the state, whereas the NPS says there is a breeding population in Little River Canyon...

I'd tend to agree. Certainly use that as a 100% these animals on only these for sure. But it is a nice primer of sorts to see what all we have around the state.

Speaking of animals in your neighborhood, have you caught a glimpse on the goats in the state park? I've heard several stories from some of my trail running acquaintances, but haven't seen them myself. Apparently wild goats left over from when there were farms on the mountain. Believe they are on the east side of the mountain almost near the park boundary.

 

[dayhiker]

I questioned its origin because it was so deep in the chest and withers. I wouldn't expect that in NE AL, with the fragmented environment this area has to offer. However, there's enough habitat for them here, certainly as much as in California, in the LA area. And, if New Jersey can have a black bear problems and we have them in Little River Canyon, it's just a matter of time before they pop up in my backyard. I have pix of pug marks in our adjacent state park which are 4" in width which I can't explain. (And I do know what various animal tracks look like and have since childhood.)

A friend that lives maybe 5 miles west of Pell City posted a video on FB maybe 6 weeks ago that he shot in his back yard of a black bear.

 

[exiledNms]

Edit: I see they're still denying any black bear are in the state, whereas the NPS says there is a breeding population in Little River Canyon...

My pa-in-law has a pic taken by a motion-sensor cam on his land in northern Washington County (SW part of the state) that would provide anecdotal evidence to the contrary of the ADC's position.

 

[TIDE-HSV]

I'd tend to agree. Certainly use that as a 100% these animals on only these for sure. But it is a nice primer of sorts to see what all we have around the state.

Speaking of animals in your neighborhood, have you caught a glimpse on the goats in the state park? I've heard several stories from some of my trail running acquaintances, but haven't seen them myself. Apparently wild goats left over from when there were farms on the mountain. Believe they are on the east side of the mountain almost near the park boundary.

I've modified my route so I seldom go by the "goat rocks" outcropping any more. If you take the white (perimeter) trail all the way south to O'Shaunessy Point, make the bend and head back north, they're about a third of the way before you get to the first ranger home and the cabins. Generally, the best time to see them is really early. However, when I've been there and they weren't, the smell is still very distinctive. Their origin is a little different, though. They are exotics, which you can tell at a glance. There are some very weird looking ones, including a couple of what appear to be miniature mountain sheep. (I've seen the real ones up close, so know the size difference.) The original owner had them in pens down on Dug Hill Rd. They broke out and I'm told that they range up and down the mountain from Dug Hill to the top. As you probably know, goats are very self-sufficient. They can eat almost anything and take care of themselves, thank you very much...

 

[MegaVars]

Glad I live near the beach... I probably would never go back outside if I saw that up close.

Nothing to worry 'bout 'cept sand fleas and crabs, huh?

 

[JBama_in_PCOLA]

Nothing to worry 'bout 'cept sand fleas and crabs, huh?

Never been bit by a sand flea on Pensacola Beach, however I got attacked by them in Iraq!

 

[swoop10]

Never been bit by a sand flea on Pensacola Beach, however I got attacked by them in Iraq!

I grew up in Atmore and went to Pcola Beach and Gulf Shores plenty and never had a problem with sand fleas, but Parrish Island was a different situation. Crabs also weren't a problem unless he was speaking from personal experience about the little critters and not the ones in the ocean.

 

[JBama_in_PCOLA]

I grew up in Atmore and went to Pcola Beach and Gulf Shores plenty and never had a problem with sand fleas, but Parrish Island was a different situation. Crabs also weren't a problem unless he was speaking from personal experience about the little critters and not the ones in the ocean.

Hahahahahahahahahahaha... Hmmmm... Crabs? Never heard of them.