I'd have to say that the chances of a mountain lion actually prowling around Tennessee would be extremely slim today. They have been verified as close as Georgia to the south, where one was shot last year, I believe (speculated to have roamed north from Florida) and Missouri to the NW (just recently verified). That's still a pretty good ways away from Tennessee. Now, something most would neither know or suspect about Tennessee is the fact that Tennessee is actually tied for most deaths caused by bear attacks for any state in the continental U.S. since 2000.  Montana had two deaths attributed to Grizzly attacks just this year, 2010, and Tennessee has had two deaths by black bear attacks since the year 2000. No other state in the lower 48 has two deaths since the year 2000. Tennessee still has a good bit of wild land, but land that holds mountain lions, I'd have to say, nope! 

Well, they are encroaching from the West.  Nebraska and Kansas have them, and Iowa has and some show up recently too.  It's not too far out there to think that they are in Tennessee, or at least close. If they are not there now, I don't think it will be long before they are.  There are alot of woods out there in those mountains for them to roam around.

I need to read and research more. I did not know about the bear attacks in Tenn or the mirgration of the Mountain Lions.  I have always heard all front porch stories about panthers and big cats roaming the woods around Chattanooga and NW Georgia where I grew up.  Have I ever seen anything or knew of anyone who actually seen one, no.  I know there are alot of untamed wilderness even in Tenn.  Who really knows for sure.  But I think what most people hear and think they see are bob cats.  My thats only my 2 cents, which is a long way from right.  Even since I have been over here my wife claims to have heard a crazy sounding animal cry in our back woods.  My guess bob cat or big foot. We will see soon though.

If you do a google search on lions in TN, you find tons of sightings.  I would think alot of those are something else, but not all.

Here's something hilarious. This is from a forum where the first guy posts about seeing a lion in TN, and wanting to shoot one.  Then, the next poster politely lets him know that he's on a page where they work for the protection of mountain lion.  Guess the guy posted in the wrong forum....

http://www.mountainlion.org/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=24

My opinion, after living here since 1992 is there is no doubt, there are NO mountain lions in this state. Zilch, nada, NUN, none! Our most wild areas of Tn are in the eastern parts, in the Smokie Mtns Park natl area(s). There are lots of miles and mountains involved before they get here. Sorry, but I'd believe there was a bigfoot among us before I'd believe this other BS. Speculate all you want, matters not to me.

I don't know if they are recognized in Tn or not.

I do know of sightings in SC, Central and Eastern NC. I have a couple of friends who trap in the central part of the state. They have left trapped beavers on the waters edge while they go about trapping. When they returned to retrieve the beaver, it was gone. No drag marks, Only cat tracks. And I don't mean bobcat tracks. These were as big as you hand. The cat picked the 40 lb beaver and toted it away without dragging. Had to have been a big cat.

Like I said, I don't know of any sightings in Tn, but they will end up there before it's over with. Just think, if the DNR were to verify the existance of mountain lions, then they would have to spend extra resources and revenue to protect them until maybe there was a huntable population of lions. If they don't recognize the lions as being in the state then they don't have to protect them. They'll wait until they can't denie their existance anymore.