This is the official channel of Chester Moore, founder of Higher Calling Wildlife and Dark Outdoors. Chester has won more than 150 awards for writing, photography, radio, video and conservation. In 2017 he was awarded the first-ever Mossy Oak Outdoors Legacy Award of his work with children and wildlife and has been named a "Hero of Conservation" by Field & Stream. In 2020 he received the Advocatus Magni award from the National Wild Turkey Federation. He is Editor-In-Chief of Texas Fish & Game magazine.
He is host of the Higher Calling Wildlife podcast and blog. www.highercalling.net
He also hosts the Dark Outdoors podcast www.darkoutdoors.podbean.com.
Chester's favorite role is as a follower of Jesus Christ, father and husband.
Very interesting, because we have exactly the same phenomenon in the UK, people claiming that they have seen big cats in the British countryside and a high percentage of sightings are of what people always call "Black Panthers" and the media frequently produce articles on new sightings, but almost every single accompanying photo that I've seen and every video that I have seen, and they are almost always taken using a phone, quite clearly shows a black domestic cat, except one video of black dog, likely a Labrador. Yet the people I would call true believers, just flat out refuse to accept, that people are just really rubbish at judging the size of animals that they see. We shouldn't have any big cats at all in the UK, our largest native British cat was the Eurasian Lynx but it has been gone for over 1000 years, we have a tiny population of European Wildcats known as Scottish Wildcats here, because Scotland is the only place that they weren't exterminated, they look like tabby house cats, but a bit larger and more powerful, there were for a while some black ones, known as Kellas Cats, but when one was killed, genetic analysis, showed it was a hybrid with a domestic cat. I've seen wild cat species of all sizes around the world, so I am complete non-believer when it comes to accepting that there are breeding populations of big cats in the UK, if there were it would not be difficult to find the evidence and prove it.. One issue here and in the US, is that the minute you question someone and suggest that they didn't see a big cat, they either think you are accusing them of lying or that you think they are stupid, because how could anyone confuse a house cat for a big cat, yet the numerous videos (excluding hoaxes) suggest that people make this mistake all the time. An excellent video on the Oklahoma Department of Conservation website, illustrates this extremely well, using cutouts of domestic cat, a bobcat and a mountain lion, to show that an alleged mountain lion photo, they were sent, is just of a house cat.
I saw one of these animals on my property, at dusk, in the northern hills of Prescott, AZ, in the summer of 2014. I didn't know what it was then, but I was very excited to see it. It was elusive and walked quickly across the back, avoiding any contact. I had a clear view of its details as we were sitting on a 2nd floor deck, and I said them out loud to my mother, who was sitting on the deck with me, so I wouldn't forget them. I told my husband about it. I knew it wasn't anything I'd ever seen. I described it to an educator friend at our local zoo, and she had no clue what it would be in our area. It was several years later when my husband showed me an article about it in Arizona Highways, though they said they were only in Southern Arizona. I immediately knew it was what I had seen. My mystery cat finally had a name. It was one of those moments when you realize you are seeing something rare and special.
It was great listening to this again. I was at that Monster Fest sitting in the front row. We spoke briefly and you told me about Sam Houston National Park. I enjoy your podcast, it is quite informative.
