OK, this might be hard for many to believe; however, at this time in my life, I really don't care how crazy I sound! I've had many paranormal experiences happen in my life; from ghostly visits, to Cryptids, and even UFO encounters. I can say I'm used to people insulting me, or not believing a word I say! Again, I was an investigator on the OKC Bombing in 1995, SO BRING IT ON! However, I would say to the unbelievers, go research the scientists that have looked into many events considered to be "paranormal," from EVP ( Electronic Voice Phenonmenon), Mediums, Psychics, Dowsing, past lives and other phenonmenon. Save yourself some time and look up Victor Zammit's work. He researched many subjects of the paranormal!  Again , "seek and you will find the answers." 

So, the Big Cat story:  Keep in mind, we have some big cats, some bigger than others like bobcats, often not a whole lot bigger than house cats, but can be larger. Some of those can take down larger animals like deer, cougars, panthers, mountain lions, pumas which are all the same animal by different names, most often a tan color.  They hunt and eat what they can catch, anything from small game like rabbits and squirrels to deer and sometimes domestic animals like cats and dogs. Adult male cougars may be more than 8 ft in length and weigh 135- 175  pounds on average. Females up to 7 ft and weigh 90-105 pounds.  During my stay at the farm, we had wild pigs, many coyotes , skunks, other animals, too. My parents had passed and I was watching the farm to keep it safe from being robbed . I would hunt the pigs and coyotes.  Before anyone gets upset, you should know pigs are a problem for crops and the environment. Hunters often killed the pigs and left them to nature. The common idea is those hogs are tainted. Many people wouldn't eat the meat of the pigs. The coyotes would, in turn, eat the hogs and have a food source. When food sources were lacking,  the coyotes would go after farm animals.  At one time, my mom had over 200 Guinea fowls . The coyotes, bobcats , and raccoons and other predators took them away! The Guineas would eat the bugs mostly. Those fowls stayed in the trees at night, however, in due time, they were all but gone!  

Often, I would watch the wild aniamls, and see if they were on the hunt. If I saw one, I would grab my gun and shoot at them. Some, I would scare them off. Others, I shot at  them, meaning to send them into the afterlife.  At that time, a neighbor had cattle on the property. So, I was aware of some of the predators, and ready to scare them away. Hopefully they wouldn't return.  It was one of those times, I saw this Big Black Cat! This cat was very large. When it looked at me,  I could see the yellow eyes! I decided to take a shot and scare it away. I'd heard rumors and stories in the area, about the Black Cat as large or larger  than a mountian lion! In reality, the Large Black Cats are not mountian lions. They are jaguars! Their size is from 5 to 8 feet  long and a male 140 - 300 pounds! It's the 3rd largest cat next to tigers and lions! I wasn't afraid. It's what happened next that chilled me to the BONE!

I decided to shoot at the beast and scare it! My rifle cracked as the Big Cat  was looking at me! I was looking at sure death if it decided to run at me! What happened next was crazy. The cat dropped in it tracks like it was dead! I remember thinking I really didn't mean to kill it. I just  wanted to scare it away from the cattle! I waited more than 10 minutes.  I grabbed my shotgun for close range work. I now was very, very cautious .  I was very alert! I was a better than the average hunter against a very large cat! I recalled stories about dealing with such injured cats! They will turn on you, before you can react! I pointed my gun into the brush about knee-high at most... my heart began to pound as I faced certian death that strikes with a bite force I know I couldn't survive! As I neared the location where the Big Cat dropped, I found nothing! No blood, no nothing! I can say fear began to set in, knowing a lion in Africa only needs 6-7 inches of grass to vanish from sight!  I was standing in up to 10 inches of grass! Quickly, I assessed what could have happened. I can tell the reader,  I covered my way back to the house and left my rifle there from the platform I was shooting from! The next day, when the sun was well up,  I decided to return to the spot. All night, I couldn't sleep, thinking the cat is waiting for me to show myself. When the neighbor came down to the property, I figured it's best I go outside, too. Otherwise, the cat may attack my friend. I saw him coming down the driveway and I went out. I had my shotgun in hand. I told him the story and what had happened. I'm now looking for the body of the cat. My neighbor, a retired Force Recon Marine, was looking, too. I felt he didn't believe me, however, he was a Mason , as I am, and knows I'm a hunter, too. So, he looked, as I did. He called me over to the area that had been disturbed with heavy tracks. Then let's say, to his suprise, there was this track!  It's the track in the picture above! So, I have one that I may post compared to my hand. Did this story happen? Well, I lived it. It happened.  It wasn't until I measured the track and saw how big it was! Panther / Jaguar  size! 

My thoughts on this story and what happened ... I don't really know? However , let's look at some possible answers.  Maybe I scared it off? Or, perhaps it was an entity? There are reports of ghosts leaving footprints or other physical evidence... A neighbor nearby told me later he had seen the large Black Cat on our property more than once! I know people around the area where I live say they have seen a Big Black Cat on their land. One guy who told me, who is an ex-Special Forces Soldier, a trained obsever, saw the cat a couple of times! One lady on a social media platform posted a picture of a large Black Cat! So, yes people see them! However, were they really seeing an animal or an enity? Those of us who've seen it , know whatever we saw looked like a Big Black Cat!  Perhaps, some day, you may see one, too! If you do, I hope it makes you question other things as well. - Ron