Read all about it.

~erik~

That might explain why we didn't see or hear any wildlife on the way to the snipe Saturday night.

A river Otter?

They think he mistook a River Otter for a 7 foot Panther????

Are they sure He didn't see BigFoot?

LOOK OUT!!!! It's a blood thirsty man eating river Otter! And it's coming right for Ya!

Oh my! I have no idea how close Burrells Ford is to Bartram Trail but I sure glad you guys did not run into any wild cats (or crazy river otters) on the snipe hunt!

Samantha would have made a nice snack for a 7 ft man-eating cat/otter/bigfoot/whatever.

I the only wildlife I saw was on Warwoman Rd a fox ran across the street in front of us. Maybe it was a giant man-eating black fox.....

Probably just one of the girls from The Best Little Cathouse In Georgia on her midwinter vacation.

Well back in 2003, I saw this kitty while geocaching in South GA.

Look Out! it's a River Otter!

A kitty like the one in Allen's photo was spotted a few times in Tifton Ga about 12 years ago. The DNR guys said it is what is called the Florida panther. Okeefenokee is supposed to be home to a few.
As for me I'm a believer. Maybe not Black ones but definately brown ones in NE Georgia.
What ever he saw, he'll probably get picked on a lot!

O.K. Well, first of all, I'm going to say if Stephanie saw a fox (I presume in the middle of the day, or at least during daylight), this is also a dangerous animal since they are nocturnal. Might be rabid?

As far as the panther goes, yes they abound in South Georgia and Florida. I would not dismiss one being further north, where it might have morphed into a mountain lion - or might be mistaken as one and I'm not so sure they are that much different. (We don't need to get into a species discussion here since they are both BIG cats.) And let's all remember where bears are seen and captured as in Fayetteville (or someplace recently). My husband's father has a lease a Bienville Plantation, just outside of Lake City Florida and has seen a black panther there. Black mountain lions have been seen, as well in North Georgia. So have albino animals of all sorts - deer, etc. I think the black color is more of a genetic glitch than a strain of "black panthers", so in other words a black panther is just a panther, really. Though, I have to admit that if I saw an albino deer while hunting, I would not come to my senses until it was too late to hunt the animal.

All this rambling is just to say that these animals are all out there, stretched thin as our natural resources diminish, which causes them to migrate in many instances. Elk and buffalo also were once indigenous to this region. Makes you think, I guess. If you see a 'native' predator in the wild, my advice is to savor every moment and hope you have your camera handy (like ALlen).

Thanks Allen for that great picture.

Somewhere I should have a picture of a bobcat that I took in South Georgia as well. I'll see if I can find it this weekend.

Unfortunately I didn't get a picture of the bear that I saw on Mt Yonah.

You did notice that the picture of the first "kitty" was taken at a downward angle.

I have heard stories all of my 65 years from friends and neighbors in NE GA about black "Painters" supposedly in the area. I will believe it when I see one.
Nasty