Mountain Lion Dragging Buck
Have you seen the game camera photo of a mountain lion that killed a buck at or near a feeder? It seems quite amazing that the lion and his kill were caught on camera. However, the mountain lion dragging buck photo appears to be legit. It’s rather lucky photo for the owner of the game camera, but not as fortunate for the buck.
Readers of this site know that I normally write about deer management and anything related to hunting white-tailed deer. In addition, I do my best to get the facts correct before publishing content that I feel is accurate and helpful to hunters and landowners managing the deer and habitat found on their hunting properties.
Well, about a month ago I wrote an article that featured the photo below. It’s a perfect game camera photo of a mountain lion dragging a dead buck directly in front of a feeder. It seemed so perfect, I stated that surely the photo was a fake. As it turns out, the mountain lion dragging a buck photo is not fake. Rather, it’s an actual, amazing trail camera photo taken on a ranch in South Texas.
Mountain Lion Kill Caught on Camera
Every deer hunter that has spent any amount of time in the woods, or more appropriately around a campfire with other hunters, has heard stories related to mountain lion sightings. This can include the alleged black panther sightings that your buddy/uncle/friend/nephew claims he saw, too. The stories always get better as the night goes on.
One of the best things about getting outdoors and into the wildlife woods is that you really never know what you are going to see. And speaking from experience (and the mountain lion photos further below), there are some amazing things going on outside all of the time. After all, nature never really sleeps.
Photos, like campfire stories, are not always truthful. Before writing the first article about this photo of a mountain lion dragging a buck, I did a little research regarding the photo. If this photo had been faked, it would not have been the first. To make a long story short, someone initially admitted that they had “made” the photo. Just to get some attention, someone actually claimed to have faked a real-to-life photo. Wow.
Mountain Lion Dragging Buck After Kill
As it turns out, the real owner of the mountain lion photo saw the article, contacted me, gave me the real story that took place on his South Texas property and even provided me with additional photos to corroborate the mountain lion kill.
The ranch owner even said he found the whitetail buck’s head and remains about 6 weeks after these game camera photos were taken. He confirmed that the buck had been killed by the lion.
The photos below are in time succession and show a deer fleeing the area prior to the buck being killed. You can even see the drag marks in the dirt after the mountain lion walks right in front of the game camera. A truly remarkable occurrence, especially since it was caught on film. A special thanks to Chet Markgraf for his story and these photos!
Photos Document Lion & Whitetail Buck
Since almost every state in the union is represented I thought I better get southern Minnesota in here. We have some cougars around and we have rumors of DNR releasing cougars in the area. I’ve been hearing about this pic for a week or two. Most were saying it was taken by a trail cam near Winnebago, Minnesota, and included the name of the property owner. I researched the story on google when I first heard about it hoping I would get to see a video of a local cougar dragging a deer. I found it pretty comical when I received the pic from two different people today. One said from Truman and included the property owner’s name and one saying it was taken near Frost, MN.
WOW, this is better than a big fish story! It looks like every state in the U.S. has claimed it. We got the picture about a month ago and was told it was taken within 30 miles of us in Tazewell, Virginia. Good thing our cousin recognized the pic.
Just to let everyone know, the cat and buck are in Mississippi now. Not sure where they are headed.
This pic has been getting people in an uproar. But this is a actual photo very simular to this photo of a lion with a deer in its mouth, but this one was a smaller deer and was taken by cell phone on a front lawn on route 1A in Ellsworth. Now could it be possible that some people from up here are getting these two photos confused?
I completely believe this. If you look at the drag marks made by the cat it’s kind of hard to get those marks exactly the same. Almost impossible. And cougars are known to drag their kill to a tree to eat so that they are not disturbed. Great pic!
ANY deer can be taken by a mountain lion. My question is (since this is obviously not an infra-red flash trail cam), could this buck have been near (50 feet or so) from the camera when it flashed before, thereby giving the deer night blindness and not allowing the buck to intelligently escape the lion (or even see it)? Just a thought…
WOW, this cat has been around!! I live in southern Minnesota near Truman, where this cat was supposedly seen. Myself, as has anyone else that seen the picture, knew it was not from this area. You dont see hard-packed ground like that around here unless you are standing in the middle of a gravel road ;).