I've seen jaguarundi 1 in north Carolina and 1 in south Carolina about a year ago the same day, I'm 💯 positive. It looks exactly like a small mountain lion
Currently I'm in Horry County South Carolina. I observed two black in color cats the size of a dog with tails just as l9ng as their bodies if not a bit longer. This happened earlier this morning, I have no puctures
Hi. I know many people will say we didn’t see what we saw, but my coworker and I were working just northeast of Wonowon, BC. We were driving back to camp the other morning after a night shift when I saw what I thought was a small black bear facing us on the road about 300 meters ahead. I said, “Hey, look, a bear!” As it turned to jump into the bush, we both saw that its tail was nearly as long as its body. My coworker said, “No way, a black panther!” It was a huge cat-like creature, but literally as tall as a small black bear. It was gone before we could get a picture, but there was no mistaking what we saw. The way it jumoed into the bush… It wasn’t foggy; it was bright out for 6:30 a.m. I said to him that no one would believe is but we both saw it
I grew up in Mississippi. I lived in McComb, Mississippi for a while. My school mascot was the jaguar. Every one would talk about the black jaguars we had, and everyone had stories of seeing them. I remember being 7, and me and my sister heard a roar like a lion. We just knew it was one of those black jaguars. McComb is closer to Louisiana. So I think it’s interesting that Jaguars have been spotted in Louisiana. Also, if jaguars like water, it would make sense they would be near the Mississippi River. However, I think you’re spot on with the long tail theory. That’s brilliant. I think the “black panther” phenomenon is the natural evolution of the feral cat. Mississippi is a poor area with a big feral cat population. It makes sense that the biggest darkest ones would thrive in the wild. I believe people notice these long tails more, because they want to believe they are melanistic jaguars. I’m sure there have been rare instances of jaguar sitings in southeast America in the 1900s. However, I believe the majority of present day sitings are extremely large black feral cats.
I have seen these cats several times in the past 60 years. They are solid black they are not spotted. I believe they are a species that has not been found by experts. I have no idea why they haven't been found dead or whatever the arguments are. All I know for sure is every 3 to 4 years one will be seen in this area. My dad said they migrated through every few years which fits.
I heard on RU-vid a person took in a bob cat and it gave birth to black kittens in litter.That might explain what some people are seeing.l didn't think domestic cats could get that big in wild . The only thing would they be different colours.
In the mid 90s I was traveling down I-45 south with my parents. Just before Virginia Point near the rail road tracks my dad stopped the truck and pointed out a large dark colored cat in the grassy salt marsh. I remember it being between 2.5 and 3 feet long, dark color, and a large tail. It definitely was a cat of some kind but we didn't stick around for it to get any closer. This was the first and only time I've ever seen a large cat outside of a zoo in Texas. I've got property in Crockett, while I occasionally see tracks I have never seen a cat of any kind out there.
I saw a perfect close up picture of a dead Black Panther heald up high by its extremely long tale. A little reddish brown mostly 90% black. Who gives a dam . Drop the subject . Just like those big foot you tubers looking to make easy money instead of working for it
Hey Chester. You will never see one unless you live where they are. It is safe to say 50% of the people who live in my area have seen a black panther. These cats have been here for hundreds of years. My dad and his family grew up seeing these cats, To say they don't exist is simply ignorant if you have never been in an area where they are. Back in the late 90s, I had one follow me while I was on my tractor. it was in the middle of the day. I got a very good look at it. when I stopped the tractor it just slowly walked over in the brush. I consider myself a lucky person to have seen this animal. You professional people amaze me, you don't have a clue
Maybe you should watch all seven parts of the series and see that I don't see "black panthers don't exist". I just say there are numerous things contributing to the black panther phenomenon. And I do happen to live where there are many, many sightings and I have seen things like a jaguarundi other people have reported as a black panther.
I've seen a black panther that was probably close to 200 lb if not 200 although it was night music full moon night. And it came out of the cellar of an old abandoned house that had some kind of animal den in it that we always thought was a black bear because of the black fur that it left down there and because of the fact that we had seen a black bear not too far from there right before this happened. What is definitely wasn't a bear it was a cat. A couple years after that I seen a cat that looks like it was 300 lb and it completely filled up a 10 ft section of fence that was missing. From nose to tail anyways. this was also at night but there was a flood light directly above. The cat had black spots.
I saw a black panther in Ontario Canada 3 years ago, from less than 100 feet away in full sunlight for about 4 seconds, It then took me 2 years to figure out what happened. God had showed me my spirit animal because I needed the confidence boost. The characteristics of the black panther match mine to a T and I just don't believe that was a fluke, it was God giving me a shot in the arm. Like God put a hand on my shoulder and said, "You can do this Mike, you have what it will take". I now suspect that ALL black panther sightings in strange places, or "Phantom Cats" as they are also known, are signs meant for the witnesses.
