Saw a neat show about the American Jaguar on Outdoor network last night. I thought they were extinct except for an old film reel i had seen by marty stouffer who had photographed it near tuscon.. well old Marty got in trouble for staging wildlife fights so I figure that too was staged.. and then hello.
Apparently in 1999 a guy who trains his dogs to hunt mountain lions treed himself a BIG spotted jaguar it was on videotape. Another backpacker photographed one in southern AZ the same year with a still camera. Apparently them come up into AZ and NM from Mexico and stay mostly in the mountains. There haven't been enough of them to hunt in years and years and they aren't sure if we have a viable breeding population.. but could you imagine.. heading out on your favorite deer hunt at 4 am in pre dawn.. and seeing an orange and black spotted cat lurking around your favorite meadow?? Jaguars are the3rd largest cat on earth, being heavier and more muscled than a leopard and can easily kill large game. PS the show mentioned that NO black jaguars have ever been seen North of the Yucatan in Mexico. Kind of makes me want to go 'camera hunting' in Apache country.
Apparently in 1999 a guy who trains his dogs to hunt mountain lions treed himself a BIG spotted jaguar it was on videotape. Another backpacker photographed one in southern AZ the same year with a still camera. Apparently them come up into AZ and NM from Mexico and stay mostly in the mountains. There haven't been enough of them to hunt in years and years and they aren't sure if we have a viable breeding population.. but could you imagine.. heading out on your favorite deer hunt at 4 am in pre dawn.. and seeing an orange and black spotted cat lurking around your favorite meadow?? Jaguars are the3rd largest cat on earth, being heavier and more muscled than a leopard and can easily kill large game. PS the show mentioned that NO black jaguars have ever been seen North of the Yucatan in Mexico. Kind of makes me want to go 'camera hunting' in Apache country.