However, in response to Bill’s comment about the Minnesota DNR releasing Mountain Lions in our area, I will tell you that it is absoulutely TRUE! We lease some land near Truman MN for hunting and the landowner spotted a mother and 2 cubs on our land this fall. He contacted the DNR and they told him infact that they have released 3 mountain lions in the area. Their reasoning: To control coyote populations. Haha, what a joke!
Still circulating…now it’s in Kansas!
It’s now in Gilford, New Hampshire. There have not been any mountain lions in New Hampshire since the late 1800’s, but every once in awhile there is a supposed sighting. This one got a lot of us excited. However, facts are facts. Too bad.
What a popular photo. It has made it to Lake Winnipesaukee, New Hampshire. The big cat was allegedly was in Gilford, NH.
Might as well add Oklahoma to the list. The local pawn shop has this picture taped to the door saying it was taken in Whiteoak.
Was told this mountain lion photo was taken in Gilford, New Hampshire. I was telling people it was true and now I sound like an ass. Oh well. Glad the truth is out!!
I can’t say if it was 8 or 10 years ago, but I remember it was in August. I saw a cat just like this in Abbieville, South Carolina. I went to my wildlife dept and told them, but the guy just laughed at me. Well, kinda of. I told him If I saw it again that I would shoot it. I really wasn’t because he also told me there was a $60,000 fine and jail time if I did? This didn’t make sense to me since mountain lions are not here??? A few days later SHE was seen with 2 cubs (by me and 3 other people). As much time as I have spent in the outdoors I have never seen anything like that since.
What county and the nearest town?
Thought you’d like to know that versions (PhotoShopped) of the cougar photos are making the email rounds up here in Maine as purported sightings of cougars on a “game camera.” Some people have a lot of time on their hands I guess.
Well, I feel pretty dumb. Chet’s neighbor told me that this was caught on Chet’s camera and I told him he was full of it. I got the pic from a friend in SC via text message and thought it was from out that way. Now, I see this and it verifies the story of coming from Chet’s camera. Right in my own backyard! Gonna go bring in the pets now. See y’all later!
Maybe the picture could have been photoshopped, but if so, they did a good job. A cougar or big cat usually grabs prey by the neck, both to kill and to drag. As far as why the deer didn’t look like it had been put through the wringer, that is one big cougar, with plenty of jaw pressure. They kill pretty efficiently. Surely, if you ever had a house cat that catches mice or birds, you’ve seen some all torn up and others that barely have a mark.
This video was posted on some Colorado news website: Mountain Lion Kill Video
It is a different cougar, looks to be smaller, maybe a female. Assuming this was not somehow staged (and how would you propose to do that?), note the deer is not all bloody and beaten up. And note how quickly it was all over. Big cats put a bite to the neck if they can, to either damage the nervous system or asphyxiate.
I know where this is and where it happened. It was close to Zapata Texas. My ranch is a few ranches down. And we’ve seen two black panthers too.
How come some of the photos have a drag mark across the dirt and some don’t. Is there two different bucks?
After the months or years of reading the reviews of this picture and articles that have been tangled around this I felt it is my two cents to chime in. I feel that this cat is a possible venture. Weird things happen in the woods everyday and only sometimes or by mere chance we get to see such things. Example the black or white deer talked about here.
My story: Back in april I was hunting a ranch for pigs in central Texas. While on the hunt I was able to watch several deer walk past me at about 150 yards through the flat. They were not alone and followed by a cat trailing them about 100 yards from behind. After asking the ranch manager about it he said a cat has only been spotted a few times over the years.
The point to this story is that anything can happen. Nature has its own course, and only by chance we are lucky enough to see things we only hear about. Moral to the story I guess would be watch you back…. and never underestimate what can happen in nature.
Oklahoma in now in the mix, but the funny thing is the guy even tried to say it was on his farm and with his own game-cam. Gotta love people! Get your own stories, and if you feel the need to tell them, give the guy credit whose pics they actually are.
My husband received this pic as a text in Sept of 2009 and was told it was from a trail camera in Coshocton, Ohio. This month it is being passed around as being on a farm in Southern Ohio. Thanks for the info!
