First of all, my daughter sent this to me and said her future father-in-law sent it to his worthless son (her fiance') who supposedly took it from the game-cam on their land. As can be seen, I do not care for the boy and the only reason he is still alive is because my daughter begged me not to end him.
But enough of my family affairs LOL
The fact is, 10 years ago when I took my youngest son to take is mandated Hunter Safety Course (required here in Missouri), I remember the Conservation Agent teaching it saying there were NO Cougars/Mountain Lions/Panthers here in Missouri. There were those in attendance which disputed this proclamation - but the Game Warden was quite adamant about it.
However, just because he declared it does not make it so. I know I heard the cry of a big cat one night in the 60s when I was camping out with the Royal Rangers on Crowley's Ridge in South East Missouri (near to where this picture reportedly hails from).
I remember some years later walking home out of the woods at night (where I always went to play til dark) and seeing a shadowy figure follow me in the overhanging branches above my head. I could not see it clearly, but I know it wasn't flaming Felix the Cat or Garfield out for a stroll!
The point is, most of us hereabouts head out into the woods during archery season armed with our bows only and a skinning knife...and we walk into them predominantly before dawn and come out after dark. Seeing a picture like this, valid or not, gives one pause for the cause LOL I am not afraid of anything on this planet...but the thought of a Mountain Lion for some reason bothers me. Dare I say fright?
However you say it, I do not think I can take one with my bare hands. It's a little disconcerting to ponder that I come to hunt and may turn out being the one hunted. I wonder how everyone else feels about this and do you have critters in your neck of the woods that could make a meal out of you?
no sneaking around in the dark for
They're always going to say that "if" there is one there, it's an escaped pet. The reason? If they admit that they're there, then they have to put together a management plan for them and expend resources/money doing it. It's just a lot easier to say that they're escaped pets. 
However, I've never seen one. I do think people mistake large bobcats for them in the twilight, etc. A very large bobcat can be almost as big as a coyote. They shouldn't, but they do, as a lion is about five times larger. Kinda like that ground shrinkage on the bucks they've shot, it was sure a lot bigger when they first saw it. The proof is in the tracks. Most people that claim to see them somehow can never find that labrador size track?? Humm?
