If a dead mountain lion was found in these parts it would be all over the news by now, even is an escaped zoo/sanctuary animal.

I don't believe they are here, but people who know these things well are certain one could easily thrive sticking close to the Brazos River. Prey in the form of deer, feral hogs, and pets alas are wildly abundant here. And they are expanding so one will certainly turn up here.

Just as gators are getting closer and closer to having a permanent foothold here.

Alligators have a permanent foothold here and have for over a decade. Otters are common when they weren't a decade ago. Mountain Lions probably cross the river bottom corridors fairly regularly but not commonly. When they do most will be adolescent males looking for a range and females. I'd be way more interested and surprised to find a black bear here….. now that would be some range expansion. They are showing up on deer cams in the Jasper and Nac areas at times. I think if we get them it will be. Eastern Black Bears not the hill country ones…but who knows.

I see no reason why there couldn't be a cougar in these parts. The question I have in 2024 is why hasn't anyone captured a pic of one? Just a quick IPhone snap and we can settle this discussion. I actually want to see one.

EBrazosAg said:

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Alligators have a permanent foothold here and have for over a decade. Otters are common when they weren't a decade ago. Mountain Lions probably cross the river bottom corridors fairly regularly but not commonly. When they do most will be adolescent males looking for a range and females. I'd be way more interested and surprised to find a black bear here….. now that would be some range expansion. They are showing up on deer cams in the Jasper and Nac areas at times. I think if we get them it will be. Eastern Black Bears not the hill country ones…but who knows.

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Alligators have had a permanent foothold here for 3 decades plus.

We pulled a 12' gator off our place in Robertson county in the early 90s. A 10' in the 00s. Navasota river side.

b0ridi said:

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Posts like these go on Nextdoor.

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Feel free to go find one.

There have been several cougar and mountain lion sightings around the Brazos valley over the years… and there have been some pictures.

Most often around Grimes county , especially north grimes county , south Robertson/ North Brazos county , along OSR on both sides of 6.
I know there was one in Washington county within the last 2 years.

Big cats are out there in our area.. not many but they are out there

So where's the pics? Or any TX P&W verification? Game cameras heavily in use, and IF there was anything close to a verified sighting, coverage would be amped up significantly.
Hog hunters, deer hunters...but never a verified sighting, or shooting.

On the old "Lone Star Law" show, one warden said yellow Labs were the #1 source of "yeh, I saw me a mountain lion".

Quote:

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Seen by our neighbors. Game Warden confirmed the Deer carcus found along our fence line was mutilated by a big cat.

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I'd be careful taking the word of others on seeing a mountain lion. People have overactive imaginations and will frequently "see what they want to see". The outdoor board posters will use the yellow lab joke because those are frequently mistaken at distance for lions. If you see an actual picture of one it's frequently "a friend of a friend sent me this picture" and when you research it, it's likely from some totally different area and someone is just spreading rumors for fun to stir people up. And as much as I respect most game wardens, they aren't impervious to mis-identifying a cat either.

There was a story on the outdoors board about someone with a horse that had some gashes on its hindquarter and the game warden came out saying it was a lion attack. Later on they found the tin roof off a barn on the property had peeled back and had four jagged edges that the horse bumped up against in the middle of the night and spooked itself, as they found horse hair and skin on them.

As GSS stated above, with all the game cameras out there now, plus every single person walking around with a cellphone (and thus a camera) in their pocket, why aren't there more pictures of them in this area? That should tell you something. Big cats need a pretty decent range and central Texas (triangle of Dallas, Houston, and San Antonio) is just too populated for them now. Not saying there hasn't ever been cats here, but it's just very unlikely in todays environment.

I have friends who say they've seen mountain lions near their property close to the Brazos river S of CS. Swear it.

But then at a party a few months ago, she comes in yelling for her husband, "mountain lion sighting, back yard!!!". Everyone runs out to see a fluffy house cat taking a dump along the tree line behind their house.


People don't know what they see!