Well, I was just sent this image this morning with the claim it was from Houston, Missouri. So it is apparently still migrating!
It never ceases to amaze me: this photo has made it’s way to Missouri as well. People sure have an active imagination.
There is a mountain lion my cousin has on trail camera. It has eaten a deer, and on his 1,000 pound bull that showed up dead. This is in Ohio.
I want some proof that someone saw a mountain lion in Ohio. The picture from this site is still being passed around. I just got it yesterday saying it was taken in Jackson, Ohio. I think mountain lions do exist in Ohio, but I want some proof. I believe I saw one a few years ago just outside Zanesville. I saw it for a second or two, really it’s silhouette.
I live just south east of Waco, Texas, and I have seen 3 cougars on my ranch. Seriously, I have photos of lion tracks with deer and hog prints in side of their prints. I also have pics of them on my camera.
This picture also claims to have been taken near Solon Spring, Wisconsin. The terrain does not look like that of northwest Wisconsin, nor is the deer as big as it would be. Cool pic though.
My Brother (38) and I (37) are sure we spotted a “Puma concolor” couguar” with light yellowish hair on Saturday January 1 at about 11:30 pm. I was a passenger in the car traveling north bound on I-95 in a heavily wooded area, somewhere near the Halifax exit of North Carolina. There were no houses or buildings for a long stretch of that terrain and we are sure it was not a dog.
They think this lion may be a momma lion with some cubs somewhere and she is killing and taking food back to the little ones.
Cool pic. A lot of cougar sightings in northern Minnesota. I want to see one now!
Got this picture from a text message by one of my family members who lives in South Texas. Glad to see they were not spreading lies when they told me it was from that area. They said it was near Freer, Texas. Anyone know for sure?
This surfaced in Elk City, Oklahoma. This was a rumor saying that it was taken here. Glad this was cleared!
This picture surfaced in Mangum, Oklahoma. This animal was said to be taken there as well.
This was posted by a city in the Texas Panhandle claiming it was taken in Carson County. I called the city for permission to publish (I own a small newspaper), which they gave me! Guess research paid off in this case – I won’t be publishing!
I saw a big mountain lion on Hwy. 69 in Hale County. We turned around, went back and saw it again. It was limping like it was hurt. I did not know there were lions this close to us.
Thanks for the real story about the infamous beast lol! I’ve seen big mountain lion tracks here in southern Indiana a few years ago, but I’ve never actually seen one yet. Hope to some day, as long as I’m not on the menu!
I guess people are getting bored. I received this photo today that it was in South Central Kansas.
Bored in Oklahoma… someone decided to circulate it again. Just because I guess the wildlife department found one dead on the highway last month.
Appears that the photo was actually taken in South Texas several years ago.
Well this pic finally made it’s way to Kentucky. It was told that it was taken in the Brownsville area. We all believed it to be true because we have mountain lions around the area. In fact, a few years back we had one come through our area and my big yellow lab was apparently supper for a pair along with a neighbors husky mix. Hated the loss, but love he animals.
Now this photo has been submitted to Oklahoma City television station, News9.com as having been taken near Lexington, OKlahoma in Cleveland County.
This is now going around facebook and believe it or not, someone posted that this was taken in the Florida panhandle and was supposed to be a Florida cougar.
I received it saying it was in Southern Florida. Those babies must be starving by now waiting for the food to get to them. LOL
It is now in Ellis County, Kansas!
This is better than a bigfoot sighting. Run kitty, run.
The kitty has made its way to Oklahoma City; I fell for it hook, line and sinker…. until I had a good nights sleep and looked at it again. My first clue was the fact that it was sent to me by my son, and reality set in when my other son sent me this website.
It was photographed at the Brazil Ranch in South Texas.
Saw it on Facebook today, rumor patrol is saying the picture was taken in Arcadia Florida…LoL! This mountain lion sure does get around!
Sorry, but I’m still not convinced it’s real. Where is the blood?? And just looking at that drag trail, it seems pretty neat. One thick line, I’ve never seen a drag trail so precise. It would be wicked cool if it was real, but FOR ME it just seems real.