I'm here because my husband and I literally saw one crossing the street on the hind side of the Lexus dealership on Lemmon Ave out of all the places in Dallas TX (literally 5 minutes from LoveField Airport and a huge park creek area the is fairly undeveloped...We were driving and it was crossing over to the next dealership and we are just so in shock that we had to search around the internet and we found you 😅....The dealership has cameras all over that area and it happened some time around 9:15pm 7/10/24...What made it distinct was the head and how long the tail was in comparison to the body and how it was running with the head very straight inline with the body and the size!!! I hope if you reach out to the dealership that they can provide you with footage because wow!!!!
I recently got a Jaguar last December 2023 on my trail camera here in Southern Arizona, it was all over the news. I've heard of sightings of Jaguarundis here in Southern Arizona but have yet to get one on camera,
@@JasonMillerOutdoors that’s awesome! I would love to do a blog at higher calling.net about your game cam photos or video. I bet there there are Jaguarundis there. You can email me at Chester@chestermoore.com
my stepmom has a picture of her dad standing holding up a hoe n his hand. hanging off the hoe is a rattlesnake that went to the ground. this is n northwest ar. boone co.
i had a guy that worked fir me. he lived by the Buffalo River n northwest Arkansas. he worked 1st shift so he had to leave his house early. like dark early. this one morning he was ridin his motorcycle. right when he got to the bridge to cross the Buffalo, he could see something big n black laying n the middle of the road. he said" when i got to it, i could tell it was a Panther. " he said it was way to big to pick up n haul it on his bike, so he had a friend that lived bout 3 miles on down road. he stoped n woke his friend up n asked to use his truck to go get it. so he n his friend get n truck to go get it. he said no one had drove down the road since he left the Panther. when they got to it, it was gone. he knows what he saw n i trust him no dought..
i was visiting a friend one Christmas. i stayed 2 days. when 1st got there, was sittingn livingroom and they had there xmas tree set up. i had saw something under the tree agaisnt the wall. i thought it was fake because of the length. it was layin down. we were talkin n the next thing i knew, that cat was walkin across the room. i jumped up n said a few words n sat back down. this thing was u knee high n long n jet black all over. i would like to know what kind it was.
In Sonny's Cafe in Purcell, Oklahoma, there is a mounted black mountain lion. Some years ago, a wildlife biologist tested a couple of hairs and determined that it was dyed. It's a really good job, though and it looks really cool.
Also the girl has a ton of footage but I don't think she was the most severe injury. There was a guy whose torso looked shredded. 😢 Also a girl in a black bikini who got a nibble.
They have been around my area for years. My daddy and his daddy had seen them for years. You will never know what is going on writing about something living in a city
Hi Chester Moore my name is will im a OTR driver I was driving west on the us 36 right at mile marker 62 or 63 going west to Kansas city MO a couple miles before Meadville MO and out my passenger window I seen a large black cat thick frame large head long tail walking parallel with the highway the sun was about to dip down but plenty of light to see and I've watched your video and looked at pictures and I have to say black jaguar very large head not slender like a mountain lion and so maybe these cats are moving up north more idk but positive what I saw was a very large black cat 6/26/24 my first encounter
* I recall it said that the black Jaguar are only found in one small area of South. Also, Jaguar may have a longer tail than a Bobcat, but their tail is noticeable shorter than the Leopard or Mountain Lion. I also believe that a number of these legitimate sightings can be attributed to people letting their pets go into the wilds when they become to big for them to handle.
I believe it because in the late 50’s early 60’s my Dad got a kitten from a bridge tender in Jensen beach Fla .that cat everyone thought was a panther . We lived in a still wild area of Martin County Fla and one neighbor miles down the road accused our cat of bring down one of his calves . He was probably 20# also had a cry that was different than most house cats
