Florida Panther shot in Ga.

[papagordo]

Now that Ga DNR has determined that the panther shot last year was a Florida panther, and not a pen-raised Western cougar as originally thought, has the hunter been charged?

The article I saw on GON said that shooting the Western was legal since its considered an exotic, but that shooting a Florida panther is illegal and heavy fines are charged. What happened to this guy?

 

[FLCURDOGS]

who has indeed proved this? I think it is amazing that they only reside in the glades and south fl according to the experts but they end up being sighted in all parts of Fl IE: Northern St Johns Co.

if you have any more info I would be interested in seeing it. Thanks

 

[Six million dollar ham]

It's not that I don't trust you, but it would be good for you to provide a link to some sort of story about this.

 

[huntingonthefly]

DNR may have been helping him out by stating that it was an ''exotic or pen-raised.''

 

[jkoch]

......there are no panthers in Georgia......
"Troup County cougar was a Florida panther, not an escaped captive as assumed by DNR.

By DNR Press Release
Posted Wednesday August 5 2009, 4:45 PM

Genetic testing by the National Cancer Institute, Laboratory of Genomic Diversity, has indicated the panther shot by a hunter in Troup County last year came from the resident southern Florida panther population.

On Sunday, November 16, a sportsman observed a mature panther or cougar while he was hunting deer in the woods of Troup County. The hunter shot the cat from his stand, then reported the incident to DNR. He has not been charged in the case.

The animal was taken to the Southeastern Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study in Athens for examination. A necropsy revealed the animal to be in excellent nutritional condition. No evidence of microchips or other common identification methods were found on the animal.
Because Florida panthers had not been documented in Georgia in years, it was initially thought that this animal might have escaped or have been intentionally released from captivity. With the genetic confirmation that the animal is a Florida panther, it is possible that this animal traveled from south Florida to Georgia.

"We have had evidence (road kill) of Florida panthers as far north as the Florida panhandle," said Tim Breault, with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. "Young males, in an attempt to develop their own territory, will often wander far from their home range. We think this may have been the case in this situation."
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) Office of Law Enforcement is investigating this incident since the Florida panther is a federally protected endangered species.

"Finding a Florida panther that far from southwest Florida is out of the ordinary, but male panthers, particularly younger ones, can travel great distances," said Paul Souza, field supervisor of the South Florida Ecological Services Office. "While it's unusual for panthers to be seen that far north, it is not impossible for a young male to travel so far."

The Florida panther is the last subspecies of Puma (also known as mountain lion, cougar, puma, or catamount) still surviving in the eastern United States. Historically occurring throughout the southeastern United States, the estimated 100 to 120 panthers are found in south Florida, in less than 5 percent of their historic range."

Imagine that.......
__________________
Don't blame me. I voted for the American.

 

[jkoch]

Will that work for you?

 

[11P&YBOWHUNTER]

Will that work for you?

Probably not...but it looks good to the rest of us. Question is, when are they gonna charge the guy?

 

[11P&YBOWHUNTER]

Here you go..read the last paragraph...

http://www.examiner.com/x-13344-Wil...d5-Endangered-Florida-panther-shot-in-Georgia

 

[Six million dollar ham]

Will that work for you?

Nope, that's not a link.

 

[Six million dollar ham]

Here you go..read the last paragraph...

http://www.examiner.com/x-13344-Wil...d5-Endangered-Florida-panther-shot-in-Georgia

THAT is a link. Thank you sir.

 

[11P&YBOWHUNTER]

THAT is a link. Thank you sir.

Anytime!!!

 

[caseyb]

i saw one in terrell county ga, big black cat

 

[Henpecked]

Seriously. I would understand if the guy said he feared for his life, but he already stated in an interview that he shot the cat for the heck of it. The pictures of him posing with the cat show he was quite proud of himself. I would like to see him charged.

 

[injun joe]

Why? If the DNR says they're not here, how can you charge a guy who thinks he's shooting an exotic escapee? The DNR has laughed at people for years who report sightings of big cats. Let them live with it.

 

[backwoodsjoe]

Seriously. I would understand if the guy said he feared for his life, but he already stated in an interview that he shot the cat for the heck of it. The pictures of him posing with the cat show he was quite proud of himself. I would like to see him charged.

I wouldn't !!!!! There are no big cats in Georgia ! The DNR said it......

 

[Balrog]

Seriously. I would understand if the guy said he feared for his life, but he already stated in an interview that he shot the cat for the heck of it. The pictures of him posing with the cat show he was quite proud of himself. I would like to see him charged.

That is crazy. The DNR has said there are no black panthers in GA, and therefore the conclusion is that if there are no illegal panthers in GA, then any panther you see is legal to shoot.

It is legal to hunt black bear in GA. There are no grizzlies in GA. So if you shoot a bear, and then discover it is somehow a grizzly, should you be charged with a crime?

 

[KILLBOT]

panther shooter

he was charged and convicted of being an american hunter, sentenced to 4 years of obamanation .

 

[MisterClean]

That's cruel and unusual punishment fer sho!

 

[germag]

Why? If the DNR says they're not here, how can you charge a guy who thinks he's shooting an exotic escapee? The DNR has laughed at people for years who report sightings of big cats. Let them live with it.

Even though Georgia does have a specific law against shooting any subspecies of Puma (Felis) concolor, it's really not the Georgia DNR he has to worry about so much. It's the USFWS. That particular cat (P. c. coryi)is listed on the Federal Endangered Species Act as Endangered and killing one is a Federal crime. If he's charged, it will likely be the Feds that charge him and take him to Federal court. It is a felony offense. He actually could be charged either way, because the Georgia protected species list includes everything on the Federal schedules, PLUS there is a specific Georgia law against shooting any cougar.

 

[Lowjack]

Florida Panthers are found in the Osceola National Forest , that ain't too far from Georgia.
It is Obvious Predators move where the prey is more abundant.
Since the animal is from Florida why should they charge someone in Georgia, teh Fla Panther was there Hunting with no Georgia Hunting license, LOL