Originally Posted by
Micanopy
Years ago in Virginia It snowed and I went for a walk in the woods. Great time to hunt deer as they stand there thinking you can’t see them. Not realizing that the snow provides a nice backdrop. Well I am easing along and I see a crow in this tree. The tree was kind of standing at an angle. He was cawing and fluffing his feathers. Just then a bobcat screamed up the side of that tree and was almost to the crow when it took off. The bobcat leaped at it and took a swipe and almost got him. Then he spread out his legs and landed after a fall of about twenty feet or so. I was super impressed. That thing was agile and nimble and quick and everything you could ever imagine.
Around my home here in Florida there are a few around but we got panthers, too. Walked outside one beautiful January day and saw a very large panther beside the fence, about fifty feet away. It was looking straight at me. We stared at one another for a few and then it turned it’s glance away and flicked it’s tail. Then it looked back at me as if to say- What ?
I was surprised the thing was not at all intimidated by me. It just stood there looking at me and that was when I saw something else was right behind her. A larger panther. It was about five feet behind her and following her and he wasn’t afraid of me either. He looked mean. Then they slowly ambled along through the palmetto undergrowth and gone.
The biggest killer of panthers seems to be cars. Those two had just crossed a four lane highway in broad daylight. I think she was stalking deer and he, well he probable would have eaten a little something, too. Neither had tracking collars and I understand they have a large home range.
Based on what I saw that bobcat do with that crow, not sure what would have gone down had I not seen that pair and they had a taste for human blood. A hound dog would have been toast that is for sure. I imagine they can kill just about anything they come across. I still walk the woods without a gun because I don’t think they would go for me. An old woman…..well she might not be much trouble at all. Me, I might smell bad.
When those things scream out during the night it will make your blood run cold
The love for fishing is one of the best gifts you can pass along