#167 Is Fish and Wildlife Killing Black Panthers?

During the last posting, I cramped up and could barely finish. My workouts have become a little more intense. For example, I have worked up to doing 50 pound dumbbell bicep curls. But only a few: two on the left arm, and only one on the right.
But still, how many 62 year old men do you know who can do that? Hmm, how many men period do you know? I'm pretty much a recluse so please forgive me for congratulating myself. Now to return to my suspicions about Roy McBride and his pack of cat hounds : Dr. David Maehr wrote in his book, "The Florida Panther," that Roy McBride would occasionally shoot a bobcat his dogs had treed to keep them interested. I've written extensively of Florida Fish and Wildlife (the old Game Commission) haveing a great antipathy for the black panther, and the question has occured to me if Roy McBride was actually shooting treed black panther and not bobcats and this was the reason he wouldn't allow anyone withing a quarter of mile when his dogs were running a cat. Maybe Roy would like to respond to that. I've talked to him before. He can reach me at 352-359-0850. Several years ago, I was talking to a young game warden whose name I will not give for his own protection and because he is the most honest game warden I have questioned about the existence of the black panther. In our conversation, I mentioned to him black panthers. He replied, "Oh, so you have them up here? I'm surprised. I know they have them down in the Everglades, but I didn't know they were this far north." I assured him they were. The next time we talked, he had obviously been "educated" by Fish and Wildlife for he said, "You know, Mr. Nickerson, Fish and Wildlife says there is no such thing as a black panther."
"You have to work for Fish and Wildlife. I don't," I replied.
"Goodbye, Mr.Nickerson."
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Peter Nickerson, MS, MSW at peternickerson12@yahoo.com.
PS Anyone wanting to read a good book in bed, see Elmore Leonard's "Freaky Deaky."
It's very conversational and though there are several murders, it is not upsetting.
I just finished it.